Feb. 11, 2002
Notre Dame fifth-year defender Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) was the 11th overall selection in Monday’s player draft by the second-year Women’s United Soccer Association, with the Boston Breakers using their second-round pick to select the All-American defender.
Gonzalez was the fourth defender selected, behind top pick Danielle Slaton (Santa Clara), North Carolina’s Danielle Borgman (8th) and Casey Zimny of Connecticut (10th). The BIG EAST Conference matched the Atlantic Coast (3) as the only conferences with three-plus players selected in the first 12 picks, with West Virginia forward Katie Barnes preceding her former BIG EAST foes as the ninth overall pick (the BIG EAST was the only conference with players from three different schools taken in the first dozen picks).
The 5-11 Gonzalez could join three former Notre Dame players as members of the Breakers, as Boston’s 2001 roster included former Irish defender and U.S. National Team defender Kate Sobrero, former ND forward Meotis Erikson and the NCAA’s all-time assist leader, midfielder Holly Manthei.
Ten former Notre Dame players competed in the eight-team league during the WUSA’s inaugural 2001 season.
Gonzalez – a founding member of Mexico’s women’s national team – began her Notre Dame career as a forward before shifting to the defense beginning with the 2000 season. She returned in 2001 for a fifth year of eligibility, after missing all of the 1998 campaign due to a knee injury. The veteran was possibly the most consistent performer for Notre Dame during the 2001 season, despite making another position switch from outside defender to one of the central marking back spots. She continued to show her versatility by playing midfielder and forward at times during the 2001 season, when she started all 21 games while scoring once and adding two assists (yielding 17 goals and 17 assists in 95 career games played, with 49 starts).
2002 WUSA Draft
First Round
1. Carolina Courage – Danielle Slaton, Defender, Santa Clara
2. Washington Freedom – Abby Wambach, Forward, Florida
3. Boston Breakers – Jena Kluegel, Midfielder, North Carolina
4. San Diego Spirit – Lori Lindsey, Midfielder, Virginia
5. Philadelphia Charge – Stacy Tullock, Midfielder, Arizona State
6. New York Power – Minna Mustonen, Forward, Franklin Pierce College/Boston Renegades
7. Atlanta Beat – Anna Kraus, Defender, Santa Clara
8. San Jose CyberRays – Danielle Borgman, Defender, North Carolina
Second Round
9. Carolina Courage – Katie Barnes, Forward, West Virginia
10. Washington Freedom – Casey Zimny, Defender, Connecticut
11. Boston Breakers – Monica Gonzalez, Defender, Notre Dame
12. San Diego Spirit – Amy Sauer, Defender, Stanford
13. Philadelphia Charge – Mary-Frances Monroe, Forward, UCLA
14. New York Power – Bonnie Young, Defender, Penn State
15. New York Power (in trade with Atlanta) – Meredith Flaherty, Goalkeeper, Florida
16. Philadelphia Charge (in trade with San Jose) – Andrea Alfiler, Midfielder, Azuza Pacific
Third Round
17. Carolina Courage – Emily Oleksiuk, Goalkeeper, Penn State
18. Washington Freedom – Stephanie Rigamat, Forward, UCLA
19. Boston Breakers – Alexa Borisjuk, Midfielder, Connecticut
20. Carolina Courage (from previous trade with San Diego) – Meghan Anderson, Midfielder, Nebraska
21. Philadelphia Charge – Katie Carson, Goalkeeper, Clemson
22. New York Power – Sarah Kate Noftsinger, Midfielder, Wake Forest
23. Atlanta Beat- Nicky Thrasher, Forward, Texas A&M
24. San Jose CyberRays – Alice Gleason, Goalkeeper, UNLV
Fourth Round
25. San Diego Spirit – Amy Kofoed, Forward, Utah
26. Washington Freedom – Justine Fisher, Midfielder, US Naval Academy
27. Boston Breakers – Kristin Slater, Goalkeeper, Arizona State
28. San Diego Spirit – Shelley Finger, Goalkeeper, North Carolina
29. Philadelphia Charge – Karyn Hall, Defender, Florida
30. New York Power – Erin Gilhart, Defender, Florida
31. Atlanta Beat – Kristin DePlatchett, Goalkeeper, North Carolina
32. San Jose CyberRays – Linnea Quinones, Goalkeeper, San Diego State