KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- CoCo Goodson (Ramona / University of Texas) is going to remember Friday the 13th for all the right reasons as she was taken 12th overall, the fifth pick of the second round, by the Philadelphia Independence of the Women's Professional Soccer league.
Goodson, who accumulated 12 goals, five game-winners, and five assists in her two seasons at UCI, was apart of consecutive Big West regular season champions and NCAA Tournament runs, both firsts for the Anteaters en route to becoming a two-time All-American.
She becomes the second Anteater to be selected in the WPS Draft joining Tanya Taylor who went in the fourth round, 24th overall, to the Boston Breakers in 2010.
Goodson joins the Philadelphia Independence, a club that has only been around since 2010, but has had great success in those two years appearing in the WPS Championship in each year under Head Coach Paul Riley.
Coach Riley was present at the draft, and greeted Goodson, who also attended the draft, soon after her selection.
Anteater Head Coach Scott Juniper on the selection: "We are all so very proud of Coco. She has taken a big step in her career today, and knowing the competitor that she is, Philly has made a very smart decision. The path of a professional soccer player is a tough one, and Coco will need all of her focus, determination, and resilience to make her mark, but having worked with her every day for two years, I know she has what it takes.
It is also a fantastic day for our program and UC Irvine Athletics. This is the second year in a row that we have had a player selected in the draft, and Coco becomes another ambassador for UC Irvine in the professional ranks. Her achievements will further add to the exposure and attention generated by Tanya Taylor and Danielle De Seriere, and it clearly demonstrates that players in Southern California don't have to travel to go to school to give themselves an opportunity to make the step to the pros."
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