Minnesota Stars’ Luke Mulholland’s Whirlwind Year Continues; Trains with MLS New England Revolution
Luke Mulholland winds up for a shot in last Saturday nights NASL final in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Photo by Jeremy Olson - www.digitalgopher.net
In early October I wrote a piece about the Minnesota Stars Luke Mulholland and his whirlwind year. He graduated from college, was signed by the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL PRO, was up for Most Valuable Player for the league and was voted Rookie of the Year by the league. He then singed with Minnesota for the remainder of the Stars season and immediately helped the team by starting ever game and seeing the club through to the NASL championship. He helped the team turn a late season slump into a championship run going 5-3-2 since his first start in early September. He scored 2 goals with one assist in that time as Stars coach Manny Lagos depended on Mulholland for lots of defensive duties even though he was lined up in a withdrawn forward position. He also came in 3rd in voting by the media for the NASL Playoff Most Valuable Player.
In the interview I did with Mulholland, he told me he wanted to play at the highest possible level in the U.S. and that would be MLS. Well, it hasn’t taken long for the young man to catch the attention of that highest level. The 23-year-old Mulholland flew directly from Fort Lauderdale, Florida the day after the Stars won the championship, to Foxborough, Massachusetts where he started training with the New England Revolution according to MLS Soccer.com. He will be training with the Revolution for a while in hopes that he can catch on in preseason next spring and be part of the team for the 2012 season.
He told MLS Soccer.com, “The first couple of months at Wilmington, I was still in college [at Wingate]. I was driving back and forth every week, it was like a three-hour drive. I graduated and we got done with the season at the end of August. Then I went to Minnesota for a couple of months and we just won the championship on Saturday night. It’s definitely been a good experience in my first year.”
A good experiance Luke? I would say that might be an understatement. Watching Mulholland’s technical play but tactical maturity, you have the feeling that good things are in store for this young man.
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It’s not a surprise at all he keeps catching eyeballs. In my opinion he is the biggest reason the Stars won the championship this year. It was a brilliant move by the Stars front office. He is the complete package, not only technically, but also when it comes to fitness and toughness.
Max, if you listen to the 18th episode of IMSoccer News NASL Podcast you will hear player/assistant coach Kevin Friedland talk about the fact that he was the one keeping in eye on Mulholland and kept on Lagos to bring him in. Great move by Friedland and Lagos.
It’s a shame Stars couldn’t secure him for next year, but with the Revs knocking, there’s not much we could do. Good for Luke. He’ll always be my “New Guy.” Until the next new guy…
I was completely impressed by Luke’s play during the Stars’ home leg of the final – and one credit you missed Brian: I believe that, technically speaking, Mulholland scored the championship-winning goal, yes?
Technically, yes you are correct.