Team CSUSA

Nicolay Netskar started his college career at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia in 2012. The school played in the West Virginia Athletic Conference (NCAA D2, now Mountain East Conference). In his first season, he was awarded WVIAC First-team All-Conference as the only freshman in the conference, and ECAC Division 2 All Star team. In his second year, he transferred to the University at Buffalo in New York, who is a part of the Mid-American Conference (NCAA D1). At UB, Nicolay played three seasons, and played in the Mid-American Conference Finals in 2015. During his time at Buffalo, he was awarded the MAC Presidential Award, MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete, and MAC All-Academic Team.

Nicolay also had the opportunity to play with the Seattle Sounders’ U23 team in the Premier Development League alongside some of the country’s most talented players, whom several of these are now currently playing in the MLS. While he was a part of the squad, the team won the PDL Western Conference Championship, and qualified for the National Playoffs Semifinal.

Nicolay completed his bachelor degree in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. He achieved a GPA of 3.9 (4.0 maximum), which resulted in him earning several academic awards. In his last semester, he did an internship with a company called CoachMePlus in Buffalo. Here he worked several teams from NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and several big NCAA programs. During his time at CoachMePlus he gained valuable insight on the business and sports science side of professional sports in America.

After finishing his studies in the US, Nicolay had the chance to travel around to different clubs in Europe to trial with professional clubs in countries like England and Malta.

Nicolay’s childhood club is Kolbotn IL, and he played for the first teams of Ullern and Drøbak/Frogn from 2010-2012. After finishing high school, Nicolay decided he wanted to experience USA and play soccer in a different country. After contacting CSUSA that helped him find a school and get a scholarship, he took the decision that the best way for him to keep playing soccer at a high level, while getting a quality education, was to attend college in the US.

“I would like to say that the decision I took about being a student-athlete in the States was the best decision I’ve made in my life so far. I had four fantastic years and got to experience the diversity of people and cultures that the US is well-known for. Seattle vs. New York can feel like two separate countries at times! I’ve made friendships with people from all over the world, and I now have friends on every continent on the planet. That tells a lot about the network you can create over there. The opportunities are endless, and it’s only up to you how you take advantage of them. Everything is set up for you to succeed both in school and athletics, and to experience what America is all about. You will notice the way people support each other’s ambition will make you grow, and I am very thankful for the development I had both as an athlete and a person. I hope as many as possible take advantage of this opportunity, and get the chance of experiencing the same as me.”

FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE USA:

New York City/Seattle

FAVOURITE FORMER COLLEGE ATHLETE:

Clint Dempsey (Furman), Khalil Mack (Buffalo)

FAVOURITE MOMENT IN COLLEGE CAREER:

The best memory of my college career is when I played in the Mid-American Conference playoffs with my team University at Buffalo Men’s Soccer, in 2015. We were facing Western Michigan, a team which we lost to two weeks earlier, and we wanted to hit back with a win against our rivals. After 85 minutes of regulation WMU was up 1-0, but we managed to get a goal back and get to overtime. We won on a golden goal in OT and made it to the finals. The scenes after the goal were incredible and you could only imagine the energy in the locker room after. The final, which was my last college game as I was a senior at the time, was played in front of thousands of spectators against the national soccer powerhouse University of Akron. Unfortunately, we lost 1-0, but we played a good game and can be proud of our effort and resilience against a very strong side.

I would also say that my experience playing for the Seattle Sounders U23 team in the Premier Development League is something I will never forget. To experience such a big MLS club from the inside is something unique that I learned a lot from. It was inspiring being part of an environment with players like Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins.

FAVOURITE QUOTE:

“Play the game, not the occasion” – Sir Alex Ferguson