MLS soccer - Colorado Rapids Pick Four Players in Supplemental, College Draft

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reprint of COLORADO RAPIDS NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE

RAPIDS PICK FOUR PLAYERS IN SUPPLEMENTALT COLLEGE DRAFTS
DENVER (Tuesday, March 5, 1996) -- Four players were selected by the Colorado Rapids in Monday's Major League Soccer Supplemental and College Player Draft. The additions of goalkeeper Dusty Hudock, forward Richard Sharpe, midfielder Mike Gentile, and Paul Grafer bring the Rapids' roster to 24 players for the team's inaugural training camp, which began Monday at 3 p.m. at Mile High Stadium.
"I believe we picked up some players with great abilty," said Rapids Head Coach Bobby Houghton, who felt that the Rapids put together an excellent squad before Monday's drafts. "Each of these players will have the chance to play along with and prove themselves against many of the best players in the world during our training camp."
Hudock has spent the last two years with the A-League's Seattle Sounders as a backup to U.S. National Team pool goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. The 23-year-old University of Washington product, along with keeper Grafer from the College of William and Mary, will battle Rapids netminder Khalil Azmi, the 1994 World Cup goalkeeper for Morocco, for the top spot.
British-born forward Sharpe moved to the United States in 1989, following a youth career that includes stints with English clubs West Ham United and Layton Orient. Sharpe earned three-time NCAA Division II All-American and conference player of the year honors at the Florida Institute of Technology and was the top Division II scorer in 1991, '92, and '93, scoring 42, 49, and 39 goals. During the 1994 USISL season with the Cocoa Beach Expos, Sharpe hit the back of the net 45 times and was named the USISL 1994 Offensive Player of the Year.
Gentile, a midfielder from the University of Wisconsin, closed out his college career last December as captain of the Badgers' 1995 NCAA Championship team. Gentile, a third-team NCAA All-American, led Wisconsin in scoring with five goals and 11 assists, including a goal and an assist in Wisconsin's 2-0 victory over SMU in the NCAA quarterfinal and an assist on the game-winning goal in the Badgers' semifinal win over Portland.
Final roster cuts will be made March 31. Colorado opens the inaugural MLS season April 13 at Kansas City before returning to Denver for the home opener at Mile High Stadium April 21 against the Dallas Burn.

1996 COLORADO RAPIDS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

1996 RAPIDS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

ALLOCATED PLAYERS

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. D.O.B. Caps/Goals College Last Club Wegerle, Roy F 5'11" 170 3/19/64 26/3 South Florida Coventry (England) Kinnear, Dominic M 5'11" 160 7/26/67 56/9 Hartwick (N.Y.) Necaxa (Mexico) Balboa, Marcelo D 6'1" 175 8/8/67 109/12 San Diego St. Leon (Mexico) Bartlett, Shaun F 6'2" 180 10/31/72 12/5# -- Cape Town (S. Africa)
DRAFT PICKS 1-8
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. D.O.B. Caps/Goals College Last Club Harbor, Jean F 6'1" 185 9/19/65 15/0 Alabama A&M Montreal (A-League) Hamlett, Denis D 5'11" 190 1/9/69 -- George Mason Anaheim (CISL) Trittschuh, Steve D 6'0" 170 4/24/65 46/0 -- St. Louis (NPSL) Bates, Brian D 6'0" 190 8/16/72 -- Virginia Richmond (USISL) Edwards, Troy D 6'0" 195 1/21/64 -- Florida Int'l Myrtle Beach (USISL) Cannon, Scott D 5'9" 160 7/22/68 -- Evansville Cincinnatti (NPSL) Kmosko, Matt D 6'1" 175 1/8/72 3/0 Hartwick (N.Y.) New York (USISL) Benedetti, Scott F 5'11" 175 11/13/66 -- Portland Colorado (APSL)
DRAFT PICKS 9-16
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. D.O.B. Caps/Goals College Last Club Butterworth, Ian D 6'2" 190 2/15/64 -- -- Norwich (England) Rodriguez, Felipe M 5'8" 160 9/12/75 -- -- -- Hill, Lance F 6'4" 195 2/17/72 -- Creighton New Orleans (USISL) Puls, Eric M 6'0" 170 7/4/71 -- Syracuse St. Louis (USISL) McKay, Josh M 6'0" 175 11/16/71 -- San Francisco Hawaii (USISL) Azmi, Khalil GK 6'3" 190 8/23/64 70/0* -- New Hampshire (USISL) Hurley, Brian M 5'10" 160 9/10/75 -- -- Tampico (Mexico) Shanker, Joel M 5'7" 160 8/14/71 -- Indiana St. Louis (NPSL)
SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. D.O.B. Caps/Goals College Last Club Hudock, Dusty GK 6'2" 186 9/4/72 -- Washington Seattle (A-League) Sharpe, Richard F 6'2" 180 1/15/67 -- F.I.T. Cocoa Beach (USISL)
COLLEGE DRAFT
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. D.O.B. Caps/Goals College Last Club Gentile, Mike M 5'10" 160 5/24/74 -- Wisconsin -- Grafer, Paul GK 6'3" 184 8/7/74 -- William & Mary -- #South African National Team *Moroccan National Team

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