Matthew Donnelly '13 Recruiting Profile

My name is Matt Donnelly and I am a junior at Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick, New York.  I am a scholar athlete with a 93 average.  To date I have taken three AP courses.  I am a 6 foot 150 pound goalkeeper, and I have played on my high school’s varsity soccer team since my sophomore year.  I concluded this past season with 104 saves, five shutouts, and an average of one goal against per game.  This season, I had the honor of receiving All-County, Week 4 Conference Player of the Week and the Sanford H. Calhoun High School Student-Athlete of the Month award for the month of September.

I also play club soccer at the premier level for the Rockville Centre Lightning.  This past year I completed my second season with the team.  We have played in both Region One and NERP. This past season we made it to the quarterfinals of the State Cup, losing in double overtime.

Ever since I could play soccer, my dream was to play at the collegiate level.  I bring many positive attributes to the teams I play with, and I look forward to doing the same with my college team.  I am extremely dedicated to every aspect of my soccer experience.  I am a strong believer in “the way you practice, is the way you play,” so I give 110% in everything I do.  My athletic and academic careers are both highly important to me, so I make sure that everything in my life revolves around my school and soccer schedules.  Another one of my strengths is my communication.  I am a leader from the back of the field.  I direct my team and organize my defense effectively.  My communication is always effective due to my great knowledge of the game and how it should be played.  I am always aware of where my players should be and what they should be doing both on and off the ball.  Lastly, many goalkeeper coaches have told me that my technique is excellent. This can sometimes lead to a weakness because instead of just making the save, I am occasionally too focused on the correct way to make the save.  I have been working hard to get rid of this habit by not being overly technical.

Ideally, I would like to attend a college located in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, or Southeast regions.  I am open to a large variety of schools.  My goal is to attend both an academically and athletically challenging school.