Dylen Teves - Riks Rewarded

BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When Dylan Teves was 15-years old as a promising soccer prodigy in Kailua, Hawaii, he was at the crossroads of his playing future. Folks he trusted were telling him that if he hoped to be recruited, if he hoped to play in a big-time college program, or even professional soccer one day, he would have to leave the island.

They told him that he needed to test his skills on the mainland, increasing his exposure and hastening his development against enhanced competition. That’s what he chose to do, taking a leap of faith as wide as the ocean, the Pacific, in this case.

Dylan decided to come to Seattle. He was all in. What he didn’t expect was that the whole Teves family was all in as well. In a grand show of support, his parents decided to pull up stakes in Kailua, buy a house in Renton, Wash., and enroll Dylan and his younger sister Liv in the Issaquah school system. Dylan played soccer for Liberty High School (Liv plays there now).

Those who cared would share Dylan’s dream. “My mother (Tracy) sacrificed a lot, leaving friends, family, loved ones, the food, the weather,” said Dylan, a redshirt junior midfielder and critical performer for the first-ranked Washington Huskies soccer team. “I’m grateful to them for their support. I know a lot of families would be hesitant. They were really supportive, that’s for sure.”

Dylan’s father, a pilot for then Sino Jet, had the flexibility and freedom to move anywhere. He just needed to commute to his job from across the world, but it was worth it to watch his son’s career evolve. Yet he also went through some unexpected sacrifices during the transition caused by the pandemic. He was restricted to flights in and around Hong Kong, preventing him from traveling back to Seattle. “We were eight months without him,” Dylan said. “It’s been tough on him. He sacrificed, too.”

As Dylan embarked on his Seattle journey, there were times when he worried that this major family uprooting would turn into a regrettable misadventure. Would this be one big mistake? Maybe his teenage dream of playing for a top-level NCAA Division I program was someone else's dream. “This was a big game-changer for me,” he said. “I was never really super confident in my abilities. I was telling coaches that my dream was to play in Division II or Division III programs.”

His life and career trajectory changed shortly after his arrival when he played in an ODP (Olympic Development Program) tournament in Arizona. His play caught the attention of the Sounders Academy scouts. He was recruited to play for the Sounders’ development team, the Tacoma Defiance, playing two years for the Sounders’ U-17 team. “It’s a development program and the goal is to sign home-grown players and get them to play professionally (one day) with the team,” he said. “The Sounders have my rights.”

Defiance was an ideal platform for Washington Huskies Head Coach Jamie Clark to monitor the progress of the players. He not only offered Dylan a scholarship as a junior at Liberty but also a couple of his Defiance teammates, UW goalkeeper Sam Fowler of Issaquah and former UW defender (now with Houston Dynamo FC) Ethan Bartlow of Woodinville.

Dylan’s big leap had paid dividends, recruited to play for a major college program with the prospect of fulfilling his dream of playing professionally one day. He had come a long way in just a few years but also understood the challenges ahead.

Just being on the UW roster did not guarantee he would get on the field. “You have to really work hard and show how bad you want it and show to all the coaches and players that you belong on the field,” he said. “That’s the hardest part, seizing on the opportunities when you get them. You have the understanding that as a player you definitely have to earn your spot at U-Dub because there are so many high caliber players,” he added. “Jamie struggles to pick a lineup because every single player on the roster can start and play.”

Dylan is a standout player with quick feet, skilled footwork, and an accurate passer with great field vision. His problem is, he doesn’t stand out, at least not in the team photo. He is just 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds. “He certainly plays a lot larger than his stature,” said Clark, the UW coach. “That’s the beauty of our game. It’s not dictated by size. It’s dictated by quickness, balance and agility. He’s got that all in spades. “He turns on a dime. He matches up against bigger guys and twists and turns them and causes them all sorts of havoc. He’s a treat to watch and a treat to coach.”

When he played back in Hawaii, Dylan was an effective striker and rapid scorer. But as his teammates and opponents began towering over him, he didn’t have the height or the hops for headers. He moved to midfield, where he’s effective setting up the forward line. “When you’re a smaller player you have to bring something else to the table, bringing it behind, 1-v-1, crossing to some of the bigger guys who can do all the damage in the air,” Dylan said. “A lot of it is thinking ahead before you hit the ball, knowing what your options are. When you think faster than your opponent, then you don’t have to be bigger than him.”

This doesn’t mean he’s there just to serve and assist. He knows his way to the crease. He had the game-winner against Stanford last season. He had a brace against Seattle University. He slotted a goal and an assist against UCLA. He had a three-assist game – the first time for a Husky since 1999 – against Gonzaga. He also scored an overtime golden goal PK to beat San Diego State.

This season, Teves scored one of the most crucial early-season goals. In the Huskies' Pac-12 Conference opener Sept. 30 against No. 13 San Diego State, he launched a low rocket just to the right of Aztecs’ keeper for the 1-0 winner in the 94thminute. That pushed Washington’s record to 8-0, matching the 2006 team as the best start in school history.

Coach Jamie Clark

In 47 games – 32 starts – entering this season, Dylan has scored 13 goals with 15 assists. He led the Huskies in scoring last season with 19 points in 13 games, third in the Pac-12. That helped him earn first-team All-American honors last season and was named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. The trophy is given to the top male and female collegiate soccer players in the country. He is the third Husky to be so honored, joining Blake Bodily in 2019 and Taylor Peay in 2013.

This all has made him forever thankful that he listened to those who suggested that he settle in Seattle and for his family members’ faith in this veiled journey.

Seattle proved to be the essential launching point for his dreams. And the dreams of so many others. The Husky roster bulges with 14 players from the greater Seattle area or the state along with two from Oregon and one from Idaho. (The UW women’s team also has 14 players on the roster from the area/state and two from Oregon). “There’s a lot of talent in this area,” Dylan said. “The soccer culture here is contagious.”

Dylan believes the major reason for that is the Seattle Sounders, which began play in 2009 and won the Major League Soccer championship twice and were runners-up twice. The Sounders’ success and style of play have served as inspirations for aspiring players in the region as well as facilitating their development.

“So many move through the soccer system here,” Dylan said. “They’ve grown up watching the Sounders, going through the Sounders Academy, Crossfire Academy, Eastside FC, all these clubs that really emphasize what the Sounders do. They emphasize a winning culture. It’s in the DNA in Seattle.”

The Huskies, with eight trips to the NCAA Tournament over the past 10 seasons, also have developed a winning culture. Dylan said the team’s primary characteristic is its superb team conditioning. “Most of the time the second half is when we get the most chances,” he said, “when other teams start to get tired. We have so much depth it helps overpower teams in final minutes of the game.”

Indeed, in the team’s first eight games – all victories – the Huskies scored 12 of their 17 goals in the second half, or beyond. Four goals came in overtime wins.

Dylan’s most conspicuous characteristic is his commitment to routines. In fact, his teammates have been known to call him “Robot.” He arrives at least 90 minutes before each match and meticulously runs through his hamstring work, band work and visualization exercises. “I want to make sure my body and mind are ready,” he said.

His routines are born out of necessity and prevention. He missed seven games his sophomore season with a strained MCL and doesn’t want to miss another because his college career “is going too fast.”

With the NCAA granting collegiate athletes an extra year of eligibility, Dylan can extend his Husky experience. He’s uncertain. “I try to stay in the present,” he says, “I’m not sure of my options, but I do want to play professionally one day.”

Whatever he decides, wherever his career may take him, it’s likely that the Teves family members will be checking out airline fares, neighborhoods and housing prices.