By Matt Kite
South County Journal

SEATTLE—With both ankles wrapped in ice, John Purtteman limped out of the locker room to sign a few autographs.

The Terminator, as he is affectionately called by fans, was relishing the Seattle SeaDogs’ 6-5 victory over Portland last Sunday at Key Arena. With the win, Seattle won its first-ever playoff series and advanced to face Sacramento in the second round of the CISL playoffs.

Purtteman, though, wasn’t thinking about the future.

“It’s beautiful,” he said of the crowd waiting for autographs. “For me, I’ve only got a few years left of it. I might as well enjoy it.”

Added Purtteman, “I love the game.”

It sure beats painting houses.

That’s what Purtteman, who will turn 35 years old in December, was doing five years ago when Bernie James (now with the Seattle Sounders) told him about a team in the NPSL that needed a defender. Purtteman, who had been playing on Premier League teams in the Seattle area for several years, joined Denver for a month, playing 12 games before the season ended.

“I was never one of the better players,” he said. “I worked hard and stuff, but I was never one of the better players.”

Perhaps not as talented or technical in his game as most, Purtteman makes up for it with an ample dose of grit and desire. The next season, he joined up with the Portland Pride, delivering an impact that reverberated throughout the CISL.

“I hated him,” Seattle coach Fernando Clavijo said, “because he’s very physical. I didn’t want to see him on the other side, so I did everything I could to get him.”

The SeaDogs traded away Ralph Black for Purtteman’s services before the beginning of last season, and Purtteman has been battering Seattle opponents ever since.

Earning an intimidating nickname is nothing new to Purtteman, who has gone by many names, including the Widowmaker, since he played at Arlington High and then the Evergreen State College.

“You know when he’s on the field,” said teammate Tom Bialek, who has played with and against Purtteman for nearly 10 years. “He always has a bit of an edge on him. He plays fair, but he comes hard. And that has an effect on people. After a few (run ins), you start hearing footsteps.”

Added Bialek, “John does a lot of things well, but the best thing he brings to the field is his intensity. Other teams know they’re going to have to pay for anything they get.”

Last year, Seattle struggled, finishing in last place in the Western Division at 10-18. With Purtteman leading the defense, the SeaDogs gave up a league-low 148 goals, but they only scored 143 (also a league low).

This season, with the addition of several key players, including forward Dick McCormick, the SeaDogs posted the best record (21-7) in the league before sweeping Portland in the first round of the playoff, two games to none.

“I never really got a chance to play on a good team,” Purtteman said, “and this is by far the best team I’ve ever played on. This is more than I could have hoped for.”

Clavijo, meanwhile, is thankful he has someone like Purtteman for a team captain. At the beginning of the season, the modest Purtteman offered to bow out as the team leader, handing the job over to one of the team’s many talented forwards. But Clavijo wouldn’t have it.

“For me, a captain has to be not just a good player but a leader by example,” Clavijo said. “John is definitely a leader.”

A painting contractor before he turned pro, Purtteman knows his days on the field are numbered. His one-year contract with Seattle expires at the end of this season.

“If this is my last year, that’s fine,” he said. “I’m not in a position where money is the prime motivational factor.”

Instead, it’s his love for the game. Purtteman, who does some coaching on the side, hopes to eventually coach at the college level. Until then, he’ll keep hammering the opposition.

At Thursday’s practice, Purtteman sported a black eye and a pair of cuts below it – the end result of an inadvertent elbow thrown his way by a teammate.

“I’m looking the part now,” he said, likening himself to the team mascot, Salty the SeaDog.

All the Terminator needs is an eye patch.