By Samantha Franz
Athletic Communications Contributor

Clark bio with MLS Columbus Crew

It's no secret that Oakland men's soccer has had an illustrious history of success. Year after year, countless Golden Grizzlies have been enshrined among the conference greats and several have found success in the professional ranks.

Steve Clark (2005-08) is a standout among the latter. Though now the starting goalkeeper for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer (MLS), the Mason, Mich. native looks back on his journey fondly and how Oakland played a key role in many steps along the way.

It all began in 2004, when Clark was drawn to the Golden Grizzlies squad by its strong work ethic, which has long been a hallmark of Oakland.

"I wanted to be a part of the Oakland University soccer team because of the work rate, the blue collar [attitude] and how we went out there and competed every day," said Clark. "The guy that [goal] kept before me really presented that to me when I came up for my visit."

From there, Clark was sold. After walking onto the team his freshman year, he worked his way up to a full-time starting role in 2005. From there, the accolades speak for themselves. All-Summit Legaue first team. First team all-region. Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Eighth in the nation with a 0.54 goals against average. Beating Michigan State in the NCAA tournament with a large Oakland contingent in East Lansing. But more than anything, Clark claims Oakland's "get out and work" attitude is what he values more than any award.

"One of the reasons I turned professional was because I liked not giving excuses, which is the Oakland University way, and to just go for it," said Clark. "Oakland University soccer speaks for itself and I was so proud, and am proud, to be an alumni of the soccer team."

That Golden Grizzlies work ethic paid off two years later when the opportunity arose to play for the Honefoss soccer club in Norway. That's where some of Oakland's alumni came into play as they reached out to their former teammate to help him in his transition from the collegiate level to the professional stage.

"Endre Osnes (2007) and Martin Sandel (2007-08) were both my teammates at Oakland and they were a big reason as to why I went to Norway in the first place," said Clark. "They hosted me and they were vital in that transition."

Clark then spent the next four seasons on the European circuit, where teams are constantly promoted and relegated to different tiers of competition depending on performance.

"I had to develop under a lot of pressure," said Clark. "I wasn't given any type of leeway and that really helped me to develop fast. I played a lot of games and it really is a major reason why I am the goalkeeper I am today." Then, in December of 2013, Clark got the call.

The Columbus Crew of MLS had offered Clark a spot on their roster and suddenly, he had the opportunity to move from over 3,800 miles away to just three and a half hours from Oakland.

"The more my fiancée and I talked about it, we thought we would love to come back to the Midwest," said Clark. "To be back in the Midwest is something that we did not even dream of back in November, so it was kind of out of the blue, but it fit so perfectly."

And Clark appears to be a great fit for the Crew as well. In his debut season with Columbus, Clark holds a goals against average of just over 1.00 and boasts six shutouts. He has a 70 percent save percentage.

It has been a long and exciting road for Clark and while he is now in the upper echelon of professional soccer, he still maintains close relationships with the Golden Grizzlies that helped build the foundation for his career. In addition to former head coach and Hall of Honor inductee Gary Parsons, Osnes and Sandel, Clark is also very close to current Oakland soccer coach Eric Pogue.

"Still to this day, Eric is a very good friend of mine," said Clark. "We are close and he is like a big brother figure. We share a close bond and if there is one guy in my career that I have to say is the reason I am here, among many people, it would be Eric."

A goalkeeper himself, Pogue took Clark under his wing and developed his skills under the Oakland work ethic that Clark values so much.

"My time at Oakland was a time when I came in as a player who wasn't highly recruited," said Clark. "Eric Pogue turned me into a professional prospect, so without that time at Oakland, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't have even gotten to start.

"I developed so much in my four years there and I look back on it really fondly."

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