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22 CAVALIER CORNER ing his studies — a common theme through- out his soccer journey. After playing amongst the best at the academy level in Senegal, it became clear that in order to realize his dream, he would need to explore all of his options. That in- cluded college soccer in the United States. Encouraged by his mother to further his ed- ucation along the way, Thiam was connected by his coach with Radford at a showcase event. Ahead of the 2019 season, he would enter the world of NCAA soccer knowing very little about the college game. "Everything was kind of new to me," Thiam said. "I didn't know what college soccer was like and what it's about so in my first sea- son as a freshman at Radford I was asking what I was going to get from this and if it can help me reach my dreams." Thiam excelled as a first-year at Radford. His team-leading 5 goals along with 3 as- sists not only earned him a spot on the Big South All-Freshman team but drew the inter- est of top-tier programs around the country. Among those interested was Oregon State head coach Terry Boss who served for four seasons as an associate head coach at Vir- ginia from 2014-17. Looking for a bigger challenge, Thiam decided to travel west to Corvallis, Ore., to join Boss and play for the Beavers. His qual- ity was made clear immediately. Thiam was inserted into the starting 11 at Oregon State and, in his season-opening match, put 2 goals past Eastern Oregon while setting up another in a winning effort. In three seasons at Oregon State, he amassed 15 goals and 13 assists to total 43 points. Thiam and the Beavers were taking college soccer by storm. In 2021, Oregon State flew up the polls over the course of the season and the Pac-12 champions were ranked No. 1 in the final regular-season poll earning the top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The top- ranked Beavers advanced to the Elite Eight in the tournament before falling to the eventual NCAA champions, Clemson, on penalty kicks. One season later, as a fourth-year in 2022, Thiam earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors after leading the Beavers in goals and assists, but the conclusion of the sea- son would hint at a new challenge awaiting. With his undergraduate degree wrapped up and one season of eligibility remaining, Thiam had to decide where he was going to continue his college soccer career. "I was considering [pursuing a master's at Oregon State], but Terry Boss left for [MLS team] Austin FC. I liked his ideas and what he brings to the game. Him leaving was a big blow for me so I thought that maybe I need to be uncomfortable and try something different." When he began to explore options in the transfer portal, Virginia was already a con- tender for Thiam, who had already made a visit to Klöckner Stadium in 2019. Radford fell to the eventual College Cup finalists by a score of 1-0, but the Virginia program had left an impact on Thiam. "When I was at Radford, I played at UVA," he said. "I had a great experience playing there and left with a great feeling for the program. I wasn't a part of the program, but it excited me. So, when I had the opportunity to transfer, UVA was already in the back of my head." Virginia was a natural fit for the talented at- tacker. The aura that surrounds one of the na- tion's premier men's soccer programs speaks for itself. However, beyond the prestigious reputation the Cavaliers hold in regard to win- ning on the field and developing professional talent, Virginia offered a sense of continuity — thanks to a common coaching philosophy — for Thiam despite a period of change. "I think a lot of the principles here are similar in terms of what the coaches demand of their players as well as the way both teams play beautiful soccer and entertain the people around them," Thiam said. "Making the switch from Oregon State to UVA, I had seen what was possible under George [Gelnovatch], and I was really excited to be a part of that." Prior to Thiam's arrival in Charlottesville, the Cavalier program was coming off an im- " I think a lot of the principles here are similar in terms of what the coaches demand of their players as well as the way both teams play beautiful soccer and entertain the people around them. Making the switch from Oregon State to UVA, I had seen what was possible under George [Gelnovatch], and I was really excited to be a part of that. THIAM