Winning two NESCAC championships and two NCAA championships in just three seasons, senior midfielder and co-captain Derek Enge will patiently wait until the 2021 season for a final chance at repeating these successes on the Tufts men’s soccer team.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has had to adjust their usual spring and summer offseason. In addition to players going abroad and then having to come home, many players' plans to play in a U-23 summer league were cancelled as well. The team, as well as many other Tufts teams, utilized Zoom calls to stay connected and to build relationships with their new head coach Kyle Dezotell.
Additionally, Enge noted that the team had several Zoom calls surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the summer. These meetings included watching a documentary and having discussions with teammates.
On track to graduate in seven semesters as opposed to the usual eight, Enge decided, after fall sports were cancelled, to take the year off to work and wait until next year to complete his final semester. Many other players in his senior class will also use their extra year of eligibility, hoping to take home one last championship ring, sealing off four very successful years at Tufts.
“I saw this as an opportunity to get some unique experience in — normally when you do those summer internships it’s 10 weeks, and now I have the ability to do something for seven months, which means I get to dive a little bit deeper than you may be able to do during a summer internship,” Enge said. “I’m excited, I just started last week and will be doing that for the next year, so hopefully it’s a good experience, I think it will be.”
In addition to not competing as a team this fall, Enge, as well as the other players that are not currently enrolled at Tufts, will not be able to participate in the small team training sessions. He will miss playing as well as spending this time with all of his teammates.
“Just being out there with your teammates, that’s the most fun part," Enge said. "Then the competitive aspect as well, there’s nothing more fun than a close game that goes straight to the end or an overtime game. Being around the guys, being around the coaches, and all those fun little moments whether that’s in warm up or in between drills, those are the moments you remember most.”
Throughout Enge’s career at Tufts, the men's soccer team has been extremely successful, boasting a 53–4–9 record in the past three seasons. They won the NESCAC championship his first year, the NCAA championship his sophomore year and then went on to win both championships his junior year.
This winning culture, as well as the general team culture, are some of Enge’s favorite parts of playing for Tufts and also why he wants one more season to compete.
“The postseason is just special,” Enge said. “There’s this change in atmosphere on the team. All of a sudden everyone just realizes, including the coaching staff, the seriousness of the situation you are now in and I think that intensity is pretty fun. Every training session, every game, you’re going out there being like, ‘this one could be the last one this season.’ I think looking back, those postseason runs are my favorite time of year because of that intensity. Regardless of whether you end up going all the way or not, those games are hard to beat.”
Enge has played an important role in the team’s success since he stepped on the field his first year at Tufts. Going into his last season, Enge has played in 60 games, including all 24 games his junior year.
“Derek is someone that the younger players look up to," junior back Will Raphael said. "I know my freshman year, despite Derek only being one year older, we all looked to Derek for guidance on the soccer field and outside the soccer field — whether that be class selection or how to navigate school, Derek is always more than willing to help and is very approachable.”
Over his three years on the team, Enge has naturally stepped into a more prominent leadership role. Teammates credit Enge’s ability to balance being focused and being a leader on the field while also being able to take a step back and form bonds with his teammates off the field.
“I think something that is very important on the team is, and we’re lucky that this is the case, that everyone really gets along both on and off the field," Raphael said. "Sometimes it’s hard to find the balance between being a leader, because ultimately when you’re on the soccer field, you’re leading your friends — they're the same guys you go back to your house or your dorm and joke around with — and also being someone who's down to earth and willing to help. It's been really great to have him as a resource and being able to look up to him, while also realizing he's just another one of the guys — he's your friend, he's someone you want to hang out with — and he does a really great job of towing that line.”
