Star of the Week (Seamon): Junior star notches goal, assist in upset

Kaitlin Santanna

Junior Mike Seamon has been a staple on the men’s soccer score sheet since he first set foot on Villanova’s turf. Over the past three seasons, Seamon has led the team in scoring and has evolved as a leader on the team. While the Rahway, N.J., native always provides the scoring punch his team needs, his 10 points this season are already one better than he notched his freshman year. Three of these points came in last Saturday’s upset over No. 10 Louisville. Seamon’s play as of late has garnered the attention of local press and also makes him the perfect candidate for The Villanovan’s Athlete of the Week.

While many Villanova students went their separate ways last weekend for semester break, the men’s soccer team battled the No. 10 team in the nation to a 3-2 victory. As in almost every game the ‘Cats play, Seamon had an integral part in the win. After assisting on Villanova’s first goal of the game, the junior increased the team’s lead to 3-1 in the second half. Although Louisville made a bid at a comeback, Seamon’s tally held up as the game-winning goal.

Seamon was acknowledged by Philadelphia Soccer Seven, which named the third-year forward their Player of the Week for the second week in a row Monday.

Seamon has solidified himself as the scoring guru for the Wildcats this season. He leads or ties the team in every scoring category, including goals (3), assists (4), points (10) and shots on goal (19; 10 more than the next person in that category).

The men’s soccer team has competed in several monumental victories over the past three seasons, and Seamon seemingly played a large role in many of them. In last season’s mammoth win over No. 1 Duke, he was the primary assist on Mike Del Guercio’s goal in the 1-0 victory. Two days later, Seamon scored the only goal in Villanova’s victory over North Carolina State. In his sophomore year, he also notched key goals in victories over conference rivals and contenders, Marquette and Syracuse.

Considering the fact that Seamon’s scoring career at Villanova flourished the moment that he donned a Wildcat jersey, it should come as little surprise that the junior was also a standout soccer star at his high school. Seamon attended Union Catholic Regional High School located in northern New Jersey. During his time at Union, Seamon scored 79 goals and 30 assists, making him the high school’s all-time leading scorer. Seamon received recognition from the press even in high school. The Courier News called Seamon the New Jersey Player of the Year in 2006, and the Newark Star Ledger named him the Union County Player of the Year in 2005. The New Jersey native was also named to the 2005 NSCAA/Adidas High School Boys All-America team.

Although Seamon is this week’s Athlete of the Week, he is a fundamental part of Villanova’s men’s soccer team’s offensive production every game of the year. The powerful team feeds off his production. His uncanny ability to put the ball into the back of the net and his leadership abilities on the field contributes to the Wildcats’ ability to upset top-ranked teams and to make a bid for postseason play.