MLS Next Pro Golden Boot Winner
By Anonymous (not verified), September 18, 2022
For Immediate Release
MLS NEXT Pro Communications
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COLUMBUS CREW 2’S JACEN RUSSELL-ROWE WINS
2022 MLS NEXT PRO GOLDEN BOOT
20-year-old Forward Adds Four Goals in Regular Season Finale on Sunday
to Finish Season with 21
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NEW YORK CITY (September 18, 2022) – Columbus Crew 2 forward Jacen Russell-Rowe won the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot with a League-leading 21 goals in the regular season.
Entering Sunday’s season finale against FC Cincinnati 2, Russell-Rowe held a one-goal advantage over North Texas SC’s Bernard Kamungo in the Golden Boot race and punctuated his incredible first season with Crew 2 by scoring four goals in Columbus’ 9-0 win.
Russell-Rowe’s 21 goals placed him ahead of Kamungo, 16 goals, Orlando City B’s Jack Lynn, 15 goals, and Inter Miami II’s Shanyder Borgelin, 14 goals.
Russell-Rowe has played an integral role for Columbus this season, leading Crew 2 to a League-best record of 16-3-5 (55 points) and the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the upcoming 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
The 20-year-old Toronto native signed with Crew 2 on March 18 and made an immediate impact. After scoring 11 goals in a nine-game span, he was rewarded with a Columbus Crew first team contract, becoming the first Crew 2 player to sign with the first team.
Since then, Russell-Rowe has split his time between the MLS and MLS NEXT Pro teams. He appeared in 19 total games for Crew 2, starting all but the first two. He has also played in five MLS games, earning three starts and recording two assists in 207 minutes.
Crew 2 will host its first game of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs on Saturday, September 24 against Rochester New York FC at Historic Crew Stadium (3:00 p.m. ET, mlsnextpro.com).
About MLS NEXT Pro
Launched in March 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway. With 21 Clubs competing during the inaugural season – 20 MLS-affiliated and one independent club, Rochester New York FC – MLS NEXT Pro is growing the game through innovation and diversity by bringing professional soccer to new communities and creating opportunities both on and off the field. Seven MLS-affiliated clubs will join MLS NEXT Pro in 2023: Atlanta United, Austin FC, Charlotte FC, LA Galaxy, Los Angeles Football Club, Nashville Soccer Club and New York Red Bulls. Additional MLS-affiliated and independent clubs will join in the years ahead. Beginning in 2023, MLS NEXT Pro matches will be streamed live on the Apple TV app as part of the monumental partnership between Apple and Major League Soccer. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
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