Kharlton Belmar named USL Rookie of the Year

PORTLAND, Ore. – T2 forward Kharlton Belmar was named the 2015 USL Rookie of the Year, the league announced today. Belmar was selected from a group of three finalists, beating out Brady Ballew of Tulsa Roughnecks FC and Ken Tribbett of the Harrisburg City Islanders for the league honor.

The 2015 USL Awards were voted on by team management, a nationwide panel of media representatives from all 24 USL markets and an online fan poll.

Belmar, 22, was the leading goal scorer in T2’s inaugural season, tallying 12 goals and recording three assists in 28 games and was named to the USL All-League Second Team following the season. He finished the year ranked seventh overall in goals (12) and tied for seventh in points (27) in USL.

The former Virginia Commonwealth University standout, who is currently on loan with North American Soccer League side New York Cosmos, featured in all 28 of Portland’s USL matches, starting 27 games and recording three multi-goal games. He also started against England’s Newcastle United in an international friendly held at Providence Park on July 21 and featured in two 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, scoring the go-ahead goal on May 19 against the Michigan Bucks in the second round of the tournament.

A second-round pick (No. 34 overall) by the Portland Timbers in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft out of VCU, Belmar also was a member of the Timbers U-23s Premier Development League (PDL) team in 2014 before beginning his professional career with T2 during their inaugural USL season.