Orange County SC sign UNC defender Blake Malone

Orange County SC announced on Friday the signing of defender Blake Malone. The 18-year-old joins after playing one season collegiately with the University of North Carolina.

“I’m very excited to start working with Blake,” said OCSC head coach Braeden Cloutier in a team statement. “He is an extremely talented and more importantly coachable young defender that is comfortable both with and without the ball.”

The Omaha, Nebraska native spent two years prior to his joining UNC in the Seattle Sounders academy, and has experience at USL level, having played six games for the then-Seattle Sounders 2 in 2018.

Malone is also a U-20 U.S. international, having been called up to a recent training camp at that level.

“I am very happy to join OCSC and I needed a new challenge to push myself to the next level,” said Malone. “The USL is a very competitive league and OCSC specifically provides the professional pathway to achieve my dreams. As a defender, I’m focused on shutouts, working with my teammates and I’m ready to give everything I have for Orange County.”

Malone is the latest U.S. youth prospect to be signed by Orange County SC. The team is clearly aiming to stockpile young talent in order to find some players who can be sold on in the transfer market down the line. It will be interesting to see what Malone and his cohort can do as well on the field for Orange County in 2020.

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