KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Starting his third season as head coach of the Oregon Tech men's soccer team, Sean McManamon has reloaded the Hustlin' Owls, as the club searches for their fourth-straight 10-win season – with goals of reaching the NAIA National Tournament for the third time in the past four years.
 
The team returns a pair of All-Cascade Conference standouts, with 16 new players looking to fill the void of six starters lost to graduation.
 
"You can't replace the seniors," McManamon said. "Our goal was to find players that fit the bill with who we have returning. Finding guys who will be fluid and having the ability to play in multiple spots as we continue to build our brand of football."
 
Rosendo Juarez-Flores joins McManamon's coaching staff after scoring six goals last season, with the team also needing to replace striker Ellis Harwood (1 goal, 1 assist) and top play maker Dylan Nakagawa (1 goal, 6 assists).
 
Despite the losses, the Hustlin' Owls look to continue their high-octane attack – scoring 47 goals in 2023 – their third-straight season with 47-or-more goals scored.
 
"The goal is to develop a more possession orientation," McManamon said. "Last year, we did a great job of pivoting, getting from one side to the other. This year, we have a good foothold on our possession and pinning teams in and creating opportunities through overloads in those danger zones – but that is hard to unlock when teams are sitting back. Sometimes, it doesn't work and we have to work on a more transitional attack – but we've been training both styles and know when to use them."
 
Up top, the tandem of Arthur Proost and Dalton Rideout have the potential to be among the most dangerous scorers in the CCC. Proost hasn't seen the pitch in two years due to injury – scoring five goals during the Owls run to the league crown in 2021. The 6-foot-5 Rideout had a quality freshman year, ranking second on the team with six goals scored.
 
Also in the mix at a forward slot is freshman Andrew George, a 2-time All-South Puget Sound League pick at Curtis High in Washington.
 
"Arthur is a target-nine, he connects so well and is always in the right spot," the head coach said. "Dalton creates opportunities, and we know that anything inside of 30 yards, he will pull the trigger. Andrew, as a freshman, is clean and feisty and has made the most of his opportunities in training."
 
On the wing, Tech looks for big things from 2-time All-CCC pick, Andrew Pasang. The senior set a school-record with 32 total points in 2023 (12 goals, 8 assists) and is poised to become the Owls all-time leader in goals, assists and points – entering the year with 24 career goals and 18 career helpers.
 
Returner Logan Miller is looking for added playing time, having scored two goals with four assists as a freshman, while playing in 11 matches as a sophomore.
 
Four newcomers have the chance to crack the lineup – transfers Manny Garcia and Moises Lopez Carillo, along with freshmen Cannon Spooner and Cash Cota. Garcia is a 2-time All-NWAC pick at Peninsula CC, leading his club to the 2023 NWAC title, with Carillo earning All-NWAC honors last fall at Blue Mountain CC. Spooner, from Green Valley High in Nevada, shined for the Austin FC MLS Academy, with Cota earning 5A All-State honors at Ashland High, earning back-to-back Midwestern League MVP honors.
 
"Andrew will be a big focus for a lot of teams on the scouting report," McManamon said. "It's good pressure for him as a senior to take that on his shoulders and be someone to lean on in the attack, but also know it will create opportunities for others."
 
Tech will have new players as center midfielders – with four freshmen and one sophomore transfer battling for playing time. Two of the freshmen – Merrick Tambio and Dmitri Mendez – are state champs, as Tambio claimed the Hawaii Division I crown as a senior, earning All-State honors and played for the MLS Barcelona Academy. Mendez claimed the Nevada 4A title as a junior at Faith Lutheran High, while starring for the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club. Both Lucas Kay-Wong and Anthony Aguiar-Casillas had great prep careers, as Kay-Wong was the Hawaii Division II Player of the Year, helping the Kamehameha Schools to a state runner-up finish and saw action with the U20 Hawaiian National Team, with Aguiar-Casillas playing for Sunny Hills High in California and competing for the ECNL Legends FC. Transfer Wolfgang Alvarado heads to the Basin after scoring a pair of goals last year at the College of Southern Nevada.
 
"The midfield is where a lot of plays start and I've been really happy with their play during training," McManamon said. "We've added more numbers and players with different styles – last year we were a bit skinny in the midfield – but we now have depth and know that any of the players can pop in a contribute and everyone knows they can't take nothing for granted."
 
Veteran players will make up the holding midfield positions starters Kevin Rodriguez and Lennyn "Kiko" Solis are back, along with top reserve, sophomore Grayson Barker. Rodriguez has been a mainstay in the lineup the past three seasons, pushing forward to score five goals with eight assists in 58 career matches. Solis was a quiet leader last season, starting 15 matches, helping facilitate the attack. Barker earned key minutes in his first season with the Owls, playing in 16 contests.
 
"Having Kevin as a senior captain coming back is huge," McManamon said. "He was a great leader for us last year and will continue to be. He and Kiko will be guys who are will be on scouting reports and will take a lot of weight on their shoulders in the holding mid positions."
 
Tech will play friendlies against both Lane CC and Cal Poly Humboldt in preparation for their season opener, Aug. 24, at George Fox.