After garnering the admiration of his teammates and the respect of his fans for the past four years, men’s soccer captain Brian Lavin ’02 impressed a new group of people last week.

Lavin was drafted by Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards in the fifth round of the MLS SuperDraft last weekend in Orlando, Fla. He had gone there after being invited to play in the Umbro Select All-Star Classic in Fort Lauderdale.

The draft was held after the Classic, an annual showcase for the nation’s top collegiate talent. Lavin was asked to attend the event, which included a skills combine and several exhibition games that were heavily attended by MLS coaches and scouts.

His performance was noticed by the Wizards, who selected him 57th overall with their fifth round pick.

“Obviously, I have a high opinion of Brian’s abilities and always have,” said soccer coach Brian Tompkins. “I was hopeful that if he had a good showing at the combine he might catch the eye of some of the MLS coaches.”

With the selection, the Wizards added to their roster a defender who has already proved his talent to Yale teammates and fans during his four years on the team. Having started 52 of the 54 games in which he played, Lavin was a three-time All-Ivy selection and twice was the recipient of the Walter J. McNerney award as the team’s most valuable player.

— Katie Baker