Some people get schooled, others do the schooling. This season, men's soccer is teaching other Northwest Conference teams a thing or two, with senior defender Bryan Olson leading by example and showing that the Bucs won't make it easy for anyone to get past them.
Starting at the early age of five, Olson has spent his time on the field, first with YMCA, followed by club soccer and then playing for Sentinel High School in Montana. Yet Olson has proven that it was time well spent with four years of college play under his belt and several recognitions to throw around, including second team all-NWC his junior year.
In an August 2009 press release, coach Sean Bushey stated that he believed Olson "might be his best defensive player ever at Whitworth."
Olson's stats have proven Bushey wasn't just speculating. For the 2009 season, Olson has made himself known in the NWC, leading the team in minutes played, racking up a total of 1136 minutes on the field so far. To date he has also played in every Pirate game of the season.
Fighting to finish first in conference, the Pirates have performed well this year with a team consisting of mostly underclassmen players. Yet despite their youth, Olson has no doubt they will continue to shine in the coming years.
"We have good coaching and good players," Olson said. "As long as they stick together their future looks bright."
Olson said it takes more than just one person stepping up and carrying the team. It requires a total team effort to get the job done.
Coach Bushey's leadership on the field has not gone unnoticed and Olson attributes the teams success this year, in large part, to his coaching.
"It's just great coaching. He gets the best out of everyone, even the guys who don't play," Olson said. "Everyone works at practice and it's something that definitely gives us an advantage."
And an advantage they have gained. Prior to the tie against University of Puget Sound on Oct. 18, the Bucs were on a four-game winning streak, placing them at the top of the standings for that week.
Along with Northwest Conference games, the Bucs played several non-conference games at the beginning of September to prepare for the season. They faced off against teams from states across the U.S., including Minnesota and a division III team from Ohio.
Olson said the non-conference play gave them a chance to see where they stand with other schools and test the waters to see how they compared.
"It helped us prepare for the regular season and definitely helped us get to where we are now," Olson said. "Overall it was pretty even across the board; the teams were pretty comparable, but it showed us what we’re capable of."
Touting around a 7-1-2 record in conference and a 9-2-3 record overall for this season, Olson has not allowed the success of the team to go to his head, nor has he forgotten the importance of the game itself.
"You can’t lose site of the game, but that’s just it - it’s just a game," Olson said. "At the end of the day we all have things that take precedence and that's important to remember."
Olson also points out that focus is key if they want to see another championship. Currently the Bucs are making waves in the competition pool, edging closer to that goal. The Bucs have won back-to-back NWC championship titles in 2007 and 2008, while also snagging four of the last five. They hope to lay hands on their third consecutive championship title within a few weeks.
"If we can just go out and have fun then the best team should win and that’s us."
Olson and the Bucs attempt to capitalize on that statement when they travel down to Oregon to face off against Linfield College on Oct. 31, and Willamette University on Nov. 1, this weekend in NWC play. The Bucs then return home for their final regular season game against Whitman College on Nov. 7.
Contact Jessica Valencia at jessica.valencia@whitworthian.com.
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