When Andy Craven joined Sounders FC 2, he came from being one the top collegiate soccer players in the country. The NCAA leading goal-scorer and finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, Craven hasn’t missed a beat since moving across the country to join the Rave Green.
The St. Simons Island, Georgia native leads S2 in assists (4) and is tied with Sounders FC Homegrown Player Darwin Jones for the team-lead in goals (5).
“Even though it’s our first year as a team, our familiarity with each other is really coming together,” said Craven. “It takes a lot of teams several years to get to where we are, but this team has adapted quickly and as time goes on, we are going to see that growth because we are still new. We are hungry to win, and with all that combined, it contributes to a good product on the field.”
A good product on the field is exactly what the young team has created. S2 currently sits in first place in the USL Western Conference and has advanced through two rounds of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, earning a place in the Fourth Round against MLS side Real Salt Lake. This is all while balancing a fluctuating roster that includes First Team, S2-specific and Sounders FC Academy players.
“Seeing how these young guys perform in these games has been a testament to what we have in this program and our academy,” said S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson. “It lets me know that our future is bright and that we have young players that are capable of going out and performing.”
At 23 years old, Craven is by no means a veteran of the league, but his cool and calm composure has already earned him the captain’s armband once this season.
“Andy is a staple in the locker room; guys look up to him and listen to him,” said Hendrickson. “He is a natural leader, which is good to see a young player take on that role in his first year. I look forward to great things from him being a part of the Sounders’ future for a long time to come.”
At the rate Craven is producing for S2 now, he’ll start force his way into consideration for the First Team. For now though, the forward is looking to the Open Cup match against RSL as the next big test.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to face an MLS squad,” said Craven. “If we can stay healthy and continue our winning ways, we can go into that game confident. We just need to play our game and not conform to how an older and better team might want to dictate play. We are fighters and we are excited to get the chance to do that at the next level.”
