During the Ballard FC offseason, the squad never actually stops playing. After winning a second Western Conference Championship and a third straight Northwest Division Title, most of the 2025 Ballard FC roster returned to the classroom with their respective college programs. And as Ballard FC looks ahead to another National Championship push in 2026, let’s see how the boys did this fall.
After losing in the USL 2 National Final, six Ballard FC Huskies (Joe Dale, Richie Aman, Cameron Cruz, Charlie Kosakoff, Zach Ramsey, and Harrison Bertos) went on to win the NCAA National Championship with the University of Washington this fall. Joe Dale, captain of both Ballard FC and the Washington, lifted the trophy on Monday, December 15th after the Huskies defeated North Carolina State 3-2 in overtime with all three goals scored by Ballard FC players. Zach Ramsey scored the opener right before halftime, then Dale doubled the lead with an assist from Richie Aman. NC State would come back and force overtime, but Harrison Bertos’ golden goal winner gave Washington their first-ever National Championship.
The championship was not the only hardware that the Ballard Huskies collected this fall as they amassed over 15 individual end of season awards as well. Aman hauled in the most as he was named a Mac Hermann Award Semifinalist and earned First Team All-American, First Team All-North Region, Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, and College Cup Best XI honors. Aman was not the only All-American for the Huskies this fall as Bertos earned Third Team All-American, First team All-North Region, and First Team All-Big Ten honors. Charlie Kosakoff led the Huskies in scoring this season with 11 goals and earned Second Team All-North Region, Second Team All-Big Ten, and College Cup Best XI honors. Ramsey joined Aman and Bertos on the First Team All-Big Ten and also received College Cup Offensive Most Outstanding Player and College Cup Best XI honors after his performances in Cary. Dale received Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors after captaining Washington all season long.
Now let’s check in with the rest of the Ballard FC squad.
Four players kept playing at Interbay Stadium this fall with Seattle Pacific University as Isaac Ketcham, Cristian Chel Lara, Connor Tollan, and Mitchell Wilson became Greater Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Regular Season Co-Champions. In addition to winning the GNAC title, Tollan also received Second Team All-West Region, and First Team All-GNAC honors.
Abeselom Zemenfes also won the GNAC Regular Season Co-Championship with Western Oregon University this fall as well as the GNAC Tournament Championship. After winning the USL 2 Player of the Year awards for both the Western Conference and Northwest Division this summer, Zemenfes went on to win Second Team All-GNAC honors in the fall.
Former Husky midfielder Sean Sent also collected some silverware this fall as he won the Big Ten Tournament Championship with UCLA in his fifth and final collegiate season. Staying in California, Ballard FC captain Christian Engmann earned Second Team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honors in his senior season with San Diego State University.
Engmann’s former college teammate, Austin Brummett, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) this fall where he had quite the senior season for himself as well. Brummett earned First Team All-East Region, Third Team All-Big East, and Big East All-Tournament Team honors after leading UConn in both points (24) and goals (10). Brummett was not the only UConn Husky to have a great senior season as Charlie Holmes earned Second Team All-Big East honors after scoring five goals and dishing out four assists.
Also on the East Coast is Ballard FC’s final conference champion as Arjun Venkat and his Fairleigh Dickinson University teammates won the NEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Finishing off the recap is freshman phenom Juan Alvarez who made the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) All-Freshman Team after playing in 17 matches, starting nine, scoring his first collegiate goal and dishing out four assists for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
All in all, six Ballard FC players are now National Champions, seven won conference championships this fall, with 18 players making the NCAA tournament. Additionally, 11 players received end-of-season honors, including two All-Americans.
Individual Honors (15)
- Richie Aman – Mac Hermann Award Semifinalist, First Team All-American, First Team All-North Region, Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, College Cup Best XI
- Harrison Bertos – Third Team All-American, First Team All-North Region, First Team All-Big Ten
- Austin Brummett – First Team All-East Region, Third Team All-Big East, Big East All-Tournament Team
- Charlie Kosakoff – Second Team All-North Region, Second Team All-Big Ten, College Cup Best XI
- Connor Tollan – Second Team All-West Region, First Team All-GNAC
- Zach Ramsey – First Team All-Big Ten, College Cup Offensive MVP, College Cup Best XI
- Charlie Holmes – Second Team All-Big East
- Christian Engmann – Second Team All-WAC
- Abeselom Zemenfes – Second Team All-GNAC
- Juan Alvarez – Sun Belt All-Freshman Team
- Joe Dale – Big Ten All-Tournament Team
Conference Champions (7)
- Seattle Pacific University (4) – Isaac Ketcham, Cristian Chel Lara, Connor Tollan, and Mitchell Wilson
- UCLA (1) – Sean Sent
- Western Oregon University (1) – Abeselom Zemenfes
- Fairleigh Dickinson University (1) – Arjun Venkat
NCAA Champions (6)
- University of Washington (6) – Joe Dale, Richie Aman, Cameron Cruz, Charlie Kosakoff, Zach Ramsey, and Harrison Bertos
NCAA Tournament (18)
- University of Washington (6) – Joe Dale, Richie Aman, Cameron Cruz, Charlie Kosakoff, Zach Ramsey, and Harrison Bertos
- Seattle Pacific University (4) – Isaac Ketcham, Cristian Chel Lara, Connor Tollan, and Mitchell Wilson
- University of Connecticut (2) – Charlie Holmes and Austin Brummett
- UCLA (1) – Sean Sent
- West Virginia University (1) – Juan Alvarez
- University of Michigan (1) – Ray Mendez
- Western Oregon University (1) – Abeselom Zemenfes
- Connecticut College (1) – Elliot Spatz
- Fairleigh Dickinson University (1) – Arjun Venkat
With successful fall seasons all around the squad, the 2026 season cannot come soon enough. Make sure to get your season tickets now as the fifth year of Ballard FC soccer starts in May!
