STANFORD, Calif. (U-WIRE) -- When your team reaches the College Cup two years in a row, you know you've got some talented players. Such is the case for Stanford men's soccer -- and the rest of the international soccer community is starting to take notice.

The Major League Soccer draft was held in early February, and four players instrumental in the Cardinal's run to the 2002 NCAA title game were selected.

The nearby San Jose Earthquakes rounded up three of those four in drafting Todd Dunivant (first round), Roger Levesque (third round) and Johanes Maliza (fifth round). Taylor Graham was picked up by the Kansas City Wizards in the fourth round.

This talented group brings the total number of Stanford alumni in the MLS to six. The other two active athletes in the league are Simon Elliot and Ryan Nelson, who play for the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United, respectively.

While midfielder Maliza and forward Levesque have begun their pro careers on the injured list for the Earthquakes, defender Dunivant has had an immediate impact.

The ex-Stanford captain scored in his first-ever MLS game against the Colorado Rapids in the 22nd minute -- a goal which turned out to be the game-winner.

Dunivant (who was selected sixth overall) has been a fixture in the Earthquakes' lineup thus far; he has started all five games and is one of the team's corner-kick specialists.

"Dunni has the skill and composure to be an international level player," said Dunivant's ex-coach at Stanford, Bret Simon. "He has made a remarkably smooth transition to the pros, though few who have seen him play over the last few years are surprised."

That no one is surprised with Dunivant's quick ascension at the professional level is something of an understatement. The MLS came calling after his junior season but Dunivant opted to stay in school -- with the dream of bringing a first-ever national championship to Palo Alto, Calif.

"I believed that with a good senior season, I would have even more options of playing professionally," he said. "Regardless, I owed too much to my teammates and coaches to ever leave them.

"I never even considered it."

Dunivant's unwavering loyalty was rewarded earlier this year when the he led Stanford to its second-consecutive College Cup appearance. He also garnered All-America honors and finished fourth on the Cardinal's all-time list in games played (81).

Meanwhile, Graham is trying to work his way into the Kansas City lineup.

"It is extremely difficult to get playing time in this league and right now my goal is to get into a couple of games," he said.

And if there's anyone that won't doubt Graham's perseverance, it's Simon. He watched Graham develop from a college walk-on to one of the best players in the nation and expects to see a stellar professional career unfold for another one of Stanford's All-Americans.

"[Graham] is a great leader who improved every year on the Farm," Simon said. "[His] concentration, self-discipline and effort levels are exceptional."

When Levesque and Maliza heal up and find a spot on the Quakes' active roster, the trio of former Card players should try to make their mark in the professional ranks together.

Levesque, who is recovering from ACL surgery at the moment, was the 2001 Pac-10 Player of the Year. In his four years on the Farm, he racked up Stanford's third-highest career assist total (30) and sixth-highest point total (88).

Maliza was Stanford's second leading scorer this past fall (22 points) and was a third-team All-American himself. He was just as durable as Levesque as well, leaving Stanford having played 79 games (sixth-best in school history).

All four newly enshrined members of the professional soccer ranks attribute their successes to Stanford's burgeoning soccer program.

"My Stanford experience meant everything for my development as a soccer player," Dunivant said. "I was very fortunate to have two of the greatest coaches in all of college soccer -- Bobby Clark and Bret Simon.

"They are the big reasons for any individual success and obviously for the team's recent accomplishments."

Now, these four get to do what they love best at the highest level.

"Being able to wake up every morning excited for the day ahead is a rarity," Dunivant said.

(C) 2002 The Stanford Daily via U-WIRE.