How Acquired: Selected by the Galaxy in the first round (19th overall) of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft.
A physically imposing force in the heart of the Galaxy defense, Gaul will add depth to LA’s corps of central defenders as he continues to learn the position. Possessing a deadly and accurate left foot, Gaul spent the final two years of his college career playing up front, but now turns his focus to trying to stop goals from being scored rather than scoring them himself.
College Highlights
2011: Finished his college career by finishing second in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring with 11 goals and four assists, including a goal and an assist in the NCAA Tournament. An NSCAA All-Midwest Region and All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, Gaul started all 23 games that the Braves played. Six of his 11 goals were game-winners, by far the most on the team, while his four assists were tied for the second most on the club. A MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, he opened the season with two goals and an assist in a win over Butler and then scored the game-winner in each of the Braves’ next two games, giving him three game-winning goals to start the season. Gaul’s timely goal scoring was essential for a Bradley team that saw all but two of their games on the season decided by a single goal. After setting up his team’s equalizer on the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Loyola-Chicago, his fourth assist of the season, Gaul scored his final goal of the year in the final seconds of regulation against Louisville in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, heading home a long throw in with just 26 seconds left in that game. 2010: Moved to forward and set a career-high with 12 goals to go along with four assists in 22 games. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team for the first time and established himself as one of the top forwards in the region. Five of his 12 goals were game-winners as he helped lead Bradley back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his career. Gaul had a goal and an assist in the second game of the year against Fairfield and kept on scoring from there. He had the first multi-goal game of his career against Alabama A&M in the Aces Soccer Classic, scoring twice two days after scoring once in a loss to East Tennessee State. He scored in three straight games in early October and then had four more goals and an assist in a three game run later that month. He scored the game-winning goal in an important late season win over Western Illinois and then tallied an assist on the game-tying goal in the second half of the Braves 3-2 upset of Creighton in the Missouri Valley Conference Semifinal, allowing them to then beat SIU Edwardsville in a penalty shootout to win the conference title. 2009: Moved to defense, playing typically at left back but still finished second on the team with three goals while his four assists were tied for the team lead. He was named as an honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference selection while claiming the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week award once and twice making all-Tournament teams. His first assist came in the season opening win over Northern Illinois and he added another in the 1-1 draw with Memphis three days later. Gaul recorded his first multi-assist game three days later, setting up a pair of goals in a 3-0 win over Mercer that gave him four assists in a three-game span. He scored his first goal of the season against Xavier and added tallies against Drake as well as Eastern Illinois, against who he scored the game’s only goal for a 1-0 Braves win. 2008: Finished second on the team as a freshman, scoring four goals and adding an assist while being used primarily in the midfield. Bradley’s co-Newcomer of the Year, Gaul made his collegiate debut in a 4-0 win over Memphis, scoring his first goal in that game. He added single tallies against North Florida, Eastern Illinois and Central Arkansas as well an assist against Xavier. The Braves were 4-1-0 when Gaul had a goal or an assist, with two of his goals being game-winners.