Big Green midfielder Daniel Keat '10 was selected to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy as the third overall pick in the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft on Tuesday. Keat signed with the Galaxy which has won the MLS Cup twice shortly after the draft and will now vie for playing time alongside internationally-recognized players such as David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
The Supplemental Draft which consists of three 18-pick rounds serves as a complement to the Superdraft, which took place Jan. 13. Keat who participated in the Superdraft but was not selected was considered one of the best players in the Supplemental Draft after showcasing his skills earlier this month at the MLS Pre-Draft combine in Florida.
"Obviously I was really happy," Keat said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "I heard that the LA Galaxy was a little bit interested in me, so it wasn't a complete surprise."
Defender Michael Boxall from the University of California, Santa Barbara and forward Spencer Thompson from the University of California, Irvine were selected first and second overall in the supplemental draft, respectively.
Despite high expectations and a special training program designed by Big Green head coach Jeff Cook and assistant coach Johan Cedergren this winter, Keat was bypassed in the Superdraft and had to wait over the weekend to see if he would be drafted.
"At the end of the day, I knew something would happen, and I'm glad with how everything worked out," Keat said.
Although Keat said he does not yet know what his exact role on the team will be, he will likely compete for a position to play in the midfield.
The Galaxy finished first in the MLS Western Conference in 2010, but lost in the league playoff semi-finals to FC Dallas. The Galaxy last won the MLS Cup in 2005.
Keat said he will fly to Los Angeles on Saturday to join the team's preseason preparations, which begin Monday.
"It's great for me to be able to play with some world-class players," he said. "Hopefully I can learn from them and get better."
While at Dartmouth, Keat earned All-Ivy honors four times, including three All-Ivy first team selections. The 5'10" midfielder was also named National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Northeast three times and earned NSCAA All-America third team honors in 2009.
In 64 career games, Keat amassed 20 goals and 13 assists for the Big Green, finishing with 53 career points the sixth highest number of points for one player in Dartmouth history.
The New Zealand native also competed in the Under-20 World Cup in 2007 for his home country and was selected to play for New Zealand in the 2008 Olympic Games, but missed the event due to an injured anterior cruciate ligament.
After missing the entire 2008 season due to the injury, Keat came back strong in 2009 as a redshirt junior. The team captain led the Big Green with 22 points tallying eight goals and six assists and led the team to the first round of the NCAA tournament. Dartmouth lost, 2-1, to Boston College in double overtime.
This past season, Keat registered four goals and five assists. His 13 points were tied for second on the team. Dartmouth advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament before suffering another heartbreaking double overtime loss, this time to the University of California, Los Angeles.
