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Now that the pros have been divvied up to their allotted teams, it's time for the National Women's Soccer League to dip into the college pool.
The inaugural 2013 NWSL College Draft will take place on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 at 9 a.m. at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Convention in Indianapolis. This veritable 5-day feast of soccer workshops and speeches seems a fitting (and timely) arena for the second best day in this young league's life.
So here's how the draft will be commenced...
The draft order is as follows:
1. Chicago Red Stars
2. Washington Spirit
3. FC Kansas City
4. Sky Blue FC (New York/New Jersey)
5. Boston Breakers
6. Western New York Flash
7. Seattle Reign FC
8. Portland Thorns FC
The draft will consist of four rounds with each team receiving 3-minutes to make a selection in the first 2 rounds, and 5-minutes to make a selection in the final 2 rounds. After the 1st round is completed the order will remain the same for the following 3 rounds, with Chicago selecting 1st to start each round.
The draft order was determined with assistance from a panel of experts and agreed upon by all eight clubs. The panel ranked the strength of each club based on their allocated players, and conducted a weighted draw.
Players who completed their collegiate eligibility in 2012 can be selected in the 2013 NWSL College Draft.
Those players who have been out of college for a year or more, are considered free agents. Teams will be allowed to sign free agents during a specific window of time, which will be determined at a later date.
"The forming of rosters is always an exciting part for teams and fans and an important step for our new league," said NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey. "There are some extremely talented young players coming out of college this year and we are thrilled that there will be an environment for them to continue to grow as players and showcase themselves for international call-ups in the future."
Fans can follow the draft live by following @NWSL on Twitter. Also follow @NWSL_News on twitter for additional updates
These are exciting times for the league, women's soccer and soccer fans all over the world. Check back here from time to time to catch up on the league. Hit the subscribe button at the top of this article and follow me on Twitter @NWSL_News and for prep fans @OCHSSports.
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