SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG senior forward Hakan Ilhan was selected eighth overall in the first round of the 2013 Major League Soccer (MLS) Supplemental Draft by the Montreal Impact on Tuesday, while Elon forward Chris Thomas and midfielder Gabe Latigue were both selected by the New England Revolution. Thomas was picked fourth overall in the second round, while Latigue was selected in the fourth round and 61st overall.

Ilhan was 46th player selected overall after the first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday. Furman’s Walker Zimmerman was selected seventh overall by FC Dallas in the SuperDraft.

Ilhan, a native of Stuttgart, Germany, becomes the sixth Spartan all-time to be drafted into the MLS since the inaugural draft in 1996. He joins the likes of former Spartans Jokull Elisabetarson (2009, fourth round, Chicago Fire), Scott Jones (2007, third round, FC Dallas), Randi Patterson (2007, fifth round, New York Red Bulls), Alejandro Moreno (2002, third round, Los Angeles Galaxy) and Rusty Pierce (2000, second round, New England Revolution).

Ilhan earned First Team All-SoCon honors all three years for UNCG as he finished his career tied for 16th in school history with 29 goals scored and 21st all-time with 19 assists. He tallied 77 total points in his career, including 31 as a sophomore, 25 as a junior and 21 as a senior.

A three-year letterwinner, Ilhan scored a team-high 21 points this past fall as he scored a team-high seven goals and dished out seven assists. He set the UNCG single-game record for assists in a game in the Division I era when he handed out four against Davidson.

Ilhan earned NSCAA All-South Region honors as a junior as well as earning All-SoCon Tournament accolades. He led the Spartans and ranked second in the league in scoring at 25 points, with a team-high 10 goals and five assists. He led the league in scoring his first year at UNCG as a sophomore with 31 points and 12 goals while earning All-Region accolades.

The 2013 MLS season for the Montreal Impact begins March 2 at Seattle. The Impact begins preseason training camp this week in Montreal before heading to Orlando, Fla., Feb. 7-24 for the Disney Pro Classic Tournament.

Thomas was the nation’s leading goal and point-scorer this past season, setting an Elon single-season record with 23 goals and 51 points in 22 matches. The senior striker earned his second Southern Conference Player of Year award in 2012 and was named an All-American by the NSCAA and College Soccer News. A two-time first-team All-SoCon selection, Thomas was also named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist this season.

Thomas ended his career with school records in goals (53), points (116) and game-winners (18). He also was named the SoCon’s Player of the Month for September and October and the league’s player of the week three times.

Latigue was second on the squad with six assists and third with five goals in 2012. The Apex, N.C., native had two goals in the SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship, including the game-winner in the title game versus Wofford, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Latigue also scored the lone goal and game-winner against Appalachian State on Oct. 20 and had a season-high two goals against Campbell on Sept. 1.

Latigue was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week on Nov. 11 and was a second-team All-SoCon selection this season. He also earned a spot on the All-South Region team this season.

Both members were key members of Elon’s 2011 and 2012 NCAA tournament teams. The duo helped the Phoenix win 15 games in 2012 and to its first national ranking since 2006 while capturing the league’s regular-season and tournament titles for the first time in the same season.