PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Pilots saw a third member of their 2023 roster make the leap to the next level on Tuesday, with winger Buba Fofanah being selected 81st overall by the Seattle Sounders in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. It's the first time the Pilots have ever had three players taken in the same draft.

Fofanah makes it 11 Pilots, including Kevin Bonilla and Jacob Babalai from earlier today, who have been taken in the SuperDraft since 2000. Prior to this year, the last Pilot to be drafted was Rey Ortiz back in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. He was the 29^th overall pick in the draft that year to FC Cincinnati.

Fofanah's selection comes after a career year on The Bluff. He finished the year with nine goals and six assists for 24 points, with his goal and point totals ranking second respectively in the WCC. Fofanah was an All-WCC Second Team selection and also earned CSC Academic All-District honors.

Since Nick Carlin-Voigt took over as head coach in 2016, Portland has seen nine players including Fofanah, Babalai and Bonilla earn first team contracts either through the SuperDraft or homegrown signings. Paul Christensen was taken 70^th overall in the SuperDraft back in 2018 by Atlanta United while Ortiz was taken by FC Cincinnati in 2020. Benji Michel signed a homegrown contract with Orlando SC and Kris Reaves signed with FC Dallas back in 2018 while Delentz Pierre and Brandon Cambridge signed with Real Salt Lake and Charlotte FC respectively last year.

The Pilots finished off a historic year that saw them go 12-5 and earn a first-round bye for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988. They boasted a home unbeaten streak of 26-0-2 that was a program record and the longest in the nation. They led the WCC in 11 different categories and nationally ranked first in points per game (8.47), second in assists per game (3.18) and scoring offense (2.65), fourth in assists (54), fifth in points (144), sixth in goals (45) and goal differential (30), 12^th in shutout percentage (.471), 21^st in overall win percentage (.706) and 24^th in goals-against average (.882).

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