VA Soccer Players Venture to Montreal for a Weekend of High-Level Recruiting and Fun

LaLiga Vermont Technical Director and Head Coach of Girls' Varsity Soccer, Eduardo Caturla, and Head Coach of Boys' Varsity Soccer, Adrian Diaz ’14, led the trip. 

The trip marked Vermont Academy’s third time attending the event for scouting purposes but was the first time Vermont Academy players joined to play and be scouted. Four of our current soccer team members were recruited from this very showcase.

One of the main focuses of the event was to provide students with the opportunity to practice and play games in front of and also with college coaches. Thursday marked the first practice for the boys, and Friday was the girls’ first practice. Approximately 70 college coaches were in attendance, scouting players and leading practices. Colleges from the United States representing NCAA D1, D2, and D3 were in attendance along with Canadian universities. A sample of colleges and universities present included: McGill University, University of Vermont, University of New Hampshire, Clemson University, Syracuse University, Louisiana Tech University, and many more. 

On Saturday and Sunday, games were played in a tournament format. Players were divided into teams that represented a mixture of different schools. The opportunity to play with and against unfamiliar teammates and opponents presented a new challenge. “It was great exposure for our players in that they were able to see the reality of quality that is out there, and how competitive it is to play athletically in college,” Coach Diaz says. Players came from many different parts of Canada and the US with a high New England concentration. 

Among tournament spectators were college coaches, prep school coaches, and scouts from professional teams. If a player caught the interest of this group of spectators, the players had the opportunity to be invited to College ID (Identification) camps and events. 

“A few of our players have been reached out to by college coaches already,” shares Coach Caturla excitedly. “In general, the showcase has had a good outcome for us.”

“It was a great experience,” chimes in Coach Diaz. “We were also able to explore Montreal a little bit. For most of these kids it was their first time in Canada. We got to try some of the local cuisine, went to Mount Royal Lookout, Downtown on Saint-Catherine Street, and experienced the culture there.”

It was a work-hard-play-hard weekend for the students. On Friday and Saturday, the students had three hours of dedicated homework time to stay caught up on their studies. 

“The event offered very important exposure for our players,” says Coach Caturla. “If we continue this in years to come it will be a great partnership to have.”

“For me, it was a great networking event in which we as coaches were able to connect with college coaches and tell them about what’s going on at Vermont Academy,” adds Coach Diaz. “Exciting things are happening, and exciting prospects are coming from VA.” 

Participating student-athletes:

Arjan Ahuja '26

Tyler Bedortha '26

Luis Yunta Bernabeu '25

Cooper Biederbeck '24

Lucas Menchaca Ruiz-Cuevas '25

Carmen Traba Chacon '26

Iker Riado Duato '26

Danny Francis '24

Gustavo Silva Gonçalves '24

Rogeiro Ramírez Gutiérrez '26

Marcos Martinez Loureiro '25

Eduardo Gutiérrez Ruano '24

Joey Manley '24

Sabino Vega Martin '25

Javier Pérez De Vargas Martín '24

Alonso Serrano Martinez '25

Sydney Palmiotto '24

Tristan Richard '25

Iván Santos Ruiz '26

Eloise Sicotte '26

Carmen Whitney '26

Mirko Zannoni '24