CHICAGO -- UC Davis senior defender and Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year Roy Boateng was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the first round of Major League Soccer SuperDraft 2019 Friday afternoon. The managerial economics major from Rohnert Park, California, becomes the third Aggie alumnus drafted into the MLS, joining Ryan Shaw (2005) and Quincy Amarikwa (2009).
Boateng was the 16th overall selection of the four-round SuperDraft, which takes place as part of the annual United Soccer Coaches convention at McCormick Place Convention Center. The Red Bulls had acquired the pick via trade with FC Cincinnati on Wednesday.
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Originally out of Rancho Cotate High School and Santa Rosa United, the Ghana-born Boateng captured All-Big West Conference accolades for four consecutive seasons as an Aggie, including first-team honors in his final two. He started 81 games for UC Davis during his career, including all but three minutes of the 2018 season. As a senior, Boateng led the Aggie defense to a stingy 0.85 goals against average. UC Davis ranked among the NCAA leaders in goals allowed and GAA, while the team's eight shutouts tied the 2008 squad for the program's Division I-era record.
Offensively, Boateng contributed on six goals and an assist during his collegiate career, including a 4-1-9 scoring chart in 2015. That performance earned him a Big West Conference All-Freshman nod and a spot in Top Drawer Soccer's list of top 100 freshmen.
Boateng earned one of 60 invitations to the 2019 adidas MLS Player Combine earlier in January, during which his draft stock ascended to the first round in mock drafts held by soccer writers Ives Galarcep (SBI), Matthew Doyle (MLS Armchair Analyst) and Travis Clark (Top Drawer Soccer).
UC Davis went 11-4-5 in 2018 and advanced to the title game of the Big West Conference Championship.
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
