Rutgers Women’s Soccer Has Two Players Drafted

The National Women’s Soccer League held their annual draft yesterday and for the second year in a row, Rutgers had two players selected. The NWSL has 10 teams the as the successor to Women's Professional Soccer.

Madison Tiernan was drafted with the 24th pick overall by the Sky Blue FC, which plays their home games in Piscataway as the only team in the tri-state area. Since their championship in the first year of WPS, Sky Blue has not returned to the promised land. Tiernan follows former teammate Erica Skroski who has drafted by Sky Blue last season.

From Voorhees (the town, not the school for you smart alecs), Madison must have felt to be on Cloud 9 (also the name of the the Sky Blue FC hardcore fans) she came to RU Ranked as the No.1 Girls Soccer Player in New Jersey and Region 1. The former NSCAA NJ Girl's Soccer Player of the Year translated her success to the collegiate level, a 2nd Team All-Big Ten after recording a team high 28 points with 11 goals and 6 assists; she was captain of this past season’s magical run back to the NCAA tournament. This on the heels of being named to the B1G All-Tournament team in 2015.

Tiernan who played at Eastern Regional (same high school as Logan Ryan), finished her career at RU tied for fifth with 9 game-winning goals, sixth all-time having socred 25 total goals, and seventh all-time registering 66 points. She is also second all-time in shots on goal with 275.

Erin Smith will take her talents significantly farther from her alma mater, down to the Magnolia City of Houston, Texas. The Houston Dash did not have a first round pick but got tremendous value, especially with Smith as per ESPN. The Dash may be a sleeper team next season because despite finishing 8th, their goal differential was even. They also boast the best player in the World, RU’s own Carli Lloyd.

Prior to RU, she led Shawnee to appearances in the NJ State Cup Finals in 2009 and 2010. The HS basketball and lacrosse starter, she was named soccer Midfielder of the Year by SJSCA and was nominated as an All-American, All-Region player and named first team All-County in 2012. garnered 1st Team All-Big Ten honors in 2016.

The Medford Lakes product Smith was a starter 73 straight games as a rock on the back line, where her leadership contributed to the Knights 12 shutouts this past season. In 2015 she helped RU to a program record in their first 9 matches of 770:16 minutes of clean sheets.

Full draft results can be found here.