Drew Skundrich, Ben Lungaard & Reading United trio among 60 invited to MLS Combine

Lancaster native Drew Skundrich and Greenville, Delaware’s own Ben Lundgaard were among the 60 players to receive invites to Major League Soccer’s annual Player Combine being held in Orlando January 11-17 ahead of the annual SuperDraft.

Skundrich, a PA Classics alumnus who recently won his third national championship with Stanford at Talen Energy Stadium, is one of two players on the list who won the 2012 Generation adidas Cup with the Philadelphia Union U17 team coached by Jim Curtin. The other is Duke standout Brian White, who hails from Flemington, New Jersey and played for Players Development Academy.

Lundgaard, who played for Delaware Rush and Salesianum School, starred for the past four years at Virginia Tech and is one of five goalkeepers to receive an invite.

Three Reading United alums also received invites, including FIU defender/midfielder Paul Marie, Coastal Carolina forward Frantzdy Pierrot and Virginia midfielder Pablo Aguilar.

A committee of MLS coaches and NCAA D1 coaches from every conference selected the invitees, all of whom have completed their college eligibility. Further invitees, including Generation adidas signings and non-college players, will be announced in the coming weeks.

The first and second rounds of the 2018 SuperDraft will be held in Philadelphia on January 19. Barring a trade, the Philadelphia Union will not make a pick until the subsequent third and fourth rounds are held by conference call.

The Union traded their first round pick (No. 8) to New England Revolution to acquire Charlie Davies and sent their second round pick (No. 31) to New York Red Bulls to acquire the homegrown rights to Adam Najem last spring. Their picks include No. 54 and No. 55 in the third round and No. 77 in the fourth round, which was the number they selected Rookie of the Year finalist Jack Elliott in the 2017 draft.