Typical summer activities involve vacations, lounging around in the sun and relaxing. However, several members of the CCU Men's Soccer team took advantage of their summers to continue to improve their skills on the pitch and become better all-around players. Six players signed with USL League Two teams across the nation for the summer season. USL League Two is the leader in pre-professional soccer in North America. These franchises continue to provide top pre-professional players the opportunity to train and compete at the highest level while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. With ownership of teams coming from the likes of MLS and USL franchises as well as leading business and sports individuals, League Two serves as the leading development platform for the game both on and off the field.
 
Max Collingwood signed this summer with the West Virginia United playing out of the South Atlantic Division. Collingwood was the starting Goalkeeper and also a team captain for the season. He helped lead the United to a 9-3-2 record on the year as he boasted an outstanding 1.56 GAA (Goals Against Average) during the year. Coming down to the last game of the year, West Virginia needed to secure a win against the top team in the conference North Carolina Fusion who was unbeaten on the year. Max was up to the challenge as he made 10 saves in the game, allowing just one goal and leading his team to the victory and the playoffs while handing the Fusion their first loss of the year. After securing a first round playoff win, they were defeated in the round of eight to finish off their strong season. During the year, Max earned the USL League Two save of the week after turning away a penalty kick which can be seen here.
 
Other players who spent time in the USL League Two this summer includes Caiden Dixon, Michel Pinoncely, and Eli Donaho who all signed with AC Houston Sur. Silas Hess signed and played with the St. Croix Soccer Club, and Dumisani Luthayi played for the brand new expansion team CISA (Colorado International Soccer Club) during the summer.
 
All of the fun this summer was not limited to just the players on the Cougars, as the coaches got in on the action as well. Head Coach Brad Camp took the helm as the head coach for the Flatirons Rush playing out of the Mountain Division. Cougars Assistant Coach Caleb Cole joined the Flatirons Rush as well but as a player for the team, in fact he was a Co-Captain for the squad. The Rush had a great season as they finished the year on a streak winning five of their final six games which qualified them for the playoffs for the first time in club history. It was a tough draw in the first round for the team as they faced off against the Ventura County Fusion. It was a battle, but the Rush eventually fell by a final score of 3-2. The Ventura County Fusion went on to win the USL League Two Championship, so it was a great showing from the Cougars coaching staff to take them to the brink of elimination in their playoff game against them.
 
 It was a successful summer as the players were able to earn valuable experience in game situations and maintain their fitness level in order to be able to come into the Fall season in great shape. Coaches Brad Camp and Caleb Cole are looking to capitalize on their outstanding season last year, and continue to build up the CCU Men's Soccer program into a perennial contender in the RMAC each and every year.