Conn. College’s Ben Manoogian living proof of teamwork, work ethic

(Geoff Bolte/Clarus Studios Photography)

Ben Manoogian wasn’t the biggest player on the turf field that day at Connecticut College, far from it.

His name wasn't underlined the heaviest on the list of potential recruits. Nor did he have one of the better club soccer pedigrees.

Manoogian, a standout forward at Peabody (Mass.) Veterans Memorial High School, was battling for distinction with the other players during a recruiting camp at Conn. College the summer before his senior year. While he didn’t have the resume of some of the others, he continually played the one strong card he had in his hand: His competitiveness.

“It’s funny,” he recalled. “That turf field, I remember being blazing hot. Everyone was tired. But you just had to find a way to fight through it.”