The LA Galaxy made two picks in today’s MLS SuperDraft gaining a defender and a midfielder with both being three-time National Champions at Stanford University.

With the second overall pick in the draft the Galaxy landed defender Tomas Hilliard-Arce. Hilliard-Arce is a three-time National Champion, two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-Pac-12 player.

Over his four-year career at Standford, he made 87 appearances, scored 13 times and had five assists.

“It’s been a rollercoaster,” Hilliard-Arce told LAGalaxy.com. “Coming into Stanford, I wasn’t a top recruit so I wasn’t sure what my role on the team was going to be. But I had a lot of confidence and I knew I could compete. From there, it was a lot of success. Knowing that I still have that confidence and that will to succeed is something I’m hoping to bring to the Galaxy.”

Ranked as the number one prospect for most of the year, Hilliard-Arce is a center back who could make an impact on the Galaxy’s short-term defensive competitions.

At 22-years old and over six-feet tall, he’s got the physical makeup to be an MLS caliber defender.

“Tomas is a hard-as-nails defender that will run through a brick wall,” former LA Galaxy defender and Stanford Alumnist Todd Dunivant told CoG. “He has won an absurd amount of championships and is a guy you want in your team every week.”

Hilliard-Arce is designated as a Generation Adidas player which allows his salary to be exempt from the salary cap. He’s also listed as a domestic player – born in Matthews, North Carolina. Which is important as the Galaxy have eight of eight international slots already in use.

Name: Tomas Hilliard-Arce

Tomas Hilliard-Arce Position: Defender

Defender Height: 6’1”

6’1” Weight: 175 lbs.

175 lbs. Born: November 22, 1995

November 22, 1995 Age: 22

22 Last Club: Stanford

Stanford Birthplace: Matthews, North Carolina

Matthews, North Carolina Nationality: United States

TOMAS HILLIARD-ARCE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2017

MAC Hermann Trophy finalist

USC First Team All-American

Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year

USC First Team All-Far West Region

First Team All-Pac-12

Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention

2016

College Cup All-Tournament Team

USC First Team All-American

Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

USC First Team All-Far West Region

First Team All-Pac 12

Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention

2015

Second Team All-Pac-12

Pac 12 All-Academic Honorable Mention

2014

USC Third Team All-Far West Region

Second Team All-Pac 12 Conference

DREW SKUNDRICH

The Galaxy also drafted 22-year old midfielder Drew Skundrich with the 40th overall pick (17th pick in the 2nd round). Like Hilliard-Arce, Skundrich won three NCAA National Championships with Stanford and was a First Team All Pac-12 selections in his senior year.

Skundrich made 82 appearances for Standford, scoring 9 goals and tallying 13 assists in a four-year career.

“Drew does everything you need to win a game and doesn’t always get the credit he deserves,” Dunivant again relayed to CoG.

He’ll also be listed as a domestic player and was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Neither Hilliard-Arce nor Skundrich have been officially added to the roster. The Galaxy will still need to sign both players to a contract before that happens. And neither is guaranteed a spot on the team.

Name: Drew Skundrich

Drew Skundrich Position: Midfielder

Midfielder Height: 5’11”

5’11” Weight: 165 lbs.

165 lbs. Born: September 17, 1995

September 17, 1995 Age: 22

22 Last Club: Stanford

Stanford Birthplace: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Nationality: United States

DREW SKUNDRICH CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2017

USC First Team All-Far West Region

First Team All-Pac-12

Pac-12 Honorable Mention All-Academic

2016

USC Second Team All-Far West Region

Second Team All-Pac-12

USC Scholar All-West Region

Pac-12 Honorable Mention All-Academic

2015Second Team All-Pac-12

Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team

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