What will Western New York do in draft?
Inconsistent. That’s the best word to describe the Western New York Flash’s 8-12-4 2014 season. It was a huge comedown for a team that finished runner-up to Portland in 2013 and the main reason why New York has undergone massive personnel moves. In what has been an active off season the team acquired goalie Chantel Jones from Washington, picked up midfielders Amber Brooks and Jordan Angeli and signed versatile defender India Trotter, while being assigned stalwart Abby Wambach and defender Whitney Engen in the recent allocation. Wambach will be in her third season with the Flash. The team also brought back midfielder Becky Edwards, who like Engen was part of the 2011 WPS champs and the 2012 WPSL champs. Engen was the 2011 WPS defender of the year in fact.
In addition to the bevy of new faces, the Flash also picked up six picks in Friday’s NWSL draft, four first round picks (No. 3,4,6,7) plus the eighteenth and twenty first picks. On a team with many spots to fill, the potential to reload is there for Western New York.
If the Flash truly want to make an impact, I feel they should try and trade up to the first overall pick, a spot currently held by the Houston Dash. Virginia Midfielder Morgan Brian will be the first pick regardless of who holds it. However, Houston has a bevy of midfielders and although adding Brian would give them an embarrassment of riches at that position once the World Cup is over, it doesn’t really address Houston’s most pressing need. Trading up for Brian would give the Flash a huge boost and with Edwards would give them someone to alleviate the absence of Wambach during the World Cup. Whether it would take trading one or two picks to Houston (who do not have a lot of roster space), it’s the type of bold move that had defined what the Flash are doing this off season.
Should Western New York hold onto all their first round picks, they could address several other needs. Starting with the third selection, they could chose from amongst three UCLA stars in Midfielders Sarah Killion, Sam Mewis or defender Abby Dahlkemper. Indications are that the NJ Sky Blue, who pick just ahead of the Flash, are leaning towards Killion which leaves Mewis for the picking. Dahlkemper would give them a promising young defender, a position that the Flash absolutely gutted in the offseason. Like Wambach, they will lose Engen for the World Cup so addressing the defense becomes an even more pressing need. With the sixth and seventh picks, they can also add to the defense by selecting Florida State’s Kristin Grubka. Adding both Dahlkemper and Grubka would give the Flash two excellent young defenders to build around. With their final first round pick, either forward Stephanie McCaffrey of Boston College or middies Danielle Colaprico of Virginia or Shea Groom of Texas A&M should there. Both McCaffrey or Colaprico are simply too good to pass up at 6 or 7. Colaprico’s versatility to me puts her ahead of McCaffrey, and with Brooks, Angeli, Edwards (and Mewis?) would give the Flash one of the better midfields in the league.
Whichever way Western New York goes, reinventing a roster from nearly scratch has to be both an exciting and challenging time for the Flash front office. It takes a lot of courage to do what they’ve done and tomorrow’s draft is a major piece of the make over. Will they trade for Brian? Or will they stay put and take two of the three former Bruins? Do they primarily address the defense or midfield? In twelve hours we’ll all have a better idea.
What do you think Flash fans?
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