Being a freshman can be hard. Being a freshman student-athlete can be even harder. But to be in a different country and be both of those things is an entirely different obstacle.
I plan on doing my web biography on freshman Alejandro Fernandez. Fernandez is a freshman forward on the Slippery Rock University men's soccer team. A native of Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain, the 2019 All-PSAC Western Division honoree was a crucial part of head coach Kevin Wilhelm's offensive attack. Still far from fluent in the English language, Fernandez started 18 games this fall while getting accustomed to life in America. He found the back of the net five times--good enough for second-most on the team--and dished out two assists.
I feel that it will be interesting to see what Fernandez' process of easing into life both on the pitch and in the classroom this fall has been like.
Keegan Beard/The Rocket