Veris, Burse Selected in Third Round of MLS SuperDraft – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Jan. 20, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State seniors Kyle Veris and Ray Burse Jr. were selected in the third round of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft Friday afternoon, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Veris was the 25th pick overall and the first selection of the third round by the defending MLS Cup champion L.A. Galaxy, while Burse was picked five players later by F.C. Dallas.
Burse (Prospect, Ky./St. Xavier) was the first goalkeeper taken in the draft and Veris (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville/Akron) was the eighth defender. They are the fifth and sixth Buckeyes to become MLS draft picks and the highest Ohio State players ever taken, topping Justin Cook’s selection at No. 51 a year ago.
“We are very excited for the two of them,” John Bluem, Ohio State head coach, said. “They and their parents have put in a lot of time and work and energy. It’s a fantastic thing and great for our program. It’s a wonderful opportunity for those two guys.”
The duo helped lead Ohio State to the NCAA tournament the last two years, including a trip to the third-round in 2004. They will both attend the Buckeyes’ postseason awards banquet Friday evening.
Ohio State’s six drafted student-athletes have all come during the last four years, including Cook and Sammy Tamporello in the 2005 MLS supplemental draft and Andy Rosenband and Jake Traeger in the sixth round of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, which is now four rounds.
Burse (6-1, 185), rated by most MLS analysts as the top goalkeeper at the MLS combine last week, ended his collegiate career with 13 shutouts, a 1.11 goals-against average and 162 saves, all of which rank in the Top 5 in the Ohio State record book. He was a second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2004 and was named the league’s defensive player of the week five times in his career. As a junior he tied an OSU record with four consecutive shutouts and his 0.87 goals against average is the third-best single-season effort in program history. Burse was in goal for both Buckeye NCAA tournament wins in 2004.
Veris (6-3, 170) is one of five players in OSU history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors twice (2004, 2005). He played in 73 games in his collegiate career and totaled eight goals and eight assists. Veris played in the NCAA tournament all four years of his eligibility, including in 2001 and 2002 at Akron and 2004 and 2005 at Ohio State. Even from the back, his striking ability made him one of the Buckeyes’ most dangerous attackers, but his defensive ability was what fueled the OSU defense.
### GO BUCKS! ###
