By Liviu Bird
Spring is in the air, which means clubs and players are emerging from winter hibernation to prepare for the summer season. But before players can get off to their PDL and W-League teams, college teams have spring seasons to play.
Details on all of those fronts are starting to emerge. Don’t miss anything — here’s what has been going down on the player signing and collegiate spring schedule fronts:
• Washington Crossfire announced five player signings from University of Washington, the maximum number of players from any NCAA team allowed to participate on the same out-of-season team: goalkeeper Spencer Richey, defenders Andy Thoma, Justin Schmidt and David Gebert and midfielder James Moberg.
• The Sounders Under-23s will build around a core of non-collegiate and non-Academy players for leadership purposes, including defenders Mark Lee, Steve Mohn and Chris Brundage.
• One of the only professional PDL teams, the Kitsap Pumas, have announced a handful of signings. Their players will be announced more sporadically, as they require clearance from the USL office as well as the appropriate agencies for professional players. Defenders Alex Rodriguez and Ben Gardea, forward William Daniels and midfielders Kasy Kiarash and Neil Schaffer have signed so far. Kitsap also re-signed former assistant coach from its inaugural season Andrew Chapman, who will also retain his position as head coach of Peninsula College.
• The Pacific Coast Soccer League’s Bellingham United has selected 43 players to participate in the club’s preseason camp. Names on the list include current collegiate players and recent graduates from the area, with a heavy Western Washington University tint.
• In the W-League, the Sounders Women have signed some high-caliber collegiate talent with national team experience. Lindsay Elston, Erin McNulty, Isabel Farrell and Megan Kufeld were the first group announced, followed by Shannon Woeller, Allie Beahan and Annie Sittauer.
• Collegiate teams that have announced (and even played, on the women’s side) spring matches so far are: the Washington men and women, the Seattle University women and the Oregon State women. The schedules include matchups with local professional, semi-professional and top youth teams (the University of Portland women have announced a game against Portland Thorns FC, but not the rest of its schedule).
• The Seattle University men also announced the signing of new assistant coach Nate Daligcon, who joins the Redhawks after coaching crosstown rival Seattle Pacific, where Daligcon was an All-American midfielder before a professional career that included stops with the Rochester Raging Rhinos and USL Seattle Sounders. Daligcon will primarily handle recruiting duties with his new school, including organizing the Seattle U Nike Spring College ID Camp on April 28, for which registration is now open.
• Speaking of collegiate coaching changes, Inland Northwest Soccer News has some local reaction to former Whitworth University men’s head coach Sean Bushéy resigning to take a job with the Colorado Rush.
• Finally, FC Alliance and the Northshore Youth Soccer Association are teaming up to hold the FC Alliance Auction on Saturday, March 30 at the Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore, Wash. Proceeds will go toward benefitting FC Alliance club and player costs. Prizes include private training sessions with Sounders FC midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, forward David Estrada and Reign FC defender Kate Deines.
As always, if you see any links or stories you feel should receive mention or coverage on Cascadia Soccer Wire, email regional editor Liviu Bird.
