DU soccer standout, Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was selected by the Colorado Rapids with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Shinyashiki is a current senior at Denver and will leave as one of the most decorated student-athletes in DU’s history. 

Shinyashiki had a historic season in 2018. Leading the country in points per game (2.86), total points (60), goals per game (1.33), goals (28), game-winning goals (11) and shots on goal per game (2.86). Shinyashiki, a First Team All-American, scored eight more goals than the next closest player and had two more game-winning goals than the next player. His games per goal is the highest since Andrew Mittendorf (Lehigh) in 1998, and his points per game is the most since Conor Case (Portland) in 1999. Shinyashiki’s offseason saw him win the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, named the United Soccer Coaches’ Scholar Athlete of the Year and be named as a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist.

At Denver, Shinyashiki set records in single-season points (60), goals in a season (28) and game-winning goals (11), career points (117), career goals (51) and career game-winning goals (18). In his four years at Denver, Shinyashiki appeared in 83 games, starting 67 of them.

“I’m so happy for Andre. He deserves all the awards that he received this past season, and this is the beginning of the next step of his career. I have a lot of confidence that he understands who he is,” Head Coach Jamie Franks said. “He understands what his values are, and I think he’s ready to make an impact at the next level. He also understands that they’ll be setbacks along the way, but I know he’ll work through it with the growth mindset he displayed during his career here.”

Shinyashiki is the 10th Pioneer that has been drafted to Major League Soccer in the last 11 seasons and is Denver’s fourth first-round draft pick in the last three years.