Wake Forest Athletics
Bone, Opara to Enter MLS SuperDraft
1/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Jan. 4, 2010
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest's Corben Bone and Ike Opara have signed contracts with Generation adidas and decided to enter the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, foregoing their final year of collegiate eligibility.
"I'm excited for Ike and Corben as they enter the realm of professional soccer," head coach Jay Vidovich said. "They're very ambitious players and I hope that their time at Wake Forest has prepared them to have success at the next level."
Bone and Opara, who become the second and third Wake Forest players to sign Generation adidas contracts, are projected to be high first round draft picks in the upcoming draft, which is scheduled for Thursday, January 14 at 2 p.m. (ET) in Philadelphia. The draft will be televised by ESPN2 and also shown on ESPN360.com.
Wake Forest has been well represented in the MLS SuperDraft over the past few seasons with 12 players taken in the last three drafts. In 2009, six Wake Forest players were drafted, setting a new record for most players selected from one college in an MLS SuperDraft.
A midfielder from Plano, Texas, Bone is one of three finalists for the 2010 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. Bone finished the 2009 season with 19 points, scoring three goals and 13 assists, which ranked second in the ACC. The 2009 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Bone earned four first team All-American selections following the season. For his career, Bone scored 15 goals and 38 points in 68 games, including 59 starts. He leaves Wake Forest second in career assists and ninth in points with 68.
Considered the top defender in college soccer, Opara was named the 2009 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, earning the honor for the second straight season. A native of Durham, N.C., Opara contributed to 35 shutouts during his collegiate career, including a school-record 15 during 2007. A consensus first team All-American in 2009, Opara also added three goals and two assists during his junior season. In his career, Opara played in 65 games, with 62 starts, and scored nine goals and three assists.
