Columbus Crew SC today announced that it has signed two players ahead of the 2016 Major League Soccer regular season: midfielder Marshall Hollingsworth and goalkeeper Matt Pacifici (pronounced: puh-CHIFF-uh-chee). Hollingsworth (41st overall) was a 2016 MLS SuperDraft selection by the Black & Gold; both players participated in the duration of preseason training camp with Crew SC. Further terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
During the Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Arizona, Pacifici held Real Salt Lake scoreless over 28 minutes on February 24, while Hollingsworth made two separate appearances for Crew SC throughout the tournament.
“We are pleased to be able to offer contracts to both Marshall and Matt,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “Both of them showed their potential throughout our preseason this year. We look forward to working with them, monitoring their development and helping them grow as professionals during their rookie seasons.”
Hollingsworth participated in Crew SC's College Combine at MAPFRE Stadium ahead of his selection by the Black & Gold in the Second Round (41st overall). He made 92 appearances for Wheaton over his four seasons with the Thunder, making 85 starts. He scored 45 goals and added 21 assists for his collegiate career, including a 22-goal season in 2015, which ranked seventh in program history for single-season tallies.
WATCH: Hollingsworth on signing with Crew SC - http://bit.ly/HollingsworthCrewSC
Pacifici played 70 games over his college career with Davidson, notching a 1.45 goals-against average with a 28-31-10 record and 11 clean sheets. He recorded a shutout in his first-ever collegiate start, on August 27, 2012 against Clemson. During his junior season in 2014, he notched a career-best 0.65 goals-against average with seven shutouts en route to being named Second Team All-Conference. A two-year captain, he earned Davidson's Charlie Slagle Coach's Award in 2015 as well as Atlantic 10 All-Academic and Senior CLASS Award First Team honors.
WATCH: Pacifici on signing with Crew SC - http://bit.ly/PacificiCrewSC
Crew SC opens the 2016 campaign on the road in a nationally televised clash on ESPN this Sunday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m. ET, with the first regional broadcast of the season coming on Saturday, March 12. Crew SC Matchday – the special pre-match show – begins exclusively on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel at 7:00 p.m. ET on March 12, with the match airing at 7:30 p.m. ET, simulcast on The CW Columbus WWHO-TV and Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. Post-match coverage of the MAPFRE Stadium Opening Match is set to follow exclusively on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
Single-match tickets for available sections at all Black & Gold regular-season home matches in 2016 are now on sale to the general public. Tickets are available through ColumbusCrewSC.com, by calling a Crew SC ticket representative at 614-447-2739 or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.
TRANSACTIONS: Crew SC signs midfielder Marshall Hollingsworth and goalkeeper Matt Pacifici on March 4, 2016.
Name: Marshall Hollingsworth
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160
Born: August 6, 1993 in Libertyville, Illinois
Hometown: Libertyville, Illinois
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Selected in the Second Round (41st overall) by Columbus Crew SC in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, 2016; signed on March 4, 2016
Previous Experience: Wheaton College (2012-2015)
Name: Matt Pacifici (pronounced: puh-CHIFF-uh-chee)
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180
Born: August 31, 1993 in Charlotte, North Carolina
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Signed by Columbus Crew SC on March 4, 2016
Previous Experience: Davidson College (2012-2015)
