NEW YORK — Chivas USA selected Fort Lewis College defender Fabian Kling with the 11th pick in the second round of today’s MLS Supplemental Draft.

Kling, who was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II Player of the Year last month after guiding Fort Lewis to its third NCAA-II national championship — and second of Kling’s career — will become the second Skyhawk to suit up in the red-and-white striped jersey of the Goats. John Cunliffe played for Chivas USA in 2007 after being drafted No. 7 overall in the 2007 MLS entry draft.

Kling is currently on trial with Reading F.C., an English association club that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English professional football.

“(Kling is) a guy, we got an email, a recommendation from someone,” Chivas USA general manager Jose Domene told ESPN. “He’s a big dude. A big fella. An international player from Germany.”

“Fabian, in my opinion, will go down as one of the best players to ever have represented our illustrious program,” said third-year FLC head coach Oige Kennedy, who has led the Skyhawks to a pair of national titles in 2009 and 2011. “He has achieved something only one other Fort Lewis player has done in becoming the NCAA Division II Player of the Year. He also joined an elite group of players in winning a second national championship.

“We are extremely excited to see what he will do next,” Kennedy added. “He has a remarkable talent and we hope he will be given the opportunity to progress onto the professional soccer level. He will certainly be missed next season and will be an extremely hard player to replace on and off the field.”

Kling is a 6-foot-3 senior defender from Holbein Gymnasium in Augsburg, Germany and a four-time All-American (NSCAA and Daktronics first teams in 2011, NSCAA and Daktronics third teams in 2010). He’s also a six-time All-Central Region selection (three each by NSCAA and Daktronics). Earlier this season, Kling was chosen as the Defensive Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four, the Most Valuable Player of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament, and the RMAC’s Defensive Player of the Year, and a RMAC All-Academic first team selection.

Despite missing seven games due to a serious knee injury, Kling still totaled 16 points on seven goals and two assists from his central defender position. He ranks among FLC career leaders in games played (fourth, 86), goals (sixth, 28), and total points (tenth, 61).

The goal-scoring was one of the things that caught Chivas USA’s eye.

“More compelling are his numbers: 28 goals, half of them game-winners, in four seasons. That suggests he’s a force on set pieces, a quality Chivas could use at both ends,” noted the ESPN article.

The Skyhawks captured their third NCAA Division II championship in 2011, having previously won national titles in 2005 and 2009. FLC was national runners-up in 1999 and 2006. Fort Lewis posted a 24-1-0 overall record, 13-1-0 in RMAC games. The Skyhawks also won NCAA-II Central Region, RMAC regular season, and RMAC tournament titles.

Kling could become the third Skyhawk to appear on a MLS roster. In addition to Cunliffe (2003-06), who played one season for Chivas USA and one for the San Jose Earthquakes, former FLC defender Cliff Wilmes (2003-06) was on the roster of the Colorado Rapids in 2007 but didn’t appear in a game.

Rich Hansen (1995-98) also suited up for the Rapids in a non-MLS “friendly” in the late 1990s but was never officially on their roster.

Kling also becomes the second former Skyhawk to be selected in the MLS Supplemental Draft. Former FLC midfielder Kieran Hall (2004-07) was selected by the Houston Dynamo in 2008 and appeared in preseason action, but didn’t sign a regular season contract.

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