Oregon State Men's Soccer: West Coast Conference Preview

We're wrapping up our preseason coverage of the Oregon State Men's Soccer Team with a look at the rest of the West Coast Conference. Last year the Beavers finished third in the conference, a bit disappointing for a team that was a preseason favorite.

Now it's 2025 and the Beavers once again have a strong team on paper. Could they take the WCC title this year? Here's a quick look at what the rest of the West Coast Conference looks like.

Oregon State gets tested right away, with a trip to San Francisco on September 27th to take on the Dons. San Francisco was the runner up in the WCC last season, with a 7-6-4 overall record and a 5-1-2 conference record.

San Francisco's lost first team midfielder Gabriel Bracken Serra and first team defender Reid Roberts in the interim, but has targeted veteran transfers in the portal, picking up midfielder Samuel Atiye from UC Irvine, forward Owen Benson from Saint Mary's and defender Matisse Chretien from Green Bay. That may be enough to keep the Dons from losing much ground in the conference race.

On October 4th the Beavers return to Corvallis to face Saint Mary's. The Gaels had a rough 2024, winning only one game in the WCC and two games overall. Freshman midfielder Cesar Batres was the bright spot on the roster last season, picking up conference All Freshman and Second Team honors, and he'll be back for the Gaels in 2025.

Then it's back on the road to face Loyola Marymount on October 10th. The Lions finished fifth in the WCC last season, but were buoyed by the emergence of freshmen Daniel Idiakhoa and Ismail Nieves. Both are back for sophomore seasons and with another year of experience could help the Lions take a step forward.

Oregon State hosts Portland on October 15th. The Beavers and Pilots each finished 2024 with 16 points in the WCC standings, but Oregon State had one more win to break the tie. All WCC midfielder Nick Fernandez has left for the MLS, but freshman Joe Highland, who was also All Conference First Team, is back to be a focal point of the team's offense.

On October 18th Oregon State gets back on the road to face Gonzaga in Spokane. The Bulldogs failed to win a game in the WCC last season. They've aggressively worked the transfer portal, with six incoming transfers (including grabbing midfielder Morgan Olson from Portland), and the team should be better in 2025, but they're not quite a contender yet.

The Beavers stay in Washington to take on the WCC's newest member, Seattle, on October 25th. The Redhawks won the WAC last season before falling to Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They'll want to compete right away in the WCC, but they've suffered some big losses, including three All WAC First Teamers.

Oregon State will be back in Corvallis to face Santa Clara on November 2nd. Last year's Broncos finished sixth in the WCC, but they've brought back All WCC Second Team Defender Naji Elder, and targeted defense in the transfer portal, picking up Princeton's Diego Diaz and Incarnate Word's Tatenda Trust Chigede. They should be a frustrating team to score against.

The Pacific Tigers finished right behind Santa Clara in the WCC standings, and the Beavers travel to Stockton to face them on November 8th. It's hard to see the Tigers getting much better, as they've lost their top two scorers and their goalkeeper.

Finally, on November 15th the Beavers finish their season in Corvallis facing San Diego. San Diego was the class of the West Coast Conference last season, losing only one conference game, and making it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual champions Vermont.

Much of that team returns in 2025, including all conference first teamers Cesar Bahena, Samy Kanaan and Ethan Warne. The big name to replace is last year's WCC Goalkeeper of the Year Donovan Parisian, but the Toreros have three senior goalkeepers on their roster. None of them may be at Parisian's level, but someone should be able to step up.

Oregon State bookends their conference season with the second best team in the WCC and the best team in the WCC. That's tough, but the Beavers do relish big games, and they can compete with any team in the conference.

Exhibition matches get started on August 10th, and the season kicks off on August 21st against UC Santa Barbara. We'll see you then.