ST. LOUIS – Major League Soccer (MLS) announced today that Billikens Kipp Keller, Isaiah Parker and Patrick Schulte have signed prestigious Generation adidas contracts and will enter their names into the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
 
Generation adidas is a joint program between MLS and adidas that sees a handful of top collegiate underclassmen and youth national team players signed by MLS to Generation adidas contracts and made available in the SuperDraft. In order to provide Generation adidas players with the best professional environment, Generation adidas player salaries are not charged against an MLS team's annual salary budget, providing an added incentive for that club to develop the player. Eventually, these GA players graduate to senior player contracts and their salaries are charged against a team's budget. By signing Generation adidas contracts, a player immediately becomes a professional soccer player, exhausting any of their remaining collegiate eligibility.
 
The 2022 MLS SuperDraft will take place Tuesday, Jan. 11, beginning at 2 p.m. (CT). The first round will be streamed live on MLSSoccer.com and on the various MLS social media channels. Fans can follow Rounds 2 and 3 via Draft Tracker on MLSSoccer.com.
 
"We are extremely proud of Kipp, Isaiah and Patrick," SLU head coach Kevin Kalish said. "Not only are they top talents, but more importantly they are great people and men of character. They represent the best of what it means to be a Billiken and I believe they will go on to have extremely successful careers. We are going to miss them as friends, brothers and teammates, but are truly happy that each of them has the opportunity to go and achieve their goals and dreams as a professional.
 
"This is another monumental moment for SLU Soccer to have three players receive Generation adidas contracts in one year from the same team. It is something that has never been done before and it says a lot about the culture that our players and staff have created and the work the entire team has put in to be in this position."
 
Keller, a second-team All-American and the Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, had 49 appearances in his three-year Billiken career. He was a big part of the Billikens' defensive effort that regularly ranked among the top defensive teams in the nation. He had 12 points (5G, 2A) in his career, including a career-high three goals in 2021.
 
Parker, who just completed his freshman season, was named to Top Drawer Soccer's first-team Freshman XI team and was rated the No. 2 freshman in the NCAA by Top Drawer Soccer. The A-10 All-Rookie team pick displayed his dynamic play-making ability in his lone year with the Billikens by registering 13 points (3G, 7A).
 
Schulte, the 2020 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 A-10 Championship, is one of the top collegiate goalkeepers in the country. In his three-year Billiken career, Schulte posted a record of 35-12-4, had nine shutouts, and posted a 0.84 goals against average.
 
The Billikens are coming off a highly successful 2021 campaign. Saint Louis (16-1-4) captured A-10 regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.