By Alexandra Licata -- STAFF WRITER
Coming to the United States was not originally part of the plan for Hofstra men’s soccer goalkeeper Alex Ashton, but he is sure thankful that he did.
Growing up, Ashton watched a lot of soccer at his home in Telford, England, with his dad. His dad used to play the sport so it was something he had always wanted to try and eventually, he did.
“I went to my local amateur club and played for them there when I was about 8 years old and I just really loved it. I really enjoyed it and stuck with it from there,” Ashton said.
Ashton’s dad was also a goalie. At first, Ashton wanted to replicate his father, but then Ashton fell in love with the sport for himself.
He was always a goalie, despite his dad’s encouragement to try different positions and avoid becoming fixated on one role. His dad’s priority was for Ashton to always have fun. However, goalkeeper ended up being the best fit for Ashton.
As he grew older, Ashton’s goal was to play professionally before continuing school. When that did not work out, he received an offer from Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall to play for the Pride.
“It was a case of, ‘You can still play, but get a degree at the same time,’ so that’s what I enjoyed,” Ashton said.
Despite missing his freshman season with the team due to a dislocated shoulder, Ashton came back his sophomore year and quickly impressed Coach Nuttall. Now a junior, Ashton is pursuing a degree in exercise science and has established himself as starting keeper for the Pride.
In his two seasons, he has allowed 24 goals and has made 46 saves in 20 games. He has already surpassed his 21 saves in 13 games from last season, having made 25 in seven games so far this year.
Eight of those saves came in a double-overtime match against St. John’s on Sept. 5 in Queens for a career high.
“He’s an excellent keeper and he does a wonderful job. I’m so very pleased he’s in the sticks and doing well,” Nuttall said after the tie against St. John’s.
Ashton continues to make his mark for the Pride and Nuttall’s encouragement only gives him more confidence.
“I’m always thankful that he gave me the opportunity to come here anyway because it’s a really big thing to come here. Not just for soccer, but for everything else,” Ashton said. “It definitely makes you feel good when he backs you and one, selects you, and two, also really believes in you as well.”
For Ashton, there’s always room for improvement. He felt rustier last season, especially after missing a year. When he came back, his plan was to give himself time and not put too much pressure on himself. He feels now that he’s grown as a player and feels a lot stronger in the net.
“I think I’ve improved my talking to my players and also my distribution … And in general, I feel sharper. I feel better, but that just comes with practice,” Ashton said.
Visualizing tactics have played an important role in Ashton’s preparation for each game.
He draws a mental picture of what he’s going to do, where he’s going to be playing and if a particular team has any special tactics they use, in order to ensure he’s ready to face their opponent.
With new faces joining the Pride, Ashton has worked with several different combinations of players in the backline, so training has also been an important part of making sure the Pride’s defense is solid.
“The new guys that have come in have done very well, so I’m happy to play with whatever combination we’ve got,” Ashton said. “I think we’ve all played well and I think we’ve all gelled together as a back four, back five, unit.”
With a strong team, Ashton hopes to return to the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, which stands as his most memorable moment at Hofstra from 2015 when the Pride won it all.
“I think we’ve definitely got a good enough team to win it like we did in 2015. Obviously I saw in 2015, but I couldn’t play. So it was kind of bittersweet because I got to be part of the winning team, but I wasn’t actually in it,” Ashton said.
“I want to be the one that’s partly responsible for us getting there and winning it,” he said. “I want to help repay our team for that.”