Soccer star Witkowski drafted into MLS

  During his career at Marist, senior soccer player Krystian Witkowski was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region and All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) player three times, while totaling 21 goals and 54 points during his tenure with the Red Foxes.

     Now, he can add another accomplishment to his impressive career: a Major League Soccer player.

     Witkowski was selected by the MLS's Philadelphia Union in the league's Supplemental Draft on Jan. 17, the 13th pick in the second round. He is the first player in Marist program history to get drafted into the MLS.

     "During my time here at Marist, getting drafted had always been in the back of my mind," Witkowski said. "I knew that if I worked hard and played well, someone would notice."

     That "someone" was an MLS scout who attended the matchup between Marist and nationally ranked University of Virginia during the 2010 season. Witkowski knows how lucky he was to have had the opportunity to play in front of the scout.

     "By chance, I had a good performance against UVA, and a scout was there," Witkowski said. "I'm lucky that he was there, and I was able to make a good impression."

     To prepare for the possibility of playing at the professional level, Witkowski knew he would have to be in great physical shape. This was something on which he particularly worked hard during the off-season to be ready for the 2011 season.

     "Out of all the things I worked on during the off-season, the overall thing was my fitness level. I've always worked hard to be in the best shape possible, but to play professionally, you need to be able to run up and down the field easily," Witkowski explained. "[The scouts] look for players who can play both ways, and that was something I wanted to achieve this season."

     Clearly, Witkowski's offseason efforts proved successful.  Now he has a chance to prove he belongs in the MLS, playing for a Philadelphia Union team that finished third in the Eastern Conference with an 11-8-15 record.  Witkowski arrived at the team's training camp on Jan. 24, and he knows it is only going to get busier from there.

     "After a week in Philadelphia, we go to Orlando on Feb. 2 for two weeks, and then the season starts right up in March. On top of all that, I am still trying to graduate this semester. I know it is going to be very busy over the next few months, but I'm ready for it," Witkowski said.

     For Witkowski, there were many highlights during his illustrious career as a Red Fox. One memory that means the most to him, however, came during this past season.

     "This past season we beat Loyola on Senior Day, and that was really special, not only for me but for the other seniors on the team," said Witkowski, who dished out two assists and had two shots for Marist in their 3-0 victory over their MAAC rivals. "We wanted to beat them before we graduated, so that was awesome."