Igwe drafted 12th in MLS SuperDraft

By Joe Doss-Antoun

Though leaving college at the age of 18 might not have been the easiest decision to make, freshman midfielder Amaechi Igwe can now sleep at night knowing he made the right choice.

Less than a month after signing with the MLS, Igwe was drafted 12th overall by the New England Revolution in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.

He also became the fourth Santa Clara player to be drafted in the first round in the last four years. Previous players taken in the first round out of Santa Clara include Ryan Cochrane and Steve Cronin, who were both drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2004, and Mehdi Ballouchy, who was drafted second overall by Real Salt Lake in 2006.

"We've had a number of first round draft picks that have come out of our program, and he's the next in line of that," said men's head coach Cameron Rast. "So in terms of soccer, talent wise, I think he is right up there with all of them that have gotten picked that high."

Rast, who coached Igwe during his only year at Santa Clara, certainly thought highly of his skills. As a freshman, Igwe started 20 of 23 matches en route to the Broncos' NCAA quarterfinal run. In total, Igwe scored five goals and assisted three others, finishing third on the team in scoring.

"Amaechi learned how to play against some older players," said Rast. "We played a very demanding schedule, so hopefully that toughened him up a little bit in terms of the quality of competition that he faced."

Igwe's soccer talent comes as no surprise given his family background. His father is a former Nigerian national team player, and his older brother and sister are soccer stars in their own right. His brother, Kelechi, a 2006 Santa Clara graduate, was an important part of the 2003 team that advanced to the College Cup. And his sister Chioma is a starting junior midfielder for the Bronco women's team.

In addition to collegiate play, Igwe has competed with the U.S. national team on numerous occasions. At the ripe age of 16, Igwe left his high school in San Jose to join the U.S. U-17 national team's year-round residency program in Bradenton, Fla.

Igwe was also a member of the U-20 team, where he participated in various matches throughout 2006 and 2007. He played significant minutes in the United States' second place finish at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland in August 2006.

While Igwe concentrated on his commitment to the Broncos during the fall, he returned his focus to international competition upon season's end. Currently, Igwe is traveling with the U-20 team in Panama and was not available for comment.

Of the 52 players taken in this year's draft, only five are teenagers -- Igwe being one.

"One of the things that sets Amaechi apart from your typical player is that he is left-sided, left-footed, and in any sport, that is a very marketable trait," said Rast.

Fortunately for Igwe, who aspires to play soccer overseas, he has landed in one of the more celebrated franchises in recent MLS history. The New England Revolution has finished among the top three teams in the MLS in three of the last four years.

In addition, the Revolution's head coach, Steve Nicol, has a reputation for developing young talent. Nicol has assisted in the development of U.S. national team players Clint Dempsey, Pat Noonan, Michael Parkhurst and Taylor Twellman.

"I think it's going to be a very maturing environment for him. It's going to be a type of environment that will season him and harden him, and if he wants to be a pro, this will be a good, hard look at what it's like," said Rast.

Igwe has a long future in professional soccer ahead of him, both nationally and internationally.

"I think he had a very successful year here, and in the end, it was a good year for him to learn how to be a good part of a program and enjoy the game," said Rast. "And now, he'll do it for a living."

Contact Joe Doss-Antoun at (408) 551-1918 or jdossantoun@scu.edu