No. 9 Washington Set for Exciting 2021 Season

SEATTLE -- The University of Washington men's soccer is set to embark on what is sure to be an incredibly exciting 2021 campaign. With 8 All-Pac-12 performers, two All-Americans and reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jamie Clark on the touchline, the Huskies are poised for yet another successful season on Montlake. 

The season begins Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at home against UC Davis. For fans unable to attend, the match will be streamed via Pac-12 Insider with Andrew Harvey on the call. 
 
Match Notes 

• Washington begins its highly-anticipated 2021 season at home again UC Davis

• The Aggies are returning to play after not competing during the 2020-21 school year

• Thursday night's match is the first athletic competition hosted by Washington for the 2021-22 year. 

• The match will also be the first event at UW with full capacity since March of 2020

• Washington returns all nine of its players that scored goals in the 2020 season as well as all eight members of the team that received All-Pac-12 Honors

• This marks the sixth time that Washington and UC Davis have played each other. UW leads the all-time series 5-0, with the last match being a 3-0 Husky win in 2015.

• Washington is just 3 months and 16 days days removed from the end of last season, a loss to No. 2 Pitt in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament on May 10th.

• Thursday will mark the start of the 11th season as head coach for Jamie Clark, tying him for second-most all-time at Washington.
 

Team Notes

• Reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jamie Clark enters year 11 on the Washington touch line on heels of back-to-back appearances in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament

• The Huskies have had a winning record in all 10 of Clark's seasons and have had winning seasons in 11 straight years. UW has also had at least 12 wins in each of the last five seasons and in nine of Jamie Clark's 10 seasons as head coach.

• Washington was picked to finish second in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference coaches, narrowly following first-place Stanford. The Huskies received two of the six available first pace votes.

• The Huskies bring back their top 13 players from the 2020 season in regard to minutes played. 

• The Huskies return eight All-Pac-12 honorees, highlighted by Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Charlie Ostrem. He was also named First Team All-Pac-12 along with Dylan Teves and Christian Soto.

• Teves was named First Team All-American last season by United Soccer Coaches, while Ostrem was named Third Team.

• Charlie Ostrem's 11 assists led the Pac-12 and were second in the country.

• Centerback duo Kendall Burks (3G/1A) and Ryan Sailor (4G) were both named Second Team All-Pac-12 and anchor a stout UW backline.

• Goalkeeper Sam Fowler was also named Second Team All-Pac-12. He set the Washington record for postseason shutouts with three. He has a 13 career shutouts in two seasons.

• Lucas Meek and Nick Scardina each slotted home 6 goals last season, tied for second on the team. Meek had two game-winning goals while Scardina had both a brace (vs. UCLA) and hattrick (vs. Northwest). 

• Gio Miglietti returns goal-scoring experience to UW, as he scored 3 last season and was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12.