Virginia freshman midfielder Derrick Etienne (Fr., Paterson, N.J.) moved into the professional ranks Monday (Dec. 21) when he signed a Major League Soccer Homegrown contract with the New York Red Bulls.
Etienne is the second Virginia player to ink a homegrown deal in the last three seasons, joining Jordan Allen, who signed with Real Salt Lake following UVA’s 2013 season.
Etienne was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2015. He scored a pair of goals – both game winners – and has totaled five points during the 2015 season. Etienne played in 17 matches, making 10 starts in the Cavaliers’ midfield. He recorded UVA’s lone goals in road victories at VCU and Virginia Tech.
Etienne is a product of the Red Bulls academy, where he trained for six seasons from 2009-15 prior to coming to Virginia. He currently is a member of Haiti’s U-23 team and has dual citizenship.
Virginia finished the 2015 season with a 10-5-3 record, including a 4-2-2 mark and second-place finish in the ACC Coastal Division. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 35th-consecutive season, reaching the second round.
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Chris Graham
