ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - St. Louis CITY SC selected three players in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.
With its first pick, the club chose UC Davis defender Zack Lillington 7th overall.
Lillington made 68 career appearances over four seasons, tallying eight goals and nine assists. In 2024, he earned All-Big West Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All–Far West Region Second Team honors. In his senior year, he led the Aggies with 60 shots and 24 shots on goal, recording three goals and three assists.
With the 37th pick, CITY SC chose goalkeeper Andrew Samuels from Princeton.
Samuels earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Ivy honors after starting all 19 matches in goal this past season. He set a program record with 12 shutouts and finished the season with a 0.37 goals-against average, including a 0.25 GAA and 1.000 save percentage during the regular season, both best in the nation. He was part of Princeton’s Ivy League Championship squad and was named the Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
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After acquiring the 43rd pick in a trade with Orlando City SC, St. Louis selected Cooper Forcellini from Xavier University.
Across four collegiate seasons at Xavier and Bellarmine, Forcellini appeared in 69 matches, totaling 13 goals and six assists, while contributing to multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. Forcellini earned All-BIG EAST First Team and United Soccer Coaches All–East Region Third Team honors in his senior year. This past season, he started all 15 matches, tallying 10 goals and 22 points, and finished first in the BIG EAST in goals per game (0.67). Forcellini was also Xavier’s first double-digit goal scorer since 2019, earning MLS College Showcase and CSC Academic All-District recognition.
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