Kirk Urso, an NCAA champion at North Carolina and a midfielder for the Columbus Crew, died Sunday morning at a hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

A coroner in Franklin County said the cause of death for Urso, 22, has not been determined.

The MLS rookie was pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m. at Grant Medical Center. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Urso had not played since May, when he underwent groin surgery. He appeared in six games this season but was not in attendance at the team’s 1-0 loss to D.C. United on Saturday in Washington.


“The thoughts and prayers of the entire Columbus Crew and Hunt Sports Group are with the Urso family in this time of need,” a statement from the team said.

No other information was given by the team or hospital, which cited privacy laws.

Urso was a native of Lombard, Ill., where he developed into a promising youth soccer player. He was on the U.S. under-17 team that played in the 2007 World Cup.

He went on to star at North Carolina, which won the NCAA title last fall in Urso’s senior season.


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The Associated Press contributed to this report.