Simon Fraser University winger-forward Jovan Blagojevic led off the Whitecaps’ selections in Rounds 3 and 4 of the MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old from Coquitlam scored 18 goals in 18 games in 2014 and was picked as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and West Region player of the year.
The molecular biology student finished his university career with 38 goals in 71 games.
“I’m incredibly proud of Jovan,” said SFU coach Alan Koch, who’s been scouting for the Whitecaps and is in the running for their USL Pro coaching job.
“Not only is he thoroughly deserving of this opportunity with the Whitecaps, but he is also a first class citizen.”
The Caps used their first pick on Tuesday, 54th overall, on the 6-foot Blagojevic.
Also in the third round, they took Adam Montague, a midfielder from Michigan State University, and Spencer Richey, a goalkeeper from the University of Washington.
In the fourth round, the Caps picked up a pair of defenders: Craig Nitti from Loyola Marymount and Nikola Paunic from the University of South Florida.
Rounds 3 and 4 were conducted by teleconference. The first two rounds of the SuperDraft were last Thursday. The Caps used their first selection, 13th overall, to address a lack of centre-back depth, taking Tim Parker from St. John’s University in New York.
Their second-round selection was forward Kay Banjo from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
With the Whitecaps launching their USL Pro franchise this year — dubbed WFC2 —most draft picks are expected to remain in Vancouver to develop.
