DAVIS, Calif. — Although his career in the blue in gold is over, things may be just beginning for reigning two-time Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Roy Boateng, who is one of more than 60 college players that have been invited to take part in the 2019 adidas MLS Player Combine in Orlando, Fla. this weekend.
The event opened on Thursday (Jan. 3) and will run through Wednesday (Jan. 9), as technical directors and coaches from across the league will be in attendance to scout some of the top young talent eligible for selection. The scene then shifts to Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 11, for the MLS SuperDraft, where expansion side FC Cincinnati will have the first overall selection.
If selected, Boateng would become the third UC Davis men's soccer player drafted by an MLS club, following in the footsteps of Ryan Shaw, who was a third round (34th overall) selection of the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2005 Supplemental Draft, and Quincy Amarikwa, who was taken in the third round (32nd overall) by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.
Fans will be able to follow along with matches at the combine, which will be streamed online beginning Saturday (Jan. 4). Boateng and his fellow "Team X" mates will take on "Team Predator" beginning at 2:45 p.m. ET.
A second match day on Wednesday (Jan. 9) will wrap up the combine, with the winners facing one another at 10 a.m. ET, and the remaining two teams following with a head-to-head clash at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Boateng, who is ranked No. 46 on
Travis Clark's MLS Draft Big Board Version 2.0 released on Jan. 4, earned his second All-Far West Region selection from United Soccer Coaches as a senior in 2018, becoming the first Aggie to garner all-region first team honors since Dylan Curtis and Amarikwa both did so in 2008.
The managerial economics major was one of four UC Davis players to start all 20 matches in 2018 — playing all but three minutes on the field — while spearheading a defensive effort that surrendered only 17 goals and a 0.85 goals against average on the year, ranking among the top 30 in the nation in both categories. The team's eight shutouts this season also matched the 2008 squad for the most in the program's Division I history.
Boateng wrapped up his career as a four-time All-Big West selection, earning first team honors as a junior and senior, while picking up honorable mention laurels in his first two collegiate seasons. He started 81 of his 82 career contests, finishing with six goals and an assist.
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 Times Higher Education, 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
Launched 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.
