Student Athlete Spotlight: Men's Soccer keeper Dillon Wager

Student-Athlete Spotlight 

Dillon Wager- MCLA Men's Soccer Goalkeeper

Watching a soccer game at Ron Shewcraft field, home of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Trailblazers, you will see the home team dressed in white, except senior goalkeeper Dillon Wager. Wager is the starting goalie for the Trailblazers soccer team who sports a blue goalie shirt. 

Wager started playing soccer at a young age in recreational programs back in his home town of Amsterdam, New York  but he didn't start playing the position until high school, "I was kind of forced into it my senior year," says Wager, "I was quick and athletic; it turned out working for the best."

He never had the desire to play the position growing up, but he excelled at it being awarded the Big Ten Goalie of the Year. He then took his newly acquired skill to Post University, a Division 2 school in Waterbury, CT but was redshirted. After spending a year at Post University, he found himself following one of his best friends to MCLA and a spot on the soccer team.

The most important part of Wager's job besides preventing goals is communication and a common understanding of what needs to be accomplished between him and the defense throughout the game. "He's loud in the back directing everyone to the best spot," said senior co-captain Ryan Shewchuk.

Early in Wager's career he would get very frustrated and down on himself during games. But over the years he has adapted to the ups and downs of the position and not letting mistakes take him out of the game. "My attitude was poor at first," says Wager, "I have a system of making the things I am good at even better and strengthen my weaknesses at practice."

Game days differ from practices; he wakes up, rests in bed and thinks about what he needs to focus on. He doesn't believe in superstitions, but he does have a routine, "before the game I pray, sometimes nothing even to do with soccer, just to get my mind right and I always latch on to the crossbar and do a pull up before each opening kickoff."

Wager has started six of the seven games the team has played this season. He currently has a record of 3-3 and recently recorded his first shutout of the season this past weekend when the Trailblazers earned a key win defeating MASCAC foe Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Wager described the journey as a whole the most fun he's had with the team, "I've grown a lot from experiences on and off the field and credit my coaching staff of Coach Hildabrand and Coach Botto."

You can catch Dillon Wager in action on Wednesday when the Trailblazers host the Spartans of Castleton State at 4:00 pm.