BALTIMORE, MD. – The Houston Dash selected forwardsBridgette Andrzejewski and Chloe Castanedaat the 2020 NWSL College Draft earlier today. The team picked Andrzejewski with the ninth pick in Round 2 (18th overall) and took Castaneda with the fourth pick in Round 3 (22nd overall).
“I think we picked up two good players and two really good people that can really help change the culture that we are trying to build, and provide some real options within the squad, especially in the attacking half of the field,” said Dash Head Coach James Clarkson. “We were quite shocked that they were still around when it came to our picks, so we are very excited to have them with us.”
Andrzejewski joins Houston after spending a successful four-year career at the University of North Carolina where she scored28 goals and tallied21 assists. The forward started in 93 of 101 appearances with the Tar Heels, bringing versatility as in the right-wing as well as in the left midfield.
The Maryland native led her team to two ACC Championships in 2017 and 2019 and was part of the squad that finished the 2018 and 2019 seasons as NCAA runners-up. Andrzejewski was named to the preseason All ACC-Team the preseason Hermann Trophy Watchlist in 2017after earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 2016.
Castaneda featured in 80 games for the University of California, Los Angeles throughout her four-year collegiate career. The forward scored 12 goals and tallied nine assists for the Bruins, earning a Third-Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2019.
The forward played a key role in UCLA’s run to the NCAA Women’s College Cup in 2019, bagging the first two goals in a 4-0 win over defending national champion Florida State in the quarterfinal and scoring the Bruins’ lone goal in a semifinal loss to the eventual national champion Stanford Cardinal.
Andrzejewski and Castaneda both bring international experience into Houston’s squad having played for U.S. Women’s Youth National teams. Andrzejewski has been apart of the youth teams since the age of 13, and Castaneda was part of the U.S. Women’s Under-17 National Team participating the 2013-2014 National Training Center Invitational.
