FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, November 2, 2016 Novis’s Brazilian influence helps lead dynamic ‘Jacket offense
Transferring to MSUB in the spring of 2015 after two years at Fresno Pacific University, Thiago Novis impacts one of the top-scoring teams in the west region with nine goals to date in his career with the ‘Jackets. MSUB SPORTS – From the opening whistle of Montana State University Billings’ men’s soccer match against Western Washington University on Oct. 13, it was clear that senior striker Thiago Novis was locked in. Less than five minutes into the action, the skillful Brazilian unleashed a shot on frame that required a save by the Vikings’ Tyler Visten. By the 19th minute, he had taken three more shots, one of which whistled just over the crossbar as it knuckled downwards after releasing from Novis’s right foot at the top of the box. The ball was going to wind up in the back of the net, it was only a question of when. Receiving a pass from Flavio Colasanti in the 30th minute inside the box, Novis turned quickly with defenders on either side of him, and blasted a powerful shot into the corner of the goal from eight yards away. He didn’t stop there.
Striking again just eight minutes into the second half, this time Novis put his pure goal-scoring ability on display. Guillaume Kremer fed him an angled through ball towards the box, and Novis’s initial touch as he opened his hips towards goal was on the money. Keeping his head down and focusing on his plant foot, Novis struck a bending shot from 25 yards away that cut just inside the near post and left Visten with no chance for a save. The Yellowjackets picked up a convincing 3-1 victory, behind a career-high six shots by Novis including four on goal. In the team’s ensuing match against Northwest Nazarene, he bettered the mark with seven shots and three more on target. Entering his final game with the Yellowjackets on Senior Day Thursday, Novis is tied for second on the team with five goals scored. Good things have come in unstoppable bursts for the Rio de Janeiro native, as his performance against WWU last month was the third multi-goal game of his two-year career with MSUB.
Garret Robinson congratulates Novis after his second goal of the game against WWU on Oct. 13.
On the surface, Novis is a bona fide striker, possessing all of the tools to wreak havoc on any defense he faces. Part of it is natural talent. Novis’s approach to handling adversity in the form of injury and uncertainty however, is what shines through and defines his character. FUTBOL
Novis started kicking a soccer ball as soon as he could walk, and by age five he was headed to his first Brazilian soccer academy. “Soccer in Brazil is a big thing, and it is like a business starting at age six,” Novis explained. “Everyone has a big dream of playing at the next level, but it is very competitive. Every training session you have to fight for your spot.” Upon reaching the high-school level, Novis was faced with deciding between trying out for a professional team in Brazil, or taking his chances by moving to the United States and pursuing an education and soccer career. Though it may have proven to be the more challenging route, Novis elected to pack up and finish his prep years in a country where he would be learning English from scratch. With his sights set on Montverde Academy in Orlando, Novis carried confidence that his skill would translate well to the American game. He saw immediate reward in the form of 17 goals in his first season, but mounting pressure in the areas of school work and emotional stress began to call into question whether or not Novis was in the right place. “I had a hard time adapting and being away from my family, and I didn’t speak any English,” Novis said in perfectly fluent English four years later. “All of those things built up, and I thought about going back to Brazil again.” A week before graduation however, Novis received an offer from Fresno Pacific University and was introduced to the NCAA Division II level. Scoring a goal in his first-ever game against San Francisco State gave Novis confidence, but by the end of his second year with the Sunbirds he wasn’t satisfied with his total of four goals scored. “I was at a hard time in
my life, and was a little bit angry and arrogant,” Novis said. “I wasn’t scoring the way I had been in high school, and after two seasons I really had to look at myself. I just felt like I needed a change and to go somewhere new.” While four goals may not have been up to Novis’s personal standards, it didn’t miss the radar of MSUB head coach Alex Balog. In need of an attacking-minded player, Balog noted Novis’s fearlessness in taking players on, and direct mindset towards goal as key traits that suggested Novis would be a good fit for the ‘Jackets. “We started emailing back-and-forth, and one of the things that sold me was how quickly he got back to me and how on top of his paperwork he was,” Balog said. “I knew he wasn’t getting the playing time at Fresno Pacific that he wanted, and with the good grades he carried and his international background, I knew he would be a good fit for us right away.” LIFE UP NORTH “Moving to Billings is one of the best choices I have ever made. I love all of my teammates here, and we are close like a family. It has not been an easy five years away from home, but the school has helped me a lot.” – Thiago Novis reflecting on his decision to transfer to MSUB prior to the 2015 season. A far cry from the mild climate of Rio de Janeiro, Novis received perhaps the most honest introduction to Montana possible as he was greeted by temperatures in the negatives upon his arrival. Checking in during the spring of 2015, the diversity of cultures within MSUB’s program helped Novis adapt more quickly than either of his previous two stops in America. “When I transferred here I didn’t know about it at first, but then I saw guys from Germany and Australia, and I thought that was pretty cool,” Novis said. “All of the different nationalities make our style of play beautiful.” Playing with the largest variety of cultures to date in his career, Novis had to alter his own game and adjust to the everchanging dynamic on the field. To his left, German technical wizard Niklas Schregel put his touch on display and created possession at times where it seemed that the ball had been lost. Behind him, Australian captain Rhys Lambert made his presence known leaping into every challenge with the strength to win it. In tandem with him up top, Mexican striker Ricardo Palomino, a fellow newcomer, was getting ready to turn heads and steal the show with an offensive season for the books. For Novis in particular, the space he had grown accustomed to as a winger near the sidelines had quickly shrunk away. “In Brazil everyone is so skillful and the game is much more open,” Novis said, explaining that in America players are guarded much more attentively. “I would get the ball down the wing and all of a sudden I’d have two players on me. I couldn’t do what I did before, and I had to adapt to the American style.” Novis is known for his trademark step-over move while on the ball, followed by explosive speed and a powerful shot that he can drive, curl, dip, or chip depending on his angle towards goal. While his ability during the run of play stands
out among the team, any set piece in a threatening location immediately beckons Novis’s nose for striking the ball as well. Early on in the Yellowjackets’ match at Western Washington on Oct. 24, 2015, a foul just outside of the goal box set the ‘Jackets up with a prime scoring chance in the 26th minute. As soon as Novis set the ball down and drew several steps back, he knew where he was going to hit the free kick. “I saw the wall and the goalkeeper behind it, and I knew that the right flank was open,” Novis recalled. “I knew that if I put it low and hard in the corner that it would be tough for their keeper to get there. When I hit that ball it was just a really good moment.” It was the first and last shot for either team that wound up in the back of the net that evening in Bellingham, Wash., as Novis’s perfectly-placed strike lifted the ‘Jackets to a 1-0 shutout victory. It was one of four goals Novis wound up scoring in his first season with MSUB, as he matched his two-year total at FPU in just 13 games with the ‘Jackets. While Novis met expectations in the offensive department, Coach Balog commented on the defensive emphasis he called upon Novis to focus on during the offseason and into this fall’s preseason. “He has gotten better defensively, and I think he now understands the value of pulling his weight in that department,” said Balog. “One of the things that the whole team can feed off of is his work ethic, whether it’s in a game or a practice session. He is always going to give one hundred percent, and that is something I can really appreciate. He is someone who is interested in getting better every day.” FAMILIA Missing five games during his junior season with a knee injury not only hampered Novis’s chances of scoring more goals, but put a significant dent into his confidence. For a player so driven to stay healthy and be in top shape for every match, having to sit out with an MCL sprain provoked the memory of his mental roadblocks he suffered from upon his initial move to the U.S. “When Tom (Ebel) tested my knee and we talked about it, at first we thought my season might be over,” said Novis. “I got hurt on a Saturday, and Monday afternoon I was in the gym doing band work. I knew I had to start doing rehab as quickly as I could.” Novis’s first call after getting hurt was naturally to his father, Paulo Novis, whose experience working as a doctor with professional players in Brazil would prove to expedite his son’s recovery time. Within three weeks, Novis’s ligaments showed tremendous stability and he was cleared to play after missing just four matches to start the season. “Because of my dad’s knowledge, and my hard work with Tom, I was back a lot sooner than expected,” said Novis. “I just believed that if I worked hard and gave everything I had to rehab, that I could overcome anything.” The hard-nosed worker in Novis spurs from his upbringing, as he explained that everything he has ever achieved is a direct result of the work ethic his parents have instilled in him. “I play soccer because of my dad, and he was the first
one who gave me a ball,” said Novis. “I wouldn’t be here without the support my mom has given me, and she has always told me to pursue my dreams and what will make me happy.” The word ‘familia’ tattooed across his chest, Novis longs to be reunited with his brothers Ryan Novis (4) and Antonio Zanon (8), so he can be a role model and influence for them in soccer and their overall development. His mother, Ana Paula Zanon, frequently answers the youngsters’ inquiry of why their brother Thiago has to be away, and her response that he is pursuing a dream provides all the motivation Novis needs. ¡VAMOS! “Alex saw the kind of player I was, but he knew that if I didn’t change my mentality that I wouldn’t perform. I still think I have a strong personality, but he knows how to manage that well. He helps me keep myself on my feet, and he is the first coach who has been able to get that to click in my mind.” – Senior Thiago Novis on MSUB Head Coach Alex Balog. The 2016 season has been the best of Novis’s college career to date, as he has already surpassed last year’s goal total with five for the ‘Jackets. Head to Yellowjacket Field on Saturday before the team’s 2 p.m. kickoff against Saint Martin’s and you’ll catch Novis and Palomino getting some early touches in during warmups. The relationship the two strikers has fostered is one of the strongest on the team, and Novis knew from the moment he and Lambert picked Palomino up from Billings Logan International Airport they would get along. “My friendship with Ricky started the first hour he was in Billings, and he and Rhys are two of my best friends who I will keep for the rest of my life,” Novis said. “He is one of the best strikers I have ever played with, and our friendship off the field has helped us be better players together on it.” A simple nod of the head from Palomino to Novis before each game signals that the two are ready to fly out of the gate for one of the most dynamic offenses in the NCAA Division II west region. The two have combined to score 30 of the team’s 68 goals the last two seasons, each of them preceded or followed by a single, universal word. “¡Vamos!” When Novis is on, he’s on, and he possesses the ability to strike as quickly as any player in the conference. His presence will occupy Yellowjacket Field one final time on Thursday, but with the mentality and skillset he has acquired in his two short years at MSUB, the possibilities for his next step are limitless. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--