Adam Jahn, shown here in a 2014 game versus Charleston, is on loan to the Sacramento Republic FC. The former Davis resident and Jesuit High and Stanford star should be in the Republic’s starting lineup on Saturday. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise file photo

Local soccer fans received a pleasant surprise last Thursday — the day before the Sacramento Republic FC opener — when Davis native Adam Jahn was again sent from his employer, the San Jose Earthquakes, on loan to the Republic.

Jahn, 25, spent the majority of the inaugural Republic season in 2014 with the club, scoring six goals in 17 games, while helping Sacramento win the league title.

The former Jesuit star started and played 80 minutes in the Republic’s 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Friday, drawing the penalty kick that set up the winning goal in Tukwila, Wash.

“I thought the team did awesome,” Jahn told the Enterprise. “I think right from the get-go we just outplayed them, out-hustled them. The 1-0 win was deserved.

“A lot of their guys were first-teamers being loaned down, so there were a lot of good players on the field. At the end of the day it’s just a game, we were just trying to win the game, and that’s what we did.”

In early 2013, MLS and the third division league then called USL PRO (now just USL) announced an agreement that would require all MLS teams to affiliate with a lower-division club, and send at least four players on loan to those clubs at all times.

Some teams, such as the Sounders and LA Galaxy, chose to create their own USL teams to keep all the lending in house.

Others, like the Earthquakes, chose to partner with existing USL clubs. In early 2014, the Republic announced affiliations with both the Portland Timbers and the Earthquakes. Portland has since created its own USL squad.

As part of the agreement, players such as Jahn and Granite Bay’s Tommy Thompson were featured in the state’s capital, getting valuable playing time when they were unable to crack the starting lineup of their MLS club.

After initially making an impact in MLS, scoring four goals in 2013 after being drafted in what amounted to the third round of the MLS draft, Jahn’s playing time fell off the map.

Following his loan stint to the Republic in 2014, many pundits expected the towering striker to break into the Earthquake’s lineup in 2015. But Jahn saw sparse playing time due, in part, to the emergence of UC Davis alum Quincy Amarikwa.

Instead of a loan back to the Republic for playing time last year, relations between San Jose and Sacramento reportedly began to sour under head coach Preki and Earthquake manager Dominic Kinnear.

Then Preki resigned and was replaced by new coach Paul Buckle, who appeared to make the affiliation a priority. He brought in Thompson and two other San Jose players at the end of the year.

This brings us full circle, and though Jahn still will train mostly with the Earthquakes — and be available for selection for them — he expects to play for Sacramento when his schedule allows this year.

So is he frustrated to be back contributing in a lower league than MLS?

“I’m not frustrated at all,” the soft-spoken Jahn said. “I was grateful for the opportunity to play this weekend. It’s hard to come by full games. Whenever you have a chance to play one, you should always take it.”

With always a positive attitude, Jahn also denied that it was difficult to go from one location to another, lacking the continuity of the same teammates day in and day out.

“It’s not too challenging fitting into either team because I know both teams well, I know both coaches well and they’re very straightforward about what they want and how to play,” he said. “They make that part really easy. This travel back and forth … it’s not that bad. You get used to it.

“Being able to play outweighs any cost or uncomfortable situation. It isn’t really that bad.”

Plus, there’s the added benefit of having a sister living in Sacramento who gives Jahn a place to stay when he’s on loan.

Erica, 29, also serves as club seating manager for the Republic, where among other things, she works the phone to bring people to Bonney Field.

“I am Adam’s biggest fan, so it’s amazingly cool to be able to say on the phone, ‘Hey, do you want to come watch my brother play soccer this season?’ ” said Erica, who starred at the D-III University of Redlands for four years. “I love having him in Sac because I get to see him every day and we both get to work toward a common goal of bringing Major League Soccer to this city.”

As nice as the timing has been with Erica working for the Republic and the affiliation agreement, the goal for Adam Jahn is still to break into the first team with the Earthquakes.

To do that, he’ll have to displace the aforementioned Amarikwa, who has been one of the best players in the league since his mid-season trade to San Jose in 2015. The Earthquakes also boast one of the best pure goal-scorers in U.S. soccer history in Chris Wondolowski.

Known as “Wondo,” the Danville native was a journeyman MLS player until, as a 27-year-old, he led MLS in scoring with 18 goals.

Wondo hasn’t looked back, scoring 112 MLS goals and earning 31 caps with the men’s national team.

“Wondo’s a great example of just dogged determination and never giving up,” Jahn said. “He took advantage of an opportunity whenever it came. You never know when it will come or how long it will be until you get one. He just started scoring and hasn’t stopped.

“If I’ve learned anything from him it’s just the importance of scoring goals, that’s the job of a forward, and that’s how you earn your living. Find ways to score. That’s what I try to do.

“Be a poacher like Wondo, just get in and get a foot or a head on the end of any cross.”

Notes: Arizona United FC comes to Bonney Field on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. match. Arizona is 1-1 in the West standings. Visit http://www.sacrepublicfc.com for ticket information.

— Reach Evan Ream at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @EvanReam