Jan. 17, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Former Penn State defender Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.) was selected by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft on Tuesday afternoon. The four-year starter was chosen with the No. 2 pick (59th overall) in the fourth round.
Throughout his career, Fetrow served as a rock in Penn State's central defense and, at 6-5, 215, lent a physical presence to the Nittany Lion back line. The 2011 Penn State Classic MVP, Fetrow helped anchor one the nation's top defensive units a year ago. The Nittany Lions broke the program record for shutouts in a season with 12 and ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in goals allowed (14) and goals against average (.60). Nationally, Penn State ranked seventh in goals against average and 11th in shutout percentage (.55).
A unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2008, Fetrow played in 80 career games, making 73 starts, and scored four goals. In its inaugural MLS season of 2011, Vancouver went 6-18-10, placing ninth in the Western Conference. The Whitecaps scored a league-low 35 goals and surrendered the third highest number of goals (55). Vancouver, which plays its home games at BC Place, ranked third in the MLS in attendance in 2011, averaging over 20,400 fans per game.
Fetrow is the fifth Penn State player to be drafted into the MLS in program history. Last year, Corey Hertzog was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the first round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft with the 13th overall pick and Drew Cost was taken by Real Salt Lake in the second round of the supplemental draft. Jason Yeisley, the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, became the second two years ago when he was chosen by FC Dallas with the sixth pick in the third round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Ted Gillen was Penn State's first MLS draftee, selected in the sixth round (59th overall) by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 1996 in the league's inaugural draft
A proven developer of professional talent, Penn State head coach Bob Warming has had at least one of his players selected in every MLS draft since the league's inception in 1996. Warming, who recorded his historic 400th career win in 2011, also had two players he recruited at Creighton chosen in the first round and two in the second round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.