Huskies Have Several Question Marks To Address But Expectations Remain High.
| Coach – Jamie Clark – 13th season |
| Conference – Pac-12 |
| 2022 Record – 15-2-3 overall, 7-1-2 in conference |
| 2022 National Ranking – Number 11 United Soccer Coaches. Number 8 College Soccer News |
| Five Year Win Total 2022 – 15 2021 – 18 2020 – 12 2019 – 17 2018 – 12 |
| Key Departures Lucas Meek – Midfielder – Multi-year starter. Appeared in a total of 68 games with 51 starts over five seasons. Had 10 goals and eight assists in 2022. Had 26 career goals and eight career assists. United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News 2022 All-American. 2022 Pac-12 All-Conference First Team selection. 2021 All-Pac-12 Second Team. Selected by Inter Miami CF in 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Ilijah Paul – Forward – Played in 20 games with one start in 2021. Played in 19 games with 15 starts in 2022 with 15 goals and 11 assists. 2022 MAC Trophy Semifinalist. 2022 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. 2022 Pac-12 All-Conference First Team selection. United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News 2022 First Team All-American. Signed an Generation Adidas contract with MLS and selected 7th overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by Real Salt Lake. Gio Miglietti – Defender – A four-year starter who appeared in a total of 79 games with 71 starts over five seasons. Had 19 career goals and 7 career assists. Moved to a defender role in 2022. A Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team selection in 2022. All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention as a midfielder in 2021. Omar Grey – Defender – Transferred to Washington in 2022 from CSUN. Appeared in 18 games with 12 starts during 2022 season. Scored twice and contributed six assists. Nick Scardina – Midfielder – A three-year starter. Appeared in 60 games with 50 starts over four seasons. A 2022 Pac-12 Conference First Team selection with seven goals and four assists. Had 18 career goals and seven career assists. Drafted by Charlotte FC in the second round of the 2023 MLS Superdraft. |
| 2023 Outlook The Huskies are coming off a 15 win season during which their only two losses were a 1-0 regular season ending loss at home to Oregon State followed by an unexpected 3-1 loss to Creighton at home in their only contest in the NCAA Tournament. Washington’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament provided a springboard for unseeded Creighton to make a run to the College Cup that likely left the number two seeded and Pac-12 Champion Huskies wondering what might have been. The biggest question heading into the 2023 season is the impact that the departure of Lucas Meek (10g, 8a), Ilijah Paul (11g, 4a), Nick Scardina (7g, 4a) and Gio Miglietti (7g, 4a) will have on the Huskies offensive productivity and who will fill the void. When a team loses its top four goal scorers and the big-play ability they provided it is a concern. Meek, Paul, Scardina and Miglietti were responsible for 33 of the 48 goals Washington scored last year. Whether the Huskies have enough firepower on board to quickly get over their departure remains to be seen. Clearly others will need to add punch to the attack. Junior forward Chris Meyers (0g, 10a) and midfielders senior Imanol Rosales (2g, 10a), junior Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (3g, 3a), a 2022 All-Pac 12 First Team selection, senior Christian Soto (4g, 0a), a 2022 All-Pac-12 First Team selection, redshirt junior Gabe Threadgold (0g, 4a) and sophomore Richie Aman (1g, 2a) look to be among returning players who Jamie Clark will count on for offensive productivity. Forward Bryan Iliohan, a transfer from Cal Baptist where he had 24 goals and nine assists over three seasons, is among the newcomers who could be a difference maker up top. Midfielder Peter Kingston, a crosstown transfer from Seattle University where he was a 2022 All-WAC First Team selection, is among other members of the recruiting class with the potential to make an immediate contribution. Senior Khai Brisco (0g, 1a) who has appeared in 45 games with 27 starts over the past three seasons and junior Nate Jones (2g, 1a), a 2022 All-Pac 12 Second Team selection who has appeared in 40 games with 19 starts, are among returning backs who should play a key role in 2023. Sophomore center back Mani Diop, a transfer from Akron, should be in the hunt for a starting role. The Huskies look to be in good shape in goal with senior Sam Fowler, a stalwart three year starter and 2022 All-Far West Region First Team member, returning to anchor the defense along with junior netminder Jadon Bowton who appeared in ten games last year with six starts. Washington looks to be a bit thin compared to the last few seasons. That said, a good number of familiar and talented faces return who are eager for the opportunity to assume a greater role in 2023 for a program with a winning tradition. Clark and his staff will not have to wait long to get an idea of how competitive the Huskies will be with season opening contests at home against good South Florida and San Diego teams followed by games on the road with Indiana and Ohio State. They then return home to host Cal State Fullerton before beginning the grind of Pac-12 play on the road against Stanford and California. |
| Newcomers Harrison Bertos – Defender – Bedford, Massachusetts – Brooks High School – 2022 New England MVP and Defensive MVP at Brooks. All-Region. All-New England. United Soccer Coaches All-American selection. Played for Seacoast United. Levi Bieber – Goalkeeper – Tacoma, Washington – Stadium High School – Played for Seattle Sounders Academy. Mani Diop – Defender – Kaolack, Senegal – YSC Academy – A transfer from Akron where he played in 13 games in 2022. Played with Philadelphia Union Academy. Sheehan Ganguly – Midfielder – Bellevue, Washington – Interlake High School – Played with Eastside FC. Named ECNL First Team. Bryan Iliohan – Forward – Nieuw-Wennep, Holland – A transfer from Cal Baptist where he played for three seasons. First Team All-WAC in 2022 and 2021. Scored 24 goals with nine assists in 51 games at Cal Baptist. Third Team All-West Region in 2022. Peter Kingston – Midfielder – Kirkland, Washington – A transfer from Seattle University where he appeared in 42 games with 34 starts over three seasons. Had two goals and two assists in 2022 season. 2022 All-WAC First Team selection. 2022 All-Far West Region Third Team. Played for Seattle Sounders FC Academy from 2014-2019. Charlie Kosakoff – Forward – San Diego, California – Torrey Pines High School – Played with San Diego Surf. Leading goal scorer for high school and club team. Connor Lofy – Midfielder – Kirkland, Washington -O’Dea High School – Played for Crossfire Premier. ECNL All-American, First-Team All-Conference. ECNL Player of the Year. Chad Sovde – Midfielder – Bellevue, Washington – Newport High School – Had 26 goals and eight assists at Newport High School in 2022. Named KingCo Conference Offensive Player of he Year. Played club for PacNW SC were he scored 24 goals and contributed 10 assists during his last two seasons. |
Picture from University of Washington Athletics
