SPOKANE, Wash. – Former men's soccer player Ben Willis signed his first professional contract this week to join Rio Grande Valley FC after a solid senior season for Gonzaga in 2018.
 
Willis and the Toros will kick off the 2019 USL Championship season on Saturday, March 9 at Seattle Sounders 2, and will play their home opener at H-E-B Stadium in Edinburg, Texas, the following week, March 16, against Fresno FC.
 
"The opportunity to play with an organization like Rio Grande Valley that has connections with the Houston Dynamo is the best one I could've asked for," Willis said. "Being surrounded by high-caliber players day-in and day-out is incredibly fun and pushes me past my limits. It was always a dream of mine to play professional soccer, so being at RGV is awesome. I know there is still a lot of work to do to get to where I want to be, but I'm excited to take the next step forward in my soccer career here. I couldn't be happier with how everything worked out.
 
Willis, who earned All-WCC honorable mention accolades last season, started 17 games in net for Gonzaga and led the WCC with 77 saves, ranking second in the league with 4.53 saves per game. The Federal Way, Washington, native posted a pair of shutouts to give him nine for his career and rank fifth all-time at Gonzaga. He was also named to the WCC All-Academic honorable mention list for the third straight season.