The Houston Dynamo selected five players in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft held via conference call this afternoon.
With their three picks in the first round, the Dynamo selected forwards Brian Ownby (No. 7) and Karo Okiomah (No. 12), and midfielder Eder Arreola (No. 18). Houston then selected forward Philip Aseweh (No. 56) and home-grown midfielder Daniel Roberts (No. 75) in the third and fourth round, respectively. All players are expected to be invited to the Dynamo’s pre-season training camp in hopes of earning a roster spot.
Ownby, a forward from the University of Virginia, scored six goals and added two assists in 18 games last season. A native of Glenn Allen, Va., Ownby and was named second team all-Atlantic Coast Conference in 2011 after earning first-team honors in 2010. The 21-year-old played represented the United States at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Okiomah, a forward out of High Point University, earned second-team all-Big South honors in 2011 after tallying seven goals and three assists in 20 games. The Austin native was named Big South Player of the Year in 2010 after scoring 12 goals in 16 games.
Arreola, a 20-year-old midfielder from UCLA earned first-team all-Pac 12 honors in 2011 after scoring three goals and four assists. The Chino Hills, Calif. native, who holds both Mexican and United States citizenship, played for the U.S. at the 2011 CONCACAF U-20 championships and has played for the U.S. youth national team at the U-15, U-17, and U-18 levels.
Aseweh, the Dynamo’s third-round selection from Liberty University, was named to the 2011 NSCAA South Atlantic Region team after totaling seven goals and eight assists in 20 games. The Navrongo, Ghana native also earned first-team all-Big South honors in 2010 and 2011.
With their final pick of the draft, the Dynamo selected homegrown product Daniel Roberts, from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. Roberts, a Fort Bend Clements graduate, was one of the first players to sign with the Dynamo Academy in 2007. Roberts played 65 games in four collegiate seasons and tallied 12 goals and 18 assists.
The Dynamo are set to open preseason training on Monday, January 23, with their MLS regular season opener on Sunday, March 11, against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. The Dynamo will play their first seven games on the road before opening BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12 against D.C. United. 2012 season tickets and partial ticket packages are available and can be purchased at HoustonDynamo.com /tickets or by calling (713) 276-GOAL.
