Photo Courtesy of Camel Athletics.
During the 26th annual Major League Soccer (MLS) draft held on Thursday, January 21, AJ Marcucci ‘21 was drafted by the New York Red Bulls as the 67th overall pick. Marcucci became the first athlete from Connecticut College ever to be drafted into a major American sports league.
Since 1996, the MLS has given upcoming talent the opportunity to compete at the highest domestic level through the draft. Eligibility for the draft relies on NCAA participation, providing a direct pathway from collegiate to professional soccer. While the selected players are often recent graduates of Division I schools, Marcucci joins a small list of Division III athletes selected in the MLS draft, as well as only the third NESCAC athlete ever picked.
In three seasons with the men’s soccer team, Marcucci started in 54 of 55 total games and holds the record for most shutouts in school history with 25. The West Chester, Pennsylvania native helped lead the Camels to their most successful three year run in program history, appearing in the NCAA Tournament in each of these years — a feat never done before by any team in the history of Camel Athletics. Among his many accomplishments, Marcucci was a two time First Team All American, the 2017 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, and 2018 NESCAC Player of the Year.
In order to achieve what Marcucci has in his collegiate athletic career, Reuben Burk, head coach of the men’s soccer team, credits that “his mindset is what really distinguished him.” Throughout Marcucci’s time at Conn, “AJ got better every year, didn’t rest on his laurels and every preseason, he came in firing and trying to do more than he did last year”. Regarding the impact of his selection on the Conn soccer team, Burk said, “AJ’s draft selection means to the program that the culture is producing players that can go on to play at the next level […] AJ bought into the team culture to the best of his ability, and it’s a testament to what happened today.” He continued, acknowledging that Marcucci’s success demonstrates that other Division III athletes should never lose sight of their dreams. “The pathway is still there. You have to be individually successful and stand out amongst your peers”, Burk concluded.
To Marcucci, his success on the field is greatly intertwined with his overall experience at Conn. “I was able to be myself, grow and learn from the tremendous people [at Conn],” said Marcucci, hours after being drafted. He continued, stating that the coaching staff “impacted my attitude and effort when it comes to playing the sport I love” and also credited his teammates who “were also very influential in helping me achieve this.” Marcucci, who graduated upon completion of the Fall 2020 semester, concluded that, “I will always hold Connecticut College close to my heart and thank both the school and the athletic department for the opportunities I had at the college.”
