By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Every coach touts the advantages of his or her program when talking to potential recruits. Kevin Boyd has an awfully compelling selling point.
Five Sun Devil women's soccer players from the 2015-16 team will have the opportunity to play pro ball, with two headed to National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) training camps this spring and three headed to Sweden.
Senior midfielder Tommi Goodman, senior defender Sara Tosti and senior midfielder Mackenzie Semerad will play for Krokom-Dvarsatts 55 IF (KD 55) in Sweden.
Senior forward Cali Farquharson was the second pick in the second round of the NWSL Draft (12th overall) by the Washington (D.C.) Spirit, and senior defender McKenzie Berryhill was the first pick in the third round (21st overall) by the Portland (Oregon) Thorns.
"We are one of seven (college) programs with more than one player drafted which is pretty cool," said Boyd, who believes ASU's possession-based style prepares players well for the professional game. "They are the first players we've had drafted into the NWSL and we're hoping it's something that continues. To have five players going out to pro camps, we're over the moon about that. It supports what we believe: Love the game; build you to be pros."
Farquharson and Berryhill were the stars of this year's senior class; two players who elevated the program to new heights when they committed to ASU out of Phoenix Shadow Mountain and Phoenix Greenway highs, respectively.
Farquharson completed her Sun Devil career No. 2 on the school’s all-time list in career goals (44) and career points (102) and tied for second in career game-winning goals (13). She is the only Sun Devil ever to post double-digit goal totals all four years of her career.
"DC made it to the playoffs last year and they're really good. They have some national team players that I have been obsessed with so it will be fun to be in an environment with players I have admired for years," Farquharson said. "The coach (Jim Gabarra) called me a few weeks ago and told me 'I don't want you to feel pressure to come in and start' so this year could be a development year for me while I'm getting used to the style of play."
Berryhill was recognized as one of the Pac-12’s (First-Team All-Pac-12) and Pacific Region’s (First-Team NSCAA Pacific All-Regional) top defenders during her career. Still, she wasn't sure she'd have the chance to continue her career when she attended the NWSL Draft on Jan. 15 in Baltimore.
"There were so many talented players there so it was nerve-racking but cool," she said. "Sitting there for hours, I'm wondering whether I will go freeze in New York or be less cold in Portland. I was so stressed and nervous the whole day that I had to go take a nap afterward because I was so tired."
Berryhill leaves for Portland on March 10 and Farquharson begins training with Washington on March 11. As third- and second-round picks respectively, they do not have contracts so they will have to prove themselves in camp in order to secure the necessary funding (and in Berryhill's case, paid housing) that will make training a whole lot easier.
"I think if I had been drafted in the first round it probably would have gone to my head," Farquharson said. "Knowing I have to earn a position has made me work that much harder."
Goodman, Tosti and Semerad are more fortunate in that regard. KD 55 pays them a monthly salary, pays for their housing and pays for two meals per day. The plan is for all the players to live together and purchase bicycles for transportation.
"I broke my leg halfway through my senior season so I didn’t get to end my soccer career on my terms. I consider this a second chance to go out and keep playing and end it how I want to," Goodman said. "One of my friends just played in Sweden so I met with her over winter break and she shared her experiences. She really liked it so I'm super excited."
Former Sun Devils Taylor McCarter and Holland Crook started the pipeline to KD 55 after the 2012 season.
"After those two arrived the club didn't lose another game so they elevated them to the next league up," Boyd said. "They did so well for their club that they told (ASU assistant coach) Scott (Champ), 'anybody you recommend we're going to take,' so we recommended three and they took them all."
Goodman will graduate in May then head to Sweden for a season that runs from May until late October or early November.
"There's a month break after the season so I hope to travel with the other two girls," Goodman said. "I'll go with the flow and see if I like it, maybe stay another season, maybe find another team."
Boyd estimates that out of the 40 players drafted this year in the NWSL, about 10 will make the rosters with others staying on in a pool of reserves.
"You have to do everything on your end in terms of preparation," he said. "Go in fit, go in with your technique under your belt, meaning you've been touching the ball a lot so you're sharp. Go in with the intent of winning a starting spot.
"Don’t set a timeline for that; just set the goal. It could be the first game, a middle game, the last game or a year from now but it’s always driving you and pushing you without the timeline of saying oh, 'I didn't make it. I failed.' It keeps them from getting wound up in the moment. It keeps a clear objective in front of them."
Berryhill understands the challenge in front of her, but she feels fortunate simply to have the chance.
"When I was younger women's professional soccer wasn't a thing," she said. "You played in college and that was it, so I feel so grateful every day that I have this opportunity. My mom always says 'isn't it awesome that people would kill to do what you're going to do for a living?'
"I hope the opportunities get better and better. I hope this league is here to stay -- and teaming up with the MLS is a great idea and a good way to keep the women's league alive. I think men are very lucky to have the opportunities they do in pro sports, and having people looking at them almost as superheroes, but women are coming further.
"We're getting out there and showing little girls what they can do; the possibilities. We don't have to be huge in everybody's eyes yet. As long as we're cool in the eyes of the little ones coming up I feel like we're helping push things forward."