The University of Massachusetts men’s soccer team was unbeaten through 12 games this season, with a 6-0-6 overall record and finished as one of the last seven Division 1 teams without a loss.
Junior forward Alec Hughes (Glastonbury, Conn.) emerged as the talisman for the Minutemen with eight goals through that stretch, but his scoring exploits do not tell the entire story of his contributions, including the growth in his all-around game, which can get lost among the goals, or when he is not scoring them.
Hughes was Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year during the 2021 spring season, in which he scored a conference-leading seven goals and helped UMass reach the NCAA Tournament. While his goal output slipped to three goals for the 2021 fall campaign, Hughes continued to contribute with his hold-up play, pace and work rate.
