PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today selected four players over the final two rounds of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, held Sunday via conference call. The Timbers selected defender Caleb Duvernay from North Carolina State, forward Tim Mueller from Oregon State, forward Stuart Holthusen from the University of Akron and forward Mamadou Guirassy from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Portland selected Duvernay (61st overall), Mueller (63rd overall) and Holthusen (64th overall) in the third round and chose Guirassy (87th overall) in the fourth round.
A four-year starter for North Carolina State University, Duvernay, 21, appeared in 67 matches (65 starts) for the Wolfpack. In four seasons with North Carolina State, the defender earned ACC Honor Roll honors twice, while also playing a key role on the backline in the Wolfpack’s advancement into the NCAA tournament in 2017, appearing in all 18 matches this past season. Prior to joining North Carolina State, Duvernay was a member of the U-15 and U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team Residency Program.
A former Timbers U-23s player, Mueller, 22, appeared in 67 matches (36 starts) over a four-year stretch for Oregon State University, recording 23 goals and 10 assists during that period. While playing with the Beavers, Mueller’s honors included Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, third-team All-Far West Region, Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI, All-Pac-12 first team and Pac-12 All-Academic first team. Prior to joining the Beavers, Mueller was named Idaho Player of the Year in 2013 after helping his team claim the 5A Idaho State Championship that season.
Holthusen, 22, recorded 31 goals and 14 assists in 78 games played (52 starts) in a four-year career at the University of Akron. In the 2017 campaign, Holthusen recorded a career-high 12 goals in 24 appearances (24 starts), helping to guide his team to an 18-4-2 overall record and a semifinal appearance in the NCAA College Cup, with the Zips falling 2-0 to Stanford University. While playing with Akron, the striker’s honors included first-team All-MAC and second-team All-MAC recognition, while also earning a place on the MAC tournament team on two occasions. The striker has also made three starts for the New Zealand U-17 National Team, featuring in the 2013 U-17 FIFA World Cup.
Guirassy, 22, was selected by the Timbers after scoring 26 goals in 70 appearances (49 starts) in four years with the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 2017, Guirassy scored a career-high 16 goals for NJIT, earning him the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Golden Boot Award. Additionally, the Highlander’s co-captain concluded his collegiate career as the team’s all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I play and was selected as the 2017 ASUN Conference Player of the Year. At the international level, Guirassy was called up to Guinea’s U-20 National Team in in preparation of the 2016 Toulon Tournament held in France, scoring the team’s only goal in the tournament.
Caleb Duvernay
Position: Defender
Height: 5-7
Weight: 160
Born: July 24, 1996
College: North Carolina State University
Tim Mueller
Position: Forward
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
Born: July 3, 1995
College: Oregon State University
Stuart Holthusen
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
Weight: 150
Born: Jan. 1, 1996
College: University of Akron
Mamadou Guirassy
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
Born: Oct. 13, 1995
College: New Jersey Institute of Technology
