While Avaya Stadium may have been getting all the national attention over the weekend by hosting the NCAA Women’s College Cup, the San Jose Earthquakes were quietly continuing preparations for the MLS SuperDraft on January 13 by hosting their local combine.
Collegiate players from 18 universities around the United States were in attendance, putting their skills on display for the Earthquakes coaches to see. Also taking in the sights and sounds of the two-day event was former Quakes assistant coach and current Reno 1868 FC head coach Ian Russell, who is looking to build a competitive and potential-filled roster for the team’s inaugural season in USL in 2017.
California colleges represented in the combine were Cal, Santa Clara, Cal Poly SLO, University of San Francisco, University of San Diego, Pacific, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, San Jose State, Sacramento State, Chico State, Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Northridge. Local powerhouse Stanford University was not represented due to the team’s advancement in the NCAA College Cup.
The tryout also drew numerous out-of-state schools, including Oregon State, Central Florida, New Mexico and High Point.
