Post by epjr on Jan 18, 2012 19:09:22 GMT -6
Mallace proves to be a SuperDraft steal for Impact
Scotsman comes from under radar to realize dream of turning pro
Montreal sporting director Nick De Santis certainly sat up and took notice. He revealed after the draft that the Impact bosses had Mallace going at No. 11 and were very surprised he was still available when their turn came up in the second round. Even Mallace’s coach at Marquette, Louis Bennett, was adamant that his former Golden Eagles star should have gone sooner.
“Montreal had a great draft – goodness me, a Generation adidas player like [Andrew Wenger] and Mallace? I was hugely surprised,” Bennett told MLSsoccer.com. “I believe there were a couple of teams that are very disappointed they didn’t get [Mallace]. Athletically, he’s a good specimen, especially as a transitional midfield player. He’s got good skills on the ball and a no-nonsense attitude. When he needs to knock people around, he knocks people around.”
A native of Torphichen, Scotland, the tough-tackling midfielder spent half his life engulfed in rich soccer heritage. Mallace concedes that living in a country where soccer is the No. 1 sport helped give him the drive and hunger to force his way onto the scene at the MLS Combine. That passion did not go unnoticed among the Impact staff.
www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/2012/news/article/2012/01/18/mallace-proves-be-superdraft-steal-impact
Scotsman comes from under radar to realize dream of turning pro
Montreal sporting director Nick De Santis certainly sat up and took notice. He revealed after the draft that the Impact bosses had Mallace going at No. 11 and were very surprised he was still available when their turn came up in the second round. Even Mallace’s coach at Marquette, Louis Bennett, was adamant that his former Golden Eagles star should have gone sooner.
“Montreal had a great draft – goodness me, a Generation adidas player like [Andrew Wenger] and Mallace? I was hugely surprised,” Bennett told MLSsoccer.com. “I believe there were a couple of teams that are very disappointed they didn’t get [Mallace]. Athletically, he’s a good specimen, especially as a transitional midfield player. He’s got good skills on the ball and a no-nonsense attitude. When he needs to knock people around, he knocks people around.”
A native of Torphichen, Scotland, the tough-tackling midfielder spent half his life engulfed in rich soccer heritage. Mallace concedes that living in a country where soccer is the No. 1 sport helped give him the drive and hunger to force his way onto the scene at the MLS Combine. That passion did not go unnoticed among the Impact staff.
www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/2012/news/article/2012/01/18/mallace-proves-be-superdraft-steal-impact