Freshmen. Most upperclass college students either overlook them or look down on them. Freshman forward Chris Agorsor of the Virginia men’s soccer team, however, is turning more than a few heads — and they aren’t looking down. The freshman from Severn, Md., just four games into his collegiate career, has burst onto the Virginia soccer scene at full speed, and Cavalier fans everywhere have begun to take notice.
Agorsor is not an imposing figure: He stands at only 5-foot-9 and is listed at 145 pounds. On the soccer field, though, Agorsor can be easily picked out. Usually, he is the one streaking down the field, looking to put the ball in the back of the net. The freshman’s most dangerous quality is his speed. Agorsor has lightning-fast quickness and rarely loses a battle for the ball. The freshman is a nightmare for defenders to cover because there are very few, if any, players who can match his speed and acceleration. Sunday evening, for example, in a home game against Hofstra, Agorsor routinely beat defenders up and down the field, and rarely lost a battle when positioning for the ball. On a Virginia corner kick late in the game, Agorsor beat every player to the ball and easily headed the ball past an unsuspecting Hofstra goalkeeper. It was a difficult play to make, but Agorsor made it look easy.
“He’s a dynamic offensive player,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “He makes us very dangerous.”
Before joining the Cavaliers, Agorsor was the star at McDonough High School, where he was named the 2008 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year. In addition to the NSCAA honors Agorsor received, he was also named the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. Agorsor received both honors after his senior season in which he recorded 24 goals and eight assists. Agorsor also led his McDonough Eagles to a 21-1-2 record and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Conference A Championship. The freshman finished his off-the-charts high school career at McDonough with 88 goals and 43 assists. Agorsor’s long list of accolades also includes being named to the U.S. under-20 men’s national team, as well as being named an Adidas All-American.
“I like to score goals and create goals,” an exhausted Agorsor said after Sunday’s win against Hofstra. “I want to help out however I can, and I’ll do whatever needs to be done to win games.”
On a team full of standout freshmen, Agorsor has made his presence known. The forward has scored three goals in the first four games of the season, and leads Virginia in scoring. Agorsor’s production has been impressive considering that he has had seen somewhat limited action; Gelnovatch has been varying his lineups in order to keep his players fresh. Agorsor did not start Sunday’s contest and only came into the game well into the second half.
Agorsor’s success has alleviated the loss of the dynamic forward Yannick Reyering, but with ACC play looming, Agorsor will likely be counted on to shoulder part of the offensive load.
“His role has been changing,” Gelnovatch said. “He’s been doing well though. Three goals in four games is great.”
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