College soccer in the Pacific Northwest had only just begun. The season was short, the coaches part-time and there was precious little fan support or media coverage. There were scores and standings and not much else. Yet, as for those latter two categories, unfashionable Western Washington State College’s men’s club program cast an outsized shadow.

Now, some 55 years later, let the record show that, a) it did happen, b) it was no fluke, and c) there is a story to tell of the small but mighty Vikings and their four-year rule over frustrated varsity foes who were confounded by a band of students who funded their own trips, lined their own fields and largely picked their own lineups.

While being high achievers, the Western men of yore were never accused of taking themselves too seriously or over-training. In fact, they won admiration from opponents and Western varsity athletes who recognized their qualities, both on and off the pitch. They were more than teammates; they were tightknit friends and remain so to this day. More than anything, that might’ve been the secret to their success.

A League of Their Own

As athletic director of the state’s most established and resourced men’s soccer program, Joe Kearney must have envisioned that the new conference he was founding would only fortify that status. The University of Washington could now adjust its sights on competing for national recognition.

Ahead of the 1968 season, Kearney, the Huskies’ AD, had cobbled together the four-school Western Washington Soccer Conference, the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. He also would serve as commissioner. Joining UW would be newly launched varsity programs at Seattle University and Seattle Pacific, plus the student-organized club from Western Washington.

All credit to Kearney, who unlike his successor, demonstrably cared about non-revenue-producing programs such as soccer. It had taken a couple years for the sport to reach critical mass to create a league. But back then, if anyone had asked Kearney or anyone else what they would predict for the formative first few years of the WWSC, it would’ve been Washington as overwhelmingly perennial favorite, with Seattle U. and Seattle Pacific to follow.

Instead, in reality, the boys from Bellingham would bolt out of the gate and turn the whole thing upside down. For the first four years of the league’s existence, Western Washington would either win outright or share the WWSC championship each year.

No Experience Needed

John Miles was Western’s assistant student activities director in 1968. He had played a little on the intramural fields as a grad student, so when students approached him about forming a club, he was receptive. A meeting was scheduled, and flyers posted; students of all abilities were welcome.

“No students came to Western to play soccer,” noted Miles. “When we practiced, you could see some who had the moves and the speed. They had come out of the woodwork and wanted to play. The American guys were more physical, if you will, and they learned from the other guys.”

Manfred Kuerstan and Glenn Hindin immediately stood out. Kuerstan, from West Germany, attacked from the wings. Hindin, who ventured down from Vancouver, operated at center forward. He came equipped with quick feet and a ferocious shot.

Pat Garrett had never played a minute of soccer before arriving on campus. He had originally come to Western to play football, but a knee injury nixed that. Garrett, possessing good hands, big size (200 pounds) and the ability to throw far downfield, was encouraged to tryout and became one of the goalkeepers.

“It was amazing who came out,” recalled Miles, who held the title of head coach but was primarily focused on providing administrative support; the players largely coached themselves. “Western had more than doubled in size and had an agreement with neighboring states and B.C. that allowed their students to pay in-state tuition. We also had foreign students on campus – from Germany, Peru and Iran – who really knew how to play.”

Quickly Finding Their Feet

A couple weeks after forming the ‘68 team came the Vikings’ first test. They would venture down nearly-completed Interstate 5 to Seattle for a mid-morning game against Washington. It was at Husky Stadium and is thought to be the first collegiate soccer match played on artificial turf. Having grown accustomed to Astroturf following a few practices, the Huskies dashed out to a 3-1 lead by halftime and won, 5-1.

Western would find firmer footing in the weeks to come, surprising Seattle University with a 1-1 draw in the home opener at Sehome High School. Five weeks after losing to UW, the Vikings hosted the return game at Shuksan Junior High. They came from 2-nil down behind Hindin’s two second-half goals for a 3-2 victory, tying the Huskies for first place in the WWSC. Hindin would finish his first season with 10 goals in six outings.

Washington’s loss forced a playoff with Seattle U. three days later to determine the Northwest’s first representative in the NCAA tournament. Western, not being a sanctioned varsity program, was not eligible. It finished the 1968 campaign with an identical league record to UW, at 3-1-2. The Huskies’ reward for an overtime win against SU was a humiliating, 16-0 loss at San Francisco.

A Club with Few Perks

Garrett claimed players were content with foregoing postseason opportunities because club status made it possible to play year-round, both in fall and a spring B.C. league.

“We didn’t have all the eligibility rules that governed varsity schools,” noted Miles. “You just had to be a Western student.”

There would’ve been advantages to varsity, of course. Equipment, transportation, field space, to name a few.

“We had no place to play,” disclosed Miles. “We had no equipment, no goals, no nets, no practice field. The university gave us no money.

“We built goals; students who welded put them together, and they were portable. We used city parks for practices and schools for games, and those fields were mud toward the end of the season. We ordered uniforms in Vancouver and snuck them through customs. It was all on a shoestring.”

For road games, players would cram into Miles’s VW van, with the rest driving their own cars and chipping in for gas. The hardships were worn as a badge of honor. No rules? No worries. Besides, the lack of oversight meant players could detour to a pub on the way back home.

The comradery extended to life beyond the field. Players rented rooms and houses together in Fairhaven. They held regular poker nights. Beyond partygoers, they loved the game and sought to share it with the surrounding community.

“We tried to get a youth program going in Bellingham,” said Miles. “The guys were willing to be coaches. We weren’t able to do it on our own, but a few years later it took off. We regarded ourselves as promoters of the game, and it’s satisfying how it turned out.”

The Canadian Connection

Western Washington would only grow stronger the next season. In autumn 1969, three freshmen from Vancouver’s Winston Churchill Secondary again took advantage of the tuition break to come across the border.

Bob Mills, Bobby Hansen and George Gray no sooner moved into their dorms when they heard about tryouts. “It was great, just a fabulous group of guys,” said Mills, who was attracted to the education program. “I wanted to be a teacher, and Western’s a great school for that. I loved it.”

On the U.S. side of the border, there was an added incentive to attending college. “A lot of the guys there were on student deferment,” said Mills, “so they didn’t have to go to the Vietnam war.”

Donn James was one of the few Americans arriving in Bellingham with any relative experience. His family had lived in West Germany, and he had played three years there. After an autumn with soccer, James planned to play varsity baseball at Western in the spring.

James was a defender with a knack for slide-tackling and he had the scraped limbs to show for it. According to Miles, the players’ tactical system was heavily tilted toward attacking formation.

Miles was confident the squad would be stronger. There was greater depth and, unlike the year before, spirited competition for positions. Hansen and Gray joined Hindin and Kuerstan to form a prolific front line. The Vikings scored nearly as many goals as UW and Seattle U combined, averaging 3.25 goals per game.

“Hindin was quick, good with either foot and fun to watch,” James said, “and didn’t take any crap.”

“Usually, Glenn would take two touches and fire,” recalled Garrett. “He was quick and hit a brutal shot.”

“For me to score 11 goals and Hindin eight goals, we had a lot of skills,” said Gray. “I wasn’t big. I anticipated where the ball was going. A lot of anticipation, a lot of luck.”

The Huskies Vikings Rivalry

After outscoring teams 13-4 in the first four outings, Western hosted Washington at Shuksan and absorbed a 4-2 loss. Ten days later came the rematch at Husky Stadium.

After being held without goals by the Huskies, Gray scored twice, Hindin once, and Bruce McLeod had a hat trick in an emphatic, 6-2 victory. “That won the league for us,” said Garrett.

 “We had a good team, we won and were pretty happy about it,” beamed Mills. “I mean, it’s U-Dub, a huge school, and they had all the bells and whistles, and we were this shitty little club. So, when we played and beat UW at their place, we were in seventh heaven.”

As it turned out, the Vikings still needed to avoid a loss in their final two games to clinch the conference crown outright. Hindin scored five goals in those games, a 2-2 draw at Seattle U. and a 4-2 home win over Seattle Pacific.

“Of all the teams we played, our games with Western were the most gut-wrenching, and Glenn was an incredible player,” said Joe Zavaglia, Seattle University’s star midfielder. “I always felt it was a bigger challenge to play Western than to play UW.

“Especially their Canadian guys, they were very focused, aggressive, and had excellent ball control,” noted Zavaglia. “Their midfield was tough. They just seemed to be well conditioned. No cheap shots, just a clean, hard game. And after the game, you talked with Western guys, and they were just great.”

Washington’s Mike Cvitkovic acknowledged that while most teams had international players, Western was the most cohesive. “Their biggest problem,” said Garrett of UW, “was communication. They had better skilled players, but they never really put it together.”

“Us Canadian guys pretty much knew each other and bonded,” said Mills. “We had all these guys who saw eye to eye on the field and as friends.”

“We got along very well and had a lot of fun playing,” said Gray. “We were a small university, but we were mighty. That made a difference.”

Despite Changes, Western Keeps Winning

Gray would leave school to return home to Vancouver in 1970. Hindin remained as an attacking focal point while Mills picked up much of the scoring slack, scoring six goals.

Washington was the only opponent to defeat Western, a 3-2 win in Seattle. However, the Vikings had already secured the title after going unbeaten through the first eight matches. The spectator turnouts remained very modest yet there was a growing respect among their peers.

“Most of the (Western) athletes were aware of us because we were a winning program, but the school in general wasn’t particularly aware of us,” said James. “I had to twist my girlfriend’s arm to watch a game.”

Players would still line their field, pump-up balls and fill the gas tank for road trips. “We were certainly the school’s stepchild,” said Miles. “We had nothing, and there was some resentment. But the guys were happy to have comradery, and it was cool to be a part of something special.”

A Last Hurrah

In 1971, off-field matters had a direct effect on the Canadian connection. Boeing, the state’s largest employer, failed to receive any domestic airline orders in 1970 and the supersonic jet program’s government support ended that same year. That took a toll on state finances. Suddenly, the favorable tuition program ended, and Hansen and Mills transferred back to B.C. when, Mills said, class fees increased by five-fold (resident tuition rose 24 percent).

Still, seniors Hindin and Kuerstan returned for their fourth and final year. Greg Wesslius and Hector Perazo, an Argentine, helped compensate for offensive losses, and a defense featuring ironman James (never substituted during his career), Bill Carr and Dave Asher once more provided a firm foundation.

Western won its opener over an NCAA tournament-bound Seattle Pacific and lost only one of the first seven games, including a sweep of Washington for the first time. A brace from Wesslius helped rally the Vikings for a 3-1 win over UW in Seattle. In November, at Bloedel Donovan Park on Lake Whatcom, they pummeled the Huskies, 5-1. Carr’s long throws led to three of the goals, and Joe Peterson scored twice.

In what proved to be the final week of the Western Washington Soccer Conference’s existence, Western virtually clinched a fourth consecutive title with a scoreless draw at runner-up Seattle U. Following the season, the WWSC dissolved, to be replaced by the expanded Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference.

Lasting History, Lasting Bonds

While Western Washington would slip from contention in their remaining years as a club and the start of the varsity program in 1981, their feats from 1968-71 would be historic. In the combined, 26-year existence of the WWSC and NCSC, no other men’s program won four consecutive shared or outright championships.

Seattle University’s Zavaglia still holds great respect for his team’s adversary.

“They were a team that deserved recognition and probably never got it,” said Zavaglia. “There was a lot of admiration for Western. What I loved about them is they never gave up and had a great work ethic. I was in awe that they were so tough but great guys. You’d go drinking with them afterward.”

The bonds of those teams have held strong. There have been active, long-distance relationships between individuals and reunions. The latest reunion, organized by Gary Byron and held in Bellingham, came on the 50^th anniversary of the fourth championship, in 2021. “A lot of beers drunk and lies told,” quipped Miles.

“What a great bunch of guys and really close, really tight,” said Mills, who went on to a 48-year career in radio broadcasting. “It was a tremendous atmosphere of friendship that remains to this day. We have a lot of fun, a really good time getting together, exchanging emails or texts. It brings back those days.”

Said Mills: “My two years playing for Western are still two of the best years of my life.”