Huskies Kick Off 2022 Season On Thursday

SEATTLE – The No. 3/2 UW men’s soccer team will kick off its 2022 season at home against Sacramento State Thursday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Husky Soccer Stadium.  
 
UW-SACRAMENTO STATE HISTORY 
Washington is 8-0-0 all-time against Sacramento State. The last meeting between the two programs came on Oct. 31, 1999 in a 4-0 win for UW at home. 
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS 
The team enters the 2022 season ranked third by the United Soccer Coaches. This is the 31^st straight week UW is ranked in the Top 10, marking the longest streak in the country.  
 
The team also received a No. 2 nod from Top Drawer Soccer. The No. 2 ranking by Top Drawer soccer is the highest preseason rank in program history.  
 
The Huskies were selected to finish first in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll, tied with Oregon State. The honor marked the third time since 2000 that UW was picked to win the conference. 
 
2021 – A SEASON TO REMEMBER 
The Huskies are coming off a season in which they placed second in the Pac-12, finishing with an 18-2-2 record in the 2021 season. The team’s historic 2021 season came to an end with a 2-0 loss in the championship game against Clemson.  
 
The team also made the program’s first-ever run to the College Cup and matched a program record of 18 wins which was set in 1982.  
 
INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION 
Senior goalkeeper Sam Fowler is entering his final year with a load of preseason accolades, including being named to the United Soccer Coaches Player to Watch List while also ranking No. 8 on the Top Drawer Soccer Top 100.  
 
Fowler was also named Top Drawer Preseason Best XI First Team and College Soccer News Preseason First Team All-America. Fowler recorded 62 saves during the 2021 campaign with a 79.5 save percentage.  
 
Junior Midfielder Christian Soto was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Second Team, as well as ranking 15^th on the Top Drawer Soccer Top 100.  
 
Soto played and started in 20 games for the Huskies last year and notched four assists on the year.  
 
Rounding out the preseason honors is first-year midfielder Richie Aman who was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Freshman Best XI.  
 
THE RETURNERS 
Washington returns 22 players from last season’s College Cup final squad – including Gio Miglietti, Nick Scardina and Lucas Meek – all scoring four or more goals on the year….