STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Stony Brook men's soccer back
Gustavo Fernandes potentially finds himself on the brink of a Major League Soccer career.
Fernandes on Tuesday landed on
MLS' list of 141 candidates for the SuperDraft, which begins Thursday with Rounds 1 and 2.
The 6-foot, 168-pound Fernandes' inclusion means an MLS team nominated him and is strongly considering him as a pick.
"It's a great feeling being included in a list with so many talented players from some many different schools," said Fernandes, who started 16 matches for the Seawolves as a senior this past season. "I think it's a tremendous accomplishment to make the list."
The SuperDraft's opening round may be followed on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. using ESPN's social platforms:
youtube.com/MLS,
facebook.com/espn,
twitter.com/espn and
ESPN app, or by using MLS'
real-time Draft Tracker. The subsequent round on Thursday as well as Rounds 3 and 4 on Monday will be available solely via the draft tracker.
In all, 104 players will be selected.
Fernandes, a North Babylon High School product, began his collegiate career by playing two seasons at Iowa Western. He then played two seasons with the Seawolves, earning second-team All-America East honors as a junior while scoring four goals.
"My favorite moments with Stony Brook are scoring my first goal against St. Francis Brooklyn and winning the regular-season title in 2018 — something that had not been done in a long time," said Fernandes, who is on track to graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
Said Stony Brook coach
Ryan Anatol: "Gustavo deserves to be on this list. It confirms that he was one of the best seniors in college soccer this past season."
Fernandes has some inside information on being a professional soccer player. His older brother Leo, who played for the Seawolves from 2009 through 2012, currently is a member of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
"Besides my father, he has been the biggest influence in my life, without a doubt," Fernandes said. "He's been right with me through this process. He's the first person I call when something pops up. Saying he has been a huge help is an understatement."
