HARRISON, N.J. (March 15, 2018) - New York Red Bulls II have completed the signings of all five of their 2018 MLS SuperDraft picks to USL contracts, the club announced today.
Brian White, Niko De Vera, Tom Barlow, Jared Stroud and Jose Aguinaga will join NYRB II for the 2018 season ahead of New York’s season opener on March 17 at 1 p.m. vs. Toronto FC II at Red Bull Arena.
White, New York’s first round draft choice, 16th overall, joins NYRB II from Duke University after a four-year career where he amassed 57 total points on 23 goals and 11 assists as a forward. The Flemington, N.J. native was named the 2017 USL PDL league MVP after notching 17 goals and three assists for the New York Red Bulls U-23 side.
De Vera, New York’s second round choice, 34th overall, joins NYRB II after a three-year stay at Akron. De Vera had his best season during his senior campaign earning All-MAC honors as a second-team honoree. The Camas, Washington, native started all 23 matches his senior campaign and tallied four assists as a defender.
Barlow, New York’s second, second-round choice at 39 overall, joins NYRB II after a four-year career at the Univeristy of Wisconsin. There over four seasons, the 6-foot-2 forward started all but two games as a Badger (76 of 78). Barlow collected Big Ten All-Freshman honors in 2014 and recorded 23 goals on 151 shots, 15 assists, 61 points, 10 game-winnings goals and 6413 minutes in Cardinal and White. He led the Big Ten in scoring with 10 goals during his senior campaign.
Fourth round picks, Jared Stroud (83rd overall) and Jose Aguinaga (85th overall), each join NYRB II from the collegiate ranks.
Stroud, out of Colgate University, is a native of Chester, N.J. Stroud was named to the first team All-Northeast region in 2017, leading the Raiders to their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. As a senior, Stroud was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP, and was named to the All-Patriot League First Team as he set a new program single-season assist record (13) and also added four goals. He finished his career with 10 goals and a school-record 30 assists. He also earned Academic All-League Honors as a junior and senior. Jared is the older brother of Red Bulls Academy’s Peter Stroud, currently a member of the U-15 team. The Red Bulls selected fellow Raider Ethan Kutler in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
Aguinaga, a native of Madrid, Spain, finished his collegiate career with 18 goals and a school-record 32 assists in 76 appearances for the Rider University Broncs. He led the team with nine assists in each of the last three seasons. He is a three-time All-MAAC selection and was also named to the MAAC All-Academic team in each of the last three years. He recorded three goals and nine assists as a senior and was named to the United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America as the Broncs made the MAAC finals for the third-straight year. Current Red Bulls midfielder Florian Valot is also a product of Rider University.
Lema, a Red Bulls Academy product and Ridgefield, N.J. native, was selected 34th overall by FC Dallas in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft and was a four-year starter at Georgetown from 2014 to 2017, where he scored five goals and 12 assists.
