(THE PICKET) – The accomplishments of Noah Blacker, a sophomore defenseman for the Shepherd Rams men’s soccer team, are not only limited to the soccer field; his successes in the classroom are an achievement of their own.
Blacker started 17 of 18 games on the field. He led not only freshman but the entire team in minutes played with 1,600. His spectacular play earned him rookie of the year honors along with the men’s soccer team’s most prestigious award number—the four award, which is handed down by two previous captains to the hardest working player not just on the field but in the classroom and around campus as well.
Blacker was picked by his coaches at the beginning of the season to be one of the team’s two captains on the field.
“It was an awesome honor to be named captain as only a sophomore, but I know I have big shoes to fill replacing the great captains we had last season,” Blacker said.
Blacker is quiet and keeps to himself off the field, but he has been able to step up and become a vocal leader and lead by example on the field.
Blacker is a business major currently taking 16 credits and carrying a 3.8 GPA.
“I always put school before soccer because I am here to get an education first and play soccer second,” Blacker said. “I always try to make sure my work is done on the bus or in the hotel before our games so that after the games I can focus on relaxing and resting my body.”
Blacker began playing soccer at the age of four. While he spends a lot of his time playing, he also works for an energy audit company in his hometown during the four months of summer vacation. He also said he enjoys hanging out with his friends and just relaxing.
“I love hanging with my friends during the summer because I know when mid-August comes around I wont see them until November,” Blacker said.
You can see Blacker and the rest of his teammates at play during a game next Thursday, Oct. 15, against Notre Dame College at 2:30 p.m.
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