Duke’s Christina Gibbons was the fifth overall pick
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Led by the No. 5 overall pick Christina Gibbons of Duke, 10 Atlantic Coast Conference student-athletes were selected in the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft held Friday in Los Angeles.
Along with Gibbons who was selected by FC Kansas City, the ACC had two players taken in the second round, three in the third round and fourth in the fourth round.
Gibbons, the 2016 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and NSCAA First Team All-American, helped lead the Blue Devils to a 15-5-3 overall and 7-2-1 league mark and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship in 2016. Gibbons earned First Team All-ACC honors each of her final three years and concluded her career starting 87-of-88 contests, including the final 73 in a row. She totaled 10 goals, 19 assists and 39 points, while also helping lead Duke to 38 shutouts on the defensive end over her career.
Leading the way in the second round was fellow Blue Devil Toni Payne, who was selected with the third pick (13th overall) also by FC Kansas City, while North Carolina chose Clemson’s Claire Wagner with the final pick of the second round (20th overall).
The third round saw three from the ACC selected, including Clemson’s Kailen Sheridan and Catrina Atanda, and Virginia’s Alexis Shaffer. Sheridan went to Sky Blue FC with the 23rd overall pick and Alexis Shaffer will join Gibbons and Payne in Kansas City as the FC Kanas City selected the 2016 ACC Offensive Player and Midfielder of the Year with the fifth pick of the third round (25th overall). Sheridan will have a familiar face with her in New Jersey as Sky Blue FC selected her Tiger teammate Atanda with 10th pick in the third round (30th overall).
Four from the ACC heard their names called in the final round. Boston College’s McKenzie Meehan was selected with the fourth pick of the fourth round (34th overall) and will join Sheridan and Atanda with Sky Blue FC. North Carolina’s Cameron Castleberry went to Washington with the sixth pick of the fourth round (36th overall) followed by Virginia’s Kristen McNabb to Seattle with the 37th overall pick and Boston College’s Haley Dowd to Boston with the 38th overall pick.
ACC in the 2017 NWSL College Draft
Rd Pick Team Player
1 5 Kansas City Christina Gibbons, M, Duke
2 3 (13) Kansas City Toni Payne, M, Duke
2 10 (20) North Carolina Claire Wagner, D, Clemson
3 3 (23) Sky Blue FC Kailen Sheridan, GK, Clemson
3 5 (25) Kansas City Alexis Shaffer, M, Virginia
3 10 (30) Sky Blue FC Catrina Atanda, M, Clemson
4 4 (34) Sky Blue FC McKenzie Meehan, F, Boston College
4 6 (36) Washington Cameron Castleberry, M, North Carolina
4 7 (37) Seattle Kristen McNabb, D, Virginia
4 8 (38) Boston Haley Dowd, F, Boston College