By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–  The dream for Robbie Phillips to play at the collegiate level has came to fruition when he said his Letter of Intent to play soccer at Multnomah University Friday afternoon at the Capital FC soccer facilities.

What is even cooler for the Dallas Senior as he just had wrapped up Day one of the ‘Thankful For Goalkeeper’ camp at the Capital FC facility in Salem, is that he has only been a goalie for two years after spending years as a Center Back.

Even in his highlight reel from his Junior Year Phillips worked in highlights of him playing in the backline as he took in the challenge of learning a new position on the run as he has.

“It’s been a long journey.  This has been a quick transition, I’m glad to have these coaches by my side.  They’ve been able to help me once I’ve dedicated being a goalkeeper, they helped me reach what I wanted to reach,” said Phillips.

“I’ve put in the work hours, work every moment I could.  I’ve had really great coaches and really great teammates like Chris (Smyth) and Cole, they’ve been really supportive.  Without them I wouldn’t have been a goalkeeper.”

Through his training with the coaching staff at Capital FC the last two years, even training with Nic and Jordan Farr, has helped mold Phillips to where he is at as he enters a Lions Men’s Soccer program that is four-years old.

The coaches with Multnomah would want to work with him and develop him into more a sound goalie with the expectation that Phillips will see playing time by his Junior or Senior season.  As the offseason continues however for The Beard, putting in the extra work as he did Friday at the Goalkeeper camp, he’s aiming for a sooner timeframe.  Pushing and challenging himself for college.

“I talked to the coaches and they’re telling me I’m fourth-, fifth-, sixth-string, so I need these moments to keep playing,” said Phillips. “Yes I got into college, but I still have big steps to take because I’m still working to play starter.  Coach said that I won’t see playing time until my Junior or Senior year, so I’m looking at these camps and keep doing the practices with CFC to keep bettering myself.

“Yes I got my foot in the door, the door isn’t completely open yet and I want to hopefully play by my sophomore year.  If I could play by my freshman year, that’ll be the best situation, but I would love to play by my sophomore year.”