University of New Mexico men’s soccer product Chris Wehan has signed with San Jose Earthquakes of MLS. The Club announced the signing along with the additional of two other players on Dec. 14.
Wehan, who graduated from UNM in 2016, spent last season playing for Reno 1868 after going undrafted in the MLS Superdraft.
And after he turned in an impressive campaign for Reno in the United Soccer League, the second division of American soccer. He led the league in assists with 12, and notched eight goals on his way to being named the USL Rookie of the Year.
In his senior season at UNM, Wehan started all 22 games for the Lobos, scoring eight goals in addition to recording three assists as part of a team that featured three future MLS players in Aaron Herrera, Niko Hansen and Wehan. During his time at UNM, Wehan recorded 31 goals and eight assists in 80 appearances over four years, and for him, this was the reward for years of hard work.
“I’m grateful for this chance that I’ve been working hard to get over the past few years,” Wehan said in a release. “I put my trust in (Reno head coach) Ian (Russell) and I became a better player for it. I was down on myself after not getting drafted, but this organization helped me grow and I’m excited to jump to the next level with the Quakes.”
Wehan wasn’t the only one excited about the move, as San Jose general manager Jesse Fioranelli seemed to rave about the new signings.
“We are very excited to welcome these three players from our affiliate in Reno,” Fioranelli said in a release. “Reno has been a great asset to us and had a tremendous inaugural season in 2017. Jimmy, Chris and Luis Felipe were a major reason for their success and we are looking forward to their contributions and continued development in San Jose.”
Wehan's signing denoted the the sixth former Lobo to have a spot on an MLS roster, and third player in the past two seasons to join the league. The 2018 MLS schedule has not been released yet, but the new season will begin next March.
Cameron Goeldner is a freelance sports reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer, but also contributes content for baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @goeldfinger.
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