After a historic season for Michigan State women’s soccer, two Spartans made even more history Thursday night. Senior forward Lauren DeBeau and redshirt senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal were selected in the second and third rounds respectively in the 2023 National Women's Soccer League Draft Thursday night, marking the first time multiple Spartans were selected in the same draft in program history.
DeBeau was picked eighth in the second round and 24th overall by Portland Thorns FC. DeBeau transferred to the Spartans in 2021, following Head Women's Soccer Coach Jeff Hosler. In 2022, she became the first player in the history of the program to win Big Ten Forward of the Year. She also led MSU in total goals and overall scoring at 11 and 26 respectively, along with scoring a Big Ten best five game winning goals in 2022.
With the ninth pick in the third round, Portland decided to trade and pick up another Spartan in Kozal. After making a name for herself in 2021, Kozal was named a repeat All-American by United Soccer Coaches in 2022, becoming the second Spartan in history to do so. She also logged a single season MSU record for goalkeeper wins with 17, won Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Honors for the second straight season while becoming the green and white’s first unanimous selection for the award and allowed a goals-against average of .808 with 63 saves and 15 goals allowed.
Graduate student defenders Ruby Diodati and Samantha White registered for the draft but were not selected in the four rounds. Diodati transferred in from Colgate in 2022 and immediately became a force defensively for the Spartans. She was named Big Ten Defender of the Year while leading all MSU fielders with 1,769 minutes logged. She also led the team in assists at eight, which was good for fifth in all of the Big Ten.
White set a program record for games started in 2022 with 90, starting in all 23 games of the season. She recorded three points on the season with a goal and an assist.
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