Winning a national title and sustaining a perfect record through the school year is usually something that can’t be
improved upon. Because of the University’s quarter system though, the men’s club soccer team can in fact improve on its
national championship.
Since Oregon begins school later than most other schools, the team, in year’s past, has been forced to start its season a month behind semester schools. Because of this, it has had to enter into the Open Division in nationals rather than advancing into the tournament through a regional playoff.
Though the team won the Open Division last year in November, it does not hold the same prestige as the Championship Division.
That’s why the team has gone to work early this season. Oregon began tryouts on Monday and will play its first game Saturday at 9 a.m. on the turf fields against William Jessup’s collegiate team. The team’s coaches and coordinators hope a quick start to the season will get the Ducks to where they want to be in the postseason.
“We’ve never been organized early enough to even try (to go to regionals),” club coach and starting forward Jason Modahl said. “It’s the third week of school which gives us a week and a half of practicing together.”
The team currently consists of 12 returning
players and is looking to add eight newcomers through tryouts. Modahl says he doesn’t expect any discrepancy in production this season.
“A lot of us grew up playing against each other,” Modahl said. “We all get along real well and we’re all such a tight group that we don’t expect any drop-off (in talent).”
This year the team charged $10 for tryouts, hoping to reduce each player’s team dues, which mainly pay for traveling. Currently, the team is $800 in debt to the Club Sports’ office after traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for nationals last year.
“We’re taking a trip to Utah for regionals, Arizona for nationals and California in the spring. So we need a little more money this year and the $2,900 we get from Club Sports doesn’t cut it,” Modahl said.
Senior goalkeeper Patrick Drake believes the team has enough talent to win the national title in the championship division. Based on what he saw last season, the Ducks were one of the best teams at nationals.
“I know we can play with any of the teams,” Drake said. “I don’t think there’s any team at the club level we can’t compete with. I probably wouldn’t be happy much less than winning (the national title). A lot of the teams there were surprised we weren’t in the championship division. ”
UC-Berkeley men’s club team, which Oregon defeated in the finals last year 2-0, told the Ducks that the Open Division was harder for its team than the championship division they had participated in the year before.
It’s another reason for the team to believe it has what it takes to take home the national crown. The only reason for concern is that new teammates might not bond soon enough with the returning players.
“Bringing on eight new players can be difficult,” Modahl said. “Because the 12 players we have are such good friends that it can be hard to blend in right away.”
But the camaraderie the current players share is one of the main reasons for
Oregon’s success.
“It’s all playful but at the same time it’s a competition (with each other) every
time we step on the field. That’s what makes us a closer team,” coordinator and right defensive back Trevor McGowen said.