Soccer Star Shadows Dream
Crithfield returns to game with Spokane and the USISL Two years ago, Chad Crithfield sold his soccer shoes and decided to quit chasing his dream of making it professionally.
After playing four years at the University of Washington and on numerous select teams, he sold the shoes, took his political science degree and went to work as a loan officer at Stratford Mortgage in the Tri-Cities.
“I looked at the big picture and there was no way I could make a living playing soccer,” Crithfield said.
A month ago, however, the 25-year-old forward decided to give his dream one more shot. The University High graduate moved back to Spokane and nailed down a spot with the Shadow of the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL), Spokane’s newest soccer club.
Tonight at 7, Crithfield leads the Shadow against the Yakima Reds at Spokane Falls Community College.
“I think people have a good chance of going places in the USISL,” Crithfield said. “I like the direction, the discipline, the way the team and league are being handled.”
After a slow start, Crithfield showed last weekend the soccer prowess that made him captain of the Huskies, scoring both Spokane goals en route to a 2-1 victory over the Everett Bigfoot. And, he says, the best is yet to come.
“I wasn’t in great physical condition when I first came here,” Crithfield said. “But I’ve worked myself into shape and we’re starting to gel as a team.”
In the only meeting this year between Spokane and Yakima, two weeks ago, the Reds pulled out a 3-2 win over the host Shadow in a game that Spokane controlled, but let slip away.
Crithfield believes it will be different this time because the Shadow knows how to defend finesse-minded Yakima.
“We have to shut them down at midfield because they have good dribblers there,” Crithfield said.
The Spokane-Yakima game will be the Shadow’s last at home before it heads on a two-game road trip in Everett next Saturday and then against the Reds again in two weeks.
Tickets for tonight’s game are $5 for adults and $3 for children with discounts for soccer teams.
Attendance up
According to Spokane general manager Jeff Heimbigner, the Shadow have averaged 2,500 fans per game.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Heimbigner said. “We were planning on 500 a game.”