With the 21st overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected defender Chris Estridge from Indiana University. The product of Indianapolis, Indiana, was the second pick in the second round of this year’s SuperDraft and follows Whitecaps FC’s first-round selection of Jamaican striker Darren Mattocks from the University of Akron.
“In our opinion, Chris Estridge is one of the best right backs in the draft and we’re pleased that he was still available for selection,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. “Chris can play with both feet on either side of the field and he brings a lot to the table. We needed a bit more depth defensively and I really wanted to make sure that we got a defender out of this draft. I’m very pleased that we got Chris.”
Estridge, 22, comes to Vancouver after two productive seasons with Indiana in NCAA Division I. The 5‐foot-11, 160-pound defender - who can also play in midfield - scored three goals and recorded five assists in 22 appearances during his senior year with the Hoosiers. His efforts in 2011 earned him a spot in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American First Team and the All-Big Ten Conference First Team. Estridge’s junior year with Indiana saw him start 18 of his 20 appearances for the Hoosiers, recording one assist.
“Everything that I’ve heard about Vancouver makes me extremely excited,” said Estridge. “I can’t wait to be coming to a team that has the whole city behind it. I’m really looking forward to a great year.”
Estridge joined Indiana for the final two years of his NCAA Division I career after transferring from Wake Forest University, where he played three different positions for the Demon Deacons in 2008 and 2009. He scored two goals in 19 appearances during his sophomore year with Wake Forest, while he made just seven appearances with the Demon Deacons as a freshman.
Estridge follows former Indiana product Lee Nguyen in joining Whitecaps FC for the 2012 season. The United States international midfielder/striker joined Vancouver through the MLS weighted Lottery process on December 15, 2011, after the 25-year-old signed a multi-year contract with the league on December 6, 2011.
Chris Estridge
Position: Defender
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160
Born: September 21, 1989, in Brownsburg, Indiana
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Citizenship: United States
Twitter: @Chris_Estridge
Last Club: Indiana University (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I)
How Acquired: Selected 21st overall in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft by Whitecaps FC on January 12, 2012
Whitecaps FC 2012 Major League Soccer season tickets start at $329, plus applicable tax and a $10 processing fee per order. To secure a seat and for additional information about Whitecaps FC MLS season tickets, including loge seats and suites, call 604.669.9283 or visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
