Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Among Nation's Best in NWSL Draft Placement
January 21, 2016 | Women's Soccer
Jan. 21, 2016
With the 8th pick in the #NWSLDraft, the Dash select @TexasTechSoccer forward Janine Beckie. #DashOn pic.twitter.com/s1V4rMTLXf
-- Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) January 15, 2016
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) held the 2016 NWSL College Draft last Friday afternoon with 40 of the nation's best players being selected over four rounds from the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore. Texas Tech became one of four college programs in the nation to have multiple picks in the first two rounds with Janine Beckie being selected by the Houston Dash with the eighth overall pick followed by Alli Murphy being selected by the Washington Spirit with the 20th overall pick.
Texas Tech all-time leading goal scorer, Janine Beckie became the second top-10 pick from the Texas Tech women's soccer program following just behind last season's seventh overall pick Jaelene Hinkle.
"She brings this calmness and composure around the goal," said Houston Dash head coach Randy Waldrum. "Clearly we have seen Janine a lot with Tom being there on campus he has kept me posted on her, but we have just seen her get better and better each year. She has had a great goal scoring record over her four years there at Tech, but she is also doing it on the international level. She is someone we feel like we can have here for a long time and build our attack around her and Rachel Daily, the other young lady we drafted this year."
Beckie will join a relatively young roster led by US Women's National Team members Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd as well as Canadian National Team member Lauren Sesselmann and Brazilian National Team members Andressa Machry and Poliana Medeiros.
"We have got the world player of the year in Carli Lloyd," added Waldrum. "We have got Andressa who is a rising star in Brazil and who many thing will be the next Marta. We have Morgan Brian who has now got a year of professional experience and who has been a fantastic player at the international level. We have enough players around her with experience who can make her feel like the weight of the world is not on her shoulders. It will just be about fitting in and getting used to her teammates. We have got some time to work with her while she grows into her pro career. If she wants to perform at the rate she did in college and get us 20 goals a year like she did in college I am okay with that too!"
Beckie played in 23 matches during the 2015 season. She recorded three multi-goal outings in 2015 including the Red Raider's final game in the second round of the NCAA Championship against Auburn. Beckie's 14 goals this season rank 18th nationally with six of those goals standing as game winners. Beckie finished her Texas Tech career with 57 career goals making her the all-time leader in goals scored at Tech, as well as the fifth highest active career goal scorer in the nation during the 2015 season.
"We are thrilled to see Janine take her game to the professional level," said Texas Tech head coach Tom Stone. "Over the last four years she has done everything possible to be prepared for this opportunity and it could not have happened to a more deserving young lady. It will be fun to be able to see her play the game she loves for the Houston Dash."
Just a few minutes after Beckie learned she would be continuing her playing career with the Dash, Alli Murphy heard her name called by NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush as the Washington Spirit picked up the Plano, Texas native with the 20th pick in the draft.
With the 20th overall pick, we have selected Alli Murphy from Texas Tech University! #NWSLDraft #SpiritFamily pic.twitter.com/zCcsqyyxLF
-- Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) January 15, 2016
"We have a pretty balanced roster and were looking for pretty specific needs with our first two picks," said Washington Spirit head coach Jim Gabarra. "With our third pick we picked up Alli. We have worked with and against Tom Stone for 15 years now and we know that this was a player who is prepared to be a professional. It is someone who can come in and push other players for a roster spot and playing time. You need those hungry kids who are committed and want to invest in a professional career."
Murphy completed her Texas Tech career with 25 total assists ranking third all-time in Texas Tech Soccer history in that category finishing behind Texas Tech greats Taylor Lytle and Kristy Frantz. Murphy also scored 13 goals in her time at Texas Tech including the game winning goal against Auburn in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Championship to send the Red Raiders to their first ever Sweet 16 appearance.
"What an exciting moment that was for Alli and Red Raider Soccer," said head Texas Tech coach Tom Stone. "She is headed to the perfect place and coach for her game to be appreciated and utilized. We are so excited for a player like Alli who has shown such incredible commitment to her craft combined with relentless mentality to move her career to the pro level. Now she has the opportunity to make that happen. We have graduated one of our best, but we are happy to still get to see her play in the NWSL."
Gabarra, who will enter his first season as the head coach and GM of the Spirit, has a habit of finding a Texas Tech player to work into his roster after drafting Hayley Haagsma with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 draft before signing Taylor Lytle in 2013 both during his time with Sky Blue FC.
I think there are a couple of programs around the country that do a very good job of preparing kids to play professionally," said Gabarra. "It is a big jump to the next level. There is a lot of artwork and a lot of guess work and using your imagination to how well those kids will perform. Tom has been there for a while and has been a huge asset and a great resource in his ability to coach players and select players. You know they will be hard working, you know that they will be tough and disciplined and those are characteristics that will translate to the pro level.
Jim Gabarra, Washington Spirit Head Coach
"I have known Caity for a while," said Waldrum. "I think she is that player who can calm the game down for you if it needs to be. She can speed the game up if it needs to be played at a quicker pace. She is so technical and so clean on the ball and I think she is one of those players who can really be a surprise element for you. She didn't get drafted, but that doesn't mean she isn't a top player. If we would have had more picks in the draft I would have taken her. I think she just does her job week in and week out. She is a player who just makes your team go and that is the way we see Caity. Even with Alli Murphy and the rest of the team, Tom may be the first to tell you that Caity made things tick. There is always a player like that that you really can't afford to play without. A lot of times people on the outside don't really see that big picture because they don't see the team day in and day out. I think she has a great opportunity to make our roster and we are really excited about it. She fits the technical style that we like, but at the same time she can get herself into a goal scoring position and she can find other players. Having her and Janine who know each other so well will just make the transition so much easier. I look for good things from her and I am excited to get her into camp."
For the second straight season Texas Tech became the only Big 12 school to have a player drafted in the top ten, and is the only school in the State of Texas in the last two years to have a player drafted in consecutive seasons.
"This is how we wanted our program to be," added Stone. "We didn't want this to necessarily be a four year soccer experience, but one that could prepare these players for their chance in the pros. Having coached in the pros and having been with the international team, just being able to offer them the advice and the counsel that if you want this, this is how we think you should get there. Ultimately it comes down to our players wanting that because these pro coaches' jobs are on the line every day, more so than even ours. They looked at these Texas Tech players as ones who could help them get there. We are certainly thrilled with that and it is something we want to continue."
Texas Tech fans can follow the careers of all of the Red Raiders in the pros by visiting NWSLsoccer.com or by visiting any of the team social media pages.
Red Raiders in the NWSL:
Taylor Lytle (TTU 2011) - Sky Blue FC
Jaelene Hinkle (TTU 2014) - Western New York Flash
Hayley Haagsma (TTU 2014) - Sky Blue FC
Janine Beckie (TTU 2016) - Houston Dash
Alli Murphy (TTU 2016) -- Washington Spirit
Caity Heap (TTU 2016) -- Houston Dash
