Page 3 - Brandon Hackenberg News Today

The center back is part of the YSC Academy class of 2021

Lion Links: 4/20/21 Share this story Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports Happy Tuesday, everyone. The soccer is going to come thick and fast this week with the Orlando Pride playing tomorrow and Orlando City playing just two days later on Friday. There’s lots to talk about today so let’s jump in. Injury Updates for Lions and Pride A few brief updates arrived yesterday concerning injured players for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. For the Lions, the club confirmed that Alexandre Pato susta...

MLS and NCAA Teams Face Unique Challenges This Spring The spring NCAA soccer season may cause difficult decisions for MLS SuperDraft selections. Share this story Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports The global pandemic that enveloped the United States since 2020 is having a major impact on American soccer. Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues were stopped for part of the summer, causing a delay in the 2021 season. The pandemic had an even larger impact on college soccer and has created a un...

Penn State men’s soccer defender Brandon Hackenberg was selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft last week under unusual circumstances. The redshirt senior heard his name called No. 22 overall by Orlando City SC and holds the distinction of being in the first (and hopefully last) class affected by the coronavirus. Due to the pandemic, Hackenberg and his Penn State teammates were stripped of a fall season, meaning all MLS draftees were given the opportunity to return to the collegiat...

By Scott Harris Orlando City Draft Room Orlando City SC selected forward Derek Dodson with the eighth overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas out of Georgetown University. Shortly after, the Lions followed suit by selecting Dodson’s college teammate, defender Rio Hope-Gund, at No. 19 overall and added another to the backline with defender Brandon Hackenberg (No. 22 overall) out of Penn State University. To close out the day, City selected goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg with...

Matt Ralph Philadelphia Union Academy and YSC Academy grad Justin McMaster was the first with ties to the region to go when Minnesota United made the Wake Forest forward their 17th pick. The Jamaica native joined the Philadelphia Union Academy when he was 16 and spent the last four years at Wake Forest. Demon Deacon Reading United defender Brandon Hackenberg was the second player with local ties to go in the draft when he was selected 22nd by Orlando City. The Penn State defender is the youn...

Orlando City Used SuperDraft to Address Defensive Depth Orlando used two of three first-round selections to fill an area of need. Share this story Image courtesy of Mark Thor/Orlando City SC One of the questions surrounding Orlando City’s 2021 roster in recent weeks was defensive depth. The Lions released Alex De John at the end of the 2020 season, and then lost Kamal Miller in the MLS Expansion Draft. Miller in particular became an important figure down the stretch in the 2020 season, as he ...

Five Union Academy grads, several others with local ties eligible for MLS SuperDraft MLS SuperDraft is next Thursday Share this story Matt Ralph Five Philadelphia Union Academy alums and several others with local ties are on a list of 176 players eligible for next week’s MLS SuperDraft. Justin McMaster, Lamine Conte, Josue Monge, Dawson McCartney and Jahmali Waite, who all spent time with Bethlehem Steel FC prior to college and graduated high school from YSC Academy, are all listed. McMaster...