NSC Minnesota Stars Sign 2011 USL PRO Rookie of the Year, Luke Mulholland
Luke Mulholland
The NSC Minnesota Stars of the NASL will soon announce they have signed Luke Mulholland, formerly of the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL PRO until the end of the season.
This past week the USL announced Mulholland, a Preston, England native, had been selected to their 2011 USL PRO All-League First Team. It was also announced this week that the 23-year-old was up for two individual post season honors: USL PRO Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
It was announced today by USL that Mulholland, who had 9 goals and 5 assists, helping the Hammerheads to the second best record in the league at 14-7-3, and the only player not from the Orlando City Lions to win a post season award, was selected by league coaches and managers as USL PRO Rookie of the Year.
Stars head coach Manny Lagos told IMS this afternoon that Mulholland is more of an attacking midfielder than a forward but said he was a flexible player who can play centrally or out wide.
The Stars will also be signing Anthony Hamilton, a forward this season with the Rochester Rhinos. The Redlands, California native has spent 2 years with the Rhinos. He scored two goals this season in 19 appearances.
“Both players both will be great additions to the team,” said coach Lagos by phone on Friday afternoon. “We’ve had some injuries and quite honestly the team has looked a little stale recently. I believe I can look to these guys for depth and to add some much needed energy to the team right now. I think they can both help us to improve as we make a push for the playoffs.”
With the USL PRO season over both players were free agents according to Djorn Buchholz, CEO of the Stars. He also stated that Mulholland has already been approved by U.S. Soccer but Hamilton’s contract is still pending approval from the USSF. He added that the former Rhinos forward should be approved by Tuesday’s match at home against FC Tampa Bay. He added that both players will be arriving in town on Sunday.
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Come on you Stars!
Wow…. NASL signing players from USL. We have come a long way since the early scrimmishes a few years ago.
Sounds like everyone is getting a lot more mature!
Sounds like good business to me
A quick way for USL players to make some extra cash this year. And it only costs NASL teams two months wages. It also shows the level between D2 and D3 is pretty equal.
Good move for the Stars. Saw them play the Rowdies in Tampa a month ago. They are a solid side and it was a fairly even game(2:0 Rowdies at the end).
Like that business is being done between USL and NASL. Here’s to more stable divisions II and III next season.
The Rowdies started selling season tickets for the 2012 season already, whcih gives me hope that the leagues is here to stay…
Ah yes, selling tickets for 2012 even before 2011 is over. Sounds like a desperate attempt to raise some much needed cash before this season is over.
It is called playing the Float…..
I don’t know about desperate Bart. Having seven months to push season ticket sales is a bit nicer then having a month and a half, like this year. Besides There is a lot of good to be taken from this year in Division II and Division III soccer. I was watching the USL Pro final last night, before racing over to Foote Field, and I was really happy at what I was seeing. Besides the Puerto Rico debacle at the beginning of the USL season, it turned out to be very successful for the most part (I have my doubts about FC New York and the Los Angeles Blues). Maybe tougher requirements for Division III should be set in place from the USSF?
The NASL has done very well for only having a month and a half to put everything in motion, and FC Edmonton is now a household name here. I see the hope that this isn’t the Brickmen or the Aviators starting to shine in people’s eyes. Come next season after a winter of selling season tickets, and I might be calling for Bart to eat his hat.
Needless to say, we might finally have the pyramid that North American soccer needs. Now if only the CSL will start to aggressively market itself as our (Canada’s) Division III, and maybe stream a game or two… I know it sounds harsh, but I care more about the AMSL (Alberta Major Soccer League), then I care about the CSL.