Colin Crowe: First-year goalkeeper Colin Crowe ’29 has been making waves for the Swarthmore men’s soccer team with incredible, game-time saves and plays. The Gonzaga College High School graduate, who played club soccer at Hybrid Football Club and has played all games of the season so far, shows no sign of slowing down. This past Saturday, Crowe helped the Garnet to a 2-2 draw versus Johns Hopkins University, a perennial powerhouse in the Centennial Conference. Surpassing the high expectation of college soccer in his first season, the keeper faced a record high eighteen shots against then No. 21-ranked Steven’s Institute for Technology and saved a tally high of four shots against Hopkins. Crowe is a highlight on the team, and looks forward to pushing the team onward to a competitive season.
Katie Kerman: Congratulations on your first Centennial performance against Johns Hopkins on Sept. 20! How does it feel to be playing your first conference game of college soccer?
Colin Crowe: It felt great. Playing against the reigning champs and earning a draw at their home turf was a solid result. We made personal and team mistakes here and there, but that is a part of the game, and the best teams respond to those mistakes by learning from them and bouncing back as quickly as possible, which we definitely did as a team by coming back after being down 2-0. Hopefully we carry that same amount of energy and hunger into the rest of the season.
KK: Looking back at the games the team has played so far, which one has been the most fun and exciting to play in? Are you particularly looking forward to any to come?
CC: Definitely the Delco Derby against Widener [University] this past Tuesday. It was an away game, energetic, under the lights, a bit rainy, and a really physical game that tested our team’s mentality and grit as we prevailed by winning the game 1-0. Every opponent [going] forward I am pumped up to play against and beat, but McDaniel [College] is definitely one I am locked-in on: there are a few players I played in high school against on their roster, so there will definitely be blood in the water come Oct. 4.
KK: It takes years of dedication, discipline, winning, and losing to come to the success you and the men’s team has had at the start of this season. Who has been an athletic and/or moral inspiration who motivates you still?
CC: My dad for sure. He was a collegiate football player who tried to play professionally but unfortunately succumbed to injuries, so he has taught everything about sports. All the hard-work, lessons about teamwork, making mistakes, learning from losing, and the desire to compete and win all came from him. Also [with] him being in the Air Force, discipline was a huge emphasis in our household, on and off the field. The one saying he always told me and still does to this day was: “Keep grinding and good things will happen.” That is the foundation and deep motivation of who I am and what inspires me to be the best person and athlete I can be.
KK: What are some team or personal goals for the rest of the season?
CC: For the team: win the Centennial Conference. For myself, just continuing to build my skills and minimize mistakes. Being a [first year], you make a few more mistakes than others, but adding onto that as a goalkeeper, those mistakes cost your team goals, which can cost a game, and can sadly cost a season. I know I have done well at times, but playing at a higher level against better teams, I need to be more consistent in playing at my best.
KK: Do you have a prospective major, if so what is it and how did you stumble upon that field of study?
CC: Right now I am studying economics and statistics. Nothing special happened; I did well in stats and econ in high school and thought the two were interesting, so “why not continue?” was my decision-making process.
KK: Are you looking forward to any courses you might take during your next 3.5 years at Swarthmore?
CC: I have heard a lot of great things about the philosophy courses here, so I might take one of those, but nothing else yet comes to mind.
KK: Do you have a favorite book, movie, TV show, song, and/or artist?
CC: My favorite book is probably “Think Again” by Adam Grant. I read a lot, so the choice fluctuates pretty frequently. My favorite movie has to be “Green Book,” and my favorite TV show is “Breaking Bad.” Song-wise, I’ll go with “Do What I Want” by Lil Uzi Vert.
