听
The Premier Development League seems as if it were designed for soccer players such as Victoria Highlanders newcomers Owen Pearce and Solomon Constant.
Their PDL/Highlanders journey begins today at 2 p.m. with the 2017 season opener against Lane United of Eugene, Oregon, at the University of Victoria鈥檚 Centennial Stadium.
鈥淪eventy-five per cent of MLS [Major League Soccer] players have played in the PDL,鈥� Highlanders coach Dave Dew said.
鈥淢y goal is to play pro,鈥� said Pearce, an NCAA Division 1 sophomore at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.
As an actuarial science major, Pearce would know the odds against making it to pro sports are staggeringly long. The chances are much better that he will have a career looking over actuarial tables. Yet Pearce can look to Jamar Dixon, who starred for two seasons with the Highlanders before turning professional with the Ottawa Fury and, so far, earning three caps with sa国际传媒.
Pearce鈥檚 road began at 17 in the Toronto FC Academy run by the MLS team. 鈥淚t was super professional 鈥� an awesome environment,鈥� said the central midfielder, who was part of the Canadian under-17 and under-20 pools.
The Markham, Ont., native wanted to continue his development and gain a different perspective, so he emailed several coaches of West Coast teams. 鈥淚 wanted something different this summer,鈥� he said. Dew, sensing a good thing, answered the email.
The freshman Constant hails from the U.S. junior college No. 3 Iowa Western Reivers. It鈥檚 a two-year school, so Iowa-raised Constant has one season remaining, and wants to use this PDL season in Victoria as a springboard.
鈥淢y goal is to go on to a Division 1 school and pro after that,鈥� the 18-year-old forward said.
Constant will have a constant on the Highlanders with veteran Blair Sturrock. The 35-year-old striker, who holds everything together on this team, is returning for a fourth season. 鈥淭he younger players are open to learning and want to learn,鈥� said the Scotsman, who played pro in England with Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town.
About his longevity, Sturrock quipped: 鈥淚 look after myself 鈥� or maybe it鈥檚 just that I avoided tackles during my career.鈥�
The two prize Highlanders recruits, striker Andrew Ofosu and midfielder Eva Batousol, arrived from England this weekend, but will be dressed today and ready if called. Both come recommended by Jamie Hadfield, of Sheffield Wednesday鈥檚 academy, and former Highlanders player Max Wragg, now a Sheffield Wednesday youth coach.
Defender Sho Goto, 28, from Japan, is a former J-League 2 and Latvian league pro, who is studying English at UVic. He is described by Dew as 鈥渢he class of training camp.鈥� The biggest home-grown talent is returning 2016 Highlanders MVP Callum Montgomery of Nanaimo, a St. Michaels University School graduate, and back-line standout with NCAA Div. 1 top-16 Carolina-Charlotte. Another Island player to watch will be Andre Earthy-Find of Victoria, out of the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, and headed in the fall to the NCAA Pac-12 Oregon State Beavers.
