MLS finds four players in Minnesota, where nil is usually the number

Until it mined them this time around, the MLS SuperDraft had turned up Minnesotans only in dribs and drabs, with Prior Lake's Teal Bunbury in 2010, Bloomington's Jackson Yueill in 2017 and Maple Grove's Luke Haakenson in 2020 among the few.

MLS teams selected four Minnesotans in December's draft, including two first-rounders.

Former Minnesota Mr. Soccer and Blaine's own Herbert Endeley went 24th to FC Dallas and North Oaks' Xavier Zengue 27th to the Columbus Crew.

Hometown Minnesota United chose St. Louis Park's Emmanuel Iwe from its MNUFC2 reserve team in the second round with the 48th overall pick.

Nashville took Minneapolis' Rory O'Driscoll in the third and final round, 78th overall.

All four come from a state that lacked a Division I men's college team until St. Thomas made the leap from Division III in 2021. Now they're training with MLS teams, preparing for a season a month out.

Is it an aberration or a trend?

"I don't think it's a one-year aberration at all," O'Driscoll said. "It has been a long time coming for Minnesota soccer, to be honest. We always had talent, and I always felt that so much of the talent back home goes unnoticed. It was pretty special for other people to recognize that and for me to be part of it."

All four played or trained with or against each other among club teams growing up. Endeley, Zengue and O'Driscoll flew together on a trip to Orlando to attend MLS' rookie symposium, intended to prepare its newest players for life on and off the field.

"It was just crazy, all three of us there together," said Zengue, who played at Dayton in college. "We were all really excited. Getting drafted is huge, but it's just the start of the next step. We all have to prove ourselves."

Where they're found

All four left Minnesota to play Division I soccer because there was no opportunity to do so at home. The University of Minnesota doesn't have a men's soccer program.

"I remember growing up thinking if the University of Minnesota had a Division I men's soccer team, I would have been all over it, right?" said Driscoll, who played four years at New Hampshire. "That's always hindered Minnesota soccer. It's tough when you're going way out of state and going to a completely new environment."

Amos Magee, Loons vice president of player development, predicted St. Thomas' Division I status will be a "massive help for everybody" in finding and developing Minnesota talent because Tommies coach Jon Lowery's recruiting and developing of players will bring more coaches and more scouts to the state.