American University senior captain and goalkeepr Billy Knutsen was seleced in the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes. Knutsen was the 17th pick of the fourth round, the 74 selection overall, in the 2014 draft.

Knutsen has been the backbone of AU's defense the past two seasons, earning Patriot League Goalkeepr of the Year honors in 2012, helping American to its first-ever undefeated conference season and its fourth-straight Patriot League Championship game appearance.

"It is a dream come true to be drafted by my hometown team the San Jose Earthquakes. I am beyond excited right now and am looking forward to going into camp and helping the team in anyway that I can," said Knutsen. "I would not have been able to get to this point without the help of my coaches and teammates here at AU. They consistently pushed me to be the best player that I could be and because of that I now have an opportunity to compete at the professional level."

The captain of AU's 2013 squad finished his career in D.C. with 176 saves, 19 wins and 15 shutouts.

The San Francisco, Calif., native gets a chance to stay close to home and near his family after catching the eyes of San Jose. 

In Knutsen's MLS scouting profile, league coaches were quoted as saying, "His hands are unbelievable, as good as any I've been around. Coming off his line, he makes his decisions early and doesn't hesitate – very decisive and controls his box. Knutsen is a coach's dream: He's going to be the hardest-working guy on the team, even if he's the number three goalkeeper."