NEW YORK – Penn State men's soccer student-athlete Aaron Molloy was selected 16th overall by the Portland Timbers in the first round of the 2020 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft Thursday.
👉 With the 16th overall pick the @TimbersFC select...@aaronmolloy18 ‼️
— Penn State Men's Soccer (@PennStateMSOC) January 9, 2020
Good luck in the PNW!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/4RP60UYGol
"I'm thrilled to be given an opportunity by such an extraordinary club," said Molloy. "I'm excited to get started and show everyone what I can do."
The midfielder from Dublin, Ireland, is the 15th Nittany Lion to be drafted by MLS and the second-highest draftee in program history after Corey Hertzog was selected 13th in the 2011 draft. He is the first Penn State player to go to the big leagues since Connor Maloney and Robby Sagel were selected in the 2017 draft.
"This is a great day for Aaron," said head coach Jeff Cook. "We are absolutely delighted for him as he has worked tremendously hard to earn this opportunity. He has been an inspirational figure in our soccer program and a model student-athlete at Penn State. We are so excited to support Aaron and watch him flourish as he begins his professional career with the Portland Timbers."
Molloy played in 50 career games in three seasons for the Nittany Lions, totaling 36 points on 14 goals and eight assists. The two-time team captain netted nine goals and added six assists for 24 points during his senior campaign, landing him prestigious accolades of Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American.
In December, Molloy was invited to the 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase, a three-day event in conjunction with the 2019 NCAA Men's College Cup that gave technical staffs from every MLS club an opportunity to scout the top collegiate prospects in the nation, including players with remaining NCAA eligibility.
With the 16th pick in the 2020 @MLS #SuperDraft, we've selected midfielder @aaronmolloy18! #RCTID pic.twitter.com/WwBRQjSLrn
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) January 9, 2020
See the full list of 2020 MLS SuperDraft selections here.
Penn State All-Time MLS Draftees:
Aaron Molloy – 2020, 1st round (16th overall), Portland Timbers
Connor Maloney – 2017, 3rd round (49th overall), Columbus Crew
Robby Sagel – 2017, 4th round (70th overall), Houston Dynamo
Brian James – 2016, 4th round (80th overall), Toronto FC
Andrew Wolverton – 2015, 4th round (82nd overall), L.A. Galaxy
John Gallagher – 2013, 4th round (68th overall), Chicago Fire
Mark Fetrow – 2012, 4th round (59th overall in Supplemental Draft), Vancouver Whitecaps
Corey Hertzog – 2011, 1st round (13th overall), NY Red Bulls
Drew Cost – 2011, 2nd round (32nd overall in Supplemental Draft), Real Salt Lake
Jason Yeisley – 2010, 3rd round (38th overall), FC Dallas
Simon Omekanda – 2007, 4th round (47th overall), Chicago Fire
Brian Devlin – 2006, 4th round (31st overall in Supplemental Draft), New York/New Jersey MetroStars
Derek Potteiger – 2002, 4th round (41st overall), New England Revolution
Ricardo Villar – 2002, 5th round (55th overall), Dallas Burn
Ted Gillen – 1996, 6th round (59th overall), New York/New Jersey MetroStars
To stay up-to-date on Penn State men's soccer, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram, @PennStateMSOC, and on Facebook, /pennstatemenssoccer.