Nashville SC Signs Defender Tom Judge, Goalkeeper Tor Saunders

/in /by

Nashville SC have signed 2021 MLS SuperDraft selections Tom Judge as its new defender and Tor Saunders as goalkeeper. Both players will have an option to extend each year through 2024.

“Tom and Tor are both players that we feel have the potential to grow and develop into roles with our club,” says Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs. “Tom is an athletic left-sided defender who gets up and down and involved on both sides of the ball. Tor has impressed in the time we had tracked him prior to selecting him in the SuperDraft and has continued to show well during training.”

Judge, a New Jersey native and James Madison University graduate, was drafted on Jan. 21 as Nashville SC’s first selection in the Second Round of the 2021 SuperDraft. Following the draft, the defender returned to JMU for his senior season where he was named MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist as he led the Bulldogs to a 5W-1L-1D record, a goal differential of plus seven and five shutouts. Judge finished his career with 63 appearances, three goals, and four assists while also being selected as a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American, the United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region First Team, College Soccer News First Team All-American, and TopDrawer Soccer Second Team Best XI.

Saunders, a Washington state native, was selected by Nashville SC in the Third Round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft from Coastal Carolina University where he earned All-Sun Belt honors and was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year. The goalkeeper started 15 matches for the Sun Belt this season, logging six clean sheets through an 8W-5L-2D record. Saunders’ 2021 season also earned him a place in the MAC Hermann Watch List as he was named to the Senior Class Award First-Team All-American, the Sun Belt Conference Championship All-Tournament Team, and was awarded the Most Outstanding Player.

Both players join draft classmate Irakoze Donasiyano who signed with the club on April 28.

Steven Boero
Latest posts by Steven Boero (see all)