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The Portland Timbers weren't even supposed to have a pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. They traded away both natural selections in December, but Caleb Porter really wanted to get in on the action in Indianapolis on Thursday.
"We wanted to do something today," he told Monica Gonzalez on the live stream.
What he ended up doing was trading Mike Fucito for the San Jose Earthquakes' second-round pick, which he used to pick up University of Washington center back Dylan Tucker-Gangnes.
That was the 34th overall pick of the draft. At the end of the first round, with the 18th pick, the Montreal Impact selected UCLA midfielder Fernando Monge.
Tucker-Gangnes and Monge were the only two Puget Sound players selected in the draft, and both played for Cascadia MLS teams' PDL equivalents. Tucker-Gangnes played for the Timbers U23 (and Tacoma Tide before that), while Monge played for the Sounders U23.
Tucker-Gangnes captained the Huskies his senior year, and he led the team in goals by a wide margin despite being a center back. His prowess on set pieces is what led him to an eight-goal season, both soaring through the air to nod the ball into the net and from taking shots on the edge of the penalty area.
In the crosstown battle with Seattle University on Sept. 23, 2012, Tucker-Gangnes lined up a free kick from well outside the 18-yard box. He noticed the goalkeeper out of position and took the shot quickly, without asking the referee to move the wall back 10 yards, putting it in.
The 2008 graduate of Bainbridge High School (Bainbridge Island) made the all-tournament teams at the Husky Classic and UAB Classic, as well as earning a spot on the All-Far West Region First Team and All-Pac 12 First Team.
Monge joined Tucker-Gangnes on the All-Pac 12 First Team, and he made the All-Far West Region Second Team. The Eastside Catholic High School (Sammamish) graduate started all 19 games for the UCLA Bruins his senior season.
He also played in all 24 games during UCLA's run to the College Cup semifinals in 2011, where it lost to eventual champion North Carolina in a shootout. He scored nine goals and added four assists over his college career, and he played for the U.S. beach soccer national team that placed second at the 2011 Miami Cup.
Notable Puget Sounders who were not drafted include UC Santa Barbara's Machael David, a Gig Harbor High School graduate and former Tacoma Tide player. David is a composed midfielder who flourished in the holding role for UCSB.
Washington's Ben Fisk, a Bellarmine Prep graduate who played his first two collegiate seasons with the Cal Poly Mustangs, also went unselected. Fisk was the heartbeat of the Huskies in 2012, a tenacious holding midfielder noted for his tackling ability and fiery personality on the field.
Both David and Fisk were at the MLS Combine. They have another chance of being picked up by MLS teams in time for the 2013 preseason, as the four-round MLS Supplemental Draft will take place on Tuesday via conference call.