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For the first time ever, a Quinnipiac men’s soccer player was selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

FC Cincinnati selected Quinnipiac senior forward Rashawn Dally with the first pick in the third round (49th overall).

Dally enjoyed a successful career in Hamden, scoring 16 goals and assisting on 15 more in 78 career games.

Last Fall, after the Bobcats took down the Monmouth Hawks 6-0 in their regular season finale, head coach Eric Da Costa was full of praise for his senior forward.

MSOC: Coach Eric Da Costa shares his thoughts on Rashawn Dally’s importance to the team and preparation for the tournament. #MAACSoccer pic.twitter.com/Kzlu9TrvI1

— QBSN (@QBSN) October 31, 2018

In terms of transitioning to the next level, FC Cincinnati is a good fit for Rashawn Dally to continue to develop as a player. The club will be entering MLS as an expansion franchise and has yet to play a game in the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. FC Cincinnati and Dally (coming from a smaller division I school) both know they have something to prove.

Dally, who has previously been called into senior camp for the Jamaican national team, is a talent that has a lot of appealing qualities. On first glance, the Connecticut native is extremely athletic and full of pace.

When you watch more of him, you are able to see he is much more than that. Dally has an impressive work rate, is comfortable on the ball, a selfless teammate and a good decision-maker, among other things.

His technical ability has improved significantly from his junior campaign to his senior season. He also has a keen eye for a pass, as seen from his performance in the 2019 Adidas MLS Player Combine.

Rashawn Dally (@QU_MSOC) with a perfectly-weighted ball to provide the assist for Mertz.

This was an insurance tally as Team Predator would go on to win 2-0.#MLSCombine #MAACSoccer #MLSDraft https://t.co/Q946LWokwo

— Jonathan Banks (@jonathanbanks8_) January 9, 2019

The Quinnipiac men’s soccer team won 10 of its 14 games on the year, outscoring opponents 29-12 in that string of games, but it fell to Rider in the 2018 MAAC Championship. Dally was a key figure instrumental to the team’s success, and will be hard to replace both tactically and as a leader next season for the Bobcats.

FC Cincinnati will open their debut MLS season as the league’s 24th team on Saturday, March 2, at the Seattle Sounders.

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