Former men's soccer player Taurai Daka is currently in the midst of his fourth season professionally with the Charlotte Eagles of the USL. (Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Eagles - Rusty Burroughs)
Corban Spotlight: Warriors in the Pros
SALEM, Ore. – In the third installment of Spotlight: Warriors in the Pros, Corban's Sports Information office, in conjunction with the athletic department, will take a look at the 2008 season for former men's soccer players Taurai Daka (Haraare, Zimbabwe), Brett Bentley (Chandler, Ariz.), and Caleb Louvier (SeaTac, Wash.).
With the addition of men's soccer head coach Dave Irby three years ago, the Warrior program has had an abundance of players that have moved from the collegiate level to the professional ranks since 2006.
Daka, a two-time Cascade Collegiate Conference Player of the Year during his time at then-Western Baptist, is currently a member of the Charlotte Eagles men's program. The Eagles play as part of the Second Division of the United Soccer League (USL). The 5-foot-11 forward has appeared in 11 games this season, scoring a pair goals and handing out one assist for a total of five points.
The former three-time All-Cascade Collegiate Conference 1st team member has played three-plus seasons with the Eagles, amassing 12 goals, 6 assists, and 30 points in 61 games.
Daka is the Warriors' all-time career leader in points (260), goals scored (106), and assists (48). Meanwhile, the high-scoring forward holds the single-season records in Warrior history for total points (78), goals scored (32), and assists (14) which were all tallied during the 2001 season. In the single match record books, Daka either holds or is tied for the school record in points (11, two times), goals scored (5 vs. Northwest, 8/29/03), and assists (3, two times).
In the NAIA record books, Daka ranks fifth all-time in total points, sixth all-time in goals scored, and seventh all-time in assists.
Bentley, who is currently playing for and helping coach the Salem-based Cascade Surge, is in the midst of his second season with the Premier Development League (PDL) team. The 6-foot-1 goalkeeper appeared in one game (65 minutes) for the Surge during the 2006 season before heading to Germany to both play professionally and work in an orphanage.
Upon his return to the states earlier this spring, Bentley rejoined the Surge in a player-coach role and has made six appearances between the pipes. In 464 minutes in goal, Bentley has allowed five goals, registered a 0.969 Goals Against Average (GAA) to lead the team, and recorded 27 saves.
Bentley ranks in the top five all-time in Warrior history in Goals Against Average, as the net-minder accumulated a GAA of 2.37 in two seasons between the pipes.
Following his second season of professional soccer, Bentley will continue his coaching role as he returns to his alma mater to join Irby's staff this fall.
Louvier, the Warriors' only four-time All-Cascade Collegiate Conference 1st team selection, is currently playing his first full season of professional soccer with the Salem-based Cascade Surge. Last season, Louvier joined the Surge but was unable to complete his inaugural campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury.
This season, Louvier has appeared in 14 games for the Surge, while tallying a pair of goals to go along with two assists in registering six points to rank second on the team. The 5-foot-10 team co-captain has played 1,139 minutes this summer to rank fifth on the team in that category.
In the Warrior record books, Louvier ranks fifth in total points (89), fifth in goals scored (35), and seventh in assists (19). In the single match records, Louvier ranks second in goals scored (4 vs. Northwest, 10/8/05) and is tied atop the leader board in assists (3 vs. Willamette, 9/10/05).
Besides the aforementioned trio, current Corban seniors Fernando Karczeski (Curitiba, Brazil) and Tyler Grove (North Marion, Ore.), along with junior Kaleb Herring (Waco, Texas) and sophomore Brendan McCornack (Moses Lake, Wash.), are also members of the Cascade Surge reserve team this summer.
Stay tuned to future Spotlight: Warriors in the Pros for updated information on all men's soccer alumni.