Monday marked the day when the pro soccer journey began for a handful of Canadian prospects, as the CPL-U SPORTS Draft took place in Montreal.

The first round of the draft saw HFX Wanderers FC, who finished in last place in the combined CPL standings this season, select Cory Bent from Cape Breton University first overall. CPL Champions Forge FC closed out the first round by selecting Gabriel Balbinotti seventh overall. You can check out all 14 picks, here.

RELATED READING: More on the CPL-U SPORTS Draft

In total, 14 players were selected during the two-round draft.

The draft is open to any U SPORTS underclassman with one to four years of eligibility who registers for the draft.

Thirteen CPL-U SPORTS Draft picks combined for 15,249 minutes of playing time during the 2019 regular season for an average of 1,730 minutes (which is above the league median).

HFX Wanderers fullback André Bona led the pack with 2,053 minutes, just behind Cavalry’s Marco Carducci for the 15th-most amongst all CPL players in Year 1.