The Manhattan College men's soccer program already seems to be taking a leap from having recruited Thiago Jose Da Silva, a standout midfielder from Monroe College of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Brazil native was recently named the 2023-24 recipient of the David Rowlands Award given to the NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
The news of Da Silva winning this prestigious award garnered by one male student-athlete nationally every year is a win for Manhattan College, Monroe College, and Da Silva himself. The merits of the David Rowland Award are based on hard work, discipline, ethics, and excellence in community college athletics, as epitomized by Rowland while serving as baseball coach at Truman College in Chicago in the 1970s and 1980s. Da Silva is the second men's soccer player to take home the award over its 32-year period of existence, with the other recipient being another Monroe College men's soccer alum in Tobias Pellio of the class of 2019.
"I knew the significance and importance of this award, and being chosen as the Male Student-Athlete of the Year means a lot to me," Da Silva said. "Since I arrived in the United States, my goal has always been to make a difference wherever I am and positively impact the people around me."
Da Silva departs Monroe as a winner in every sense. He helped lead the Mustangs to back to back NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championships, including their most recent triumph back in November. In a match that saw Monroe beat Tyler Junior College 4-3 in penalty kicks to break a 2-2 tie, Da Silva was responsible for sending that game into free kicks thanks to a virtuoso bicycle kick he converted in the 85th minute to tie the score at two apiece. Da Silva was named the 2023 NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer Championship Most Valuable Player.
Da Silva has racked up no shortage of accolades, which also includes back-to-back recognition on the NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer All-America First Team. He was the first Mustangs' player to accomplish such a feat in repeat fashion. Additionally, Da Silva was listed on the 2022-23 NJCAA All-Academic Second Team and will appear on this year's academic team once it gets released in July.
Da Silva is one of five new players who joined the Manhattan men's soccer program this past semester. Head coach
Jorden Scott wanted to find a presence in the center of the mid-field that would give the Jaspers a competitive advantage for the foreseeable future. With Da Silva on board, Scott can check that off his list.
"He's an engine room guy," Scott said. "What I mean by that is he's going to set the tempo and connect all units of the field. Those moments when you need a leader to step up, he's got that in him and he has already earned the respect of the group."
Da Silva follows in the footsteps of other great Monroe College players who chose to play at Manhattan College. He joins the likes of Tony Yeboah, Ensa Sanneh, Ronaldo Da Silva among Manhattan players from the Monroe pipeline. Another Monroe player, Felipe Jaime Arruda, will get to showcase his skills while playing alongside his lifelong friend Da Silva next season at Manhattan.
"We scout Monroe College every year," Scott said. "I have a great relationship with Coach DiBernardo."
Da Silva's winning track-record will also fit in perfectly with Manhattan's ambitions. Over the past two seasons, the Jaspers have twice reached the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament, falling short to Iona both times. However, Manhattan is right in the thick of things in the MAAC, as evidenced by them starting 5-0 in conference play last season.
"When we recruited him the first thing he said was 'I want to help this program win championships,'" Scott said. "This kid is going to be the gold standard for those who want to go places in life."
An Economics major at Manhattan, Da Silva achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA this past semester upon arriving in Riverdale. He has adapted well socially too, with his new teammates gravitating to the person he is.
"First and foremost he is a wonderful human being," Scott said. "He is a great guy. The kind of guy who you can sit down and talk to about anything in the world. He's also really hard working and intelligent and when you put those two things together, regardless of what you choose to do in life, someone like him will be really good at it."
Just by being around his coaches and teammates, Da Silva feels confident about the direction of the program. The family culture that the Manhattan men's soccer program espouses, as well as the diverse backgrounds the players come from are among the factors that stood out to Da Silva during his recruitment process. He looks to Scott as the tone-setter for the standard of excellence in place.
"From my first conversations with Coach
Jorden Scott, I recognized the great man and leader he is, providing full support to his athletes both on and off the field, and I knew this would certainly help me grow," Da Silva said. "I was aware of the quality of the players, and I loved the opportunity to play with them, great players from various regions of the world."
Da Silva is excited to meet the Manhattan fans too. He will hear from them all season long, especially when the Jaspers are clicking on all cylinders and playing an exciting brand of soccer at Gaelic Park.
"I understand the responsibility of playing for such a prestigious institution. I'll do my absolute best to help Manhattan College succeed in soccer."
