By Abe RakovThe Daily Northwestern

How would you respond the moment you found out you’d be able to pursue a one of your dreams?

“My physical reaction was I fell out of my chair,” Northwestern men’s soccer star Brad North said.

When North heard he was taken by D.C. United with the 24th pick in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, he wasn’t even paying very close attention because he wasn’t expecting to be taken so soon.

No NU soccer player had ever been drafted in the SuperDraft, the four-round professional soccer draft. It is followed by a supplemental draft – where former NU standout and current assistant coach Brad Napper was drafted by FC Dallas last year.

“In the back of my mind I was hoping that maybe I’d be a SuperDraft pick, but I really thought if I was going to get drafted it would be in the supplemental (draft),” North said.

North’s selection by D.C. United (which was the best team in MLS in the regular season last year before being knocked out in the conference championship) is not only great for him, it will undoubtedly boost the school he helped revive.

Before North signed on with the Wildcats, the program was pretty much dead.

“Without me getting drafted, the job that our team did this year was unbelievable and that itself will have an impact on our program,” North said. “With me going to a name like D.C. United, I guess it just shows that good players can come out of this program.”

While it will be difficult, North will also continue to pursue his degree (“I definitely will be graduating,” the senior said).

Many NU football players have been able to attend NFL Draft workouts and combines while taking classes, but because the MLS season starts in April, if North makes D.C. United he’ll have to make new plans.

“I just have to figure out when and how,” North said. “If it takes a little longer then that’s probably the route I want to go, because I do want to pursue this.”

Athlete of the Week

Mike Alexandrov. He was named Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet in the Cats’ win at The Dallas Morning News Classic, where No. 8 NU defeated No. 3 Cal and No. 10 Florida State.

Home Game to watch

Men’s tennis vs. No. 10 Pepperdine on Sunday. Pepperdine is the defending NCAA Champion, so you’re going to see good tennis.

Deputy Sports Editor Abe Rakov is a Medill junior. His NU Notes column runs every Wednesday. Reach him at [email protected].