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Philadelphia native and former Philadelphia Union youth player Darius Madison will be starting his professional career on Saturday with the Bremerton, Washington club Kitsap Pumas.
Madison signed a pro contract with the team, one of a select group of Premier Development League teams that pay players, last week.
Madison was drafted 70th overall by Toronto FC in the MLS SuperDraft back in January and appeared to be positioning himself for a contract with a strong preseason with TFC II. With negotiations for a contract in Toronto reportedly stalled, the former UMBC and Virginia forward headed to the Pacific Northwest.
After winning a national championship with Virginia in 2014 - his goal in the semifinal knocked off UMBC - Madison was kicked off the team for a rules violation and joined UMBC for his senior year. During his college career, Madison scored 18 goals and added seven assists in 72 career games.
Kitsap Pumas open their PDL season at home on Saturday against Victoria Highlanders.