CHICAGO (Jan. 21, 2014) – With three selections in the fourth round of the MLS SuperDraft the Chicago Fire acquired midfielders Zach Bolden (61st overall), Kadeem Dacres (65th overall) and Bryan Ciesiulka (75th overall). In total, the Fire have added four players to its preseason training camp roster from the MLS SuperDraft.
“We have selected three players in Zach, Kadeem and Bryan that we feel can come in and compete for a place on our roster said Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop. They performed well in their collegiate careers and display qualities that we feel can fit in our system and we’re looking forward to having all three players join us for preseason.”
Bolden, a 6’0” midfielder, joins the Fire from the University of Denver where he made 68 appearances during four seasons with the Pioneers. A Denver native, Bolden scored 17 goals and tallied 22 assists during his collegiate career. His senior season, Bolden led the Summit League in both goals (10) and assists (9) for which he was voted Summit League Offensive Player of the Year and earned All-Summit League First Team honors. Bolden was a member of the Colorado Rapids Development Academy U18 side that won the State Cup in 2007.
Dacres, the 2013 American East Midfielder of the Year, spent the final two seasons of his collegiate career with the University of Maryland-Baltimore Country after transferring from Mercer County Community College. Dacres scored 12 goals and added seven assists in 41 matches for UMBC, earning 2013 First Team All-Conference and NSCAA All-Northeast Region First Team honors. A native of Rosedale, NY, Dacres was a U.S. Youth International and played for USSDA side Met Oval.
A Chicago Fire Academy, Super-20 and PDL alum, Ciesiulka scored nine goals and tallied 17 assists in 69 career appearances for the Golden Eagles. A three-year co-captain, Ciesiulka earned 2013 First Team All-BIG EAST honors and was named Co-Big East Midfielder of the Year. A two-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team honoree, Ciesiulka played for the Chicago Fire PDL team during the summers and was named to the All-Central Conference Team in 2012. A Naperville, Ill., native, Ciesiulka was named 2009 Gatorade Illinois Boys Soccer Player of the Year as a senior after leading Neuqua Valley High School to a perfect regular season record.
