BREMERTON, WA— The Kitsap Pumas were founded back in 2008 and have played 7 seasons in the Premier Development League (PDL.) The club has been to 2 national finals and won it all in 2011.

This off season the Pumas have been posting a steady stream of “Catching up with…” articles that look at where some of their players and coaches are now. See what they’ve posted so far below. Click the headline to go to the Pumas’ site and read the whole article.

Catching Up: Andrew Chapman

Andrew Chapman, who played an instrumental role in the success of the Kitsap Pumas Soccer Club since their inaugural season in the Premier Development League (PDL) in 2009, concluded his run with the Pumas in 2014 as he coached the club to a Northwest Divisional title, a Western Conference championship and an appearance in the PDL National Final.

While Chapman’s contribution to Kitsap over the past few years has surely helped them to become one of the elite clubs in the entire league, his roots to the Kitsap community run much deeper than even the club he helped build.

Catching Up: Elliot Fauske

The Tacoma Stars of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) recently signed former Kitsap Puma midfielder Elliot Fauske, who played two seasons for the club and was a key component to the squad that won the 2011 Premier Development League (PDL) National Championship.

Fauske not only joins his former teammates Mark Lee and Steve Mohn but also the most recent Kitsap alumni to join the Stars organization Cory Keitz, Mike Ramos and Trevor Jensen.

Fauske, who was born in Seattle, Washington, returns to his roots from Rochester, New York, where he played the last four indoor seasons with the Rochester Lancers. While he has certainly made a successful career out of playing soccer over the past few years his true passion for the game began at a much younger age.

Catching Up: Matt Friesen

For many of the Kitsap Puma’s faithful it seems like just yesterday Matt Friesen scored the magical “no-angle” goal against the Thunder Bay Chill in the 2011 Premier Development League (PDL) National Semifinal- a goal that would ultimately propel the club to claim its first and only PDL National Championship.

Modeling his game after all-time greats such as Zinedine Zidane and Steven Gerrard, Friesen anchored the Kitsap midfield for four seasons from 2009-2012. His outstanding contribution during his time at Kitsap has surely helped pave the way for other players who have come through the small navy town after him.

Friesen, who is still the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, developed a passion for the game at a much later age than most.

Catching Up: Miguel Gonzalez

In the second edition of our “Catching Up With” feature, we speak to former Pumas standout forward Miguel Gonzalez who is now excelling with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks this 2015 USL season.

While his prolific scoring record so far this campaign has thrust him into the national USL spotlight, it hasn’t always been a glamorous road for the dynamic striker.

Following his humble upbringing in Yelm, a small town in Western Washington, Gonzalez was unsure if he would even go on to play soccer at the collegiate level. However, with the help of scholarships he was able to attend Peninsula Community College where he would go on to set both single-season (34) and career scoring records for goals (49) resulting in him being named the NWAACC West Division MVP both seasons.

Catching Up: Joaquin Rivas

Former Kitsap Pumas star Joaquin Rivas continues to feature for the defending USL champions Sacramento Republic as they close in on reaching a second consecutive playoffs place.

With only four games left in their 2015 regular season the Republic, who currently sport a record of 11-8-5, are still fighting to clinch that playoff spot in a tightly contested Western Conference. With first and seventh place separated by only seven points, every match and each player rostered could mean the difference between glory and an abrupt exit to a long season.

Rivas, who played a pivotal role in the Pumas 2014 run that ended with a loss to the Michigan Bucks in the Premier Development League National Final, has dedicated his life to pursuing his passion for soccer, and as a result has experienced a lot of success. After being named the Gatorade Player of they Year in Nevada as a senior in high school, Rivas received a scholarship to play at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While playing for the Rebels, Rivas became one of the top forwards in his conference.