Shadow Cast A Bright Future Spokane Could Be A Threat If Its Nucleus Returns In ‘97

When two people disappear, their Shadow goes with them.

That’s what happened Sunday evening, when two Spokane soccer players received red cards and the short-handed Shadow received a premature end to their first full season in the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues.

“It leaves a sour taste,” Shadow coach Einar Thorarinsson said, “but the accomplishments of the season was such you have to be proud of the guys.”

On an otherwise beautiful night before more than 1,400 fans, the Shadow lost to San Francisco 3-2, with the winner crowned the Western Conference Northern Division Champion of the USISL Premier League and earning a berth in the final tournament this weekend in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

“I don’t feel good, but that’s life,” said team president Bobby Brett, who became an enthusiastic soccer fan during his first year as the owner. “You can’t change those things.”

Not that everyone involved with the Shadow won’t try. Everyone could be back to try to improve on a 17-3 regular season that earned Spokane the host role in the division tournament.

“I’d sure like our coach back and all our players if you can go 18-4 every year,” Brett said. “Jeff Heimbigner is the general manager and I’ll just tell him to do the same thing he did last year. On the field, on a 10 scale, it was a 10. We won. As far as the business end, I’d give it average marks.”

It may be a little early for the coach to make a decision. He also doubles as the Gonzaga University coach and the Bulldogs’ fall practice started on Wednesday.

“I enjoyed it a whole lot,” said Thorarinsson. “I haven’t given (returning) a thought. When (or if) things slow down, I’ll give it more thought. If you love the game you can never be away from the game, you don’t want to be.

“I hope there is maybe a next step for some of the players and some of them are looking at (semipro or pro leagues). I anticipate most of the team to come back out.”

The oldest player was 30 (Shadle Park graduate Stuart Saunders) and the youngest, Joe Ascolese, just graduated from high school. Only one player, Stuart Rose, played in every game. Most of the players were 24 or younger.

The team struggled through its initial season in the USISL 1995, playing a 12-game provisional schedule. Very few figured the team, with a roster of mostly Spokane high school and college players, would be the regular season champion and average about 1,200 fans a game despite some bad weather, holiday weekends and tough head-to-head competition.

The difference was experience and the Shadow reeled off a 10-game winning streak in the middle of the season.

“It was a good year for the players, a great year,” Thorarinsson said. “There was a lot of personal improvement from a lot of people. The length of the season was a factor in that. Playing for five months, day-in and day-out, lends to that. Touching the ball so much more, playing so much more, leads to improvement.

“A lot of the players we have had potential so it didn’t surprise me. I knew it was there, it was a matter of getting the time in. Soccer is a funny game, you need to play it a lot to improve at it. You have to constantly be at it, skill with the ball is repetition. I liken it to basketball, you have to keep shooting the ball, keep working at the fundamentals.”

Brett Sports has the fundamentals down, successfully marketing both baseball (Indians) and hockey (Chiefs) in Spokane. Brett wants to continue to transfer that knowledge to the soccer operation.

“It’s a whole new learning process we have to go through with the casual fan, paying to go to soccer,” Brett said. “It’s no different than when we bought (the other franchises). There’s work to be done. It isn’t going to happen over night. The way the season ended with two pretty good crowds, two enthusiastic crowds that saw some pretty good soccer, I’m hoping we can build on that.”

The biggest change anticipated next year is a move from Spokane Falls Community College to remodeled Albi Stadium for games.

If soccer goes to Albi, Brett said there would be better site lines, better concessions and a more professional atmosphere. His organization would add more promotions, marketing and sale staff.

He believes there is a future for that level of soccer in Spokane.

“When I researched this opportunity, I wouldn’t have went forward (buying the club if there wasn’t a future),” he said. “Half the fun of these business opportunities is the research. Ninety percent I look at don’t pan out. I think this one panned out. There are so many positives. This is a no- brainer. It will work, but it takes time.” , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo