You’Ll Find Mike Thompson In Center Of Action

If you saw Mike Thompson around the Gonzaga University campus, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell him from any other Bulldog.

The senior is majoring in history with a fascination for the Civil War. He stops off at David’s Pizza or Sonic Burrito on Hamilton for lunch religiously, and he even caught basketball fever last spring in the Bulldogs bid for the NCAA Final Four.

Take the Lake City High School graduate off the campus and put him on the soccer field and there is no mistaking Thompson. He is the one generally in the center of the action. He is the one doing the things that may not make headlines, but has GU in contention for a national championship.

He and his fellow Bulldogs hope to let the nation know there is more to Gonzaga than law books and basketball hoops.

“We have a solid team,” said Thompson. “We are no longer able to sneak up on teams. When we play now, they expect us to be good and prepare for us. It has brought our game up to a higher level because we aren’t there to play, but to win.”

Bulldogs soccer isn’t as well-known as the basketball team. For the most part, most opponents weren’t even sure how to pronounce Gonzaga. But after the national attention the men’s basketball team merited, Thompson is certain soccer is going to catch on, too.

“We have a lot more people attending our games now and there is more attention,” he said. “We have been overlooked in the past to get invited into a national championship. Now we are playing more competitive teams.

“I think we are being taken more seriously. Right now we are ranked 20th in the Soccer America Poll. Polls at the beginning of the season don’t mean a whole lot, but I think in a month we will be there pretty regularly.”

Thompson’s role with the Bulldogs extends beyond his duties as a midfielder. He also provides leadership.

He knows how natural it is to feel intimidated by a higher level of play when you first step on the grass. That knowledge he is happy to pass on to new recruits.

“The speed of play is a lot faster,” he said. “It’s a lot more physical. Mentally you have to be a lot stronger to be able to deal with the ups and downs. It’s more challenging and tiresome.”

He recalls that in his first days on the GU soccer field he was shell-shocked.

“It took me a long time to feel comfortable,” he said. “Luckily there were three other freshmen who started, too, so we were all in the same boat.

He started noticing his game advancing midway through his sophomore year when he realized he no longer was looking over his shoulder at the coach if he made a bad pass. Now, he’s playing better, and having more fun, too.

In the past two seasons, the Bulldogs were co-champions in league. Both times, GU lost in a tie breaker. They hoped for an at-large invite into the national tournament, but didn’t make the guest list.

“We felt overlooked. We felt we deserved it. That has been pretty frustrating,” he said. “This year we hope to win it outright, that’s the easiest way to get in. That is why we have such a hard schedule this year. We felt we didn’t get in because we didn’t have that strength of a schedule.”

Last year Thompson - recognized as first-team West Coast Conference - was the co-leading scorer for GU with six goals and eight assists for 20 points with Coeur d’Alene’s Brett Fink. Fink currently is the Bulldogs leading scorer.

“Anything less than that this year I will be pretty disappointed,” he said of his expectations. “In high school you’re always the best guy on the team. Now I am playing with all the best guys on their high school teams.”

His first goal this season blasted into the net, shattered windows, blew the roof off houses, and had everyone ducking for cover. Well, sort of.

“It was during Hurricane Dennis against Virginia,” he explained. “It was raining so hard you couldn’t see across the field. Jason Kuska fed me a nice through ball, and I had to beat one defender. I was glad to get that first one over with. Last year it took me almost a month to get the first one in.”

Along with playing for the Bulldogs, he summered with the Spokane Shadow two years ago. A leg injury forced him out this year and kept him to administrative duties. He may return to the Shadow, but hopes to play at a higher level back East.

“I have some friends playing over there in the A league. I think it’s a realistic goal.”