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ENERGY FC BOLSTERS BACKLINE WITH CONOR DONOVAN

By Energy FC Communications, 01/12/21, 10:15AM CST

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2015 MLS SuperDraft pick becomes 13th player on roster for 2021.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Energy FC has signed defender Conor Donovan, pending league and federation approval, Head Coach John Pascarella announced today. Donovan spent the 2020 USL Championship season with North Carolina FC, scoring one goal and recording one assist in 14 starts. Donovan led the team in clearances (48), blocks (13), aerial duels (66), aerial duels won (42) and passes (856) with an 87.9% passing accuracy.

“Conor Donovan is a very, very good player,” said Pascarella. “He’s a good center back with a good mix of qualities we were looking for. He’s very good in buildup play, he’s got good feet and range of pass. Defensively, he’s strong and physical and is good in the air and in the tackle.

“He’s also someone we needed to bring some experience in that area as well as vocal leadership, and I think he’s going to be able to help direct the defense. Him partnered with Mitch [Osmond] is going to be a very good partnering for us at center back. It brings some youth, some enthusiasm and some experience.

“Before I took the job here, I spoke to my former boss, Adrian Heath in Minnesota, who was the one who first had him, and a lot of people I’ve worked with in the past have had good things to say about him.”

Donovan, a, 6’3”, 24-year-old native of Fuquay-Varina, N.C., had stints with MLS’s Orlando City SC and Houston Dynamo FC as well as USL Championship clubs Rio Grande Valley FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Orlando City B. Following one season at the collegiate level with N.C. State, Donovan appeared at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup for the U.S. national team before signing a Generation Adidas contract and being selected 22nd overall by Orlando in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

Donovan joins goalkeepers CJ Cochran and Kyle Ihn, defenders Zach Ellis-Hayden, Atiba Harris and Mitch Osmond, midfielders Arun Basuljevic, Brad Dunwell and Seth Moses, and forwards Jaime Chavez, Frank Lopez, Groutchov Pierre and Tucker Stephenson as the players currently under contract for OKC in 2021.

Energy FC begins its eighth season in 2021 with a schedule announcement forthcoming. More information regarding Season Seat Memberships and Group Experiences can be found at energyfc.com/tickets.

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