Comets make 3 selections in MASL Pro Player Combine Draft

The Kansas City Comets made three exciting selections in the 2023 MASL Pro Player Combine Draft on Sunday.

The Comets had the fifth pick in all three rounds of the draft, selecting midfielder Juan Esteban Gomez, defender/midfielder Antonio De La Torre and forward Ramazani Juma.

The draft was the grand finale of a great weekend that drew over 100 invited players to showcase their potential in front of coaches and front office staff across the MASL in Utica, New York.

"The combine was a great experience for the players and our staff," said Comets head coach Stefan Stokic. "The MASL and Utica did a fantastic job with the setup."

The planning and execution of the combine was appreciated by the Comets, "Our coaching staff was able to see 115 players in multiple games and training sessions," he said. "That put us in a great position for the selections we made."

Gomez was the fifth overall draft pick in the first round after impressing the Comets coaching staff. The Brentwood, New York native plays at Queens College in NCAA D2 where he has logged nearly 600 minutes and two assists in 11 games as a freshman.

The Comets took a more local product in the second round when they drafted De La Torre 16th overall. A Fort Hayes State University graduate and native of Dodge City, Kansas, De La Torre is a 6'3" defender/midfielder already with indoor experience. He was a standout member of M2 expansion side Kansas Bandits last season, leading them with 21 points from 13 goals and eight assists in nine games.

The Comets drafted Juma in the final round with the 27th overall pick. The Utica native featured in 40 games across his collegiate career split between Buffalo State University and Utica University, tallying eight goals and two assists.

The next step for the trio of newly drafted Comets is preseason camp, where they will have the opportunity to fight for their first MASL contract.

"We are excited for the players we drafted and look forward to welcoming them to preseason with the rest of our squad," Stokic said.