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Wehan Saw Stars Align in Standout Season

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 11/21/17, 7:30PM EST

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Former New Mexico standout went from face in the crowd to Rookie of the Year


Photo courtesy David Calvert / Reno 1868 FC

RENO, Nev. – As he arrived in Reno after being passed over in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, Chris Wehan was just another face in the crowd looking to find a spot in the professional ranks with 2017 USL expansion club Reno 1868 FC.

Pretty soon, a realization hit.

No matter what had come before – the Conference USA All-League First Team honors and Conference Tournament Offensive MVP award he’d claimed the previous fall at the University of Mexico – the past was now firmly behind him. It was time to go to work.

“The biggest thing that I learned was everything in the past, everything I had done up to that point didn’t matter anymore,” said Wehan recently. “It was just about going out and proving yourself every day. What I’d done in college didn’t matter anymore, no one wanted to know what career you’d had, they just wanted to see you prove yourself, and nothing else mattered at that point.”

With numerous roster spots available for Head Coach Ian Russell’s expansion squad, Wehan earned his place on the team and in the starting lineup for the club’s inaugural contest against Orange County SC at Greater Nevada Field on March 25. From there, the trajectory of Wehan’s season almost mirrored that of 1868 FC. After a slow start, the 2017 USL Rookie of the Year finished with eight goals and a league-leading 12 assists to help propel Reno to a top-three finish in the USL Western Conference.

The early struggles threatened to weigh on the side, though. A particularly tough early outcome was 1868 FC’s 2-2 draw with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Greater Nevada Field that saw the visitor score a stoppage-time equalizer to keep Reno winless after its first five games of the season.

“I remember the locker room was pretty hostile after the game,” said Wehan. “We were just down and out. We felt like we did everything right, and we lost what should have been a win.”

Two weeks later, in the club’s next outing, the turning point arrived, and so did Wehan’s first goal as a professional. With Dane Kelly’s hat trick leading the way, a 4-0 victory against Phoenix Rising FC got 1868 FC on a track that carried it toward the top of the Western Conference, with Wehan one of the main conductors.

“I remember going into the Phoenix game, the Switchbacks game wasn’t on our mind, it was beyond us,” said Wehan. “We felt good about the lineup we were putting out, and there was a confidence about us, maybe because we had played well the [game] before, but we got off to a flying start. Dane went off the first couple of minutes – it was a really good win for us.”


Photo courtesy David Calvert / Reno 1868 FC

A six-game undefeated streak that included five wins followed, with Wehan notching three assists in the span. The side began scoring in flurries, led by Kelly and Antoine Hoppenot. The fact that goals were coming from everywhere took the pressure off everyone in the 1868 FC lineup, with the knowledge that goals would be there for the taking to build the side’s faith.

“It was a confident group,” said Wehan. “We were getting goals from everywhere. There were games where our outside backs were getting goals, myself and Luis [Fernandes] and Seth [Casiple], the other outside midfielders were getting goals, then the forwards were both scoring goals or scoring a hat trick. It was pretty surreal to be part of it, goals were kind of coming from everywhere, which made for such a good season.”

Wehan’s role in that continued to grow, as he gained confidence from the performances he was able to put in alongside the rest of the Reno lineup. Given the opportunity to shine, Kelly was happy to take advantage of the opportunities Wehan consistently provided.

“I think he was just waiting to get his chance,” said Kelly, who claimed the USL Golden Boot with 18 goals. “That was what he needed, a chance, and in Reno, he got to prove himself and hopefully next year, he can do better and more.”

As his confidence grew, so did Wehan’s eye for goal. After notching three goals through the month of July, Wehan notched five goals in the final two-and-a-half months of the season, including a stellar free-kick finish against Sacramento Republic FC at Papa Murphy’s Park that helped 1868 FC claim the season series against its regional rival with a 2-1 victory.

“I think the Sacramento game, that was kind of a moment where I felt I had grown to a point where the team had confidence in me,” said Wehan. “As a rookie, as a young guy in this league, you’re trying to prove yourself every game, every week, so you have confidence and your team has confidence and that’s why you’re on the field, but that week I was feeling confidence from the group around me, and from there on, I felt like I was a player the team could count on.”

As Wehan grew in stature within the club, so did the club in the Reno community. Recording a 13-game home undefeated streak across much of the year certainly helped that process along, but Wehan was thrilled to see the support the side received as it established itself in the city.

“The community latched on from the start, and even when we were losing games, no one really gave up on it, no one was really hard about it. Everyone was like, ‘hey, it’s a first-year team, let’s see what we can do,’” Wehan said. “When the wins started coming, more and more people started showing up, and the love for the team, you just felt it grow.”

As far as he’s come, from a face in the crowd to one of the more recognizable faces around town for 1868 FC fans, Wehan certainly appreciates what his first professional season has meant to him.

“It was a great year – I think all of the stars aligned for me,” said Wehan. “I was on a really good team, I had a lot of good players around me, which helped me personally. I had a chip on my shoulder a little bit after what I’d gone through with the draft and not finding a home at the very start, but I was super-fortunate this year to be part of the group and Coach Ian gave me a chance.

“Moving forward, I’m going to do what I’ve always done and work hard, be a good teammate, do all the right things and hopefully if you do all the right things, hopefully things work out for you on the field. That’s all I’m going to continue to do, whether I have this success or I don’t, I’m going to work hard and put my best foot forward.”

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