OCTOBER 2023 21
BY QUINN HULL
I
n sports, there are some players who
seem as though they are destined to
wear the uniform of the team for which
they play. Virginia graduate transfer
Mouhameth Thiam feels like one of those
players. Although he made his name in col-
lege soccer well before arriving at Virginia, it
seems as though his path was always going
to run through Klöckner Stadium.
As a young boy from Dakar, Senegal,
Thiam was never without a soccer ball.
Often at the dismay of his teachers, he
would bring it with him from class to class
in school — finding any excuse to kick it
around with his friends. Inspired by his older
brother and siblings who taught him to love
the game, Thiam quickly developed a pas-
sion and dreamed of playing at the profes-
sional level.
His parents and teachers recognized his
passion, and Thiam moved to the academy
level of the game where he would be able to
put a true focus into his craft while continu-
PERFECT PERFECT
FIT FIT
Graduate Transfer Mouhameth Thiam
Has Hit The Ground Running At UVA
Thiam — who tallied 15 goals and 13 assists for 43 points at
Oregon State from 2020-22 — scored the game-winning goal for
UVA in its 2-1 win over Maryland Sept. 4. (Photo courtesy UVA)
