Former Eastern standout Jason Thompson netted his first professional goal for Major League Soccer’s Dallas Burn on Feb. 28, against Dynamo Kiev in the La Manga Cup held in Spain.

Thompson entered the game in the 80th minute and immediately made an impact. With the Burn trailing 2-1 in stoppage time, midfielder Ty Maurin sent a cross pass over the head of a Dynamo Kiev defender into the penalty box where Thompson was able to redirect the ball into the goal.

“It was great for him,” Adam Howarth, Eastern soccer head coach said. “I’m glad he was able to notch his first professional goal.”

Although it was Thompson’s first professional goal, the Garland, Texas, native is no stranger to finding the back of the net. In a three-year career at Eastern, Thompson ranks third all-time on the Panther’s goal-scoring list with 40.

During his freshman season in 2000, Thompson was the national goal scoring leader as he tied an Eastern record with 21 goals including an all-time Eastern high of six in one game against Belmont University. His 49 points that year were the second most in the country and was also the second highest Eastern mark in school history.

“Jason had everything you would look for in a big time goal scorer,” Howarth said. “He pretty much had great (natural) ability, a knack for scoring big goals and he had a very hard work ethic.”

In 2001, Thompson nearly averaged a goal per contest for Eastern as 14 of his shots found the back of the net in just 15 games. Thompson left Eastern to enter the MLS draft after his junior season.

During his final season for the Panthers, Thompson tied his record of six goals in one game.

According to Howarth, the pair of six goal games by Thompson are among the greatest individual performances he has witnessed.

“It was pretty awesome what he did,” Howarth said. “He scored six goals against Belmont on a Friday and then scored four more during the Sunday game, so he had 10 goals in one weekend.”

After the season, the MLS came calling and Thompson entered the draft where the Dallas Burn selected him in the second round much to the delight of Thompson’s family, Howarth said.

Before hitting the field for the Burn, Thompson suffered a torn ACL in his right knee while training with the Under 23 National Team in Portugal. Thompson did not appear in any games for the Burn last season who went 6-19-5 in 2003.

Howarth and his former star still communicate by the telephone on a regular basis. Howarth said when he is on recruiting trips, he will often mention the success Thompson had in Charleston to let the potential Panther know of Eastern’s storied history.

“Any coach who has a player at the professional level is going to mention him,” Howarth said.