CHICAGO – Defender
Kenie Wright of Rutgers women's soccer was selected 29th overall by Sky Blue FC in the 2019 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft, held at the United Soccer Coaches Convention on Thursday in Chicago.
Wright was selected as the second pick in the fourth round by local New Jersey side Sky Blue FC, which plays its home matches at Yurcak Field - the home of Rutgers women's soccer. She joins three former Scarlet Knights on the roster, including Carli Lloyd,
Madison Tiernan, and Erica Skroski. The group will be led by second-year head coach Denise Reddy, a Rutgers alumna as well.
It marks the fourth consecutive season that the program had at least one player drafted into the NWSL. Last year,
Casey Murphy was selected 13th overall by Sky Blue FC. In 2016, Tiernan was drafted 24th overall by Sky Blue FC and Erin Smith was picked 33rd overall by the Houston Dash. In 2015, Brianne Reed was selected 18th overall by FC Kansas City and Skroski at 23rd overall by Sky Blue FC to become the first Scarlet Knights to be drafted into the league.
The Mount Laurel, New Jersey, native anchored a defense that helped RU produce record of 11-4-6 in 2018. The mark included a Big Ten record of 7-1-3, with a 4-0-1 mark at Yurcak Field, propelling the Scarlet Knights to their highest finish in the conference as the runner-up for the regular season title.
Overall, Wright and the defense registered eight shutouts overall and five shutouts in conference play. The Scarlet Knights' 0.60 GAA led the Big Ten and ranked 25th in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament. RU also tied an NCAA record with 11 overtime games, holding an unbeaten mark of 6-0-5 in those matches.
Offensively, Wright finished second on the team with five assists, aiding two game-winners in conference play.
Following the season, the co-captain was named Third Team All-Region and Second Team All-Big Ten, as well as the Sportsmanship Award honoree. She brought her conference accolade total to three, having earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team status as a rookie.
During her career, Wright helped Rutgers qualify for four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, extending the program's streak to seven. She was a part of the squad that led RU to its historic College Cup run in 2015. The outside back also helped the Scarlet Knights to four Big Ten Tournaments, including back-to-back Championship game appearances in 2015 and 2016.
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