T2 Player Profile: Steven Evans

T2 opened their season on Sunday with 3-1 victory over Real Monarchs.  With so many new faces, we will be profiling the 20 players signed or loaned to the USL side.

We continue with midfielder Steven Evans.

Number: 85
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180 lbs.
Born: Sept. 19, 1991
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Last Club: Portland Timbers (MLS)
College: University of Portland

Evans, 23, the first player signing in T2 history, originally joined the Timbers as a Homegrown Player in January 2013.

Evans spent last season on loan to Sacramento Republic, making 18 appearances (9 starts) and scoring 2 goals, helping Sacramento to the 2014 USLPro Championship and captained the MLS Homegrown Players squad against the Timbers U23s during All-Star Weekend, a scoreless draw.   While Evans did not see any MLS first team action with the Timbers in 2013, he played in 14 MLS Reserve League matches and was named the 2013 Timbers Community Player of the Year.

Appearing for the Timbers U23s from 2009-2012, Evans made 37 appearances for the PDL side, scoring 8 goals, and assisted on the game-winning goal as the U23s won the 2010 PDL Championship after a perfect 16-0 season, along with T2 teammates Jake Gleeson and Brent Richards.  He was named the U23s Player of the Year for 2012, after helping the U23s reach the Western Conference semifinal.

Evans knows the Merlo Field pitch well, having played for the Pilots (2010-2012) as a three year starter, appearing in 53 matches (48 starts).  Scoring 24 goals and 12 assists, including 14 goals as a junior, finishing 2nd in the West Coast Conference and 8th in the NCAA, Evans earned All-WCC first team honors for the second time (2011), NSCAA All-Far West second team, as well as the All-WCC second team as a freshman, and was the 2010 WCC Freshman of the Year.

Evans was in the U.S. Youth Soccer development program was 2004-2008 and was named to United States U20 camp in December 2010.

A Portland native, Evans played his club soccer with Eastside United in Gresham, winning the National Championship in 2010 and in high school won the 2007 OSAA 6A State Championship with Central Catholic.

Primarily an attacking midfielder, Evans has excelled as both a scorer and distributor, but never seemed to get a serious opportunity by the first team, with players such as Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, and Gaston Fernandez in front of him, and will look to play his way back into the first team picture.

Evans was interviewed during his time with the Timbers U23s here.