



Mike Ramos was the first player to score a hat trick in the history of the Evergreen Premier League. His 11 goals in 2014 was second in the circuit and he led the Spokane Shadow to the first-ever league title. Then Ramos enrolled at Whitworth (Spokane) and led the Pirates to the post-season while being named a Division III All-American. Now Mike has been drafted #50 overall by Toronto FC of Major League Soccer!

Here are some highlights and links about Ramos:

Spokane’s Ramos chosen by Toronto FC in MLS SuperDraft

A former standout at Walla Walla CC (2009-10) and Seattle University (2011), he re-ignited his professional aspirations playing for the Spokane Shadow of EPLWA over the summer, leading the team to the league’s inaugural championship and finishing second in EPLWA scoring with 11 goals.

The revival led to his return to the collegiate game as he joined the hometown program at Whitworth. He led the team in scoring with 14 goals and 12 assists and was named the conference player of the year along with numerous other awards, including NSCAA All-American honors.

Ramos Selected by Toronto FC in MLS SuperDraft

“I’m extremely happy for Mikey and I think this is one of the capstone moments in a long road for him and his career,” Cathey said. “And I know that he’s going to be successful at the next level because of his determination and passion that he exudes every day.”

After learning he was drafted, Ramos said he shared an emotional phone call with his mother in coming to realization with the significance of the moment.

“Realizing that after all the hard work I’ve put in to get to this point, it’s finally here — it’s a good feeling,” Ramos said.

Shadow striker Mike Ramos shows you can go home again

At 6-feet and 165 pounds, Ramos is a lithe, versatile striker who is just as comfortable in the setup role. In last week’s 2-0 win at Bellingham, Ramos set up both goals, in the 29th minute to Colin Shockman and in second-half stoppage time to Timmy Mueller to set up Saturday’s home match against ELPWA leader South Sound FC.

But Ramos is a scorer first; he notched the league’s first hat trick of the year in a crucial 3-2 win at Wenatchee on May 25.

Ramos credits Brown for much of his success. “He’s really focused on having a winning mentality and making sure that players don’t tune out during games.

“That can’t happen at the highest level, and the difference between the highest level and this level isn’t that much,” Ramos said.

Michael Ramos Finds Success at Home After a Journey Around the World

Ramos returned to the Spokane area and was linked up with Spokane Shadow of the Evergreen Premier League (EPLWA). After his lengthy journey, returning home

seemed to spark the genius within Ramos. He led the team in scoring with 11 goals, good enough for second overall in the EPLWA. The Shadow managed to capture the EPLWA title on the final day of the season with a 3-0 win over Wenatchee United. Ramos scored the third goal of the match. After the season, he made the decision to enroll at nearby Whitworth University in order to continue his collegiate soccer career and finish his degree in sociology.

Whitworth’s Ramos Receiving MLS Interest Before Draft

Ramos has also been invited to an assessment week held at the end of January for the Sacramento Republic FC, a United Soccer League Pro team. His play also garnered interest from the San Jose Earthquakes, who invited him to attend a combine last month. He was unable to attend because the San Jose combine was held the same weekend as the Seattle combine, Cathey said.

“We’re just fortunate that Mikey has had great opportunities over the last month to showcase himself at the highest level,” Cathey said. “I think he’s done really well.”

The four-round MLS SuperDraft takes place Thursday, Jan. 15. Cathey is hopeful that Ramos may be drafted, but regardless said he believes Ramos will likely be playing professionally at some level in the coming months.

“I’m pretty convinced that he’ll be playing professionally starting in the next few months or over the summer when the USL and NASL start,” Cathey said. “So that’s also an amazing accomplishment for him because I think that’s his dream. For us, we’re happy that we helped become the avenue for him to follow his dreams.”