MATT MCDONALD DIII 2022 NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

WRITTEN BY PJ RIDDELL

DESIGNED BY AMBER SWAISGOOD

Throughout the 2022 men’s soccer season, you likely heard Matt McDonald’s name booming from the loudspeakers at Shoemaker Field time and time again, as he led the team with 23 goals. His efforts on the field earned him the honor of being the men’s soccer 2022 National Player of the Year - the highest individual honor in Division III soccer.

Despite the prestige one might be tempted to revel in, McDonald’s focus immediately shifted to his team upon learning of his achievement.

“I got a phone call from one of the coaches and my first reaction was just, wow, that’s awesome,” McDonald said. “But very soon after I was just like, how lucky am I to be around 27 guys who are just as deserving of that as me. The honor is a whole team thing, it’s not just one person.”

McDonald was surrounded by success in 2022, including teammates Jake Lent-Koop and Luke Groothoff joining him as First Team All-Americans. On the sidelines, he had the support of the Messiah men’s soccer coaching staff, named as the Regional Staff of the Year this season. He credits his team and coaches for much of his development in 2022.

While on the team’s spring break trip to Colombia in March of 2022, head coach Brad McCarty recalls a conversation with McDonald that they both believe played a role in McDonald’s success.

“[McDonald] was playing some games, and was shooting the ball all over the place,” McCarty said. “I’m like, you play basketball, so when you go for a layup, is it power or finesse? [McDonald’s] like ‘finesse,’ and I’m like no, it’s both. Power, you’ve got to drive to the lane, but at the last minute, you need some finesse.”

For McDonald, an avid basketball fan, the analogy clicked.

“That was a great conversation, I still think about it a lot,” McDonald said. “He had the confidence in me that I can be a good player, there were just a few aspects I needed to tweak. He held me accountable, giving me the confidence that I can be what he sees in me.”

During the season, McDonald finished each goal with a finger-roll celebration, inspired by the conversation.

McDonald credited training with teammates as another factor in his breakout campaign, particularly training with Falcons’ veteran goalkeeper.

“I had the blessing to live with Jared Pavlovich and his family,” McDonald said. “With him being a goalie and me being a forward, [there were] a lot of workouts with shooting, and emphasis that it doesn’t have to be a hard shot every time, you just need to place it.”

Through offseason work, motivated by McCarty’s coaching and teammates, McDonald started the 2022 season on a torrid pace, scoring eight goals in the first six games - already matching his season total from 2021 by mid-September.

As a senior, McDonald has opted to use his year of extra eligibility due to COVID-19 to return and play for Messiah in 2023 for a fifth year. In following up a season like he had in 2022, McDonald doesn’t want the accolades to curb his drive to improve.

“National Player of the Year is a pretty high honor, but I can’t just be complacent in that,” McDonald said. “Something I’m looking forward to next year is just seeing what ways I can grow as a player and person, and how I can instill the core values of our team into our younger guys to see them flourish in the program and be as thankful to be in it as I am.”

Being a part of the men’s soccer program and its core values, McDonald says has changed his life on and off the field.

“Every year I’ve gotten something out of seeing how soccer can be so much more than a game,” McDonald said. “One of the most important things is keeping the focus on how it’s not about me, it’s about the team. It’s about our growth outside of soccer. That’s something that made this year’s team so special, soccer was just a small component of what we were doing.”

The faith and personal growth aspects of being at Messiah have been life changing for McDonald, more so than anything achieved on the scoreboard or in the trophy case. McDonald credits assistant coach Aaron Faro as his biggest life and faith mentor.

“He’s had a tremendous impact on my life, from Bible studies to constantly motivating me and holding me accountable,” McDonald said. “He’s pushed me in so many ways, I’m forever thankful for that and my life is forever changed because of him and his work in my life.”

The ability to grow in, and proudly display his faith while playing the sport he loves, is an opportunity not lost on McDonald as he looks forward to his encore season, awards and statistics aside.

“Something that is so amazing about Messiah, is that we get to wear ‘Messiah’ across our chest,” McDonald said. “No other school, no other team, can say they get to wear their Savior’s name across their chest while they’re playing a sport.”