Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Nation Magazine Feature: New Zealand Connection
12.28.17 | Men's Soccer, Featured
Two Xavier men’s soccer players trade island life for life in the Queen City
Senior defender Cory Brown has helped create a New Zealand connection for the Xavier men's soccer team.
Brown, one of the best men's soccer players in the country, was the first New Zealand native to commit to the Xavier program. He helped identify former player Alex Ridsdale, who is from Brown's hometown of Nelson, and midfielder Joash Sutherland as New Zealanders who could play for the Musketeers.
Brown was recruited by several colleges, including UC Santa Barbara, but chose Xavier because he was impressed with Coach Andy Fleming and the closeness of the team. "When Coach Fleming recruited me he said the team was really tight-knit, and that's true. We are," Brown says.
He also liked that Xavier was small. "Some of the schools I looked at had the same number of undergrads as my hometown," Brown says. "I figured I'd get lost there. Xavier had exactly what I was looking for."
Brown, the 2016 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, shared his enthusiasm for the program with Ridsdale, who transferred to Xavier his junior year and graduated last spring, and Sutherland. Brown had played with Sutherland at Ole Football Academy in New Zealand, which trains players for U.S. soccer. "I was kind of in-between [between Xavier and the academy] during his recruiting," he says.
The main difference between play in the U.S. and New Zealand, Brown says, is the U.S. players' combination of size and athleticism. "New Zealand has a lot of big guys, but they are not as athletically gifted as players here," Brown says.
Another major difference is the emphasis on winning. "Where I came from, the academy, we really didn't care about winning—just developing good soccer players," Brown says. "Here, we want to win every game, of course. I wouldn't say the tactics are a lot different. I would just say that every game means a lot more than what it did at home."
Brown, one of the best men's soccer players in the country, was the first New Zealand native to commit to the Xavier program. He helped identify former player Alex Ridsdale, who is from Brown's hometown of Nelson, and midfielder Joash Sutherland as New Zealanders who could play for the Musketeers.
Brown was recruited by several colleges, including UC Santa Barbara, but chose Xavier because he was impressed with Coach Andy Fleming and the closeness of the team. "When Coach Fleming recruited me he said the team was really tight-knit, and that's true. We are," Brown says.
He also liked that Xavier was small. "Some of the schools I looked at had the same number of undergrads as my hometown," Brown says. "I figured I'd get lost there. Xavier had exactly what I was looking for."
Brown, the 2016 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, shared his enthusiasm for the program with Ridsdale, who transferred to Xavier his junior year and graduated last spring, and Sutherland. Brown had played with Sutherland at Ole Football Academy in New Zealand, which trains players for U.S. soccer. "I was kind of in-between [between Xavier and the academy] during his recruiting," he says.
The main difference between play in the U.S. and New Zealand, Brown says, is the U.S. players' combination of size and athleticism. "New Zealand has a lot of big guys, but they are not as athletically gifted as players here," Brown says.
Another major difference is the emphasis on winning. "Where I came from, the academy, we really didn't care about winning—just developing good soccer players," Brown says. "Here, we want to win every game, of course. I wouldn't say the tactics are a lot different. I would just say that every game means a lot more than what it did at home."
Players Mentioned
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