A quiet, reserved voice is on the other end of a phone call from the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
“I’m speechless right now,” Reagan Dunk said when asked how he felt about being selected 13th overall by Real Salt Lake, explaining in four words his hushed tones when answering his phone.
Real Salt Lake rated Dunk high on their draft board and were thrilled when he was available when their selection came on the board. A right back from the highly-rated University of Denver, Dunk has a no-nonsense game that belies his tawdry name.
“I don’t see myself as flashy,” he said. “I’m a good one-on-one defender, but I also like to get forward and cross the ball and get involved in the attack.”
At Denver, Dunk had two goals and 18 assists in his 79 career matches. The assist mark ranks third in Denver’s all-time Division I list. What he really takes pride in though is the defensive marks that helped lead the Pioneers to the NCAA Tournament with an unbeaten record for two consecutive seasons, with the lone defeats coming in the postseason.
During that time, Denver’s defense ranked second in the country in 2015 with a 0.40 goals against average and third in 2016 at 0.52, reaching the NCAA Final Four in his senior season. That was a dramatic turnaround from previous seasons. In 2014, the Pioneers ranked 106th in the country in goals against average. The difference, Dunk says, was quite simple.
“It’s really been our mentality. We don’t mess around with the ball in the back,” he said. “Our goal was to win the championship. We fell short, but the whole experience was still really good.”
After finishing his collegiate career as a two-time Hermann Trophy semifinalist and All-American, Dunk turned his focus to the MLS SuperDraft. That started with the MLS Combine this week in Carson, California, where Dunk continued to impress RSL’s technical staff. However, it was a stressful experience for Dunk, as the 22-year-old Dallas native saw an uncertain future ahead.
That all became clearer on Friday when MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced RSL’s selection from the Los Angeles Convention Center stage.
“The combine was cool, but it was nerve-wracking. I’m glad that’s done and I can look forward,” he said, still trying to catch his breath. “My heart’s still racing.”
Dunk will join RSL for the start of training camp on January 23 in Casa Grande, Arizona.
