Mueller commits to Oregon State

Timmy Mueller, a junior forward who helped Post Falls High win its first state boys soccer state title last fall, has verbally committed to play soccer at Oregon State in 2014.

Mueller, the Gatorade Idaho boys soccer Player of the Year last fall, said he was happy to get his college choice out of the way prior to his senior year at Post Falls.

"Now that I have that figured out, I can focus on soccer and school," he said.

Mueller, who has 74 goals and 19 assists in his high school career, chose the Beavers over UC Davis. He also said Gonzaga showed some interest.

"I like the coach (Steve Simmons) a lot," Mueller said. "He was very strategic and very soccer-intelligent. The campus is just great and I met the team, the team was really welcoming ... it made me feel like they wanted me to be there."

Mueller, a 4.1 student, said he wanted to play at the Pac-12 level. He said his ultimate goal is to play in Major League Soccer, and he noted Oregon State had two players drafted into the MLS off last year's squad.

"It's going to take some hard work, but if that's what it takes ... " Mueller said.

"He has a legit shot (at MLS)," Post Falls coach Gabe Lawson said. "He's that caliber of a player, and what makes him more valid is, he wants it."

Mueller attended the Seattle Sounders Soccer Academy last summer for a tryout. He said he was invited to come back and train and be evaluated more, but didn’t pursue it further. He could have been invited to join the academy, which would have meant possibly missing his high school soccer season in Post Falls. But he said he wasn’t interested; opting instead to play with his club team, the Idaho Thunder, this spring, and his high school mates in the fall.

Mueller can’t sign his letter of intent until Feb. 5, 2014.

With Mueller’s commitment, Lawson said eight members of Post Falls’ state title team have now either signed or verbally committed to play in college.

Brady Ulen has signed with Oregon Tech, Colby Nuss, Mike Curry and Reece Knudsen have signed with Edmonds Community College, and Nate White is leaning toward signing there; Reece Jackson has committed to Community Colleges of Spokane, and Austin Deaver is leaning toward Oregon Tech.