Whitecaps sign 2016 first-round pick Cole Seiler

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed 2016 first-round pick Cole Seiler, the Major League Soccer club announced Monday.

Vancouver took the centre back with the 16th selection in last month’s MLS SuperDraft.

Seiler, who turned 22 on Friday, will be added to the team’s roster pending receipt of his Canadian work permit.

The six-foot-one 180-pound native of Anderson, S.C., captained Georgetown University to the school’s first-ever Big East Tournament championship in 2015.

"We’ve had our eyes on Cole for a while now and he’s shown in training camp how he can fit right in with our club," Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson said in a statement. "He’s a smart player who stood out in the combine and has adjusted well to this level in pre-season."