CHICAGO, IL–The Fire went local for their first selection (sixth overall) in the 2024 SuperDraft–and for a goalkeeper. That keeper was Willow Springs native and Notre Dame goalkeeper Bryan Dowd.
Dowd, 21, started 21 matches for the Fighting Irish in 2023 and led them to the 2023 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, allowing only one goal in the tournament before falling 2-1 to Clemson on Dec. 11. As a starting goalkeeper for the Notre Dame Men’s Soccer Team, he also served as back-up kicker for the Notre Dame Football team. In the 2023-24 season, Dowd posted a career-best .699 goals-against average and was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy as the only goalkeeper on the list. Following the 2023 season, Dowd was named the Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Year, making him the first goalkeeper in the publication’s history to earn the honor. Dowd was a member of the Chicago Fire Academy and Chicago FC United prior to joining the Fighting Irish. At the international level, Dowd was a member of the U.S. U-17 Men’s Youth National Team.
The Fire picked up picks 33rd and 72nd overall from Atlanta United for $50,000 in general allocation money.
With the 33rd overall pick, the Fire selected defender Olu Oyegunle from Syracuse. Oyegunle, 21, was a member of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Soccer national champion Orange side playing 17 matches (16 starts) as a junior in 2023, finishing his career with 41 matches (37 starts) over three years. The young Canadian won the treble as a sophomore with Syracuse, winning the NCAA National Championship, the ACC Tournament and ACC Atlantic Division regular season title.
Two picks later, the Fire selected Jason Shokalook from Akron. Shokalook, 21, was voted the 2023 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year out of the University of Akron and was selected as First-Team all-BIG EAST. Shokalook played 59 total matches for Akron (41 starts), scoring 26 goals in his four years with the Zips and dishing out 17 assists.
Next was pick #64 and midfielder Laurence Wooten of Ohio State. Wootton, 23, was ranked No. 3 by Top Drawer Soccer as a freshman at Ohio State University. He was a member of the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy watch list and was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year in 2022 and 2023. He was one of only six Big Ten players to be named First Team All-Big Ten four times. As a senior, he started all 18 matches in which he played, scoring five goals. In his four years at Ohio, he played in 62 matches (61 starts) for the Buckeyes.
Finally, with the 72nd overall pick, the Fire selected midfielder Shane DeFlores from Stanford. De Flores, 20, was named to the All-Far West Region third team by United Soccer Coaches following the 2023 season after scoring seven goals and registered eight assists for the Cardinal. In 2022, the California native was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI after leading the team with eight goals and four assists. The redshirt sophomore helped Stanford to the 2023 NCAA Men’s Soccer tournament, where they advance to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions Clemson.
Source of Bios: Chicago Fire Communications
