UMass Lowell soccer star drafted by MLS franchise
01/17/2017
Lowell Sun
LOS ANGELES -- UMass Lowell senior forward Wuilito Fernandes, a native of Praia, Cape Verde, became the first player in men's soccer program history to be drafted, when he was selected by FC Dallas in the third round with the 62nd overall pick at the MLS SuperDraft.
The senior spent last week at the MLS Player Combine in Los Angeles after being one of the initial 53 NCAA invitees in December.
"Any time you have a member of your program drafted, it's an outstanding accomplishment by that individual," said River Hawks head coach Christian Figueroa. "The hard work Wuilito has put in over the last four years, and the dedication he has shown, makes me incredibly proud to have coached a player like him."
Fernandes was a MAC Hermann semifinalist and a NCSAA First-Team All American after setting career-highs with 11 goals, five assists and 27 points and helping UMass Lowell capture the school's first America East Conference regular season championship. As the team's leading scorer, Fernandes led the conference with 1.69 points per game. The River Hawks finished the year 13-1-2, and were ranked No. 19 and No. 4 in the final regular season NSCAA Top 25 and RPI rankings, respectively.
As a teen in Cape Verde, Fernandes had to drop out of high school to help his family make ends meet. Later, when he came to the U.S. and had the chance to go back to school, he had to repeat the 10th grade. But two years later, he graduated with a 3.9 GPA from Boston International High School.
At UMass Lowell, Fernandes made the dean's list as a business major.