FRISCO, Texas -- Although Aaron Pitchkolan was left unprotected by FC Dallas in the expansion draft to stock Seattle Sounders FC, the fact that he went unselected was greeted with pleasure by head coach Schellas Hyndman.
Since the end of the season, Hyndman has expressed a desire to keep Pitchkolan in Frisco. Pitchkolan played in 21 games for FCD, 15 of those starts. He played some left back early in the year but really showed his value when Davino missed seven games with a toe injury in late summer. Pitchkolan filled in admirably, helping to solidify the FCD backline and even scored his first goal since 2006.
"It's always good to score and to get your name on the scoreboard," Pitchkolan said about his tally. "It helps give you confidence. It was good."
But like the rest of his teammates, he looks back on a season where he had three different head coaches and FCD missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
"Obviously (it was) a strange year and definitely not what you expect coming into the season," he said. "But you've got to roll with it and I think we made a decent push at the end. It obviously wasn't enough but we had a lot of turnover. It's difficult."
However, Pitchkolan did feel like the team got on the same page once Hyndman arrived in mid-June and started implementing his version of the 4-4-2.
"Having a set system and having players in that system will help you," he said. "But that wasn't what it was like this year and you got to adjust as best you can. Having stability definitely helps, knowing who is going to play where, what formation and who your coach is. That definitely helps."
No matter whether it was Steve Morrow, who started the year as FCD's coach, Marco Ferruzzi, who replaced Morrow on an interim basis after his dismissal, or Hyndman, his current coach, Pitchkolan's approach has never wavered in the least.
"I just go in and try to do my best no matter who is the coach," he said. "I just try to help the team improve and to improve individually."
Even with all that happened, Pitchkolan admits he and his fellow Hoops never thought that missing the playoffs was a possibility. That definitely made watching other teams continue their seasons on TV a little strange.
"Yeah, I kept tabs but it's definitely from a different viewpoint than in years past," he admitted. "If a game was on, I'd watch it. But it was kind of weird. I'm always watching MLS games throughout the year but (missing the) playoffs, it was a weird situation to be in."
Should Pitchkolan remain with FCD, along with fellow defender Drew Moor, who signed a multiple-year extension just after the end of the regular season, he would be one of the longest-tenured players with the club, in the fold since 2005.
"Yes, that's definitely weird," he said. "There's been a lot of turnover. I see Oscar Pareja out here (coaching the FC Dallas Juniors) and remember my rookie year, me, him and Drew (Moor) were playing together. It's definitely weird to be one of the elder statesmen of the team. Hopefully next year we can get a good core together and will know our roles better. Hopefully it will work out."
One thing he didn't want to get into was his possible future in north Texas.
"I really don't have too much to say about that," Pitchkolan said. "I've just got to wait and see what options come up. I'm not really sure and will play it by ear."
No matter where he ends up, his focus in the offseason will remain where it's always been.
"I'm just going to stay in shape, play when I can and lift weights to keep up my strength," Pitchkolan said. "I don't want to get too out of shape or do anything too crazy in the offseason like ride a moped (and get hurt doing that)."
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