Just three more days more days until the Sounders U23s take on the Timbers U23s at Tumwater Stadium. Today Oly Sports takes a look at the Sounders U23 squad who will be in action tonight just a short drive away at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium in the first soccer game played in the newly renovated stadium. The Sounders U23s open a week of Cascadia rivals when they face the Vancouver Whitecaps U23 at 6:00 PM.

Fernando Monge – Photo credit: Chris Coulter/SoundersPhotos.com

As part of the Seattle Sounders Youth Development Program, the Sounders U23 are coached by the program’s director, Darren Sawatzky. Sawatzky has brought home a whole host of local players that left the area for college including midfielder Fernando Monge, an Eastside Catholic alum that played in every game for national semifinalist UCLA, goalkeeper Doug Herrick, who recorded 10 shutouts en route to the elite eight with Saint Mary’s and Universty of Akron freshman All-American DeAndre Yedlin, also an O’Dea alum.

The Sounders have opened their inaugural season with two wins, one loss and two ties and are third in the PDL’s Northwest Division with eight points behind the undefeated Portland Timbers U23s and the defending PDL champion Kitsap Pumas. The Sounders opened the season with a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps U23s in Burnaby. They suffered their worst loss to the Pumas in Bremerton on May 19th and played to a scoreless tie with the Victoria Highlanders in their only home game so far this season.

Monge leads the Sounders with three goals while former Sounders Academy and Highline Community College striker Darwin Jones, Akron’s Aodhan Quinn and Seattle University grad Sean Morris have each added one goal for the Sounders. Morris, a midfielder that works in the Seattle Sounders FC youth program, has been called up twice to the Sounders Reserves and has made appearances against the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA reserves.

One thing that is striking about the Sounders U23 roster is how many local players, including Sounders Academy players, have left the Northwest to play college soccer. The roster is dotted with University of Washington Huskies but the starting lineup is primarily composed of local players from colleges across the nation. Besides Monge, Herrick and Yedlin, the team includes Two Wake Forest Deamon Deacons – Sean Okoli of Federal Way and Anthony Arena of Kenmore, Bellevue’s Liam Kelly originally went to Creighton before transferring to the University of San Francisco, and Federal Way’s Troy Peterson – a sophomore at the College of Charleston.

DeAndre Yedlin – Photo credit: Chris Coulter/SoundersPhotos.com

Sounders FC U23 takes on Portland Timbers FC U23 on Saturday, June 2nd at Tumwater Stadium. Tickets for this historic Cascadia rivalry game are just $10 and can be purchased in advance here or at the gates. first kick is scheduled for 6:00 PM