The Lakers bring back four all-league players and a desire to reach the postseason.
The 2021 fall season ended — unusually for the Lake Oswego boys soccer team — on the outside of the Class 6A state playoffs looking in.
The Lakers, after finishing fifth in the Three Rivers League at 4-7-1, missed earning a spot in the postseason for the first time in a long time and they didn’t like it.
They think they’re ready for a return to the playoffs this season if — and this is a big “if” when you consider how things went last year — they can stay healthy.
“(We’re) really looking to stay healthy this year — last season was very challenging due to injuries,” said Lake Oswego coach Fraser Morrison. “We’ll be looking to play some exciting and attacking soccer to really utilize the talented players we have in the squad.”
This year’s team features four returning all-Three Rivers League players, including junior forward Evan Huber (he was a second-team all-league pick in ‘21), senior midfielder Dylan Merrill (honorable mention), senior defender and team captain Adam Robertson (second team) and senior defender and team captain Luc Scipio del Campo (second team).
“Adam is a natural leader (who) played both defense and midfield last season and acquitted himself well wherever he was asked to help the team,” Morrison said, adding that Scipio del Campo is “another natural leader who leads by example. A hard worker in training and games, Luc is a ball-winning central defender who reads the game well, steps to win the ball and starts attacks for us.”
Merrill, Morrison said, is “an exciting attacking talent who can beat players off the dribble or slice opposition defenses open with his precision through balls,” while Huber “is a very talented technical and physical player. His work rate is second to none and … if he stays healthy, he’ll be a handful for opposition players.”
Around the rest of the lineup, the Lakers will look to junior forward Jeb Scipio del Campo, senior midfielder A.J. Giacomini, junior midfielder Sam Lines, sophomore midfielder Bryson Quintero, junior midfielder Eli Beauchamp at midfield, sophomore defender Luke Lidington, junior defender Max Reckerman, senior defender Diego Delascio, and senior Hayes Donaldson at goalkeeper.
Also ready for varsity time are sophomore Matthew Sievert, junior Bryce Stewart, senior Millar Clee, junior Jack Isackson, senior Westley Eftekhar, senior Jacob Halvorson and senior Riley Daniels.
As to the upcoming Three Rivers League race — Lake Oswego opens TRL play when it hosts Oregon City at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 — Morrison said he thinks that crosstown rival Lakeridge might be the team to beat.
“Lakeridge will likely be very strong this year,” he said.
See the West Linn preview here.
See the Lakeridge preview here.
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