PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – The San Jose Earthquakes selected Stanford midfielder JJ Koval with the ninth overall selection in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft on Thursday at the Philadelphia Convention Center.
Koval was a standout midfielder during his four seasons with the Cardinal, earning a starting role as a freshman and starting all 74 games he appeared in during his career. He earned All-Pac 12 honors as both a junior and a senior with the Cardinal, including a spot on the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2013. A central midfielder, he scored six goals during his collegiate career and posted four assists. As a senior, he helped Stanford reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament, defeating Loyola Marymount and Cal State Northridge along the way.
He also spent the summer playing for the Ventura County Fusion in the PDL in 2013 and played his youth soccer for Real So Cal. At Stanford, he was twice named to the Pac-12 All-AcademicTeam. He becomes the 12th Stanford player to be drafted by the Earthquakes.
