University of Colorado Athletics
Photo by: Mike Greening
Rasmussen Selected 20th Overall In 2018 NWSL Draft
January 18, 2018 | Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – Colorado soccer player Becca Rasmussen was selected 20th overall in the second round by the North Carolina Courage in the 2018 NWSL Draft on Thursday. She is the third CU player to be drafted in the NWSL and the second in the past two seasons.
"I'm just really shocked right now," Rasmussen said. "I was not expecting [to be drafted so high] at all. I just feel incredibly grateful, excited and nervous. There's just a lot of emotions right now that are going through me."
"We're excited for Becca," CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. "We feel her skillset will translate well to the professional level. She's a very exciting player that the North Carolina Courage supporters will really enjoy watching. This shows that we're continually developing players to play at the next level and we're excited that Becca will have this opportunity at the professional level to continue to prove herself."
Rasmussen, a midfielder from Golden, Colo., is coming off a strong senior campaign for the Buffs. After transferring in from Georgia over the summer, she made an immediate impact, starting 17 matches and making 19 appearances. Rasmussen led CU with seven assists on the season, ranking fifth in the Pac-12 with 0.37 assists per game. She was voted third-team All-Pac-12 and United Soccer Coaches third-team All-West Region.
She recorded a season-high two assists in a 6-0 win over UC Riverside on Aug. 27, helping Marty Puketapu score a hat trick by assisting on two of her goals in the first 25 minutes of the match. Rasmussen had one assist on Sept. 2 in a 3-0 win over BYU and had another assist in a 6-1 win at Denver on Sept. 16. She was key in CU's 2-0 win at Washington State on Sept. 28, earning the helper in the 30th minute on another goal by Puketapu, and sending a cross in front of the net that was deflected in for an own goal in the 52nd minute. Rasmussen's final assist of the year came in a 3-0 win over Arizona State on Oct. 19 as she and Taylor Kornieck combined to set up Megan Massey in the 14th minute. She missed the final regular-season match and CU's two NCAA Tournament matches with a concussion.
"Towards the beginning-to-mid season, I was able to find my stride and reach the point that I wanted to reach," Rasmussen said. "I was starting to be more effective in the games that I was playing and making more of a difference. With the mindset of wanting it to be my best year, I was working out with [assistant coach] Dave [Morgan] and shooting and working on my shot and getting more touches on the ball, trying to continue to improve my game and be able to impact and help the team as much as I could.
"I was proud of the team for being able to make it to the NCAA Tournament and proud of my own game for taking it to the next level and improving on difference aspects of it, even though I still have more things that I need to work on. It was still my best season of college soccer and I was lucky enough to be able to do that at CU Boulder and share that experience with the team, with my family and the coaches."
In her three seasons at Georgia, she had two goals and four assists, while starting 45 matches.
For fans that have not seen her play, Rasmussen possesses playmaking ability on the ball and exceptional pace and dribbling skills.
Rasmussen joins Amy Barczuk and Danica Evans as former CU players that have been drafted in the NWSL, which held its inaugural season in 2013. Barczuk was selected 14th overall by the Western New York Flash in 2013 and played three seasons before retiring. Evans was the 22nd overall selection last year by the Orlando Pride and made 12 appearances and scored one goal in 2017.
That trio joins five other former CU standouts that have been in the NWSL. Michelle (Wenino) Lomnicki played the first three seasons of the league's existence with the Chicago Red Stars to wrap up a seven-year professional career. Nikki Marshall played two seasons with Portland Thorns FC in 2013 and 2014, finishing a five-year professional playing career before an injury led her to retire at the end of the 2014 season. Annie Brunner, Kate Scheele and Kate Russell have all also been on NWSL rosters.
Rasmussen was one of eight Pac-12 players among the 40 players drafted on Thursday, led by No. 1 overall pick Andi Sullivan, who was selected by the Washington Spirit out of Stanford.
"I'm just really shocked right now," Rasmussen said. "I was not expecting [to be drafted so high] at all. I just feel incredibly grateful, excited and nervous. There's just a lot of emotions right now that are going through me."
"We're excited for Becca," CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. "We feel her skillset will translate well to the professional level. She's a very exciting player that the North Carolina Courage supporters will really enjoy watching. This shows that we're continually developing players to play at the next level and we're excited that Becca will have this opportunity at the professional level to continue to prove herself."
Rasmussen, a midfielder from Golden, Colo., is coming off a strong senior campaign for the Buffs. After transferring in from Georgia over the summer, she made an immediate impact, starting 17 matches and making 19 appearances. Rasmussen led CU with seven assists on the season, ranking fifth in the Pac-12 with 0.37 assists per game. She was voted third-team All-Pac-12 and United Soccer Coaches third-team All-West Region.
She recorded a season-high two assists in a 6-0 win over UC Riverside on Aug. 27, helping Marty Puketapu score a hat trick by assisting on two of her goals in the first 25 minutes of the match. Rasmussen had one assist on Sept. 2 in a 3-0 win over BYU and had another assist in a 6-1 win at Denver on Sept. 16. She was key in CU's 2-0 win at Washington State on Sept. 28, earning the helper in the 30th minute on another goal by Puketapu, and sending a cross in front of the net that was deflected in for an own goal in the 52nd minute. Rasmussen's final assist of the year came in a 3-0 win over Arizona State on Oct. 19 as she and Taylor Kornieck combined to set up Megan Massey in the 14th minute. She missed the final regular-season match and CU's two NCAA Tournament matches with a concussion.
"Towards the beginning-to-mid season, I was able to find my stride and reach the point that I wanted to reach," Rasmussen said. "I was starting to be more effective in the games that I was playing and making more of a difference. With the mindset of wanting it to be my best year, I was working out with [assistant coach] Dave [Morgan] and shooting and working on my shot and getting more touches on the ball, trying to continue to improve my game and be able to impact and help the team as much as I could.
"I was proud of the team for being able to make it to the NCAA Tournament and proud of my own game for taking it to the next level and improving on difference aspects of it, even though I still have more things that I need to work on. It was still my best season of college soccer and I was lucky enough to be able to do that at CU Boulder and share that experience with the team, with my family and the coaches."
In her three seasons at Georgia, she had two goals and four assists, while starting 45 matches.
For fans that have not seen her play, Rasmussen possesses playmaking ability on the ball and exceptional pace and dribbling skills.
Rasmussen joins Amy Barczuk and Danica Evans as former CU players that have been drafted in the NWSL, which held its inaugural season in 2013. Barczuk was selected 14th overall by the Western New York Flash in 2013 and played three seasons before retiring. Evans was the 22nd overall selection last year by the Orlando Pride and made 12 appearances and scored one goal in 2017.
That trio joins five other former CU standouts that have been in the NWSL. Michelle (Wenino) Lomnicki played the first three seasons of the league's existence with the Chicago Red Stars to wrap up a seven-year professional career. Nikki Marshall played two seasons with Portland Thorns FC in 2013 and 2014, finishing a five-year professional playing career before an injury led her to retire at the end of the 2014 season. Annie Brunner, Kate Scheele and Kate Russell have all also been on NWSL rosters.
Rasmussen was one of eight Pac-12 players among the 40 players drafted on Thursday, led by No. 1 overall pick Andi Sullivan, who was selected by the Washington Spirit out of Stanford.
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