Borges and Arpin: From COVID-19 year to NEWMAC transition

NEWPORT, R.I.–- Men's senior soccer captains Jordan Borges and Evan Arpin were both recruited to play at Salve Regina in 2020. They experienced a year of minimal competition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but remained steady in their hard work and dedication. Borges and Arpin will return to the turf in the fall of 2024 as graduate students, core members of the program, 2022 USC Scholar All-Americans, 2023 NEWMAC Academic All-Conference athletes, and 2023 CSC Academic All-District athletes.

Arpin and Borges both hail from Massachusetts and were looking to stay in New England when they first began their college searches. While they both were drawn to Salve Regina, visiting campus and meeting the team and coaches sealed the deal for them.

"I met coach at a recruiting camp, but I didn't really know much about Salve before then," recalled Borges. "I came down to visit and loved the Newport area. The sense of community here is different than a lot of other schools. The guys are super close on the team. That's what put it over the top for me." 

The two arrived on campus in the fall of 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the time with limited competition was a barrier for some, Arpin and Borges devoted that time to getting stronger, developing their skills, and getting accustomed to the team.

"I was coming off of hip surgery and the COVID-19 year helped me get back in the swing of things," said Arpin. "I had another year to rehab my body and when sophomore year came around, I was already adjusted to playing with college level players. I had time to work on myself in a sense."

It was also a time for the team to grow closer and learn how to act as a unit, even from a distance. Going into the fall of 2021, their sophomore year, Arpin and Borges had already developed into fierce competitors.

"We knew what Coach expected of us at that point because we had already been practicing for a year," remembered Borges. "We came into sophomore year a lot more prepared physically and mentally to start our career off." 

Both Arpin and Borges are highly successful on the field and in the classroom. They credit their success to team culture, strong leadership, and helpful resources.

"The team culture helps," stated Borges. "We've been breaking our own academic GPA record for the last few seasons now. We keep going up and up and when you see people around you doing well, you want to do well yourself too. Everybody pushes each other." 

Head men's soccer coach Craig O'Rourke II established weekly academic review meetings (WARMs) during the 2008 season when an athlete on the men's soccer team became academically ineligible. Through the WARM program coach O'Rourke meets with all of his first-year student athletes, and those who choose to continue using the resource as upperclassmen, once a week to discuss how academics are going and what they may need and find helpful. All first-year athletes on the team are assigned a sophomore peer mentor who has gone through the same process.

"Throughout the year you check in once every week to make sure everything is going smoothly so you don't feel like you're slipping," added Arpin. "Usually, your mentor is in a similar major so they will have taken the same classes and can offer you advice. It's important to use your resources. Peers and upperclassmen are happy to help with those kind of things." 

In 2023 Borges and Arpin were named captains, along with returning fifth-year captain Nathan Costantino. As natural leaders through setting a strong model for younger athletes, Borges and Arpin were able to learn from Costantino's vocal leadership and complement each other.

"We lead by example," said Borges. "We both do the right thing, whether that be in practice, in the game and before the game. A lot of the younger guys pick up on that. I remember our captains when we were underclassmen weren't as vocal, but you could tell they were working on their game, going to the gym, doing the right things before and after practice and always giving it their all. You just feed off that as a younger athlete and you want to aspire to be like that." 

By learning from what influenced themselves as young athletes, the duo is able to return those same favors, now that they sit in a leadership position. Not only do Arpin and Borges have an impact on underclassman and their peers on the team, they have also elevated each other to be stronger, more effective leaders and athletes.

"I admire Evan's calmness and toughness," stated Borges. "Not only is he really tough, he came back from hip surgery and played though a lot of pain, but he's also just really calm. When challenges come up or he has the ball and there is pressure all around him he is clear-headed and makes the right decisions." 

Arpin's toughness to come back from hip surgery stronger than he was before his injury motivated Borges to be persistent and act with grit in the times that he needed to, which developed him into the athlete and student that he is today.

"For Jordan, I admire his perseverance and determination," added Arpin. "He was a stud since sophomore year and everyone around him in the league knew of him and would try to make it as hard as they possibly could on him. He's getting guarded by the best defenders and his hard work has paid off over time." 

While each of them brings a unique skillset to the team, both Arpin and Borges's mental toughness, work ethic, athletic ability and dedication in the classroom set them apart in the face of competition. This is a feat that does not go unnoticed by teammates and coaches. 

"Evan and Jordan's level of commitment really is something special," said coach O'Rourke. "Their abilities and awareness on the field is only matched by their commitment and dedication in the classroom.  I have always considered the moniker of 'All-American' to be the highest possible distinguishment that a student-athlete can garner during their time in college and both Evan and Jordan were named Scholar All-Americans following the 2022 season."

Men's soccer finished out their first season as a NEWMAC member with a 6-10-2 overall record. The team's two ties were to conference foes, United States Coast Guard Academy and Emerson College. Among the nine institutions, Worcester Polytechnic Institute topped the conference with a 9-3-8 overall record in 2023.

"We knew what we were expecting going into the NEWMAC," remembered Borges. "The physicality can be tougher, and we had to adjust to the speed of play. The ball moves faster, and teams really know what they're doing. We adjusted over time and learned a lot of lessons that we can take into next year."

Moving to the new conference requires every Seahawk sports team to elevate their standards and to redefine what success and hard work look like. 2023 gave men's soccer a taste of how peer institutions train and compete. With this knowledge, the program can strengthen its weaknesses and capitalize on current strengths to set and achieve their high-achieving goals.

"We need Evan and Jordan's commitment to rub off on their teammates and underclassmen," said coach O'Rourke. "That way we, as a program, can look to take the next big step forward and get back to competing for our conference title and ultimately, on the national stage in the NCAA Tournament." 

Arpin and Borges will return as graduate students for the 2024 fall season. From no freshman season due to the COVID-19 pandemic to the NEWMAC transition the pair has contributed to a period of growth and overcome adversity. With their leadership and dedication, the men's soccer team will hit the turf with force in the coming year.