By Ashlea Hellmann
The University of Louisville soccer team has two native New Zealanders who refer to themselves as “kiwis.” The Cardinals are beginning to see the fruits of their labor.
Junior Aaron Clapham and sophomore Phil Edington are the two “kiwis.” They have already begun to prove themselves on the field, the most recent feat being Clapham’s goal in overtime to defeat No. 13 Indiana University.
When the pair began playing soccer around the age of four, neither one of them ever dreamed they would end up playing in the United States.
“Most players try to go to Australia or Europe,” Edington said.
Yet when the offers were made, Edington and Clapham decided to make the journey to America.
Before he came to the states, Clapham played with the Under 20 National Team of New Zealand where he was named Mainland Premier Player of the Year in 2005. He first came to know American soccer at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania where he spent his first two years.
Clapham said he decided it was time to make the move to a bigger school with a better program. Edington also spent some time playing for the New Zealand National Team before he accepted an offer to join the Cardinal squad.
According to Edington, the style that the pair experiences here is “more technical” than back home where they are playing against grown men who are “much more physical.”
Soccer isn’t the only thing different for the duo. Both Clapham and Edington said school in the United States is much easier than in New Zealand. They are especially fond of what they refer to as “multi-choice questions,” which they don’t have back home.
While they may come from thousands of miles apart, both agree they share the same goals as the rest of their teammates.
“Our first goal is a Big East title. We will reassess our goals from there,” Clapham said.
Clapham and Edington said they are happy that they aren’t the only ones from their home country who have found a place in American soccer. Clapham said they have fellow countrymen at Dartmouth University and Evansville University, among others. Edington said the Cardinals are even looking at other New Zealanders from their National Team.
Being so far away isn’t easy for the guys though. Both say due to the high cost of airline tickets, they will likely only make one trip home this year. Clapham says he will be going home for Christmas while Edington won’t see his family until the summer. Yet they know this choice was their own decision, one they couldn’t imagine changing. The pair said they live for the game of soccer.
The entire team has a lot to live for this soccer season. Coming off recent wins against two top-20 teams, the Cardinals are looking to press forward into Big East play and improve their standings in the league. The team’s next challenge will be a home game against the University of Cincinnati at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Park.
