News: PCC Soccer's Movsisyan Selected No. 4 Overall in Major League Soccer SuperDraft

During his freshman 2005 season playing on the Pasadena City College men's soccer team, Yura Movsisyan said his primary goal was to play professional soccer. Less than three months after finishing the season, Movsisyan is getting his wish. The heralded Lancers' leading scorer remarkably was selected No. 4 overall in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards Friday morning.

During his freshman 2005 season playing on the Pasadena City College men's soccer team, Yura Movsisyan said his primary goal was to play professional soccer. Less than three months after finishing the season, Movsisyan is getting his wish. The heralded Lancers' leading scorer remarkably was selected No. 4 overall in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards Friday morning.

Movsisyan was selected ahead of many major university players despite having just one year experience in community college and three years of competitive club soccer. He is the highest drafted player to come directly out of a community college.

Movsisyan, who impressed pro scouts at the MLS Soccer Combine at the Home Depot Center in Carson last week, was one of 48 total players chosen in the four rounds of the pro draft. He attended the draft, held in Philadelphia.

In 2005 for the Lancers, The 6-foot, 180-pound Movsisyan made the All-South Coast Conference First Team forward after scoring 18 goals and dishing out 4 assists. He was selected the state's November Male Athlete of the Month. In high school at Pasadena High in his senior season, he scored 32 goals and was the Pacific League's MVP. In his final home game at PCC's Robinson Stadium, Movsisyan scored a hattrick in a win over Compton.

Raised in Baku, Azerbajian, Movsisyan moved to the United States five years ago.

"It's truly incredible to see a player get picked right out of community college and with such little overall experience," said PCC Director of Soccer Cherif Zein. "He was impressive at the Player Combine and it allowed him to really show his skills.

"We set our entire offense around him in an effort to get him the ball. He's a great shooter. I've known him since he came to the United States when he was 14. As he got older and developed, you could see he was a special player. There are times he was man pushing around children on the field. It's an exciting day for him and for our soccer program."

Profiled in a feature article earlier this week by The Pasadena Star-News, Movsisyan talked about his desire to be drafted by the pros and writer Larry Morgan emphasized the buzz around his play at the recent Combine.

The entire MLS SuperDraft can be seen through the following link:

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/mls/events/superdraft/2006/search.jsp

Release Date: 01/20/2006
Contact: Robert Lewis , Sports Information
Phone: (626) 585-7018
Email: rmlewis@pasadena.edu