Ian Mackin ’22 came to Wilbraham & Monson Academy because his soccer recruiting needed a “reboot.”

Ian’s blue-collar firewall prevented any virus attacks during his postgraduate season and eventually earned him a ticket to a Division I program

During a ceremony at the Athletic Center on May 2, Ian signed his National Letter of Intent to attend and play soccer at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Merrimack plays in the Northeast Conference.

Quotes

Ian on what he liked about Merrimack: “I visited the college a couple times. The coaches talked to me a lot. They’re really nice people. They told me on my visits they don’t just look for good players, but they look for great people. I feel at home at Merrimack.”

Ian on how WMA helped him during his postgraduate year: “Starting with Coach Fink and everyone around, including faculty and peers, everyone has helped me. It’s been an awesome experience.”

Ian on signing his NLI: “It’s been a long, long journey. It’s finally here. I’m enjoying the moment.”

Coach Fink regarding Ian: “It’s been a long time coming for Ian. I learned about Ian more than a year ago through my connections with his club coach. He said Ian had good potential to go Division I. I think it’s awesome.”

Coach Fink regarding Ian attending Merrimack: “We’re super excited. He’s such a great kid and a hard trainer. He’s a team player. He learned some leadership qualities here, and he learned to believe in himself and he followed through in everything we asked him to do. He has a bright future ahead of him.”