Back Signs in Finnish League
February 10, 2016 | Men's Soccer
Former Oregon State goalkeeper Tyler Back has signed a contract with Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) in the Finnish Veikkausliiga, the top professional league in Finland, and has been put to the test immediately.
Back, who made two starts for the Beavers during the 2015 season while posting a 1-1 record including a shutout of Cornell, has made two appearances for RoPS in the Veikkausliiga League Cup. Back started the team's game on February 4, earning a 2-0 victory over Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS), and made a substitute appearance on February 10 in a 0-0 draw with Ilves.
Back came to Oregon State as a graduate student transfer from Mary Washington (NCAA Division III) with one year of eligibility remaining and the hopes of making the jump to the professional ranks. The 6-foot-4 goalkeeper with an even bigger wing span came to the Beavers with tremendous athletic potential, and transferring to Oregon State gave Back the opportunity to work with one of the nation's top goalkeeping coaches, Beavers' assistant coach Logan Hoffman.
“I'm thrilled with Tyler's professional opportunity in Europe,” said Oregon State head coach Steve Simmons. “We saw improvement in his game during his time here in Corvallis. The OSU culture and training environment provides a foundation for players to prepare for the next level and Tyler was able to take full advantage of it.”
Back joins Travis Worra (DC United) and Ethan Horvath (Molde FK) as the third goalkeeper in the last three years to sign a professional contract after working with Coach Hoffman.
