Senior midfielder Chase Minter was taken 21st overall in the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew, the highest ever MLS draft selection in Cal Poly men’s soccer history.
Minter’s track record on the pitch speaks for itself. Starting every match for the Mustangs in the past three seasons, the Texas native set a program record for assists (21) and finished second in program history in appearances (77). Minter was also named the Big West Conference Midfielder of the Year the last two seasons.
A graphic communication major, Minter has also impressed in the classroom. He is a two-time member of the Big West All-Academic Team and was chosen as Cal Poly’s 2015 Big West Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The Mustangs’ captain was also placed on the Senior CLASS Award All-America second team, a national honor handed out to NCAA soccer players who distinguish themselves in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition.
Minter is the fifth member of the Cal Poly men’s soccer program to be taken in the draft. In the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, former Mustangs George Malki and Mackenzie Pridham were taken 37th and 58th respectively.
The Columbus Crew are an MLS team based in Ohio that narrowly lost last year’s MLS Cup Final to the Portland Timbers. The Crew have been around since the league’s inception in 1994 and are currently coached by retired American soccer player Gregg Berhalter. Minter will join a squad that currently sports seven midfielders on its roster.
In 2015, the Mustangs’ men’s soccer team followed a promising 11-4-5 regular season with a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 loss to UCLA.