ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — After a stellar 2016 season that saw the Lobos reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament, The University of New Mexico men’s soccer seniors Chris Wehan and Niko Hansen are set to take part in the 2017 adidas MLS Player Combine from Jan. 8-12 in Carson, Calif. The 2017 MLS SuperDraft will follow beginning on Jan. 13 and both Wehan and Hansen have been projected to go in the top 25 in TopDrawerSoccer.com’s most recent MLS Big Draft Board.
In other MLS Mock Drafts, Hansen has been projected to go as high as 12th. The Combine as well as the SuperDraft will be available to follow live (see below for combine schedule).
The adidas MLS Player Combine is an event that gives each MLS team an up-close and personal look at the prospects that will be entering the 2017 SuperDraft, which is set to take place on Jan. 13 in Los Angeles. The Combine will be held in the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Fans may attend the games at the StubHub Center for free.
A committee of MLS coaches and NCAA Division I coaches from every conference selected the 53 initial invitees, including Wehan and Hanson, all of whom completed their college eligibility this season. On Jan. 4, 13 more players were added and all players have been split up into four teams: Team Chaos, Team Control, Team Copa and Team Tango. The squads will compete over three match days, Sunday, Jan. 8, Tuesday, Jan 10 and Thursday, Jan. 12.
Wehan has been named to Team Chaos, which will be wearing orange, while Hanson will compete on Team Tango, which will be wearing red. Wehan will be the only player from Conference USA on Team Chaos, Hansen will be joined on Team Tango by Brandt Bronico and Matej Dekovic, both from Charlotte. Fans can watch both Wehan and Hansen take the field together on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 12:30 p.m. MT (see below for stream link).
2017 ADIDAS MLS COMBINE SCHEDULE:
Sunday, Jan. 8
- Team Chaos vs. Team Control (1:15 PM PT/4:15 PM ET) – STREAM
- Team Copa vs. Team Tango (3:00 PM PT/6:00 PM ET) – STREAM
Tuesday, Jan. 10
- Team Chaos vs. Team Copa (1:15 PM PT/4:15 PM ET) – STREAM
- Team Control vs. Team Tango (3:00 PM PT/6:00 PM ET) – STREAM
Thursday, Jan. 12
- Team Copa vs. Team Control (10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET) – STREAM
- Team Chaos vs. Team Tango (11:30 AM PT/2:30 PM ET) – STREAM ** Wehan vs. Hansen
Not only will Wehan and Hansen be competing during the three days, but they will also participate in interviews and physical testing during the Combine. Tests will occur on January 7, with all players set to do a 30-meter speed test, a vertical jump and a 5-10-5 agility test.
All players that have been invited to participate in the 2017 adidas MLS Player Combine will be eligible for selection in the 2017 SuperDraft beginning on Friday, Jan. 13 at the LA Convention Center.
Not only will all combine games be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com and YouTube, but all combine events will also be covered extensively across the MLS social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
For more information about the 2017 adidas MLS Player Combine or the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, stay tuned to GoLobos.com and the Lobo men’s soccer social media pages. Follow @LoboMensSoccer on Twitter for all of the latest!