Zeiko Lewis will have to wait to prove himself in Major League Soccer after being loaned out to New York Red Bulls’ reserve team for the season.

Lewis spent pre-season with Red Bulls — who selected him in the MLS SuperDraft in January — until they peeled away for the Concacaf Champions League, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Vancouver Whitecaps in the quarter-finals.

He has since been involved with the New York Red Bulls II, who play in the Eastern Conference of the United Soccer Leagues, and came on as a second-half substitute in their 1-1 draw at home to Harrisburg City Islanders in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

The forward has been listed as “unavailable” and has not been named in Red Bulls’ 30-man squad, indicating that he has been selected as the unofficial 31st spot: the season-long loan of one player to a USL affiliate.

With Red Bulls close to filling their allocation for international players, it appears as though Lewis has been sacrificed to bring “roster and budget relief” for the team. Dropping to the second tier of the United States football pyramid will nevertheless serve as a blow to Lewis who was disappointed not to have been drafted higher as seventeenth at the MLS SuperDraft at the Los Angeles Convention Centre.

“I’d like to thank the New York Red Bulls for drafting me and glad they had faith in me,” Lewis said after being selected.

“At least somebody at this draft does, so I encourage everybody else to keep their head up.”

Lewis impressed during the MLS Player Combine in Los Angeles prior to the draft, where he scored three goals in as many matches.

He became the third member of his family behind grandfather Fred “Pinks” Lewis and great-uncle Eversley “Bo” Lewis to turn professional.

Lewis, formerly of First Division side Young Men’s Social Club, enjoyed a successful collegiate career, earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference accolades in all four seasons he played at Boston College.

He earned All-ACC First Team honours as a senior and was a three-times second team member. He also won ACC Freshman of the Year honours in 2013. As a senior, Lewis led Boston College with seven goals and five assists. The 21-year-old thrived in the postseason, scoring all four of Boston’s goals in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. He scored three times in the ACC Championship, leading his college to the semi-finals, and then scored the only goal in their opening-round win against Fordham in the NCAA Tournament.

Red Bulls II start their season with an away match to Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, March 25 before a home game against Richmond Kickers on April 1.