Clipper Men’s Soccer Opens Season With NAIA and NWAC Scrimmages

It's another start of the season for the Clipper Men's Soccer team and they have strong ambitions to make it back to the NWAC soccer playoffs.

Head Coach Max Sampson is working with a strong core of returning sophomores with stalwart starters such as striker Alex Canning, pacey winger Alejandro De La Rosa, and dependable midfielder/defender Mathias Fog.

It was a quick turnaround for the lads as they came in in early August and had an exhibition game against NAIA competition in the Evergreen State College Geoducks. The Clippers stood up well to the Geoducks attack and fared well in their friendly against their neighboring school.

After the game against the Geoducks, came time for their first scrimmage competition against an NWAC opponent as the Clips welcomed the Bellevue Bulldogs to the RAC. Coach Sampson spoke at length about how the Bulldogs were a great opponent to test themselves against heading into the start of the season.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, the Bulldogs came out with their offense looking like they were in mid-season form and took home the three points that day with a 3-0 win.

There was little time to lick their wounds as the team traveled to Wenatchee to take on the Knights a short three days after their defeat against Bellevue. The first road trip of the season did the lads well, as goals from Christian Esquivel Jaskiewicz and Alex Canning were enough to get the Clippers their first win of the season.

Now, the team gets ready to make a trip to Oregon for the NWAC Friendlies on August 19-20. There, they will face two Oregonian opponents in Lane Community College and Treasure Valley Community College.