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MLS draft recap: Columbus Crew trade up, take goalkeeper and center back in first round
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- MLS draft recap: Columbus Crew trade up, take goalkeeper and center back in first round
One day after re-signing backup goalkeeper Evan Bush, the Crew found more depth at the position by selecting Patrick Schulte out of St. Louis University with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
But the Crew weren't quite done, trading $50,000 in general allocation money to Real Salt Lake for the 25th pick, which the Crew used on 6-foot-6 Notre Dame center back Philip Quinton.
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The Crew's biggest need going into the draft was at center back, however, the best players at that position were taken quickly. Six of the first 11 selections were center backs.
Only teams in the top five picks can theoretically think about drafting a starting caliber player, but the Crew envision Quinton as an additional depth player who could play sparingly his first year in MLS, while they project Schulte as a potential starter a few years into his career if he develops well.
Mostly, however, Quinton and Schulte will likely practice with the Crew and play with the developmental team Crew 2 in the inaugural season of the MLS Next Pro League.
"I would anticipate Schulte will spend a significant time at Crew 2," president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said. "Same with Phil Quinton. Where we're at with our center backs, we have a lot of experience but it's starting to fill some of our gaps in terms of some of our depth."
The Crew also drafted center back Jacob Erlandson out of Bowling Green with the 40th overall pick in the second round, and Drexel forward Chris Donovan 68th overall in the third round. If signed, they would likely be signed directly to Crew 2.
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In three seasons with the Billikens, Schulte allowed only 44 goals in 51 games with 126 saves. He was named the Atlantic-10 Conference defensive player of the year for the 2020 season that, due to COVID-19, was played in the spring of 2021, and won the league's player of the year award this past fall season.
He finished his three-year college career with a 35-12-4 record, including a 16-1-4 record in his final season at St. Louis, which ended in the NCAA quarterfinals against No. 2 Washington.
It's unlikely Schulte will see any playing time with the Crew in his first year with the club. The Crew already have Eloy Room and Evan Bush as the clear No. 1 and No. 2 goalkeepers. Re-entry draft selection Brady Scott, who remains unsigned by the Crew, will likely occupy the third spot on the depth chart.
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"When you're looking at two to three years from now, we feel like we have a potential starting goalkeeper in him," Crew coach Caleb Porter said.
Quinton just finished his fourth season at Notre Dame, where he served as captain and the backbone of a defense that won the ACC Championship was given the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and lost in a shootout in the semifinals to Clemson.
Quinton helped Notre Dame secure 13 clean sheets during the season, including six straight in the postseason. Porter cited Quinton's ability to defend set pieces. Notre Dame gave up zero goals on corner kicks in 2021.
Bezbatchenko said the Crew was lucky to have gotten Schulte at No. 12. Porter felt the same way about Quinton, which is why the Crew pulled off a trade to get him.
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"Everybody we talked to said he was a leader and when you're looking around MLS, the American central defender, it's no secret those guys offer value in the locker room and on the pitch," Porter said. "He's a big guy on set pieces, he's a leader, he has intangibles and comes from a great program."
Bezbatchenko said the Crew went for best available when they were on the clock, but believe they got two of the better players at their position in the draft.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLS draft: Columbus Crew trade up, make two first-round picks
