Matt Pacifici
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | August 31, 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2015 | Davidson Wildcats | 70 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | Columbus Crew | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Matthew Pacifici (born August 31, 1993) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. After graduating from Davidson College, he played for Columbus Crew.[1]
Youth and college career
[edit]High school
[edit]Pacifici was a varsity soccer player at Charlotte Catholic High School for four years.[2] He compiled at 46-4-4 record during his high school career. His final year, he led the nation with 21 shutouts including 16 consecutive shutouts. Pacifici was part of a 3-A State Championship team in 2008.[3] Pacifici was a High School Academic All American, receiving his award in Baltimore, MD in 2011.
College
[edit]Wake Forest
[edit]Pacifici spent his first year of college at Wake Forest. He sat out the season and received a medical redshirt.
Davidson
[edit]Pacifici transferred to Davidson College(Division I) beginning with the 2012 season. Pacifici played in 70 games over the course of his Davidson career going 28–31–10. His career goals against average was 1.45. He was named 2nd team All-Conference in 2014 while recording a 0.65 goals against average and seven shutouts. He was a two-year team captain.[4][5] While at Davidson College Pacifici was a Collegiate Academic All-American.
Club career
[edit]After graduating from Davidson, Pacifici went undrafted but was invited to training camp with the Columbus Crew. During the preseason, he held Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids scoreless.[6][7] The Crew signed Pacifici to a contract in March 2016. [8] A concussion placed Pacifici on the season ending injury list in July.[9] He was forced to retire after developing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome following the concussion.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Pacifici became the fifth openly gay current or former Major League Soccer player when he came out on Instagram in January 2019.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Matt Pacifici | Columbus Crew". Columbus Crew. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ "A soccer player kept a secret for fear it would threaten his career. Then he got hurt". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ "Wake Forest Men's Soccer Announces 2011 Class"
- ^ "Matt Pacifici Columbus Crew Profile
- ^ "Matt Pacifici Davidson Profile"
- ^ "Davidson's Matt Pacifici signs with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew". CharlotteObserver.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "One of the Crew: Matt Pacifici '15". Davidson.edu. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "Crew signs rookies Matt Pacifici, Marshall Hollingsworth". dispatch.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "Pacifici placed on season-ending injury list". ColumbusCrewSC.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "Charlotte-born MLS player on coming out, changing the culture of pro sports". CharlotteObserver.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "A soccer player kept a secret for fear it would threaten his career. Then he got hurt". CharlotteObserver.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "Former MLS player Matt Pacifici comes out as gay by introducing his boyfriend to the world". Outsports.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
External links
[edit]
- 1993 births
- Living people
- American men's soccer players
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- Columbus Crew players
- Davidson Wildcats men's soccer players
- American gay sportsmen
- American LGBTQ soccer players
- LGBTQ people from North Carolina
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer players
- Soccer players from Charlotte, North Carolina
- 21st-century American sportsmen