PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers have come to terms with forward McKinley Tennyson, signing him to a two-year deal, it was announced Wednesday.
In two seasons with the Timbers, Tennyson holds the franchise record in points scored (68), goals scored (29) and shots taken (147).
“Having played in Portland for two years, I love the city and the stadium and it’s great to work with people like Jim Taylor and Bobby Howe,” said Tennyson. “The goal is to win a championship, and having won one at UCLA and with the (Los Angeles) Galaxy, I want to share that with some of the younger guys on the team.”
Tennyson, who turned 25 on Wednesday, led the Timbers in points the last two seasons, netting 26 in 2003 on 11 goals and four assists. With two multi-goal games and three game-winning goals in 2003, Tennyson again proved to be an integral part of the Timbers’ scoring attack. Along with fellow striker Byron Alvarez, who signed a two-year deal in September of 2003, the Timbers feature a front line that registered 51 points last season.
"McKinley has been a scoring force for us these past two seasons and with today's signing he will be for another two years,” said Timbers general manager Jim Taylor. “I think it says a lot about his commitment to the Timbers and our fans to sign a multi-year deal. We've made a concerted effort to bring stability and cohesiveness to the club, and I think we're starting to make some real strides in that area."
In his 2002 rookie season, Tennyson led the A-League in scoring with 42 points on 18 goals and six assists. After a slow start, Tennyson amassed 39 points over the second half of the campaign to capture the scoring title and set a new franchise record for points in the process. He was named to the A-League’s First Team by its coaches and was the first to receive a newly created award given to the top offensive player in the A-League age 23 or younger.
Tennyson, who played collegiate soccer at UCLA, was originally selected by the Columbus Crew in the fourth round (39th overall) in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft. He also spent part of 2001 playing in the Swedish First Division for GIF Sundsvall and part of 2002 playing with the MLS Cup-winning Galaxy.
One of the most prolific scorers in UCLA history, the 6-2, 194-pound Tennyson finished his career as the ninth leading scorer in Bruins history with 102 points and second in multiple-goal games with eight. He finished fourth in voting for the Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) Player of the Year in addition to being a candidate for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top player in NCAA Division I soccer.
Tennyson helped lead UCLA to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a national championship in 1997 and another trip to the College Cup Semifinals in 1999.
TIMBERS NOTES:
Individual-game tickets for the 2004 Portland Beavers’ and Portland Timbers’ seasons at PGE Park go on sale Saturday, March 27 at 10 a.m. … tickets will be made available at the PGE Park box office in addition to Portland-area Ticketmaster outlets, including select Fred Meyer and G.I. Joe’s locations. Also, tickets may be purchased by phoning Ticketmaster at (503) 224-4400 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.
