Xavier University Athletics
MLS Champ, Xavier Men's Soccer Alum Nick Hagglund Returns Home
01.25.19 | Men's Soccer
Veteran defender acquired by FC Cincinnati as local side gears up for first MLS season
CINCINNATI - One of the all-time greats in Xavier men's soccer history has come home as Nick Hagglund was acquired by FC Cincinnati in a trade on January 23. Coming from Toronto FC, where he helped his team to the 2017 MLS Cup, Hagglund joins FC Cincinnati as the local side gears up for its first season as an expansion franchise in the MLS.
"Five year old Nick had a dream of being an MLS player. To see that it's going to happen in my hometown is unbelievable," said Hagglund. "It's a pleasure and I'm so excited that I get to be a part of it. It's not that many times that you get to play in front of your hometown at the professional level, so it's an exciting experience and journey that I'm fully going to embrace."
In the trade, FC Cincinnati acquired Hagglund and the No. 24 allocation ranking from Toronto FC in exchange for $200,000 in general allocation money, $100,000 targeted allocation money and the No. 1 allocation ranking.
Hagglund, 26, joins his local side after five seasons in Toronto (2014-18) and he will occupy a domestic roster spot for FC Cincinnati. The 6-foot-1 defender becomes the first player from the Cincinnati area to join FC Cincinnati's MLS roster.
"It's just what I expected, coming home, it's the same people, the same love, same city," said Hagglund. "Maybe a little bit different, downtown's looking a little different in the past five years. It's a blast being here. My family and friends are close. I'm excited to be here near Xavier and the community I grew up in."
As a pro, Hagglund has made 88 regular season appearances to go with 67 starts. In 2017, he was part of Toronto FC's first-ever championship. Last season, he scored a career-high three goals in 20 appearances.
He also has had significant postseason experience, earning six playoff starts in Toronto and appearing in 10 matches overall during the last five years. He had his signature moment as a pro in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals, scoring a game-tying goal to force overtime in a match Toronto FC would eventually win to advance to its first MLS Cup final.
While at Xavier, Hagglund was a two-time conference defensive player of the year (in both the A-10 and BIG EAST) and quarterbacked a defense that led Xavier to three straight NCAA Tournaments (2010-12). He was a part of 31 shutouts over his four years in the program.
The 10th overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, the Cincinnati-native and Lakota West High School graduate is the highest drafted player in XU men's soccer history.
"It was just the constant grind and there was a continual idea of improvement and certain standards set in terms of what it means to be a Xavier athlete: you're going around every cone, you're touching every line, you're not cutting any corners, you're a good guy, you're playing for the team," said Hagglund. "As a professional, those things helped me once I got to the level of MLS. I was never going to cut corners, I was always going to push myself. Some days it's easier and things are handed to you a little bit, and Xavier prepared me to not take the easy route. Always do extra work, always push yourself and grind to get better. I think that was instilled in me here at Xavier, through Andy and the assistants."
Hagglund said he plans to be around the program more now that he is back in the area.
"I'm excited to be close to Xavier and able to help out. I'll do anything I can to help out this program because, for me, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Xavier."
• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last eight seasons.
• The Musketeers have won 10 or more matches in seven of the last eight seasons.
• Xavier was the only program in the nation with five consecutive major conference awards from 2012-16, including 2016 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Cory Brown.
• XU has qualified for five consecutive BIG EAST Championships, including trips to the title game in 2014 and 2017.
• XU has been ranked in the nation's top-10 three times in the last six years by the United Soccer Coaches. The Musketeers have been nationally-ranked in at least one major college soccer poll (United Soccer Coaches, Top Drawer Soccer, College Soccer News, Soccer America) in every season since 2011.
• In 2015, XU knocked off the national No. 1 (Creighton) and No. 2 (Notre Dame) on the road last season. The Musketeers are widely believed to be the first program to ever knock off both a No. 1 and a No. 2 on the road in the same season.
• Four XU players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last seven years, including 2018 third rounder Cory Brown.
"Five year old Nick had a dream of being an MLS player. To see that it's going to happen in my hometown is unbelievable," said Hagglund. "It's a pleasure and I'm so excited that I get to be a part of it. It's not that many times that you get to play in front of your hometown at the professional level, so it's an exciting experience and journey that I'm fully going to embrace."
In the trade, FC Cincinnati acquired Hagglund and the No. 24 allocation ranking from Toronto FC in exchange for $200,000 in general allocation money, $100,000 targeted allocation money and the No. 1 allocation ranking.
Hagglund, 26, joins his local side after five seasons in Toronto (2014-18) and he will occupy a domestic roster spot for FC Cincinnati. The 6-foot-1 defender becomes the first player from the Cincinnati area to join FC Cincinnati's MLS roster.
"It's just what I expected, coming home, it's the same people, the same love, same city," said Hagglund. "Maybe a little bit different, downtown's looking a little different in the past five years. It's a blast being here. My family and friends are close. I'm excited to be here near Xavier and the community I grew up in."
As a pro, Hagglund has made 88 regular season appearances to go with 67 starts. In 2017, he was part of Toronto FC's first-ever championship. Last season, he scored a career-high three goals in 20 appearances.
He also has had significant postseason experience, earning six playoff starts in Toronto and appearing in 10 matches overall during the last five years. He had his signature moment as a pro in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals, scoring a game-tying goal to force overtime in a match Toronto FC would eventually win to advance to its first MLS Cup final.
While at Xavier, Hagglund was a two-time conference defensive player of the year (in both the A-10 and BIG EAST) and quarterbacked a defense that led Xavier to three straight NCAA Tournaments (2010-12). He was a part of 31 shutouts over his four years in the program.
The 10th overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, the Cincinnati-native and Lakota West High School graduate is the highest drafted player in XU men's soccer history.
"It was just the constant grind and there was a continual idea of improvement and certain standards set in terms of what it means to be a Xavier athlete: you're going around every cone, you're touching every line, you're not cutting any corners, you're a good guy, you're playing for the team," said Hagglund. "As a professional, those things helped me once I got to the level of MLS. I was never going to cut corners, I was always going to push myself. Some days it's easier and things are handed to you a little bit, and Xavier prepared me to not take the easy route. Always do extra work, always push yourself and grind to get better. I think that was instilled in me here at Xavier, through Andy and the assistants."
Hagglund said he plans to be around the program more now that he is back in the area.
"I'm excited to be close to Xavier and able to help out. I'll do anything I can to help out this program because, for me, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Xavier."
 |
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS |
#FCCincy acquire defender Nick Hagglund.
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 23, 2019
READ: https://t.co/AUJu9KSEZf#IgniteUnite pic.twitter.com/YWxGFGyyjB
.@Nickismyname is #FCCincy's first Cincinnati-native on its MLS roster.
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 24, 2019
READ MORE: https://t.co/572ajhDBOF pic.twitter.com/3rtw3lRMRK
Toronto FC have traded Nick Hagglund for $250k and the top allocation spot.
— Waking the Red (@WakingtheRed) January 23, 2019
Good luck in Cincinnati, @Nickismyname!#TFCLive https://t.co/Jhhng7rc1I pic.twitter.com/ebpwluqrP4
Look who's here👀 #IgniteUnite pic.twitter.com/aGnsvJFN1V
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 25, 2019
"It's amazing to have a guy from Cincinnati who's gone and had success in this league."@Nickismyname is back home. Read what it means to #FCCincy:
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 25, 2019
MORE HERE: https://t.co/572ajhDBOF pic.twitter.com/JllJKg6VUW
Who else is excited to see @Nickismyname do this for his hometown club! We know we are! 😎#IgniteUnite pic.twitter.com/ciP6vFIRA4
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 24, 2019
|
|
AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE |
• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last eight seasons.
• The Musketeers have won 10 or more matches in seven of the last eight seasons.
• Xavier was the only program in the nation with five consecutive major conference awards from 2012-16, including 2016 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Cory Brown.
• XU has qualified for five consecutive BIG EAST Championships, including trips to the title game in 2014 and 2017.
• XU has been ranked in the nation's top-10 three times in the last six years by the United Soccer Coaches. The Musketeers have been nationally-ranked in at least one major college soccer poll (United Soccer Coaches, Top Drawer Soccer, College Soccer News, Soccer America) in every season since 2011.
• In 2015, XU knocked off the national No. 1 (Creighton) and No. 2 (Notre Dame) on the road last season. The Musketeers are widely believed to be the first program to ever knock off both a No. 1 and a No. 2 on the road in the same season.
• Four XU players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last seven years, including 2018 third rounder Cory Brown.
HIGHLIGHTS | Men's Soccer vs No. 23 Akron
Saturday, October 25
HIGHLIGHTS | Men's Soccer vs Butler
Saturday, October 18
HIGHLIGHTS | Men's Soccer at Marquette
Saturday, October 04
HIGHLIGHTS | Men's Soccer vs Providence
Sunday, September 28