Courtesy of Sean Elliot
Camel of the Edition is a continuous series which seeks to highlight extraordinary Connecticut College athletes who have stood out for their recent performances.
Elliot Spatz ‘26 was recently named NESCAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for his man of the match performance in the NESCAC tournament where he scored two goals and assisted another in a 3-1 win over Hamilton at home. The Bellevue, Washington native has carved out an important attacking role for the men’s soccer team despite only starting one game so far this season. Currently, he sits third in points contributed to on the team with 4 goals and 3 assists in 16 matches. Recently, The College Voice caught up with Spatz to learn more about how his struggles with injuries has surprisingly led him to his major, how he is able to make an impact in games coming off the bench, and how he unexpectedly found out he was named NESCAC player of the week.
Could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Elliot Spatz, I’m in the Class of 2026. On the field, I play center forward also known as striker. I’m designing my own major in kinesiology studies, which is a knockoff of kinesiology. I’m also involved in the religious catholic group on campus [which] meets up every Sunday.
Coming from the West Coast, what was your recruitment process like and how did you end up choosing Conn?
With Covid, talks between college coaches were delayed a little bit. So when it became time to talk to coaches, I was looking at division one [schools] on the west and east coast. But also, I was looking at some division three [schools] because there were some really good division three schools, Conn being one of them. I played at the Surf Cup tournament in California and the Conn coach, Ruben Burke came out to watch me, in California, along with some other players probably. I had a good game and he reached out [to me] again, because I had already talked to him before. He told me we’d love to have you and with Conn’s great academic standards and the strong athletics program that the school as a whole [has], it was hard to say no. Along [with the fact], I have some family on the east coast too and the whole time we would always talk about how far apart we were so now that we’re closer it’s nice to have that.
What was your journey through sports like and did you always envision yourself playing in college?
So growing up I kind of played a whole bunch of sports. My two main sports were baseball and soccer, but I also played lacrosse, tennis, and a little bit of football back when I was younger. At the age of 12, I made the transition to just focus on soccer and I dropped baseball. I kind of just wanted it to be my life. I remember back in elementary school when I used to play soccer with everyone on the sand. I always had a dream to play in college and when the opportunity arose I couldn’t say no, I was super happy that I got a spot locked in for college and also on a good team as well.
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about your position and have you always played as a center-forward?
Back in U10 when we were 8 or 9 years old, you got thrown everywhere [in terms of position]. But starting at age 9 or 10, I played center forward and I have played it ever since. Growing up I learned a bunch about how to play the position and got a lot of helpful tips from mentors. I like being able to put the ball in the back of the net, chase after the ball, and go against the defense because the defense’s job is to defend you and when you’re having a good game, you’re tricky to defend and it’s a nice feeling.
What was your first college season like and was the adaptation from high school to college soccerhard?
It was good, unfortunately I came in injured and didn’t get healthy for a little bit over a month. I was kind of down in the dumps and a little upset I couldn’t contribute to the team and its success. But, out of nowhere, all the training I did in the summer started to pay off. My muscles all got healthy again and I was able to play. In one of my first practices back, I had a really good practice and I talked to Coach Burke after and he said he could probably throw me in and give me some minutes [in the following game]. This was amazing to hear after all the work I put in to get healthy and I really started to feel my training started to pay off. After that game, I played a good amount and started a couple [more] games. In the NESCAC tournament, we made it to the finals and that was fun just to get a lot of minutes there and start to gain the team’s trust [playing] in the striker position. Unfortunately, we lost in the NESCAC final and we didn’t get a bid to the NCAA [tournament] but it was a good first season and I learned a lot.
Did you notice any big differences from club/high school soccer to college?
[College] is a lot more physical for sure. That’s also because of the league we play in. The NESCAC is a very physical league for DIII soccer. In club and high school, it’s definitely physical, but people won’t go down [on tacklets] with their studs up. It’s a lot faster in college as well. In high school and club, we’d have a lot more time to turn and think about what to do [with the ball]. But now in college, you have to be prepared before you get the ball, know what your next move is going to be, and that’s something I didn’t know in my first season.
What did you do following the season to improve and prepare for this current season?
As a college team at Conn, we would train about five times a week and work out three to four times a week lifting and getting strong. Our practices would be intense but not too intense to get injured. It was also a good balance during the offseason. We still had some early wakeups even though we weren’t in season and kept ourselves to a high standard. We weren’t able to have our coach there [at practices due to NCAA regulations], but we did the best we could with ourselves and our captains. The energy [at practices] was very intense and it was really enjoyable. In the summer, I joined the Eastside FC U-23 team back in Washington, which is the club I grew up playing on. I had an amazing coach in an ex-[Seattle] Sounders and LA Galaxy player. He was a good mentor and was very enthusiastic about pushing towards professionalism and work ethic and it was great to learn from.
What makes the Men’s soccer team at Conn so competitive nationally and in the NESCAC?
I think the standard that we have in the NESCAC, it’s the best division three conference and not just our coach but all our players have a big winning mentality. When you recruit the right players, like [Coach] Ruben has done, it really pays off with leadership and motivation. Even the players who don’t play a lot are big motivators for those who are playing a lot and every guy on the team has a big role to play, which is being emphasized this season. We’ve always been getting to the NCAA [tournament] as of 2017 and ever since then our team has improved and setting a standard for yourself is very important.
Elliot, you are currently third on the team for points contributed to despite only starting one game, how has this happened?
I don’t know, my whole life I’ve started games and it’s definitely an adjustment. I think [we’ve played] 17 games this season and I’ve played in 16 [games]. I think it’s all about how you contribute to the team. Having a mentality even though you’re not starting, that being able to help the team off the bench is just as important if not more important to raise the energy and make the defenders who are already tired work even harder. That’s kind of what I’ve been exploiting. When I come in [to games], the defenders are already tired and I’m able to get in behind and help the team score whether it’s getting an assist or getting a goal. I am just looking forward to every game, being supportive from the bench at the start. When it’s my turn I try to raise the energy on the field and also encourage teammates [such as] when they make a good pass.
Your Coach Ruben Burke has called you a “huge impact sub” for the team, how does it feel to hear these words from your coach and did you expect to be playing in an impact substitute role this season?
Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect because just because you had a good offseason doesn’t mean your spot is guaranteed for the season or just because you had a good game doesn’t mean your spot’s guaranteed for the next game. Our coach is very smart with how he plays the team and he brings guys off the bench who can make an impact and I’m very happy to be one of those guys that he trusts. It felt good when he gave me that compliment and I was just really happy to go into the field against Hamilton specifically, and score a couple goals and grab an assist. But, it’s not just about the points but also the work rate [coach] demands from us. I love to chase after the ball and make the defense panic and I was able to do that as well. I was very happy to get recognized but although it’s nice to get that award, it’s just a game and there’s many games, so you just have to try to do it the next game.
How do you get yourself hyped up coming off the bench?
I visualize before games. I paint scenarios in my head where I’m making a run, scoring a goal, making a good pass just to get myself comfortable in an environment like that and it really helps. Before that game [against Hamilton] specifically, I was in the locker room and they were playing music and I kind of tuned it out and was thinking to myself what I wanted to achieve in the game and how I can help the team. Being able to visualize and picture myself succeeding on the pitch helps. When it comes to gametime, I’m there and in my head I’ve already been in that situation and this helps me on the all and makes me more comfortable making runs behind.
You’ve mentioned the Hamilton game a little already, but talk me through your experience of the Hamilton game where you scored two goals and assisted another in the 3-1 win in extra-time. Were you expecting to play such a key role coming off the bench and have such an incredible game?
For the most part, our coach has a handful of guys he brings off the bench that he really trusts. Before he has said that we have a good amount of guys who can make an impact on the game and everyone can make an impact on the game. So when he brings me on, specifically [against] Hamilton, I was just thinking this is a big game, my first NESCAC [tournament] home game which was fun. The environment was great with 75 degree sunny weather and you’ve got to love things like that because we’re only here for four years and after that who knows. We are most likely never going to play a competitive soccer match again so you got to enjoy it. So I went into the game and I scored a goal. Right after I scored I was like alright I’m going to have a good game, so [I] just got to do it again and play my game. Then, [Coach Burke] started me for overtime and I was super happy about that. About 5 minutes in, I was able to score my second goal. In the next half of overtime I got the assist as well. Hard work pays off. I’ve been trying to get in behind and score goals and help the team get points on the board and I was able to do so [during] that game on multiple occasions which boosted my confidence a bunch.
Were you expecting to win NESCAC player of the week?
I didn’t really think of it actually, I didn’t think of NESCAC player of the week being a thing in a sense that I was super happy with my performance and I’m glad [my hard work] paid off. Then, on Monday, I was actually in the library with one of my teammates and he [says to me] NESCAC player of the week and I’m like what? He showed me a picture of it and I was like oh my goodness, that’s awesome. It’s just great to get recognition. It was nice to just get a good performance out and get some more trust from my coach and my teammates and help the team get one step farther in the NESCAC tournament and also one step closer to an NCAA bid which we did end up getting.
How tough is the NESCAC conference truly in terms of soccer?
It’s a lot more physical. The NESCAC has a high standard. I don’t remember the last time the NESCAC hasn’t made the final four in the NCAA tournament and it’s very competitive because there are many teams that can succeed. Williams made it to the finals last year, we won it the year before against Amherst in an NESCAC duel matchup in the NCAA final. I just think the players that go to these schools are very good players who can play at a higher level as well but they want a great education as well to better prepare themselves for the future and I think it’s a very smart thing to do so the NESCAC really prepares its athletes and students.
Going back to your academic plans, how did you decide to self-design a Kinesiology major?
Definitely, I think that the main season I’m doing this is because I’ve spent a lot of time in rehab clints and in [physical therapy] clinics. Unfortunately, I had a lot of bad luck with injuries growing up. It’s kind of a blessing and a curse because I’ve fallen in love with helping people and learning about anatomy, physiology, and all of the stuff that comes along with injuries. I had an internship this past summer where I really got introduced to a specific type of therapy [called] muscle activation therapy, which is where you’re really strengthening your muscles to prepare yourself for a game situation or for older people, strengthening your legs and your core to prevent yourself from falling down the stairs [for example]. The group I worked with was ATI, Athletic Training Institute, and the mentors I worked with were very passionate about their job and I saw myself kind of doing something like that in the future. So this internship between my freshman and sophomore year was a great eye-opener to the possibility of having this as my major. At that time, I kind of already had it planned out but got a little more background.
What was the NESCAC tournament experience like this year?
It was fun being at home for a NESCAC [tournament] game and it was cool just to be with a crowd. Here at Connecticut College, the fanbase is amazing and we love how many fans we have out in the games, how many supporters there are not just on the field. Walking to class, I’ll say hi to people and they’ll say good job this weekend. Unfortunately, we didn’t do this well this year losing to Amherst in the semi-final at Middlebury. The previous year we lost to Amherst in the final, so we haven’t won a NESCAC tournament as a program yet, but I feel it coming soon. It’s good preparation for the NCAA [tournament] because you never know if you’ll get a bid and [playing in the NESCAC tournament] you kind of have the feeling of oh if you lose your season is over because you never know if you’ll get a bid [to the NCAA tournament]. That feeling of oh shoot is my season over kind of drives you to succeed in the NCAA as well so I’m hoping it helps this year.
What are your hopes for the season ahead?
Our team goal is to make the Final Four [of the NCAA tournament] in Virginia, but obviously there are so many steps from here to there. We head to Lanchester Thursday morning for our game on Friday to play a team from Ohio, Denison. If we do well in that game, we’ll play the next day against the winner of Geneva and Franklin and Marshall. We hope to make a big statement on Friday and show everybody that, even though we just had our first loss of the season this past weekend, we’re here to really compete for the NCAA title. As a group, we’re hungry and the energy is there at practice and in the locker room. We set high standards for ourselves, but those high standards are helping us to succeed this season.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Please reach out to The College Voice (thecollegevoice@gmail.com or @the_collegevoice on Instagram) to nominate an athlete for the next edition!
