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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Leaving Their Legacy
11/16/2017 5:53:00 PM | Men's Soccer
By Hailey DeMello
Special to UNHWildcats.com
If you have been following the 2017 University of New Hampshire men's soccer team you will have noticed that the slogan, "Leave Your Legacy", has been on their shirts, posters and as a hashtag on social media. "Leave Your Legacy" has served as a mantra that has united the team.
With UNH making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 23 years and earning a spot in the Round of 16 for the first time in program history, the Wildcats have left a legacy for future Wildcats to aspire to.
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY
For each of the men on the team, one thing rings true; the importance of leaving their legacy. To each player, the meaning behind "Leave Your Legacy" looks a little bit different, but the vision of winning and strengthening the program remains consistent among them all. For graduate student Willis Griffith, it was coming back to play soccer in his home state of New Hampshire. "It is great to be able to talk to the younger New Hampshire kids that go to our games because that was me when I was 12 or 14 years old coming out to the UNH games," said Griffith. "So being able to leave that same stamp for kids to come in 10 years from now and leave their legacy is a great feeling."
Head coach Marc Hubbard, who has posted an outstanding 35-15-8 record in his first three years at head coach at UNH, has had a resounding impact on the program, and the men on the team make that very clear. When asked about leaving his legacy on UNH men's soccer, graduate student Dante Lamb explained that it was all about, "building onto the program that coach Hubbard has established."
Graduate student Andrew Pesci has worked hard to send this program in a positive direction. "Leave Your Legacy really means putting in a good foundation and then just build from there."
TEAM UNITY
Griffith believes that comradery has been the biggest strength of the team. "I think that we get on each other in a really positive way," said Griffith. "Honestly, I've never seen a team get along better in all of my soccer career, so I think just the team dynamic on and off the field is really strong."
The unity the team has is clear, and is the result of according to coach Hubbard a lot of team building in preseason that got everyone on the team on the same page.
One part of that team building was setting goals, which included going undefeated at home and hosting a NCAA Tournament game. Both goals the team has reached.
The Wildcats were nationally ranked for a school-best 10 consecutive weeks and reached as high as a program-best No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Another goal was to improve defensively. The Wildcats have only allowed 11 goals all season and have outscored its opposition by an impressive 31-11 margin with 12 shutouts.
Setting team goals and reaching them has been a key component to the winning environment established by Hubbard. Coach Hubbard has proved that success is possible within the program and stresses that the idea of goals for the team has attributed to much of their success. "We've been able to defeat teams in the top 50 RPI and we've been able to stay in the national top 25 ranking for most of the season. We've set a lot of high goals that we're still on track to hit."
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
The senior class is made up seniors Will Rasid and Nathan Spores, and graduate students Lamb, Pesci, Robin Schmidt and Griffith. The diversity amongst this group of men is vast, with origins from South Africa and Germany, to Minnesota, to New England. The senior class has played a major role in shaping the team into a cohesive unit that has made the Wildcats so successful.
Rasid has seen the team jump onto the national stage in his four years. "When I was a freshman, we were ranked 168th in the nation, and to be able to be part of this transition and growth has been incredible," said Rasid. "The entire culture is different than what it was when I came in as a freshman, and I couldn't be happier with the direction we've taken."
With everything the team has accomplished this season, the next phase of the journey continues as they play at No. 2 Indiana in the NCAA Tournament third round on Saturday, Nov. 25. No matter the result, the team overall has left its legacy this season that cannot be denied.
There are numerous ways to stay connected with the UNH men's soccer team. Follow the Wildcats on Twitter @UNHMSoccer and on Instagram @unhmenssoccer.
Special to UNHWildcats.com
If you have been following the 2017 University of New Hampshire men's soccer team you will have noticed that the slogan, "Leave Your Legacy", has been on their shirts, posters and as a hashtag on social media. "Leave Your Legacy" has served as a mantra that has united the team.
With UNH making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 23 years and earning a spot in the Round of 16 for the first time in program history, the Wildcats have left a legacy for future Wildcats to aspire to.
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY
For each of the men on the team, one thing rings true; the importance of leaving their legacy. To each player, the meaning behind "Leave Your Legacy" looks a little bit different, but the vision of winning and strengthening the program remains consistent among them all. For graduate student Willis Griffith, it was coming back to play soccer in his home state of New Hampshire. "It is great to be able to talk to the younger New Hampshire kids that go to our games because that was me when I was 12 or 14 years old coming out to the UNH games," said Griffith. "So being able to leave that same stamp for kids to come in 10 years from now and leave their legacy is a great feeling."
Head coach Marc Hubbard, who has posted an outstanding 35-15-8 record in his first three years at head coach at UNH, has had a resounding impact on the program, and the men on the team make that very clear. When asked about leaving his legacy on UNH men's soccer, graduate student Dante Lamb explained that it was all about, "building onto the program that coach Hubbard has established."
Graduate student Andrew Pesci has worked hard to send this program in a positive direction. "Leave Your Legacy really means putting in a good foundation and then just build from there."
TEAM UNITY
Griffith believes that comradery has been the biggest strength of the team. "I think that we get on each other in a really positive way," said Griffith. "Honestly, I've never seen a team get along better in all of my soccer career, so I think just the team dynamic on and off the field is really strong."
The unity the team has is clear, and is the result of according to coach Hubbard a lot of team building in preseason that got everyone on the team on the same page.
One part of that team building was setting goals, which included going undefeated at home and hosting a NCAA Tournament game. Both goals the team has reached.
The Wildcats were nationally ranked for a school-best 10 consecutive weeks and reached as high as a program-best No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Another goal was to improve defensively. The Wildcats have only allowed 11 goals all season and have outscored its opposition by an impressive 31-11 margin with 12 shutouts.
Setting team goals and reaching them has been a key component to the winning environment established by Hubbard. Coach Hubbard has proved that success is possible within the program and stresses that the idea of goals for the team has attributed to much of their success. "We've been able to defeat teams in the top 50 RPI and we've been able to stay in the national top 25 ranking for most of the season. We've set a lot of high goals that we're still on track to hit."
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
The senior class is made up seniors Will Rasid and Nathan Spores, and graduate students Lamb, Pesci, Robin Schmidt and Griffith. The diversity amongst this group of men is vast, with origins from South Africa and Germany, to Minnesota, to New England. The senior class has played a major role in shaping the team into a cohesive unit that has made the Wildcats so successful.
Rasid has seen the team jump onto the national stage in his four years. "When I was a freshman, we were ranked 168th in the nation, and to be able to be part of this transition and growth has been incredible," said Rasid. "The entire culture is different than what it was when I came in as a freshman, and I couldn't be happier with the direction we've taken."
With everything the team has accomplished this season, the next phase of the journey continues as they play at No. 2 Indiana in the NCAA Tournament third round on Saturday, Nov. 25. No matter the result, the team overall has left its legacy this season that cannot be denied.
There are numerous ways to stay connected with the UNH men's soccer team. Follow the Wildcats on Twitter @UNHMSoccer and on Instagram @unhmenssoccer.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
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