The Houston Dynamo closed out the 2017 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by selecting defender Robby Sagel from Penn State with the fourth pick in Round 4 today.
Sagel started in 31 of 32 matches over the last two seasons for the Nittany Lions after transferring from Temple. The 6-3 defender scored two goals – one in each season – and both proved to be game-winners. As a senior, he anchored Penn State’s back line and helped the team post four clean sheets after posting six as a junior. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season and was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Sagel started his collegiate career at Temple University and started all 36 matches for the Owls over two seasons. He earned second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors as both a freshman and a sophomore, and was elected as a team captain prior to his sophomore campaign. As a youth player, he represented the United States at the Under-17 level in 2012 at the Mondial Minimes Tournament in Montaigu, France.
Sagel is the first Penn State player selected by the Dynamo in the club’s 12-year draft history. His father, William, played collegiate football, basketball and baseball, and his brother Billy played college soccer as well.
