DENVER - University of Denver men's soccer captain and starting centerback Taylor Hunter (Aurora, Colo.) was taken with the seventh pick of the third round by the Houston Dynamo (49th overall) of the MLS Super Draft on Tuesday afternoon.

"Taylor is very deserving of this honor. We are excited for him and the opportunity that he has in front of him," interim head coach Jamie Franks said. "He was the leader of our team this year and embodies all the qualities that we stress to our student-athletes in our program. His multiple awards on the field and in the classroom (NSCAA Academic All-American, Tournament MVP, All-West Region) demonstrate his character and dedication to excel in all areas of life."

In his four year career, Hunter earned 66 CAPS and made 59 starts, tallying two assists in his 5,530 minutes of action. Hunter and the Pioneers have also made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Hunter is the latest of six Pioneers to be drafted in the last seven years. The captain joins Zach Bolden (Chicago Fire), Drew Beckie (Columbus Crew), Kyle Christensen (Chivas USA), Kris Banghart (Real Salt Lake) and Joe Willis (D.C. United) as Pioneers selected in the last seven drafts.

"I am thankful to the staff and my teammates here at the University of Denver for my last four years," Hunter said. "With their guidance and support, I have been able to grow both as a person and a player from the championship standards that have been instilled as core values in the Denver soccer program. The student-athlete experience here at the University of Denver has prepared me for this journey and given me a chance to pursue soccer at the next level. I wanted to formally thank the Houston Dynamo for this opportunity and I look forward to showcasing my hardworking mentality to their staff and organization."

The captain played every minute at centerback in 19 of Denver's 20 matches in 2014, starting all 20 in his senior season. Hunter was also a CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection three times, and was an All-League First Team selection. The four year letterwinner was also a 2014 NSCAA Senior College Men's Scholar All-American.

"With MLS Super Draft picks in six of the past seven years, the University of Denver now has a proven track record of developing student-athletes to chase their professional soccer aspirations," Franks said. "Taylor being drafted also shows that a student can get a quality education at a prestigious university while still competing at the highest level in college soccer. Being a local kid from Aurora, Colorado playing his youth career with Real Colorado, we are not surprised that Taylor has this opportunity. We wish Taylor the very best in his pro career and know he will represent the University of Denver with excellence as he always does."

In 2013, Hunter started 19 of Denver's 20 games, leading the Pioneers to Division I records in consecutive shutouts (5), consecutive scoreless minutes (584), single-season wins (13) and consecutive unbeaten matches (15).

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