On the field, they’re nearly indistinguishable. They have the same build, standing 6’1” and lean. They both sport a scraggly beard topped by a head of curly hair. They even share the same gallop, using their long strides to cover the pitch.
The brothers, Keenan Armbrust a senior forward, and Kaleb Armbrust a sophomore forward, can easily be mistaken for twins.
“Even our dad can’t tell us apart when we’re on the field,” said Keenan, an international business major.
“People say we have telepathy together on the field, and that we always know where each other [is],” said Kaleb, who also majors in business.
Keenan has started all 15 games, while Kaleb has started 14 this year for the Cougars. The pair has spearheaded the soccer team’s offense.
“It’s great to have them both here together, they were both top recruits for us,” Head Coach Dave Blomquist said.
For the Armbrusts, APU is a family tradition. Their father, Gregg, played soccer for the Cougars from 1986-1988. The decision to come to APU was natural for Keenan, but wasn’t nearly as easy for Kaleb.
“Our whole family came here; our parents met here,” Kaleb said. “I think I was just stubborn and wanted to do something different than the rest of the family and go my own way.”
Kaleb’s decision to attend APU came as a surprise to Keenan, who didn’t know it was even a possibility until he received a call that it was happening.
“I was actually hoping he wouldn’t,” Keenan said. “I didn’t want him to feel like he was following in my footsteps, or that he was in my shadow.”
Thankfully, it didn’t turn out that way, and recruiting the pair has paid off for the Cougars.
The brothers have seven combined goals and contributed three assists this year. The total is four goals and one assist for Keenan, and three goals and two assists for Kaleb. In last year’s PacWest championship season, the tandem managed to score a combined nine goals and add 11 assists.
“They’re dynamic and interchangeable, which allows us to use some variety with how we play them, whether it’s out wide or down the middle,” Blomquist said. “It becomes a challenge for opponents because they can do so many different things.”
Playing together in college has managed to bring the pair closer, and also improved their off-the-field relationship.
“I think it’s funny because we used to fight all the time when we played,” Kaleb said. “That stopped once I got here, and we’ve never gotten along so well before.”
“After last year, it translated to going back home, hanging out a ton and spending time together, which we hadn’t really done before,” Keenan agreed.
Their experience as a pair will end at the conclusion of this season, but not before senior Keenan makes his mark on the record books.
Keenan is set to finish in the all-time top 25 for points in APU history. He had 47 (20 goals, seven assists) total entering the season, which places him at 24th all time. His performance this year has given him eight more points, pushing him into 22nd.
The Cougars are 4-9-2 on the year with only two more games left in conference play.