Ellington

The Washington men’s soccer team ended its season in shock.

After finishing the regular season ranked No. 19 in the nation and compiling a 12-4-2 record, the Huskies were left out of the 48-team NCAA tournament field. But with the disappointing end to the 2011 season in the rearview, four Washington seniors received credit for the solid season the team put together.

On Jan. 4, senior captain Brent Richards signed a contract with the Portland Timbers of the MLS, while fellow senior Jacob Hustedt had his name called just eight days later at the MLS SuperDraft. He was selected 25th overall by the San Jose Earthquakes.

Jamie Finch and Abdul Aman were selected in the MLS Supplemental Draft on Jan. 17. Finch was picked in the second round by the Columbus Crew, and Aman will stay in Seattle to try to earn a spot on the Sounders FC roster after they made him a third-round selection.

For Richards, signing with the Timbers means being right next to home. The Camas, Wash., native had been talking with Portland prior to the MLS draft combines, so when he had the opportunity to sign with the team he grew up following, he couldn’t pass.

“This is something that I’ve always wanted to do since I was little and to be able to do it in Portland, where it’s really close to my hometown, is incredible,” Richards said. “I’ll be able to play in front of my parents — in front of my family and friends — so I’m really excited for that aspect of it.”

Hustedt’s route to the MLS would be a little different. He was scheduled to make stops at multiple combines until he broke his leg at the first one, which San Jose hosted.

The initial thought was that Hustedt’s injury would hurt his draft stock, most likely making him a supplemental draft selection. He was as surprised as anyone when he found out the Earthquakes had selected him.

In fact, a lot of people knew Hustedt got picked before he did.

“I was watching [the draft] at my girlfriend’s house and it cut out right before San Jose picked,” Hustedt said. “So I was just sitting there and then I got a text saying ‘congrats,’ … then I got a whole bunch of phone calls and went and looked online and my name was up there.”

After four weeks with a walking boot and crutches, Hustedt is now walking without the boot and will start practicing with his new teammates within the next few weeks. He arrived in San Jose just over a week ago.

Finch had a pretty good idea that the supplemental draft was where he would end up after performing at combines held by San Jose and Seattle. At the end of the day, where he ended up didn’t matter. He’s just happy to have an opportunity to make an MLS roster.

“I was a little bit nervous to see where I’d end up,” he said. “I heard some rumors and whatnot, but wasn’t really sure how serious interest was and what was going to happen, but I’m definitely excited.”

Hustedt and Richards spent the second half of the 2011 season playing up front together at forward, and after only a few matches, the two became a force to be reckoned with. Richards led the UW with 10 goals, and Hustedt finished second on the team with six.

Head men’s soccer coach Jamie Clark enjoyed the opportunity to coach both Hustedt and Richards in his first year at the UW. But now, he’s faced with a dilemma — replacing them.

“We’re going to miss those two because they’re both team players who work for the team,” Clark said. “But they had the individual talent to break teams by themselves, so it was fun coaching them.”

Once things started clicking, it was very evident to Richards that what he and Hustedt were able to do up front was something special.

“We were always connecting,” Richards said. “It was cool we were able to do that in less than a year. In a couple months, we were able to establish that connection. It was fun.”

But the fun in college soccer didn’t start for Hustedt until he arrived at the UW for his senior year. He spent three years playing for Cal Poly as a midfielder, which also appears to be the position he will play for the Earthquakes. However, his year as a Husky gave him a chance to play forward.

By the time the season ended, it was almost expected that Hustedt — and Richards, for that matter — would be involved offensively, whether it was a goal or an assist. The switches from Cal Poly to the UW and from midfield to striker are moves that Hustedt doesn’t regret.

“[Washington] was completely different [than Cal Poly],” he said. “I was happy, I was enjoying it, [and] I was doing well. I loved the coaching staff and I loved the players and the program. Just a better experience.”

While Richards and Hustedt got particularly close on the field in the year they played together, Finch and Richards have played together for four. This past year, they were roommates, as well.

On Tuesday night, the two were moving out at the same time — Richards reported to Portland on Friday, and Finch is making arrangements to fly out to Columbus. The process of leaving their apartment has been bittersweet.

“He’s probably one of my best friends on the team now, if not my best friend on the team,” Finch said of Richards. “It’s kind of sad [moving out], but we had some good times as roommates.”

The MLS could present a challenge in terms of physicality for Richards, who, at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, is slightly undersized in terms of MLS forwards.

“They’re all men who are full-grown,” Richards said of MLS players. “So I’m going to have to step up to that and put in the hard work to get to their level. And maybe I won’t have the height, but hopefully I’ll be able to have the strength.”

Clark believes Richards’ all-around game will translate well into his career as a professional.

“I think his versatility is going to allow him to be on the field sooner rather than later in the MLS,” he said.

The Huskies getting snubbed in the NCAA tournament could end up being a useful lesson for the four seniors moving on to MLS opportunities. There’s no guarantee that they’ll make the rosters of the respective teams that drafted and signed them, just as there was no guarantee of making the tournament as the No. 19 team in the nation.

The MLS provides a new challenge, and Finch best summed up the road that is ahead of him and his former teammates: “A draft pick is by no means meaning that you’re on the roster.”

Reach reporter Pete Treperinas at sports@dailyuw.com or on Twitter @petetreperinas.