Spokane Shadow men’s soccer team begins new era in national league

He’s proud to follow in his father’s footsteps, but new Spokane Shadow coach Cameron Bushey is breaking a new trail.

Only 27, Bushey is the new coach of the Spokane Shadow, who also are moving into new territory: the entire United States.

Already, the Shadow are three matches into a new affiliation with the National Premier Soccer League, a 91-team national organization that technical director Abbas Faridnia calls the “highest level we can provide.”

Spokane soccer fans will see it firsthand in the home opener on Sunday, when the Shadow host PDX FC of Portland. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Spokane Falls Community College.

The Shadow (1-0-2) are off to a solid start, drawing twice on the road before taking a 2-1 win last weekend at Pierce County.

“We probably should have one more win,” Bushey said.

“It’s a stronger league, with better athletes and more consistency between teams,” said Bushey, noting that no match in the six-team Northwest Conference has been decided by more than two goals.

That’s a big contrast to the Evergreen Premier League, where the Shadow won a pair of titles in 2014 and 2015 under former coach Chad Brown.

“What we have now is a higher level of athleticism,” said Bushey, whose club has risen to the occasion.

The Shadow had already committed to the new league by the time Brown stepped down this spring, leaving Faridnia with some pleasant choices before settling on Bushey.

“His energy, his passion … will be reflected by the team,” Faridnia said.

That is a reflection of Cameron’s father Sean, a former Whitworth coach who led the Shadow during their original incarnation in the 1990s.

“He was a huge role model for me,” said Cameron, a former Shadow youth coach who also worked with Sean for Colorado Rush of the D-League.

“I’ve been influenced by him as a coach, but then he’s a role model for anyone he comes into contact with,” said Bushey, who played for his father at Whitworth from 2008-11.

The Whitworth ties continue on this year’s Shadow squad – a credit to coach Morgan Cathey, who succeeded Sean Bushey in 2013.

“We have more guys from Whitworth than in years past,” Cameron said. “The work Morgan has been doing has been impressive, not just with their play but their character.”

The team captain is former Whitworth defender Spencer Wolfe, who’s joined on the back line by former Pirate Kyle Morris. Other ex-Whitworth players include forward Drew Williams of North Central High and 29-year-old midfielder Jess Retan of Cheney.

“He’s been awesome – a coach within our club,” Bushey said of Retan.

Other familiar faces include midfielder Nick Hamer (Gonzaga University/Mead High), forward Johnny Cortez (Community Colleges of Spokane/Moses Lake) and defenders Kelly Kyllo (CCS/Lakeside High), Ivan Adame (CCS) and Jackson Moore (Pacific Lutheran/Lewis and Clark High).

Also back are Central Valley product Chase Reidt (CCS) and Tyler Smith, a Mt. Spokane product who’s bound for the University of Washington.

Bushey and his players adapted well to the new league.

“With our style of play, we have a variety of ways that we attack,” Bushey said. “Our opponents are attacking mostly by crossing, but we’re combining through the middle and finding different ways to create chances.”