Senior midfielder Peter Vandam is among the greats in the Mavericks Men’s Soccer Program.
Vandam began playing soccer in Missoula, Mo. at five years old. In October, he was named to the CMU Men’s Soccer All-Decade Team.
Vandam was shocked upon learning he was selected for the award, but that shock quickly turned into a sense of accomplishment and motivation for the upcoming season.
“I think it kind of gives you a sense of ‘Oh I have to prove something’ being on that list with so many great players. [But] definitely a sense of motivation, excitement, too, to get ready to start playing,” Vandam said.
For Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach Alex Garza, who has been coaching Vandam since 2018, the selection was no surprise.
“Pete definitely deserves to be on it. His ability to control his speed, his ability to get into the attack and make numbers going forward for us has been night and day since 2018. He’s one of the fastest guys in the program and in the region. Everyone on the team loves Pete,” Garza said.
It’s Vandam’s character – his warm manner and ability to keep moving forward in spite of hardships, however, that perhaps makes him most inspiring to his teammates.
Niall Shaffery, senior midfielder and Vandam’s teammate of four years, describes him as funny, selfless, energetic and personable.
“He could be friends with literally anybody if he wanted to. [He’s a] good leader,” said Shaffery.
Shaffery recalls a home game against Dixie State University (DSU) that was particularly memorable. In a tense nail-biter, DSU had successfully beaten Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) goalkeeper on a shot. A goal for the opposing team seemed inevitable and all hope was lost, but like LeBron’s block in the 2016 NBA finals, Vandam did not give up on the play.
Using his quickness and tenacity, Vandam made a goal-line save that crushed the opposing team’s spirit, fired up his teammates, and led to an eventual victory for CMU: 1-0.
Poor projections for his high school soccer team his junior year, too, did not stop Vandam.
“Our team was supposed to be really bad and we kind of sucked. Even our coach was thinking we were going to be bad. In our first game, we ended up doing really well and winning. After the first game everything changed, we actually did really good,” Vandam said.
Nor could the pandemic stop him.
“We weren’t able to have much contact with [the team]. And [Pete and Niall] were the ones that really meshed our team together this fall and created a culture that’s going to be sustainable,” Garza said.
It’s not that Vandam was just born the great leader that he is. That, too, was a product of his work and courage.
“He was always – I don’t want to say timid, but maybe a little shy. But now he just wants all the responsibility. [. . .] Through it all he’s always preserved,” Shaffery said.
Vandam strives to be there for his teammates.
“I like trying to help people. Trying to make their experience the best it can, trying to make them the best soccer player they can. I love having that responsibility of guys knowing they can come to you,” Vandam said.
Now, with his last dance upon him, Vandam and the club are shooting for the RMAC Championship. Yet, regardless of the team’s uncertain outcome in a year of uncertainty, one thing is: the boy from Montana has left his mark.
The team’s first game is scheduled for Sunday, March 21st against Westminster College at Maverick Field.
