Athlete Spotlight: Matt Hauntsman
Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications
SALEM, Mass. -- Salem State goalkeeper Matt Hauntsman was awarded the MASCAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending September 23. Hauntsman bounced back on Saturday afternoon after losing to Tufts 4-0 earlier during the week. The goalie from Milford, produced a 1-0 shutout over rival Framingham State for an important MASCAC victory.
Hauntsman is majoring in Marketing and talked about what it meant for him to win the award. "Winning defensive player of the week is an honor, and I was a little surprised to win it, but I also had confidence that my performance over the weekend showed that I had earned it."
The New Hampshire native talked about this past Saturday when the Vikings blanked Framingham 1-0. "Seeing Framingham ranked above us (in the rankings) actually bothered me and gave me even more of a drive to want to beat them. Before the game, I had full confidence that we would end up winning, it was just a matter of how long it took us to score. Framingham being our biggest rival, we really had to make sure all of the new guys on the team understood how much of a battle this game would be. They fought hard and got the result we wanted. Before the game, it was so important, everyone was getting in their zone and locking in. I personally had my music full blast and blocked everything else out. I think in the end we really showed that we deserved the ranking."
During the week the Vikings played against a talented Tufts team which ultimately won the game 4-0. "The Tufts game, we played well, but we got unlucky with two penalty kicks. With a game like that, you can't beat yourself, but you do have to learn from how you played against a team like Tufts, and apply it to your next game."
The senior goalkeeper pointed to the strong start of the season for the team. "We have had a great start and a lot of the credit is due to the older guys on the team, really leading and teaching the Salem (State) winning culture to the new guys. I also believe that a big reason we are doing so well right now is because our guys are always locked in and everyone knows their role and does it well. I think to continue on like this further in the season, we just need to remain locked in and not take our foot off the gas."
In addition to securing a championship title, the athlete aims to achieve two impressive accolades during the upcoming season. Specifically, he has set his sights on earning first-team all-conference honors for the third time in his collegiate career. Additionally, he hopes to nab the defensive player of the year award for the first time in his college tenure. These achievements are sure to cement his reputation as a top performer in the sport.
He mentioned his idols that he has and why he looks up to them. "Two of my biggest soccer idols would be Manuel Neuer and Victor Valdes. I really look up to the two of them because they were big-time goalies and I always wanted to be able to make saves like they did."
A professional player he would love to meet is Neuer and he explained the reasons behind it. "I would want to meet Neuer just because he has always been my favorite (player). I even went to Germany and went to the stadium he plays in and sat in his locker. I would love to get advice and tips from him because I think I could definitely benefit from it a lot."
The New Hampshire native mentioned his favorite soccer team when he was younger.. "Growing up I had two favorite teams, one was Bayern Munich and the second was Liverpool. Bayern Munich I always loved (be)cause my family is German and that is also the team Manuel Neuer plays for. Liverpool, I just fell in love with because one of my closest friends supported them because he had family there and somehow he got me to start supporting them too."
His dad, who passed away, impacted him in such a unique way and he mentioned how he got into Salem State. "I say the person who has impacted me the most in my life has to be my dad. He is the reason I am at Salem (State) and playing soccer. When I was about to graduate high school, I planned on trying to be a football kicker and I had talked with Assumption about going there, but out of the blue, my dad had a heart attack while playing soccer and passed away. Our biggest bond was soccer, it was the main thing we always did together. After he passed, I decided I needed to go on and play soccer in college. So, I talked with coach Correia who has been my club coach for a while now and he says that he really wanted me at the school that he had just started coaching at. With no hesitation, I told him yes, and the rest is history."
He talked about what his coach meant to him. "Coach Correia means a lot to me because when my dad died he was there for me and at the time there was no other coach I wanted to play for. I'd say that's still true to this day. He also really cares about all of his players, and demands the best from us because he always gives us his best."
He has a strong message for the youth who want to play soccer. "The one thing I'd say is definitely play soccer, but don't just play one position. I have seen so many kids come in wanting to play a position and then get switched to another position. Our current left back Dylan (Senra) came in as a center mid and at Salem he has only played left back and was even first-team all-conference at the position. The best thing a player can do is be good at multiple positions and be be open to changing positions."
Hauntsman and the Vikings are looking to remain unbeaten in conference play. They will travel to Mass-Maritime for a conference game on Friday night. Game time at 7:00 p.m.