Eastside FC alum Lucas Meek has had a storied career at the University of Washington, culminating in a trip to the 2021 NCAA Championship game.
In his junior season, Lucas and the Husky Men's Soccer team completed their best season ever, earning a #1 ranking during the regular season and a #2 seed in the NCAA Playoffs, where they became the only West Coast team to participate in the College Cup. Sadly, their season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the final against Clemson.
Lucas also went on to earn several individual accolades this year, including All PAC-12 2nd Team, All Region 2nd Team, Scholar All-American Second Team, Scholar All-Region, and PAC-12 Academic Honor Roll.
EFC: Describe your journey this season with UW.
LM: This season was a very fun, challenging, and rewarding season for myself and the team. We started out the season really well, I had 3 goals and 3 assists in the first 3 games and was named national player of week. This all came to halt when I broke my collarbone at the end of the Grand Canyon game. I had to get surgery and was then out for the next 10 games. As hard as it was to sit on the bench and watch from the sidelines, the rest of my team was amazing and pulled out some fantastic wins. Leading us to the best start in UW Men's Soccer history. I had so much support from my team and our staff, and my comeback was able to happen with a few PAC 12 games remaining. It was an unreal experience to walk out on the field again and have all the support from my teammates, staff, and fans. From there we were able to come in close second in the PAC 12 having played one less game, and make a historic NCAA tournament run.
EFC: Reflecting back, what were some of the best moments of your career so far at UW?
LM: Going to the College Cup was an unbelievable experience. Making it there was a dream for myself and a lot of the team from the moment we stepped foot on UW's campus. So getting there and having the support of all of Seattle was something I wouldn't trade for the world. My redshirt sophomore year I was able to score the golden goal against Stanford when we were both top 10 teams. That was a feeling that I can only dream of having again.
EFC: What does the team outlook for your Senior year?
LM: The team looks great, of course as with every year in college soccer some important players are going to graduate and move on from the University. But the team has all the components to be successful and make it back to the College Cup.
EFC: Describe the atmosphere in Cary, NC from the games to the other parts of the weekend.
LM: The atmosphere in North Carolina was electric, although we were the only team from the West Coast we had so many fans and so much support from UW. During the games we were able to feed off of our fans' energy and the feeling of playing in such a cool stadium. The rest of the weekend was amazing as well, we had some great meals and got to train at some really cool facilities.
EFC: Is there anything you want to tell players at EFC about playing at this level?
LM: The level at college can be really challenging and it's very hard to make an instant impact once you get there. It took me a couple years to really find my footing and spot within the team. Humility, perseverance, and a positive mindset are super important to making it to the next level.
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