On Dec. 18, senior Devin Pearce announced his commitment to the Montclair State University’s men’s soccer team. Pearce, captain and star defender of the SPF Raiders team, felt a strong connection to the school and the program, leading to his choice.
“I visited [Montclair] a couple of times,” Pearce told The Fanscotian. “I loved the soccer program. I thought it was a great school. Everything’s perfect for me.”
Located in Montclair, New Jersey, the public research university is home to around 18,000 undergraduate students, and has popular majors of business, psychology and kinesiology. The Montclair State Redhawks compete in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) against the likes of Alvernia, Carnegie Mellon and John Jay, and are constantly at the top of the standings. The Redhawks are a dominant force playing out of Pittser Field, with 15 NJAC championships, 25 NCAA tournament appearances and one final four appearance.
“[The winning history] played a part in my decision,” Pearce said. “l wanted to go to a school that has a great reputation and can win a championship.”
Pearce was the linchpin of the 2024 Raiders soccer team, and held a strong grasp over opposing attackers. His ability to advance up the field towards the goal while also retreating and locking up opponents made him a force to be reckoned with on defense. Pearce was not just limited to defense, and was constantly soaring through the air on corner kicks where his head would place the ball in the back of the net.
The center back’s four goals in the 2024 season were tied for the third on the team, and paired with three assists made a profound impact on the field. Pearce hopes to make this same type of impact once he officially becomes a Red Hawk, and bring a championship back to Montclair.
“I obviously want to win a national championship,” Pearce said. “It’s going to be difficult to do, but I want to put my name out there.”
Pearce is no stranger to receive recognition for his talents and has racked up numerous honors throughout his high school career. His senior season alone, Pearce was All-Region, first team All-State, first team All-County, first team All-Group 4 and Union County Conference Player of the Year. Paired with being third team All-State his junior year, Pearce is able to boast a considerable amount of awards.
Through talking with Montclair State alumni, he was able to get a better understanding of the team culture and how they practice and play.
“Joey Linder, assistant coach for [SPF] this year, played soccer there,” Pearce said. “He gave me an insight on everything. Owen Murphy [also] helped me out. The coaches are great. The team is great. I love it.”
Pearce’s illustrious career with SPF might have concluded, but the emotions and memories he has left with the Raider community will never go away. For Pearce, his senior season sticks out as the highlight of his time at SPF.
“My senior season, we went 19-2-2, broke school records, and made it far in states,” Pearce said. “It was the best time of my life.”
