By, Jessica Shusko '15

SANTA CLARA, Calif.- After a successful rookie season for the storied Santa Clara University men's soccer program, Ryan Masch (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine Prep) was named to the 2012 West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team. Masch (RM) helped Santa Clara to its 24th winning season in 26 years. Following in his older brother's footsteps, Eric Masch '12, Ryan has begun to create his own legacy here on the Mission campus. He recently took the time to answer a few questions for SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB).

SCB: This season for the Broncos, you made a big impact, starting in all 19 games and scoring a number of clutch goals. Did you expect to have such an impact your freshman year?

RM: I came in hoping to get a decent amount of playing time but I definitely did not expect to have the impact that I did.

SCB: Your older brother, Eric Masch, played soccer for the Broncos as well. How has that influenced you and your goal setting during your time here?

RM: My brother playing here has made it a lot easier to jump right in and be comfortable with the team because I got to know the (other players) when I would come to hang out with my brother at Santa Clara. My brother left some pretty big shoes for me to fill and my goal is to fill them. So far I think I'm on track to do just that.

SCB: Is there any sibling competition between you and your brother as to who is the better soccer player?

RM: It's hard to compare considering we play different positions (Ryan plays midfield and Eric forward) and we were in the program at different times, but I know that if we had the opportunity to play at SCU together a lot more goals would be scored.

SCB: What has been one of your favorite moments during this season?

RM: On our trip to Vero Beach, Florida during preseason, we were playing in the rain and at one point in practice Coach Cam (Rast) called everyone over and decided to have a belly slide competition. The slick surface of the grass had people flying across the ground.

SCB: You were just recently named to the 2012 WCC All-Freshman Team, what does receiving such a high honor mean to you?

RM: There are a lot of good freshmen players in our conference, especially here at Santa Clara, so being named to the league's all-freshman team really is an honor.

SCB: This season, you were the Broncos' second leading scorer, behind National Player of the Year candidate Erik Hurtado. What would you say really contributed to you having such a successful season as a freshman?

RM: Without a doubt my team is the biggest contributor to the success I had this year. Everyone on our team is pretty close and we all push each other to get better, making our drive to win that much stronger. Unfortunately, we didn't get the outcome we would've liked this year (SCU finished one point shy of winning the WCC title) but the future looks bright for this Bronco soccer program. On top of having a great team, playing under Coach (Eric) Yamamoto last year with the De Anza Force Academy allowed for a smooth transition for several members of (our) freshman class, into playing in a similar style at SCU.