PHILADEPHIA — Billed as the draft with the slam dunk No. 1 pick in Virginia(w)’s Morgan Brian, the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League third college draft didn’t disappoint at the top. Head coach Randy Waldrum made her the Dash’s first pick overall.

Even after acknowledging that his team’s needs could’ve been addressed by picking other players on the day, he admitted the Dash always had their sights set on the Georgia native.

“She’s such a special talent, you can’t pass on her,” Waldrum said. “She’s such a difference maker. Even though she’s won two Hermann Trophies, I think she is on the front edge of what she is going to be 10 years from now for U.S. Soccer.”

Brian is a candidate to contribute to the U.S. Women’s National Team midfield at this summer Women’s World Cup. First, she’ll jump start her pro career in Houston, and Waldrum plans on handing her opportunities in offensive-centric roles.

“She’ll play in an attacking midfield role at some point, he said. “Typically my systems have been a 4-3-3 but we may have to tweak that this year based on all the attacking players we picked up.”

Six of UCLA’s golden class gets snapped up

After Brian, the next expectation was to see the cream of UCLA’s crop fly off the board. Again, NWSL team’s delivered, as midfielder Sarah Killion went second overall to Sky Blue FC, Abby Dahlkemper and Sam Mewis will be teammates once against after going third and fourth to the Western New York Flash.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg, as three more players were still to come. In the second round, center back Megan Oyster went to Washington Spirit at No. 13 and FC Kansas City grabbed goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland at No. 17.

When Spirit traded up again (they traded to grab Oyster) to acquire the nineteenth pick of the day, outside back Caprice Dydasco then had her name called. It was an expected development after the team’s wildly successful two seasons that included the 2013 national championship and one-loss season in 2014. It wouldn’t be a shock to see all six players on rosters at the start of the

Small schools represented

Major Division I programs serve as the main pipeline for NWSL teams, but there are always the small collection of players from lesser traditional soccer powerhouses that get called on draft day.

Samantha Lofton, from James Madison(w) was the first to be drawn from outside what would be considered a major conference, as the CAA product was taken by the Boston Breakers at No. 20 overall. And while Colorado College(w)’s Jessie Ayers wasn’t a huge surprise, her program’s home in the Mountain West would fit that criteria. WAC super star Stephanie Verdoia of Seattle(w), Illinois State(w) great Rachel Tejada and Northeastern(w) and CAA Defensive Player of the Year Bianca Calderone were fourth round picks.

Looming World Cup on the horizon

With national team federations forming the back bone of the NWSL and 2015 featuring the Women’s World Cup, teams in the North American league faced a wrinkled that crawls closer and closer, and likely influenced some of the selections at the draft.

A player like Shea Groom ended up being drafted by her hometown team FC Kansas City despite its wealth of attacking weapons because she could likely end up seeing minutes when the stars are away this summer.

“I think all the teams are in the same boat,” Waldrum said of the potential absences. “I think us and Chicago are maybe hit the hardest with the most players leaving for World Cup duty. We’re trying to build two rosters: one that can get you through the first month, two months, and unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at it, our players come from Brazil, Canada and the U.S, three countries that will probably go real deep in the World Cup…You just try to build as strong as you can to get through that first part of the season.”