Pasic wins NAC Defensive Player of the Year
Scoring on Castleton was not an easy task for anyone who crossed paths with the men’s soccer team this fall.
Amir Pasic was a force in net all season earning the title of NAC Defensive Player of the Year.
“It gives us a huge boost in confidence knowing that if one of us does make a mistake, we have a goalie with the skill and ability of Amir to make the save,” said senior defenseman Eric Cross.
Pasic posted a .857 save percentage while starting in all 21 games and tallying eight shutouts for the Spartans.
“He reads the game really well and he knows how to control the tempo of the game,” said head coach John O’Connor. “All the organizational and game management stuff is his best asset.”
Pasic was quick to not take all the credit and make sure his teammates’ value was accounted for.
“The guys in front of me, I don’t think they got the credit they deserved just because they’ve been so solid and communicating all year,” Pasic said. “It looked good on paper because we were getting all these shutouts, but I definitely think they deserve a lot more credit than they got.”
Pasic’s leadership has also helped the team immensely, according to Cross
“Amir is a very strong leader as he knows how to keep a good vibe throughout the team while at the same time pushing everyone to be at their best,” said Cross. “He is a very supportive and charismatic teammate and a great athlete.”
While Pasic has had nothing but success on the field, the journey to Castleton hasn’t been an easy one for the fifth-year senior. Pasic attended Central Arkansas, the University of Connecticut and St. Michael’s College before finding a home at Castleton.
“I’ve enjoyed it here probably more than anywhere else from a soccer standpoint as well as a social and school standpoint,” said Pasic of his experience at Castleton.
Due to transferring difficulties, Pasic had to sit out of most the 2014 season until the last six games.
“Last year wasn’t very fun because I had to sit out, but that experience was also a good one because it tested my patience and I had to be there for the team in a different sense,” said Pasic. “It does make you appreciate it all more.”
When asked about his future, Pasic was quick to say soccer has a place in it.
“I don’t see myself in an office,” he said. “I want to stick around the game as much as possible so I think a coaching career is definitely something I’m leaning toward.”
Even though Pasic finished his last season playing for the Spartans O’Connor wants to keep him around for a little longer.
“Our plan is right now that he will come back next fall and be our goalkeeper coach,” O’Connor said. “And then when Joey (Haught) graduates, Amir would become the GA.”