Jan. 15, 2009
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University had three men's soccer players selected in the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft Thursday in St. Louis.
Dado Hamzagic was the first Billiken drafted when the New England Revolution selected him with the 10th pick in the second round (25th overall). Brandon Barklage went in the third round (36th overall) to DC United, and Kyle Patterson was taken by the LA Galaxy in the fourth round (48th overall).
Hamzagic, a native of Bosnia who prepped at Mehlville High School in south St. Louis county, accumulated 48 career points (15G, 18A) in his four-year Billiken career. He notched 11 points (3G, 5A) in 2008 and helped SLU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite missing time early in the year with an injury.
As a junior, Hamzagic garnered first-team All-Region honors after finishing third on the squad in scoring with 14 points (5G, 4A). He was an honorable mention All-Conference pick by the Atlantic 10 Conference as a sophomore after recording eight points (3G, 2A), and he was named to the A-10's All-Rookie team after registering a career-best 15 points (4G, 7A) as a freshman.
After beginning his collegiate career at the University of New Mexico, Barklage returned to his hometown of St. Louis to wrap up his career at SLU. He had a breakout season in 2008, finishing second on the Billikens with 24 points, which included seven goals and a team-high 10 assists. He garnered NSCAA first-team All-Region honors for his effort.
In 2007, Barklage scored three goals and had five assists. Including his two seasons with the Lobos, Barklage accumulated 54 career points (15G, 24A) during his college career.
Patterson was one of the Billikens' most explosive scorers the past two seasons. A MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, he led the team with 29 points (12G, 5A) in 2008 en route to first-team All-Conference accolades.
Patterson finished his career tied for 17th on SLU's career scoring chart with 73 points (29G, 15A). The 2007 A-10 Offensive Player of the Year netted 24 points (10G, 4A) as a junior and combined for 20 points (7G, 6A) in his first two seasons in a Billiken uniform.
The trio will look to join a long list of former Billikens currently active in MLS, including Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brian Grazier (Colorado Rapids), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Brian McBride (Chicago Fire) and Tim Ward (Colorado Rapids).
