Revs select defender Farrell with first overall pick

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INDIANAPOLISThe New England Revolution selected University of Louisville defender Andrew Farrell with the first overall selection in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft this afternoon at the Indiana Convention Center. Farrell, who uses the Twitter handle @Louisville05, signed a Generation adidas contract with the league prior to the SuperDraft and has been automatically added to New Englands roster.

The Revs, who were originally slated to make the fourth overall selection, completed a trade with Toronto FC -- which held the top spot -- on Wednesday and acquired the top pick after sending the number four pick and allocation money to Toronto. The Revs also had three more picks in todays draft, all in the second round: 21st overall, 23rd overall and 36th overall. With those three picks the Revs selected midfielder Donnie Smith from UNC-Charlotte, forward Luke Spencer from Xavier, and goalkeeper Luis Soffner from Indiana.

Overall, were pleased with our draft and we believe we addressed a few areas we were looking to improve, General Manager Michael Burns said. With Andrew, we added who we believe was the best available player in this draft class. With Donnie, Luke and Luis, weve drafted players who we believe can add depth and versatility to our club. Donnie and Luke give us options on the wings as well as up top, while Luis gives us talented depth in goal. We look forward to getting them into camp next week and beginning to work with them.Farrell, 20, was an NSCAA first-team All-America honoree this year following a stellar three-year career at Louisville. He started all 44 games which he played the last two seasons and earned Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012. The 5-11, 185-pound defender transitioned from the midfield as a junior, and scored six goals and added six assists in his three-year career. He is projected as a central defender or a right back at the professional level.Smith, 22, was a 2012 NSCAA Scholar All-America and first-team Scholar All-South Region selection after scoring four goals and adding four assists in 19 appearances (16 starts) with UNC-Charlotte. In 2011, he earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference and second-team NSCAA Scholar All-South Region honors, scoring five goals and registering three assists in 25 appearances (10 starts). He was also named to the 2011 NCAA College Cup All-Tournament team after helping the 49ers advance to the College Cup. At the conclusion of his sophomore season, Smith was named to the 2010 first-team All-Atlantic 10.Spencer, 22, led the Atlantic 10 in goals (14), goals per game (.64) and points per game (1.64) in the 2012 season at Xavier. He also recorded eight assists in 22 appearances (20 starts) and earned first-team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region and first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors this year. In 2011, Spencer was named to the NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region second team and second-team All-Atlantic 10 after scoring seven goals and adding six assists in 21 appearances (19 starts). As a freshman, he was named to the Atlantic 10 all-rookie team.Soffner, 23, was a four-year starter at Indiana and backed the Hoosiers to the 2012 NCAA Championship while earning NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors. He started 83 of 84 career matches, and as a senior, posted an 0.72 goals against average with 12 shutouts. His 16 wins as a senior were the most at IU since 2004 (19). On his career, Soffner was 47-26-11 with an 0.93 GAA. His 32 career shutouts and 262 career saves both rank fourth, respectively, in IU history.

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