All-American career

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Making history is no easy feat, but this year’s UVM men’s soccer team did just that.

Perhaps no coincidence, so did its points leader.

In the same week, Alex Nagy was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann national player of the year award, and was the first Catamount to be a first team All-American since the magical 1989 season.

“I was pumped, honestly. I didn’t know what to say, especially the MAC Hermann semifinalist news was obviously a huge honor for me,” Nagy said. “When I came into college, I never expected it.”

“He’s earned it. You’ve seen his development as a player,” head coach Rob Dow said. “As a freshman, a little wet behind the ears, super talented, but learning how to apply himself, that competitiveness and winning mentality. Coming away with a lot to be excited about from a college career, and a good trajectory into the next level.”

Individually, or as a whole with the team, Nagy’s career in Burlington saw no shortage of surpassing the bar from years prior.

“We definitely exceeded the expectation we had this season,” Nagy said. “We’d been talking about this for three years, the potential we have, but I never expected it to take us this far. I knew we had it in us, but stuff happens. I was really excited about this season.”

In a way, Nagy’s historic career runs parallel with UVM’s historic run. As he grew, so did the team. After a combined six points in 2018 and 2019, Rob Dow put him in the center forward position in the spring of 2021 in hopes for an increase in scoring. In just eight games that year, he doubled his career point total, including the lone goal in the America East semifinals, unlocking a new ceiling.

“Throughout Alex’s career, he was always a very talented player, but could he apply himself and take responsibility to win the game? I think the more he realized and developed that self-confidence and saw his teammates believe in him, he realized ‘I could be the guy for this team,’” Dow said. “Since then, he’s been that clutch player. Get the ball to Alex’s foot and something is going to happen.”

After finishing finals this past week, his career in Burlington is now a closed - but lengthy - book. He’ll soon head to the nation’s capital to train with D.C. United. But he’s confident the legacy he and his fellow outgoing teammates left behind is strong enough to carry on.

“I just hope they continue the working process. I know they’re talented and I know they can do big things also,” Nagy said. “I hope they remember this year and see all that was going on in the locker room, on the field, off the field, in training, and take that all in and put it on the field next year and have a better season. I know the guys are capable of that.”

Copyright 2022 WCAX. All rights reserved.