OCTOBER 2021
IN THIS ISSUE
From the Athletic Director’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Husky Volleyball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
UW Cross Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 10 Questions with Summer Yates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Men's Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Dylen Teves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Women's Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Shot: UW Volleyball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
GoHUSKIES
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FROM THE DESK OF COACH KEEGAN COOK VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 2 / OCTOBER 2021
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EDITOR Dick Stephens
L
et your commitment be without conditions. It’s a concept we’ve sought to instill in all of the athletes we’ve been fortunate enough to coach. It’s easy and common to give full effort and commitment when things are going your way. We want our athletes to be their best when things outside their control are at their worst. There’s a grit and humility to showing up in those moments. I never could have foreseen the adversity that our student-athletes would face in the past year. It doesn’t surprise me however that one of our most successful seasons coincided with one of the most adverse years of our lives. As Husky supporters through these trying times, you’ve lived that same message of commitment without conditions and we cannot thank you enough for that. Last season, we became the first ever team to make the Final Four with three straight 3-2 wins. That took some great intangibles from our women. Year after year, the incredible athletes in our program impress me with their resilience under pressure. And part of what grows that grit and determination is the support they feel from the program’s fans and donors and supporters. There’s nothing like having our fans back inside Alaska Airlines Arena. We felt the energy from the very first point of our first home match this season. Every single volleyball student-athlete in the Pac-12 looks forward to competing against the Huskies
UW Volleyball Head Coach Keegan Cook
in front of you. I hear them talk about it years after they graduate and I hear their coaches talking about it on the recruiting trail. You’ve made this the premier venue for volleyball in the Pac-12. There’s nothing more valuable to our program than growth, and this group is pursuing it ferociously. This team has a determination unlike any I’ve coached in my time here at Washington. If there’s anything our program is known for, it’s the fact that we strive to be our best when it matters most. The best matches of the season are coming up and we need you. The margins of success have never been this thin at the top of the conference and your support has never mattered more to a team. Thank you for your continued support throughout these trying times, and as always, Go Dawgs!
WRITERS Bob Sherwin PHOTOGRAPHERS UW Athletics ADVERTISING
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Ella May Powell
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HUSKY VOLLEYBALL
serves up grit and determination as they stand up to high expectations
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BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
t’s difficult to rationalize how the University of Washington’s volleyball team, with all but one player back from last season’s 20-4 Final Four team, can lose two consecutive late September games this season to Utah and rival Washington State. Seventh-year Head Coach Keegan Cook offers no excuses for the losses, and, in fact, is not surprised. As he says, “adversity arrives for every team. It arrived for us a little early in the season. I tell the players it’s not a matter of if but when.” As a veteran coach, Cook has seen the ebbs and flows of college campaigns. In his six seasons as the Huskies head coach, his teams have won three Pac-12 titles, made four trips to the Elite Eight and last April he guided the Huskies to his first Final Four experience (fifth time in school history). Entering the season, the Huskies were 152-40 under Cook. He has a variety of experiences but needs to remind himself that his players have not. Each season is different. Every team changes, with different mindsets, motivations and chemistry. He said that for his players to recover from the back-to-back losses, it’s not so much dwelling on why they happened but how they learn and grow from them. “I do not expect our team to be fully formed one-third through the season, but we do expect them to be working diligently to resolve the issues we’ve become aware of,” Cook said. “We’ve always done the work. We’ve always had a December mindset here. That’s been our mindset the past two years. It has served us pretty well.” December is when the NCAA Volleyball Championship will be held – Dec. 16-18 at Columbus (Ohio) Nationwide Arena. That’s the focus, figuring out how this team can get to the Final Four again. They came close to winning their second NCAA crown (matching 2005) in the COVID-adjusted tournament last April, losing to eventual champion Kentucky in the semifinals. The previous season, the Huskies advanced to the Elite Eight then watched Stanford defeat Wisconsin for the national title. The Huskies had beaten both teams earlier that season. “It’s whole new year, it’s a new team and you have to live in the now,” Cook said. “Nostalgia can be a little bit dangerous. You have to be really present.” Having said that, this team, ranked 13th in the country entering October, does possess a significant amount of carryover. It has a seasoned core, players who have been together for four or even five years. If the Huskies are to have a December to remember those veteran players need to be the catalysts, especially their three All-Americans, first team setter Ella May Powell (junior, Arkansas), first team outside hitter Samantha Drechsel (senior, Woodinville), and second team outside hitter Claire Hoffman (junior, Oregon). Cook said that from what he has seen from Powell “is a real urgency to improve on her checklist. She’s not coasting here at the end of her career. The intensity to learn, the intensity to get things in place are as high as they have ever been.”
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DIG
IT! Samantha Drechsel Madi Endsley
... this team, ranked 13th in the country entering October, does possess a significant amount of carryover. It has a seasoned core, players who have been together for four or even five years.
Ella May Powell
He said that Drechsel, “is going to come on and really be a force for us.” Hoffman has been hampered by health issues but Cook said, “she’s not a player I would count out.” Cook said that junior middle blocker Marin Grote (Burbank, Calif.) “has been the breakout performer of the season thus far. She made her presence known in the NCAA Tournament last year and it was a big reason for our run. She has picked up where she left off and established herself as a main threat on our team.” Freshman libero Lauren Bays (Orange County, Calif.) and freshman outside hitter Canadian Emoni Bush “also have added a unique layer to this team,” Cook said. “The main goal now is to grow and deepen their connections to each other.” An indication how this team responds might be a reflection on how it came back from another early-season loss back in August. The Huskies scheduled then 11th ranked Ohio State on Aug. 28 with the idea of starting and finishing the season in the same Final Four arena in Columbus. The Huskies, who won the first set, lost three sets in a row to the Buckeyes for a tough 3-1 loss. It was a disappointing result, but the Husky women were undaunted. They pulled together and won the next six consecutive matches, four on the road. Only one match went five sets. UW’s five-set victory over Montana State on Sept. 16 was the team’s most resilient of all. MSU won the first set, 28-26, then UW won, 25-17, lost 2225 and won 25-11 to tie it at 2-2. The Huskies started the fifth set by losing the first five points. MSU was five points from victory, leading 10-5, when the Huskies clutched up. They won 11 of the next 15 points for an emotional 16-14 comeback victory. Then came the letdowns, a five-set home loss to Utah and the five-set setback to Wazzu in Pullman. Entering their match against Utah, the Huskies had a career 16-5 record against the Utes, including a three-match win streak. Curiously, the Cougars extended their victory streak to four straight over the Huskies — after UW had won 30 of the previous 32 matches.
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Samantha Drechsel
DIG
Ella May Powell
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IT!
What bothered Cook as much as anything from the two losses was that the Huskies couldn’t finish effectively in the fifth set, losing 16-14 to Utah and 15-11 to WSU. During the NCAA Tournament last season, the Huskies had won three straight five-set matches, 15-11 (in the fifth set) to Dayton, 15-13 to Louisville, and 15-9 to Pittsburgh, after being down 0-2. It’s the first time ever that a Final Four team won three straight five-setters. “That’s what we’ve been known for in years past,” Cook added. It demonstrates, as he points out, that the Huskies, for all their success, are targets. They take the best shot from all their opponents, up and down the conference and the West Coast. “I think the Pac-12 is highly motivated right now,” Cook said. “When they (opponents) see one of their competitors make it to the Final Four, it creates a belief and a motivation for them.” The Pac-12 has the reputation as the strongest in the country. Since 1981, the conference has won
17 of 40 volleyball national championships, from four different schools: Stanford (9), UCLA (4), USC (3) and Washington (1). “The margin of failure and success is really thin,” Cook said. “It’s (parity) the deepest it has ever been in the conference.” In addition, West Coast teams, perennially the majority of Husky non-conference opponents, have combined to win 25 volleyball titles. The West is a grind, intensified this season for the Huskies, who begin 0-2 in conference play. Cook said he expects this team to show its character and work out their problems. “I have complete confidence in how we are going to be in December,” he said. That confidence is based on his belief in the experience and moxie of his players. “This is the oldest team I will have ever coached,” he added. “I just hope the community understands how much this group has given and how much they’re still giving to the university and the community. It’s special to have this many experienced athletes on one team.” GoHUSKIES
Record-breakers, conference champions, and All-Americans lead highly-ranked Husky harriers
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BY BOB SHERWIN • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ndy Powell, the fourth-year coach of the Washington Huskies’ men’s cross country team, has been around long enough to know when his runners, collectively, are on the verge of optimum performance. Generally, it’s around the time when he’s not around. As he points out, “when I find myself doing less and less coaching, then I know I have a good team, when they’re showing up on time and figuring out all the little things they have to do.” This season, Powell has a good team. The school couldn’t ask any less from him. “I think we’re ranked 13th in the country now. (But) we’re definitely a top 10 team,” Powell said. “I think we can be really good. It’s a matter of staying healthy and improving each meet.” Powell understands the self-starting qualities of distance runners. He was one once, among the best 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters runners in the nation coming out of high school in Massachusetts then competing for Stanford. PAGE 10
He knows what it takes to succeed and what it takes out of you, running around 100 miles a week virtually year-round. What Powell tries to provide is a winning culture as well as stressing how much better they can be when they run together. “If you want to break the four-minute mile, you can do it yourself, but you run a lot faster when you have someone helping you along,” Powell said. “Doing things together carries you a lot farther.” Better together has been Powell’s style since he began coaching for Oregon in 2005. He served in various roles for the Ducks, primarily as the distance running coach. In his 13 years there, his list of accomplishments is exhaustive. He had a hand in guiding Ducks’ runners to a combined 34 NCAA titles, 24 Pac-12 titles and 157 All-America selections. Among the Ducks many titles were back-to-back NCAA cross country crowns (2007-08), along with another eight top-10 finishes.
Continued on page 12 GoHUSKIES
WOMEN'S
G o HUSK I ES
MEN'S
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Haley Herberg
Tibebu Proctor
Issac Green
Luke Houser
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The Huskies lured Andy Powell and wife, Director of Track & Field and Women’s Head Coach Maurica Powell, away from Eugene in 2018, and the two immediately established a new team dynamic. In Andy Powell’s first fall on Montlake, the men finished sixth at the 2018 NCAA cross country championships, the school’s best finish in 25 years and second-best ever. Cross country is unique among NCAA sports. Distance runners compete the entire year, XC in the fall, indoors events during the winter and outdoor events in the spring. Then the exceptional Olympic quality core continues onto summer competitions. “It’s almost like boxing. It (training) takes a ton out of you,” Powell said. “There’s only so many times you can go to the well. So, we err on the side of caution to protect the runners. We try not to over-race them.” That’s especially true for perhaps their best runner, sophomore Sam Tanner, who will be quite underraced this fall. He competed for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympic Games and will be rested. He is a onetime collegiate record holder in the 1,500 meters. Powell is confident that his XC runners can pick up for Tanner’s absence. He has faith in his ‘super seniors,’ Issac Green from Colorado, who set the school record in the 5,000 meters (13:27.26) last year, Tibebu Proctor from Seattle’s Northwest School, who set the school record in the 10,000 meters (28:31.59) that had stood for 20 years, and transfer (from University of British Columbia) Kieran Lumb, whose previous time of 13:24 in the 5,000 meters would be the UW school record. Another senior, Talon Hull of Utah, has run the sixth fastest 10,000-meter time in school history. The Huskies also have promising young runners coming up in second-year Leo Daschbach from Arizona, who made the All-Pac-12 Second Team in his first college cross country season, and freshman Nathan Green from Boise, who ran the nation’s fastGoHUSKIES
Leo Daschbach
est high school mile in 2021, going 4:01. Plus, the Huskies have two of the most talented recent local products in Joe Waskom of Mt. Si and Luke Houser of Woodinville. Waskom was the Pac-12 runner-up in the steeplechase last spring, and Houser led the Huskies at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships, placing 51st. Because of their yearlong workload, cross-country schedules are scant. The Huskies max out at six events this fall, just three before the post-season championships. Both UW’s men’s and women’s teams ran in the Seattle U. Invitational Sept. 1, and both won. The teams then had a two-week training camp at Suncadia, covering hundreds of miles over that bucolic terrain and learning to do ‘the team thing,’ as Powell describes it. Both teams then have had two more regular meets in October before the Pac-12 Championships Oct. 29 in Salt Lake City. That will be followed by NCAA West Regionals Nov. 12 in Sacramento then the NCAA Championships Nov. 20 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Naomi Smith
UW CROSS COUNTRY: A marriage of success The women’s cross country squad has run like clockwork into the Top-25 at the NCAA Championships now for over twenty years, the past three coming under the guidance of Maurica Powell. Led by returning Pac-12 Champion Haley Herberg and cross country All-American Allie Schadler, the women are aiming at a return to the NCAA Championships and delivering a Top-10 finish. The partnership between Maurica and Andy is a unique one built through their shared history, first as standout preps in the Massachusetts area,
Continued on page 15 GoHUSKIES
Joe Waskom PAGE 13
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then to teammates running at Stanford, and then as wife and husband both coaching at Oregon starting in 2005. Under Maurica’s 13 seasons at Oregon, the XC women were NCAA runners-up in 2007 and 2008 then won the championship in 2012 and 2016. Like Andy, she developed dozens of elite runners, 20 All-Americans in cross-country and 79 in track. In her first season with the Huskies, her team finished ninth at the 2018 NCAA Championships, the school’s best finish since 2012. Last season, the Huskies’ women finished 13th at the nationals, which was held in March. Because of COVID restrictions, the January-to-March crosscountry season was contested at the same time as the indoor track season. That was a departure from the usual fall schedule. Following the season, all collegiate cross-country teams then had just a fivemonth break before returning to fall competitions. All seven UW women qualifiers from last year’s championships return, including senior Allie Schadler, from Tubac, Ariz., who earned All-America honors with a 26th-place finish at the NCAAs, and junior Haley Herberg, from Mission Viejo, Calif., who won the Pac-12 individual title and is a first team All-America in the outdoors 10,000 meters. The Husky women banked a great early season result with a fourth-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 1 in South Bend, Ind. There the Huskies outran eight nationally ranked teams, finishing behind only teams rated No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 nationally. The women worked together well throughout the 5,000-meters, and ended up with just a 15-second spread from one to five at the finish, with Schadler leading the team in a time of 16-minutes, 49-seconds. Second-year freshman Naomi Smith from Woodway, Wash. was an All-Pac-12 performer in the spring and was the second Husky finisher at Notre Dame. Key new additions to the squad are Julia David-Smith from Issaquah, Wash. and a transfer from Princeton, Sophie Cantine, originally from Seattle’s Lakeside High School. Along with the men, the women will look to be ready for the three-pronged championship portion of the schedule, starting with the Pac-12 Championships in Salt Lake City on Oct. 29. Then the teams will race at NCAA Regionals on Nov. 12, to try and earn a spot at the NCAA Championships, all the way down in Tallahassee, Fla. On Nov. 20. The women’s team has made the final meet in fourteen-straight seasons, and 22 of the past 24. GoHUSKIES
Madison Heisterman
Allie Schadler
Tibebu Proctor
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UW SOCCER STAR
SUMMER YATES BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
S
ummer Yates, a senior standout on the University of Washington soccer team, did not arrive at her elite skill level in a conventional fashion. Summer grew up near the Columbia River in Pasco, Wash., 230 miles from Northwest soccer-central Seattle. Lewis and Clark may have extensively explored the area, but it’s still mostly uncharted territory for soccer recruiters, greatly limiting her soccer exposure. She also did not get formative full-out training from experienced coaches. Her father, Blake Yates, was her coach and they both agree that Blake knew nothing about soccer before he assumed that role. What he passed onto her was what he learned watching the renowned Barcelona team and nonpareil attacker Lionel Messi. Messi turned out to be a providential archetype because Summer, like Messi, is of smaller stature (5-foot-4) but through skill development and hard work she was called up to the U.S. National teams and has become an indispensable Husky. She dreamed of being a Husky ever since she visited the campus when she was 10-years old. Former UW women’s coach Lesle Gallimore took notice of her and followed her career as she twice earned first-team all-state honors at Pasco’s Chiawana High School, won the state championship with PAC NW club team and her national U-16 experiences. Summer has played in 56 games – 49 starts for the Huskies entering this season with 15 goals and 12 assists. She was an All-America secondteam selection last season. Here’s a 10-question insight into Summer Yates as she ventures through her senior (maybe not last) season:
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How did your journey to become one of the nation’s elite players evolve? “I never really trained with a team until I was like 13. I was a discovered player for PAC NW. We would drive (four hours) to Seattle on the weekends for games and my dad would train me five or six days a week back home. He was like my only real coach. That was a little different. He was a football player and a wrestler (when he was young) and knew nothing about soccer. We would watch a lot of Barcelona games growing up, Messi, Ronaldinho. That’s how he taught me how to play. And it worked out. My dad sacrificed so much, getting new cars, getting me back and forth to Seattle, just to literally make me a better soccer player, to help me succeed. It means the world to me, all the things that my parents (Kandy and Blake) did for me, all the time and money.’’ You have described yourself as a daredevil as a youngster. When did that start? “It started with my dad who was a daredevil and he kind of passed it onto me. I raced quads, four-wheelers, motocross. I did that when I was 6 years old, against boys. It definitely made me a little more of a daredevil. I did cliff jumping, snowboarding, skateboarding and all the extreme sports at a young age. Skydiving is something I want to experience, for sure. Me and my sister (Hope) always talk about doing that. Doing some crazy things sounds so fun to me. (But) Dad would say, ‘remember, you have soccer. You can’t hurt yourself.’ I did dial it back as I got older.’’ When did you first realize that you could play on a national level? ‘’I was probably around 11. I did a lot of traveling and everyone around my area was making it a big deal. And I didn’t think it was a big deal. They were like saying, ‘you can make it.’ And I was, ‘OK, I guess I can.’ Then getting the call up to the national team really opened my eyes and I thought I can do something with this.’’ When you finally were called up and joined the national team, were you intimidated? ‘’When I first got called, I was super nervous because I was like this smaller player and seeing kids older than me, towering over me, definitely intimidated me. But once I got on the ball and started playing, I got more confident and made some of my best friends out of it. Everyone got closer.’’ Might being smaller give you an advantage? ‘’I like being small. I feel my agility is something that I bring to my game. I love it when I play tall people now because when I’m lower to the ground I can cut harder to beat you. I’ve learned to embrace it, using my strength and my size to my advantage.’’
GoHUSKIES
The USWNT has several older players and likely will be making wholesale changes over the next couple years. Do you see yourself as a candidate for a roster spot? “That’s always been a dream of mine, always a possibility. I think I have more work to do but I’m always striving to get there. I’ve seen girls I used to play with. I see them called up. It’s like surreal. I’m definitely hopeful for all of us that we can make it together on the national team.’’ Because of the ‘lost’ COVID-19 season, the NCAA has granted an additional year of eligibility. Will you come back for a fifth season? “Most likely I’ll be taking that. I’m doing a year-long internship, looking to graduate in the spring of 2023. I’m an ECO major, standing for education, communities, and organizations. I’ve always been interested in teaching and coaching. I feel like that would set me up for success after soccer, working with young kids for soccer, sports or schoolwork. My parents and my family have done so much to support me, sacrificed so much, anything I can do to give back to my community and Pasco kids who may not have the opportunities, would bring me joy and I’d be excited to do that.’’ It sounds like wherever life and your career may take you, eventually you’ll find your way back to Pasco? “I love Pasco. The community is amazing. Everyone there did everything they could to support me, all my dreams and my journey. There’s just a small-town community vibe to it. I love where I grew up.’’ You talk about how impressed you were as a 10-year-old in your first visit to the UW campus, watching the Huskies’ women’s team. Now that you’re a senior, have things come full circle? “It’s definitely full circle, seeing all the young girls coming to our games. Now it’s going in another circle. It’s so cool to see them live out what I dreamed about at such a young age. It’s fun to see how happy they are to see us. And I tell them, ‘it’s going to be you in a few years.’ And they’re like, ‘what!.’‘’ In the season opener, the Huskies were challenged by 21-time NCAA champion North Carolina (a 4-1 road loss). How will the early season results impact the team as you progress toward conference play? “We had a bit of a rough start. We had some injuries, but really came together. We’re all striving for the same goals, making a run at the Pac-12 title and making the (NCAA) tournament. My role on the team is doing everything I can to put goals in the back of the net, help the team get some wins and just be a supportive teammate. This team has been put through so much adversity; it just makes us stronger. To be a player on this team is just an amazing experience.’’
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ON THE
PITCH
KALANI KOSSA RIENZI
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LUCAS MEEK
UW Men’s Soccer climbs the rankings and is a national championship contender
BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
O
pponents are coming after the highly ranked Washington’s men’s soccer team this season. They take their best shot against the Huskies, summoning all the intensity, urgency and rage that they can. Every game’s a battle, for victory is paramount to them. It’s a pattern that Husky head coach Jamie Clark has come to expect. In fact, he believes his team would be at a loss without their opponents’ aggression. “I do feel we’ve been a target,’’ said Clark, now in his 11th season as the Huskies coach. “I think it’s an honor and a privilege to get everyone’s best shot. That makes you better. We appreciate it.” That appreciation might have been diminished had the Huskies dropped an early-season, nonconference match or two. They didn’t. They rolled off 12 straight victories to start the year, four in overtime, six on the road and two against a ranked opponent. Their fast start advanced the Huskies to the second-ranked team in the nation. They began with a two-overtime win over UC Davis, 2-1. They beat 20th-ranked Grand Canyon, 2-0, with a pair of second-half goals. Grand Canyon had been gunning for the Huskies, who knocked off the Lopes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago. In an eight-day late September span, the Huskies won three straight road matches – two in overtime – prevailing over fierce players and full-throated, full house fans. “I tell the players they’ve earned these crowds. People want to see us play,” Clark said. “Teams want to knock us off
GoHUSKIES
CHRISTIAN SOTO
and crowds want to see that upset. It’s been fun being on the road.” Then on Sept. 30, the Huskies opened Pac12 Conference play with a 1-0 overtime victory over 13th ranked San Diego State. Junior Dylan Teves (Kailua, Hawaii) scored the lone goal in the 94th minute. “You have to match their energy early” Clark said. “If you don’t match that energy early, you give teams the belief that they can beat you.” The Huskies have been successful despite losing their best scorer, junior midfielder Lucas Meek (Mercer Island, Wash.) to a broken collarbone on a diving header Sept. 3 against Grand Canyon. He could be back by mid-October. “It happened on the last play of the game. He was en route to be a national player of the year nominee,” Clark said. “Three goals, three assists in three games. It speaks to our other guys. Our coaches were worried, but the players didn’t bat an eye.” Clark, a former Stanford All-American, took over the UW program in 2011. His teams never have had a losing campaign and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament eight times, reaching the quarterfinals three times, including last season. The Huskies have been in the top 10 for 28 straight weeks, the longest current streak in the country. Last season, the Huskies were ranked seventh with a 12-4 record. It was the fifth straight season and ninth time in 10 years that Washington has won at least 12 games. It was the fourth time that
DYLAN TEVES
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CHARLIE OSTREM
CHRISTIAN SOTO
SAM FOWLER
RYAN SAILOR
The Huskies have been in the top 10 for 28 straight weeks, the longest current streak in the country.
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they lost four or fewer. Teves said Washington’s winning consistency is the result of Clark’s willingness to innovate and change from season to season, team to team. “He always tries to be a step ahead of everyone else. He’s just always learning. He’s a good role model for the team,’’ Teves said. “We’ve grown as a team that can do everything, possess the ball, move the ball quickly and counterattack. We have a much more well-balanced way of playing to combat different opponents who pose different challenges for us.” Teves, just 5-foot-7, and Christian Soto (Des Moines, Wash.), at 5-foot-5, are the slight but scrappy Husky midfielders. Adding to that welterweight fight is feisty 5-foot-10 mid/defender Kalani KossaRienzi (Berkeley, Calif.). “Some teams play three or four midfielders. We play with two,” Clark said, “and somehow they still manage to win balls. They’re won more than their fair share of battles. They embody the sort of fighting spirit we have as a team. “Then we have really, big strong athletic defenders. They clean up a lot of stuff,” Clark added. “Everyone understands their roles. We’re very difficult to beat when guys understand what they’re good at.” Senior Ryan Sailor (Colorado), junior Kendall Burks (Tacoma, Wash.) and junior Charlie Ostrem (Shoreline, Wash.), the Pac-12 defensive player of the year and third team All-American, anchor the defense. Sophomore keeper Sam Fowler (Issaquah, Wash.) is the team’s primary goal denier. He was 11-2-0 last season with a 0.62 goal average in 13 games. “He’s (Fowler) an old soul in there for us,” Clark said. “He’s played in a lot of big games, big moments.” The Huskies have two months of tough conference play before the start of the NCAA Tournament (Nov. 19). “One part of me wants to say it’s brutal (schedule). The other part wants to say exciting,” Clark said. “We’re heading into what might be the best group (of teams) in a long time. At one time an 8-2 record might win it, or 9-1. I think it might be 6-4-1 to win it this year. It’s more challenging than it has been in the last few years. We’re excited about that.” Washington, with five consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including two straight to the quarterfinals, entered conference play as an experienced and tested team, used to big games and pressure situations. “When you think about playing in big games, you get used to being uncomfortable. We talk to guys about embracing that uncomfortable feeling,” Clark added. “Embrace it and not back down when times get hard and challenging. Find a moment or two to turn the tide.” GoHUSKIES
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Dylan Teves and his family
RISK REWARDED took the ultimate shot and scored with a life-changing move from Hawaii to Seattle and found Husky heaven
W
hen Dylan Teves was 15-years old as a promising soccer prodigy in Kailua, Hawaii, he was at the crossroads of his playing future. Folks he trusted were telling him that if he hoped to be recruited, if he hoped to play in a big-time college program, or even professional soccer one day, he would have to leave the island. They told him that he needed to test his skills on the mainland, increasing his exposure and hastening his development against enhanced competition. That’s what he chose to do, taking a leap of faith as wide as the ocean, the Pacific, in this case. Dylan decided to come to Seattle. He was all in. What he didn’t expect was that the whole Teves family was all in as well. In a grand show of support, his parents decided to pull up stakes in Kailua, buy a house in Renton, Wash., and enroll Dylan and his younger sister Liv in the Issaquah school system. Dylan played soccer for Liberty High School (Liv plays there now). Those who cared would share Dylan’s dream. “My mother (Tracy) sacrificed a lot, leaving friends, family, loved ones, the food, the weather,” said Dylan, a redshirt junior midfielder and critical performer for the first-ranked WashPAGE 22
BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ington Huskies soccer team. “I’m grateful to them for their support. I know a lot of families would be hesitant. They were really supportive, that’s for sure.” Dylan’s father, a pilot for then Sino Jet, had the flexibility and freedom to move anywhere. He just needed to commute to his job from across the world, but it was worth it to watch his son’s career evolve. Yet he also went through some unexpected sacrifices during the transition caused by the pandemic. He was restricted to flights in and around Hong Kong, preventing him from traveling back to Seattle. “We were eight months without him,” Dylan said. “It’s been tough on him. He sacrificed, too.” As Dylan embarked on his Seattle journey, there were times when he worried that this major family uprooting would turn into a regrettable misadventure. Would this be one big mistake? Maybe his teenage dream of playing for a top-level NCAA Division I program was someone else's dream. “This was a big game-changer for me,” he said. “I was never really super confident in my abilities. I was telling coaches that my dream was to play in Division II or Division III programs.”
Continued on page 24 GoHUSKIES
ON THE
PITCH
DYLAN TEVES
GoHUSKIES
PAGE 23
His life and career trajectory changed shortly after his arrival when he played in an ODP (Olympic Development Program) tournament in Arizona. His play caught the attention of the Sounders Academy scouts. He was recruited to play for the Sounders’ development team, the Tacoma Defiance, playing two years for the Sounders’ U-17 team. “It’s a development program and the goal is to sign home-grown players and get them to play professionally (one day) with the team,” he said. “The Sounders have my rights.” Defiance was an ideal platform for Washington Huskies Head Coach Jamie Clark to monitor the progress of the players. He not only offered Dylan a scholarship as a junior at Liberty but also a couple of his Defiance teammates, UW goalkeeper Sam Fowler of Issaquah and former UW defender (now with Houston Dynamo FC) Ethan Bartlow of Woodinville. Dylan’s big leap had paid dividends, recruited to play for a major college program with the prospect of fulfilling his dream of playing professionally one day. He had come a long way in just a few years but also understood the challenges ahead. Just being on the UW roster did not guarantee he would get on the field. “You have to really work hard and show how bad you want it and show to all the coaches and players that you belong on the field,” he said. “That’s the hardest part, seizing on the opportunities when you get them. You have the understanding that as a player you definitely have to earn your spot at U-Dub because there are so many high caliber players,” he added. “Jamie struggles to pick a lineup because every single player on the roster can start and play.” Dylan is a standout player with quick feet, skilled footwork, and an accurate passer with great field vision. His problem is, he doesn’t stand
“You have to really work hard and show how bad you want it and show to all the coaches and players that you belong on the field,” he said. “That’s the hardest part, seizing on the opportunities when you get them.” Dylan Teves PAGE 24
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“He turns on a dime. He matches up against bigger guys and twists and turns them and causes them all sorts of havoc. He’s a treat to watch and a treat to coach.” Coach Jamie Clark
out, at least not in the team photo. He is just 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds. “He certainly plays a lot larger than his stature,” said Clark, the UW coach. “That’s the beauty of our game. It’s not dictated by size. It’s dictated by quickness, balance and agility. He’s got that all in spades. “He turns on a dime. He matches up against bigger guys and twists and turns them and causes them all sorts of havoc. He’s a treat to watch and a treat to coach.” When he played back in Hawaii, Dylan was an effective striker and rapid scorer. But as his teammates and opponents began towering over him, he didn’t have the height or the hops for headers. He moved to midfield, where he’s effective setting up the forward line. “When you’re a smaller player you have to bring something else to the table, bringing it behind, 1-v-1, crossing to some of the bigger guys who can do all the damage in the air,” Dylan said. “A lot of it is thinking ahead before you hit the ball, knowing what your options are. When you think faster than your opponent, then you don’t have to be bigger than him.” This doesn’t mean he’s there just to serve and assist. He knows his way to the crease. He had the game-winner against Stanford last season. He had a brace against Seattle University. He slotted a goal and an assist against UCLA. He had a three-assist game – the first time for a Husky since 1999 – against Gonzaga. He also scored an overtime golden goal PK to beat San Diego State. This season, Teves scored one of the most crucial early-season goals. In the Huskies' Pac-12 Conference opener Sept. 30 against No. 13 San Diego State, he launched a low rocket just to the right of Aztecs’ keeper for the 1-0 winner in the 94thminute. That pushed Washington’s record to 8-0, matching the 2006 team as the best start in school history.
Continued on page 26 GoHUSKIES
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“There’s a lot of talent in this area,” Dylan said. “The soccer culture here is contagious.” In 47 games – 32 starts – entering this season, Dylan has scored 13 goals with 15 assists. He led the Huskies in scoring last season with 19 points in 13 games, third in the Pac-12. That helped him earn first-team All-American honors last season and was named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. The trophy is given to the top male and female collegiate soccer players in the country. He is the third Husky to be so honored, joining Blake Bodily in 2019 and Taylor Peay in 2013. This all has made him forever thankful that he listened to those who suggested that he settle in Seattle and for his family members’ faith in this veiled journey. Seattle proved to be the essential launching point for his dreams. And the dreams of so many others. The Husky roster bulges with 14 players from the greater Seattle area or the state along with two from Oregon and one from Idaho. (The UW women’s team also has 14 players on the roster from the area/state and two from Oregon). “There’s a lot of talent in this area,” Dylan said. “The soccer culture here is contagious.” Dylan believes the major reason for that is the Seattle Sounders, which began play in 2009 and won the Major League Soccer championship twice and were runners-up twice. The Sounders’ success and style of play have served as inspirations for aspiring players in the region as well as facilitating their development. “So many move through the soccer system here,” Dylan said. “They’ve grown up watching the Sounders, going through the Sounders Academy, Crossfire Academy, Eastside FC, all these clubs that really emphasize what the Sounders do. They emphasize a winning culture. It’s in the DNA in Seattle.” The Huskies, with eight trips to the NCAA Tournament over the past 10 seasons, also have developed a winning culture. Dylan said the team’s primary characteristic is its superb team conditioning. “Most of the time the second half is when we get the most chances,” he said, “when other teams start to get tired. We have so much depth it helps overpower teams in final minutes of the game.”
Continued on page 28 PAGE 26
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Indeed, in the team’s first eight games – all victories – the Huskies scored 12 of their 17 goals in the second half, or beyond. Four goals came in overtime wins. Dylan’s most conspicuous characteristic is his commitment to routines. In fact, his teammates have been known to call him “Robot.” He arrives at least 90 minutes before each match and meticulously runs through his hamstring work, band work and visualization exercises. “I want to make sure my body and mind are ready,” he said. His routines are born out of necessity and prevention. He missed seven games his sophomore season with a strained MCL and doesn’t want to miss another because his college career “is going too fast.” With the NCAA granting collegiate athletes an extra year of eligibility, Dylan can extend his Husky experience. He’s uncertain. “I try to stay in the present,” he says, “I’m not sure of my options, but I do want to play professionally one day.” Whatever he decides, wherever his career may take him, it’s likely that the Teves family members will be checking out airline fares, neighborhoods and housing prices.
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ON THE
PITCH
Building Momentum PAGE 30
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UW Women’s Soccer is battling the best in the nation while they find season ending form
SUMMER YATES
BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
W
ashington’s women’s soccer team was behind 2-0 at halftime in their Sept. 24 home game against 15th-ranked Arizona State. An NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist last season and ranked 18th in a preseason poll, the Huskies’ mojo was waning. Something happened in their locker room, however. They found a spirit, grit, and a purpose. They came out a different team. At the 66-minute mark, Jessika Cowart (Redwood City, Calif.) lifted a long boot, from nearly midfield, on one bounce into the goal. That was followed by a free kick goal from senior Summer Yates (Pasco, Wash.) at the 77th minute. The Huskies then held strong for two overtimes and a 2-2 tie that felt like victory. “ASU, they’re a good team,’’ Washington’s second-year coach Nicole Van Dyke said. “(But) we know we’re a top-20 team. We know we’re good. We were down two goals, but we played well overall. We were doing a lot of positive things with the ball. Sometimes it’s just harder to get the ball in the back of the net. Some years you have a few more good bounces. “Despite our slow start, that’s where I give our girls so much credit. These girls want to win.’’ The Huskies had a challenging start to the season — against the same team that ended their NCAA run — North Carolina. Last May in the COVID-delayed NCAA quarters, the No. 2-ranked Tar Heels beat UW, 1-0, despite the Huskies holding a 13-7 edge in shots on goal. Then three months and two weeks later, the Huskies opened with the Tar Heels, losing 4-1 at Chapel Hill.
Continued on page 32 GoHUSKIES
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“No matter whether it’s a year or three months apart, to get yourself ready to compete at the highest level is a tremendous effort. It takes attitude, effort, energy.’’ Coach Nicole Van Dyke
JESSIKA COWART
MCKENZIE WEINERT
RUBY HELLSTROM
“We had some kids coming back from injuries. That takes time and it kind of bled into our year,’’ Van Dyke said. “We weren’t at 100 percent or even close. No matter whether it’s a year or three months apart, to get yourself ready to compete at the highest level is a tremendous effort. It takes attitude, effort, energy.’’ Three days later, the Huskies lost to Duke, 2-1, on a goal in the 88th minute. They split 1-0 decisions with Loyola Marymount and Portland, lost to New Mexico in Albuquerque, 1-2, tied Long Beach State, 1-1, and beat Seattle University, 1-0. However, in the Sept. 30 Pac-12 Conference opener at Colorado, the women lost 2-1. The Huskies entered October needing to reverse their 2-5-2 start. “We have to figure out a couple things defensively, but we continue to improve game by game,’’ Van Dyke said. “It’s hard to play against us. They work their tails off. They compete and we’re really starting to play some really good soccer.’’ Last season, the Huskies had an outstanding defense, spearheaded by keeper Olivia Sekany (Livermore, Calif.), who has returned for her senior season. She had the lowest goals-against average last season, 0.62, breaking Hope Solo’s 2001 record. She also had the second-longest shutout streak in school history at 646 minutes. “She led us to a lot of success last year,’’ Van Dyke said. UW returned seven of its top eight scorers and Yates appears to be the player the team will depend on to stage a reversal. She was a second team All-American last year and is on the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list. “I think that’s what makes her (Summer) so good is she plays what the game gives her. She finds pockets of space and just exploits weaknesses,’’ Van Dyke said. “She’s an integral part of our attack, an amazing second ball winner.’’
Continued on page 34 PAGE 32
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FEAR NO MAN
DON JAMES, THE ’91 HUSKIES, AND THE SEVEN-YEAR QUEST FOR A NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
MIKE GASTINEAU
FOREWORD BY NICK SABAN The inside sTory of one of The mosT elecTrifying college fooTball Teams of all Time augusT 2021 $29.95 HC
“Fans oF the Don James era and anyone who loves college football are in for a gourmet feast. In meticulous yet breezy detail, Mike Gastineau recounts n 1984 the University of Washington the greatest team in Washington HusHuskies won every game but one, rankkies football history. Never-before-told ing second in national polls. For most storiescoaches, about the indomitable Steve Emtsuch a season would be a career man, the irrepressible Joesecond Hobert, pinnacle. But for DonBilly James place and the savviness coordinators motivated him of to set aside what heJim knew about football and Gilbertson rethink the game. Lambright and Keith lightJames up made radical changes to his coaching phithe drama of James’s pinnacle achievelosophy, from recruitment to becoming one ment.”—Art Thiel, Sportspress Northwest of the first college teams willing to blitz
I
on any down and in any situation. His new
“the passage oF time approach initially failed,has yet made it finally culminated inofone the most explosive teams the greatness theof1991 Washington in college football mystical, history. Huskies seem almost and it In Fear No Man, Mike Gastineau takes incredible effort to humanize them recounts the riveting story of Don James while also appreciating their team criminally and the national champion he built. underrated significance college footUndefeated, the 1991 to Huskies outscored opponents by an average of 31 points ball. Mike Gastineau accomplishes thisper game on their way to winning the Rose difficult task and then some in a definiBowl and a national championship. The tive account of these national champions. team included twenty-five future NFL playThis book frames properlygripping all the account dimeners, and in Gastineau’s sions of Don James’s masterpiece of aand they come alive with all the swagger joy they brought to the game. A brilliant team.”—Jerry Brewer, Washington Post examination of one of college football’s coaches and teams, Fear No Man “mikegreatest gastineau pulls back the is the inspirational story of an improbable purplejourney curtain and gives the reader an that led to one classic and unforunvarnished, up-close, and surprising gettable season.
view of what was happening behind the scenes. If you care about University of Washington football, this is a must-read.” —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times “as someone who has been Fortunate to grow up around the University of Washington, I can recall firsthand how special the ’91 season was. A team and staff led by Don James, an individual who had an incredible impact on me, put together one of the most notable seasons in Husky history that will be forever remembered on Montlake. This book tells that story.”—Jen Cohen, University of Washington Director of Athletics
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AMEERA HUSSEN
Yates teams with Ameera Hussen (Federal Way. Wash.) — both 5-foot-4 seniors — as two quick, elusive, and formidable midfielders. Van Dyke said that senior mid Oliva Van Der Jagt (Kent, Wash.) “is one of the best ball-winners in the conference, equally good at defending and she is attacking. She is a catalyst for the way we play and the way we defend. “For someone who’s having a great year, it’s (senior) Ruby Hellstrom (San Diego),’’ she added. “She’s not on-board scoring-wise yet but she’s an all-out runner, just out-works teams.’’ A couple of senior transfers, defender Peyton McGee (Texas) and forward Mckenzie Weinert (Oregon State) are working their way into the scheme. Van Dyke said for the newest members to figure it out it takes time, a diminishing commodity as the Huskies count down the Pac-12 schedule.
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GoHUSKIES
Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES
POINT, HUSKIES!
Shannon Crenshaw (11), Lauren Bays (20) & Ella May Powell (7) celebrate after a big point in UW’s thrilling five-set win over UCLA on October 1 inside Alaska Airlines Arena.
To purchase Husky Athletics photography, visit www.HUSKIESPHOTOSTORE.com
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