Goalkeeper Chris Kintz a big part of Tacoma Stars revival in South Sound

November 17, 6:49 PMSeattle Soccer ExaminerDavid Falk

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Chris Kintz started in goal for Tacoma Tide FC in their last home match of 2009. Now he's back training indoors with the Tacoma Stars. (GOALSeattle.com and Chris Kintz photos)

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Chris Kintz has been a fixture in the South Sound soccer scene, especially with the indoor Tacoma Stars, for a number of years. As the Stars prepare for their season kick off in PASL play December 5th at Bellingham against the PSSA Rapids, we talked with the 26-year old goalkeeper (who also saw action for the outdoor Tacoma Tide FC in 2009) about his career in the sport.

Stadium High and FC United

"I did not start playing goalkeeper until I was 14, my freshman year of high school," recalls Kintz. "I played on the field as a center mid(fielder) for the F.C. Blackhawks out of Nortac (now Sparta) under Dave Rose. I tried out for my high school team (Stadium) as a 'keeper my freshman year. There were about 60 kids at tryouts." One way to stand out in a crowd that big is to pick a position the coach knows he needs to fill. "I knew if I didn’t want to be overlooked that I could have a better chance playing 'keeper," says Kintz. "At the same time I was trying out for FC United U-16. I made varsity at Stadium my freshmen year and started in the season opener and played in many games throughout the year. John Baretta thought pretty highly of me coming in as a freshman. We enjoyed a lot of success my next three years together. Ironically, he was a 'keeper for the Stars back in the old days."

Chris' time as Stadium's starter became a dual task when he made FC United. "At the same time, I just got notice that I made FC United (I believe that was the 83’s I played for) at U-16. Rob Walker was my goalkeeper coach for my duration of club soccer at FC United. He got me when I was green and turned me into the product that I am today. I owe a lot to him for what he has done for me in my early years of playing keeper. I still use all of the knowledge that he passed on to me today." Now Walker is winning matches as the coach of the recently-established college program at St. Martin's in Lacey. "My brother (Andrew Cunningham, Crossfire) just signed his letter of intent to play under Rob at Saint Martins next year," adds Kintz. "I know that my brother has always heard me accredit my success to Rob and he looks forward to his college career under him."

College Days

Chris attended Tacoma Community College in 2001/2002. "I ended up not giving up a goal until one game past the half way point in the season and dropped in 3 assists on the way.  We had a solid season and a good run into the playoffs, until our coach (Shawn Edelman) quit on us the day before the semi finals. The wheels kind of fell off and the team was in turmoil over playing time. You might remember that we suffered from getting 5-6 red cards in that game.  We ended up losing the following morning and placing 4th in the NWACC.  That team was good. 8 of the 11 all-area players from 2001 signed there.  Lee Williams and Joey Gjertsen went on to play pro from that team."

Kintz transferred to Cascade College the following year and met up with some guys he still plays with today on the Tacoma Stars. "Already signed at Cascade, and current players on the Stars, Nic Mancaruso, Lukas Rydberg, and Kris Bowers were persuading me to go (to Cascade). I went down for a few visits in the spring. I played in some scrimmage games, enjoyed Portland and the coach, Ben Langford, gave me a scholarship I couldn’t pass up. The rest was history."

If his time at TCC ended in turmoil, Chris also had to face a rough stretch with Cascade. "We ended up having four ineligible players and two centerbacks who tore there ACL's during preseason. The pressure was on at that point. We ended up not making the playoffs by two games and I took that real personally. Even a team MVP award didn’t feel good knowing that the season was a failure. I came back home the following year to finish up some schooling at Pierce Community College. I sat for a year then thought about going back to school. That never happened."

Chris Kintz tips a Kitsap Pumas shot over the bar in July's Narrows Bridge Bell derby match between Tacoma Tide FC and the Pumas. (David Falk photo)

Training with the 2005 Champion Seattle Sounders

Sometimes you've got to know a few people and be in the right place at the right time. Chris found that out in 2005. "I was down at the Tacoma Soccer Center in March of 2005. We, the Stars, just got back from New York for Nationals when I ran into Ciaran O’brien. He told me that the Sounders (then of the USL) needed a 'keeper for training. Preston Burpo had an ankle injury, so I could train in the morning with the team. So for the next two and a half months I trained with the Sounders. It was a good experience; Preston is a hell of a keeper.  He's the main reason they won the league championship in 2005 (Leighton O'brien and Greg Howes might think differently. HA!)," kids Kintz with a laugh.

Taking it indoors
 
Chris started playing indoor soccer in South Sound about the time the Stars started making noise again as a indoor club. "I actually started playing indoor in 2003 when I came back from Cascade. At that time the team was just “Arena Sports Tacoma”. That team had some ex pro's on it. Dave Wheeler (Seattle Seadogs), Jerry Luppy (Tallahassee Scorpions, Portland Pride), and Aaron Anderson (GK American Samoa National team). I watched a few games before I was asked to play. Those guys were in their late twenties, still handing out free indoor clinics to any challenger in their way. Just crushing the competition. I played target forward with Joey (Gjertsen) in games that Aaron played in goal, and when he couldn’t travel for a double header to Oregon one weekend I decided to get my feet wet in some indoor soccer."

Let's call them...the Tacoma Stars!

2004 brought changes for the Center, and chacnes for Chris and his fellow players. "Arena Sports was going through managers left and right," Chris recalls. "Adam Becker and I were asked to put a team in the league by the (Tacoma Soccer Center) manager, so we called up all of our friends and decided to name the team “Tacoma Stars”. Why not? It was cool back then. Why can’t we do it? There was still Tacoma Stars merchandise around the arena. The glass above the north goal still had that classic Tacoma stars logo painted on. It just seemed right."

National Champions

Once the name had been revived, the Stars were 'back.' Once the 'new' Stars hit the field, they were REALLY back. "We counter-attacked the whole game, every game. We won every game that year.  12-0 including a National Championship. That team put Tacoma back on the indoor map. I would have to say my top three moments playing for the Stars would be (from most current to oldest) 1.) Posting a shutout in last years Northwest Conference final. 2.) Being the only semi pro team to win an US Indoor Soccer Open Cup game (we beat Wenatchee and Denver before losing to the PASL PRO Champions California cougars 11-8 in the semis.) 3.) Being 2004 National Champions.
 

Going to Mexico representing the USA

Kintz has also traveled with a group of indoor players representing the United States in Mexico.  "That was a great experience," remembers Kintz. "The whole international part of indoor is so new with these tournaments. It was the second one of its caliber and we (USA) didn’t have a win under our belt. This tournament included Mexico, Peru, Brazil. Peru’s team was actually their National Futsal Team that had just gotten back from the Futsal World Championships. Brazil was a mix of guys from outdoor and futsal, and Mexico was basically the La Ra Za team that just took second in the MISL championships. I was in the first game that the USA won. We beat Peru 6-7 in a shootout and I saved all three shooters to win it 1-0. It was nice to be part of history with that win. Two nights later I started versus Brazil and had an assist in a 12-6 thumping. The next night we lost a heartbreaker to Mexico in the final 10-6. So far those are the only two victories for USA in international indoor soccer, and it feels good to have them under my belt."

Staying calm in the indoor soccer 'beehive'

I asked Chris about playing goalkeeper indoors v. outdoors, and which would make him more nervous, waiting a long time for a shot and then getting one (outdoor) or constantly being barraged with shots (indoor).  "The only time I get nervous is during the National Anthem," Chris reveals. "Other than that its just trying to find a way to win. Indoor's a lot different than outdoor; I am always in the flow of the indoor game. In outdoor you typically only get to make a hand full of saves and only see so many shots, in indoor you see around 20-30 shots a game and you just do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the net. With the Stars' style of play I seem to get more touches on the ball than the other team at times. I have to stay calm and composed out there, if I’m not nervous then the guys next to me are not going to get nervous."

In goal for the Tacoma Tide - Kitsap Pumas Narrows Bridge Bell

"I connected with the Tide this year through Greg Howes. After Greg got the coaching job, he gave me call and offered me to come on as a back up to Jordan Jennings. Jordan and I have some rich history. I was a senior when he was my backup as a freshman at Stadium and we both played at FC United. Different years, but our goalkeeping sessions with Rob were on Monday nights. It just seemed like a good chance to compete and stay fit in the summer."
 
Jennings was out and Chris was in when the Kitsap Pumas came calling to Tacoma last July with the Narrows Bridge Bell on the line. "That was a tough game. We struggled for most of the season with injuries and players leaving," says Kintz, "and it showed in the derby. We had some miscues in the back. Our centerback tried to drop a ball back to me and passed it right to the forward, which resulted in a goal. That deflated us as a team. We had a late surge of goals, but it was too late. It would have been nice to get that bell."

Greg Howes, indoor soccer legend and Stars heach coach
 
Chris is coached by and plays alongside multiple MISL season MVP Greg Howes. "To play next to Greg is crazy at times. Growing up and being around indoor you could always catch him on TV or YouTube scoring goals. Now we get to have that type of dynamic player on our team. It makes us dangerous as a team all of the time. Practices are harder than games because he demands so much out of everybody. Nobody out here is getting paid yet, but he holds this team to a professional atmosphere."

Tacoma Stars here and now
 
Chris likes the talent on the Tacoma Stars' 2009-10 PASL roster, and has high hopes of the club doing well in the league and in the Indoor Open Cup. "On paper we look even better than last year, and that team was solid. We should have no problem winning our division and at least repeating the run we had last year in the open cup. This team is ready for the next step in the PASL (going pro), but we need to wrap things up this year in Vegas with a championship to settle all doubts. We are still taking looks at college players coming in and seeing if they can gel with the veterans on the team. As of right now we have two teams. The quality is really high considering the numbers. Nobody wants to be watching from the stands come December."
 
Goals are sometimes good for a goalkeeper: "My short term goals are to win the Indoor Open Cup and win Nationals in Vegas this year," Chris concludes. "Long term I hope that come March I am trying out somewhere in the USL and giving myself the chance to chase my dream of playing professional soccer."