Ustruck drafted in MLS

By Joe Doss-Antoun

Though the MLS SuperDraft came and went without mention of his name, one man still kept faith.

Last Thursday, Erik Ustruck and his friends gathered around his computer in Santa Clara to watch the 2007 Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft online.

"We just hit refresh on the computer a couple of times, then my name popped up and my friends started cheering," said Ustruck. "I couldn't believe it at first."

Ustruck became the second Santa Clara player to be drafted by the MLS this year, joining freshman Amaechi Igwe. The St. Louis native was drafted 39th overall in the supplemental draft by the Houston Dynamo.

Ustruck will join former Bronco teammate Ryan Cochrane, who was drafted 5th overall by the franchise in the 2004 SuperDraft. In 2003, both Ustruck and Cochrane helped guide Santa Clara to the College Cup, where they lost in the semifinal round.

"I talked to Ryan right after I found out," said Ustruck. "He's really excited for me to come down and try out for the team."

Ustruck will join the team's preseason roster, where he and other draft picks will compete for a final roster spot. Training camp and tryouts will continue during the coming weeks, before all MLS teams finalize their rosters.

While Ustruck will be playing alongside many high-profile players during the preseason, he will mainly be competing with other Dynamo draft picks for the limited roster spots available for the 2007 regular season.

Among the other players taken by the Houston Dynamo in the Supplemental Draft is Nick Hatzke, brother of current Bronco midfielder Matt Hatzke.

"It's really weird because our families are so close, and I've played with Matt for a few years now," said Ustruck. "And now I get to play with his brother, whom I'm really good friends with."

Ustruck will report to the team in Houston today for entry physicals. The Dynamo will open up regular season play on Sunday, April 8, when they will take on the Los Angeles Galaxy and newly acquired David Beckham.

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