Dec. 17, 2002

MILWAUKEE - The strong bond between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team and the local soccer community was bolstered again Tuesday (Dec. 17) when the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League, drafted UWM senior Chad Dombrowski with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2002-03 MISL amateur draft. The Wave selected Dombrowski as their top selection in the "territorial round" of the draft, the first of the five rounds. The territorial picks must be players that either played college soccer in the state of the current franchise or played high school soccer in that particular region.

"It's an honor to be selected by the Wave, one of the premeir teams in the MISL," Dombrowski said. "I was a little surprised but they tried to contact me on Monday so I started to get some idea. The opportunity to play college soccer is amazing and the Wave are definitely one of the best, if not the best, franchises in the MISL. This definitely is a strong reflection on the UWM program and the things that have been accomplished here."

A four-year starter and a key player in the national emergence of the Panther program, Dombrowski recently was named Second-Team All-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The West Allis, Wis.-native was a two-time First-Team All-Great Lakes Region performer as well as a two-time, First-Team All-Horizon League member.

"I think it's great for a local guy to position himself in such a way that a local professional team drafts him and covets him as one of the top collegiate soccer players in the country," UWM head coach Louis Bennett said. "Chad has really improved his game and I think he has the potential to be a great player in the MISL."

A captain on UWM's 19-2-1, NCAA Tournament Second Round team, No. 23 finished his four-year career with 62 career points thanks to 24 goals and 14 assists. A strong, physical defender who is dangerous offensively, Dombrowski finished the 2002 season fourth on the squad in scoring with six goals and six assists, good for 18 points. UWM went 60-24-3 during Dombrowski's three-year career, while claiming back-to-back Horizon League Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.

One of the most decorated franchises in MISL history, the Wave currently lead the Western Conference by five games thanks to a 11-3 overall mark. After winning MISL titles in 1998, 2000, and 2001, Milwaukee narrowly missed a three-peat, dropping the 2002 championship to Philadelphia, 8-6, in the third and final game after posting a league-record 22-0 home record on the year.

The MISL is an eight-team league divided into two, four-team divisions. Joining Milwaukee in the Western Conference is Kansas City, San Diego and Dallas while Philadelphia, Cleveland, Harrisburg, and Baltimore comprise the Eastern Conference.