3:30 p.m. Sunday – Bushnell at SOU
3:30 p.m. Monday – Bushnell at SOU
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ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon University men's soccer team will field an electric and highly-talented young core this spring, but third-year coach Davie Carmichael has no illusions about the Raiders becoming fully formed any time before the fall.

He has a few good reasons for this, none of which make the Raiders any less interesting. Their top-three point producers in 2019 were freshman, and though they're all back, they were formerly complemented by a back line fortified by two former Cascade Conference defensive players of the year. That defense has undergone a major retooling, and of the 19 newcomers fighting for roles on the roster, a couple key ones won't be in uniform until next season.

There is also the issue of a 16-month layoff. And with last week's openers canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Northwest (Wash.) program, the Raiders' CCC schedule has been reduced to eight games.

Starting on Sunday and Monday against Bushnell, they'll pack as much as possible into four weeks.

"We're not comfortable yet and we're really, really young," Carmichael said. "We're going to learn a lot about ourselves this spring and just use this as a guide going forward. It might not be ideal but there's still a lot we can get out of it."

FORMAT: In an effort to limit travel and potential exposure to COVID-19, the Cascade Conference is split into two divisions, the East and West, and teams will play the same divisional opponents on back-to-back days. SOU is in the West Division with Bushnell (formerly Northwest Christian), Corban, Northwest (Wash.), Oregon Tech and Warner Pacific. In lieu of a conference postseason tournament, the winner of the division will get an automatic bid to the NAIA Championships. In the event that teams play an uneven number of games, the standings will be ordered by win percentage. Due to the schedule modifications, no players will be charged a season of eligibility.

PRESEASON POLLS: Back in October, the Raiders were picked to finish third of 14 in the CCC coaches' poll behind defending champion Corban and Rocky Mountain (Mont.). Corban – which will visit SOU during the final week of the regular season – is the only CCC team in the NAIA Top 25 poll at No. 16, while Rocky, which is in the East Division, is receiving votes.

LAST SEASON: Coming off back-to-back CCC titles and NAIA National Tournament appearances, the rebuilding Raiders still managed a 13-5-2 overall record. They were at their best in conference play – taking third in the standings at 10-2-1, outscoring opponents a combined 40-9, and ticking off an eight-game unbeaten streak going into the CCC Tournament. There, they won their first-round game and were eliminated in the semifinals in penalty kicks by Eastern Oregon. Among their graduates were three critical defenders: two-time CCC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Miller, three-time All-CCC goalkeeper Wyatt Zabinski, and All-CCC defender/midfielder Kelly Gieber.

POSITION-BY-POSITION
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS: The Raiders are afforded a lot of flexibility between their midfielders and forwards, but they have two pure attackers with size in sophomore Sam Walker and junior Noah Addie. Walker finished his freshman campaign with six goals and six assists for All-CCC honorable mention recognition, and Addie owns 14 goals over two seasons. Freshmen Gopala Sauer and Evan Norconk will also get chances in the box.

No matter his exact position, Adrian Villegas showed he can take on a bulk of the playmaking responsibility while earning all-conference, all-region and NAIA All-America honorable mention honors as a freshman. With 10 goals and 11 assists, he was one of two players in the conference to hit double digits in both categories and established a new SOU points record.  Alan Gaytan, another All-CCC performer as a true freshman, will be following up on a six-goal, three-assist season in which he carried the attack for stretches, too.

Senior Junior Rivas and junior Izaiha Bruce are proven returners back in the mix, bringing a combined 78 appearances into the season. Carmichael also has high hopes for freshmen Moises Hernandez and Jack Fecteau, who have impressed in training.

"There's so much versatility between the midfield and forward group, we're pretty comfortable there," Carmichael said. "It's a nice balance."

DEFENDERS: A starter since his freshman year and former All-CCC pick, Zak Woolley will now be asked to lead the defense as its most seasoned veteran. Two junior transfers will step in beside him: Carlos Diaz of Sheridan C.C. (Wyo.) and Omar Navarro-Ramirez of Lane C.C.

The Raiders will also need the services of freshmen Sky Charley-Bolyard and Isaias Monjaras, and Robby Running should be ready to contribute after using a redshirt year in 2019.

"They all place a nice, attractive brand and are organizing together pretty well, but it's just going to take some time," Carmichael said.

GOALKEEPERS: Perhaps SOU's most daunting chore is replacing Wyatt Zabinski, the keeper who helped secure 35 shutouts over the last three seasons. Kendal James, in his third season with the program, and Liam Kalhagen, in his second, will get the chances to prove they're ready after biding their time. So too could Anthony Armenta, a junior transfer from Lane C.C.

"We're not quite solidified there yet," Carmichael said, "but they're fighting hard and going to push each other."