WALLA WALLA, Wash. – More offense. That’s high on the priority list as the Whitman College men’s soccer team takes aim at season No. 10 under head coach Mike Washington.
"We were one of the better defensive teams in the conference a year ago," Washington says. "We need to maintain that defensive strength, but we also need to get more goals from more players at our offensive end."
In 14 Northwest Conference games last fall, Whitman surrendered just 20 goals, the fourth fewest in the eight-school conference. And four of those goals pierced the Missionary defense in the team’s only blow-out loss of the season, a 4-1 defeat at Puget Sound when starting goalkeeper Brett Axelrod was on the sidelines due to injury.
While the defense sparkled, however, the offense sputtered, generating just 15 goals. The Missionaries lost no fewer than six NWC decisions by 1-0 scores, and they failed to dent the scoreboard in two scoreless overtime ties. Once the dust settled, Whitman finished in sixth place with a 4-8-2 conference mark.
"We played especially well against the top teams," Washington says. "One of our 1-0 losses was to Puget Sound, the conference champion. Whitworth finished second and Pacific Lutheran was third, and we lost both of our games to those schools by that same 1-0 score.
"We feel more confident than ever that we can play with the best teams in the conference," Washington adds. "A year ago, the only difference between our team and the best teams was that they finished their scoring opportunities, and we didn’t."
Whitman’s need for more scoring is obvious, but Washington has his squad focused other points as well. "If we’re going to move up the conference standings, we need to play our best soccer on a more consistent basis. We need to win more games at home and start creating more of a home-field advantage for ourselves."
Most of all, he says, Whitman (and every other NWC school, for that matter) needs to guard against taking any opponent for granted. "There isn’t a single team in this conference that can relax against any other team. Anyone can win on any given day against anyone else. There is a lot of parity. Not preparing properly for any opponent is a big mistake."
One of Washington’s strategies for the new season is based on endurance. "We’ve put more and more emphasis on fitness," he says. "We have a large home field, so if our fitness base is stronger, we should be able to wear down teams when they come here. We want to pressure teams all over the field and play more of a fast-tempo game than we have in the past."
With a roster pushing past the two dozen mark, Washington also likes the depth of talent he can throw onto the field in waves, if necessary. "We lost a number of good players to graduation, but we also have a very strong freshman class coming in. We also return a lot of players who have talent and experience."
Graduation hit the defense hardest, but Axelrod is back for his junior year and third-consecutive season as the starting Missionary goalkeeper. "Brett didn’t get the credit he deserved last season," Washington says. "He’s one of the top keepers in the conference, and he’ll be one of the keys to our defense again."
Two juniors, 6-foot-3 Kevin Sigley and martial arts black belt Mike McKenzie, are slotted for starting roles on the defensive backline. A third junior, speedy Joe Johnson, is shifting from the midfield to defense to "give us more quickness in the back," Washington says. "That should also strengthen the defense."
Jordan Droppert, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, and John Fleming (Daly City, Calif.; Lick Wilmerding HS), a 6-foot-2 freshman, should also see time on defense, Washington says. "John is one of the freshmen who should help us immediately with our defense. Jordan didn’t play for us last fall as a freshman, but he did well in our spring workouts and he continues to raise his level of play."
Two more freshmen defenders, 6-foot-1 Cooper Crosby (Vashon, Wash.; Vashon Island HS) and 6-foot-3 Ryon Campbell (Ketchum, Idaho; Community School), will also "get a look in our non-conference games," Washington says. "We look forward to seeing what our younger players can do before we get in conference play."
The Missionaries also have plenty of options in the midfield and forward spots, Washington says. "We need to get a few games under our belt before we really decide who’s going to play where, and what system might suit us the best."
Washington has already shifted the position of a few players. Craig Yuen, a senior who has helped anchor Whitman’s defense for three seasons, is moving to the midfield. "We’re confident in the size and speed of our remaining defenders, so moving Craig into the midfield is something we can do. Craig doesn’t turn the ball over and he gives us a defensive presence in the midfield. That should help us."
As Yuen moves up the field, junior Stephen Phillips drops back from his forward spot to give the Missionaries another proven talent in the midfield. Phillips, a team captain, contributed five goals and six assists in his first two seasons at the front. "Stephen is one of our best players, and we think he’ll find a little more freedom playing in the midfield," Washington says.
Returning midfielders include junior Greg Phillips, Stephen’s older brother, and senior Max Weber, the team’s other captain.
Weber, who played his first two seasons at Walla Walla Community College, was limited by injury to just eight games for Whitman last fall. "Max is not very big, but he gives us toughness," Washington says. "He’s one of our leaders and he’s a catalyst."
The coach has more high praise for Greg Phillips. "He works harder on the field than anyone I’ve ever seen," Washington says. "He runs and runs and never stops. Greg is a workhorse who fits into almost anything we try to do."
With Weber and the Phillips brothers in the midfield, Washington says, "We can play in two or three different ways. We can change our shape, playing one way with Max in the lead, one way with Stephen and one way with Greg."
Junior Simon Quay and sophomore Sam Chasan return more experience to the midfield. "Simon played a lot as a freshman but then missed a lot of games with an injury," Washington says. "He wasn’t able to take part in the spring workouts either, but we’re hoping Simon can get back to where he was. Sam has continued to get stronger and gives us more depth."
Two more freshmen, Conner Bottomly (Kalispell, Mont.; Colorado Rocky Mountain School) and Matt Manley (Salem, Ore.; South Salem HS), round out the midfield corps. "Both Matt and Conner show promise," Washington says.
While Washington expects his midfield to contribute to a scoring resurgence, he also has high hopes for a number of his forwards. Andy Huntington, a senior who led Whitman in scoring as a freshman and sophomore, hopes to bounce back from a disappointing junior season.
"Andy suffered a pretty good concussion in one of the first games, and he never really seemed to get going after that," Washington says. "He’s back, in good health and he’s even slimmed down a bit. We know that Andy gives us some firepower up front."
Jasper Lipton, a sophomore forward, is a "big, strong kid who should see more time in his second season," Washington says. "He plays well in the middle of the field."
Forwards on the left side are senior Jesus Reyes and Jerreh Badjie, a junior playing his first season of college ball.
Reyes, who played his first two seasons at Walla Walla Community College, saw limited time at Whitman last fall. "Jesus is very strong and physical, and he has a great shot," Washington says. "We’re hoping he’ll step up and be a game-winner for us this season."
Badjie, a native of Gambia, has "good technical skills and can run at people with the ball," Washington says. "He’s confident – a good one-on-one player."
Forwards on the right side are junior Marc Nabelek and first-year sophomore Todd Wallenius. "Marc has a lot of quickness and pace and has scored goals for us in the past," Washington says. "Todd looks fit and strong and is trying to work himself in a starting position."
"Ben Foster (Fairbanks, Alaska; West Valley HS) is another of the freshmen who gives us more size, strength and speed at the forward spot, Washington says. "We have a lot of players and rotations to try in our first games."
The roster also includes two freshmen goalkeepers, Nic McDonald (Olympia, Wash.; Capital HS) and Tim Shu (San Marino, Calif.; Phillips Exeter Academy), to serve as backups to Axelrod. "Nic, who played on one of the better club teams in the Seattle area, probably has the most quality experience at this point. But Tim is another big, strong guy who has some strong attributes. It’s good that we have good keepers."
With veterans returning at all positions, Washington looks forward to easing his first-year players into the fray. "At times in the past, we’ve had no choice but to throw young players into the games," he says. "That’s not the best way to go. We’d rather get the freshmen into the games one or two at a time. And it’s always a better situation to put the new players into games when you’re winning as opposed to losing."
Whitman kicks off its season this weekend in southern California, playing La Sierra University on Saturday and the University of La Verne on Sunday. The Missionaries then make a quick stop on the way home in Lacey, Wash., to battle Saint Martin’s next Tuesday.
Whitman hosts its first home games on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8-9, against two more non-conference foes, Simon Fraser and Albertson. The NWC season gets underway when the Missionaries host Linfield and Pacific on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15-16.