This season, Suffolk University men’s soccer welcomed four graduate players who began their collegiate careers in a COVID-wrecked 2020 season to end their collegiate soccer careers on a high note with an NCAA tournament appearance.
“It’s pretty special,” said graduate midfielder Dan Colbert. “To participate in the NCAA tournament is definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. That was great.”
Being eligible to play this year all stems from the early portion of their college careers beginning with COVID, ending their 2020 seasons and making it difficult to get on the field.
“What I remember is just everything was so different. It seemed like the world was on pause. Classes were online, we weren’t leaving the house, that year the soccer season got cancelled for everybody. We were just practicing a couple days a week, then someone would get COVID on the team, everyone would have to quarantine and wouldn’t practice for two more weeks,” said graduate defenseman Paolo Tedesco.
Midfielders Colbert and Faisal Bajunaid, along with defensemen Tedesco and Niklas Nilsson, entered their last season of NCAA eligibility knowing that this would be their final season playing soccer at the collegiate level. This created a bittersweet feeling for them, especially at the end of the lone NCAA tournament game.
Staying at college for a fifth year can be a big decision for a lot of people, and student athletes like Colbert weren’t exempt from that. In the end, passion for the game is what won players like Colbert over in deciding to play out one final season.
“It was difficult at first. I was definitely weighing the pros and cons and the opportunity [and the] cost of going back to school versus getting a job and moving on. What it came down to was my passion for soccer and wanting to keep playing. At the end of the day, it wasn’t too hard of a decision, but definitely it took a little bit of decision-making and was a tough process,” said Colbert.
Colbert, Bajunaid and Nilsson were all transfer students who opted to come to Suffolk to play their last season, adding the pressure of playing with all new teammates and adapting to a new environment to the reality of this being the year they step off the college field.
Players like Colbert, who came to Suffolk from St. Michael’s College, made the decision to choose Suffolk not only because of their desire to play for this team, but also by looking at how Suffolk could help them educationally.
“I think just the opportunity to be in the city was really appealing to me. I had looked at Suffolk for undergrad but I don’t think I was ready for that at the time, I think I needed more of an enclosed campus feeling. The opportunity to go to school in the city was definitely really appealing, with a great business school to get my MBA,” said Colbert, who is a master’s candidate in business administration.
On the other hand, Tedesco entered his second season at Suffolk after transferring from Winthrop University before the start of last year.
“It kind of worked out that Suffolk was a good team soccer-wise along with the graduate program. I definitely tailored it towards the grad program, I was doing a masters in healthcare administration. Once I figured out they had a decent program for that it was kind of easy from there,” said Tedesco.
Being able to finish up their collegiate career on such a high note, like playing in the NCAA tournament, provided fulfillment for a number of student athletes who got into college when a lot of their early seasons were being ended by a pandemic.
“I’d say looking back it’s definitely a fulfillment. Although I wanted more, I understand there’s a very small percentage of the millions of soccer players in the country who don’t even get to think about going that far. I’d say when I really look at reality and appreciate things in the full picture, it was definitely a fulfillment and I feel satisfied,” said Tedesco.
Though playing a fifth season allowed them to get the most out of college athletics, after COVID took their first season away from them, it can still be tough for players to walk away from the game. Many of these players, like Colbert and Tedesco, began playing soccer when they were young children.
“It definitely is difficult trying to fill that void. I think the most difficult part is finding what motivates you at this point, since something so big has ended in my life,” said Tedesco.
With their college careers wrapped up, these players advised future student athletes to not take their time for granted.
“Learn to separate soccer from everything else and still find the joy even when you’re struggling. Once you get towards the end you realize it’s going to be gone soon, so if you don’t enjoy it you’re going to miss out on what you’re really doing. Find the enjoyment and put your full work into it,” said Tedesco.
