From recreational games in Wallkill, NY, to taking the field under the lights at Tenney Stadium, junior midfielder Kyle Evans and graduate student center back Liam Evans’ soccer journeys have come full circle.
Even though all roads led to a storybook ending, the brothers fought through their share of adversity to reach this point. In their careers, they have each suffered severe injuries, but have leaned on one another throughout difficult times, turning setbacks into fuel to return stronger.
In their youth, the brothers spent a lot of time at Pace University. Their father, Ed, has been a staple in the Setters’ women’s soccer program for two decades, starting as an assistant coach and working his way up to associate head coach in 2013. He held this role for a decade before being promoted to head coach for the 2024 season.
Kyle and Liam tagged along while their father orchestrated summer practices, familiarizing themselves with the game of soccer. From a young age, the brothers possessed a determination to refine their skills and continuously work to improve their game.
“It was always nice to be immersed in the soccer world,” said Liam Evans. “We were always helping out in preseason, whether it was getting the balls or shooting on the keepers.”
Despite Liam being four years older than Kyle, their competitive spirit never wavered. Growing up, Kyle trained with Liam’s age group, determined to prove to his older brother and his teammates that he belonged. Though they are family, the brothers always pushed one another to be great.
“I definitely looked up to my brother, but it was more in a way of, I want to be better than him,’’ said Kyle Evans. “[Liam’s teammates] would take it easy on me, but I would go two-foot [Liam] and then he would get mad and push me. I think that made me a better player.”
When the Pro Track Stalled, College Opened the Door:
Kyle’s eagerness to play soccer at a high level started in grade school. His first-grade teacher always gave him soccer jerseys, urging him to chase after his dream. These moments with his teacher heavily influenced Evans to believe that his dream of playing professional soccer was within reach.
“At the time, I did not know how important that was to me, but having a teacher and the rest of my family believe in my dream went a long way.”
Kyle Evans
As he grew older, Evans’ daily routine consisted of lengthy days of training. While Ed coached Liam’s travel team, Kyle played for the New York Red Bulls Academy for seven years, eventually advancing to the Major League Soccer (MLS) NEXT team.
Touted as “the most elite platform for player development,” MLS NEXT launched in 2020, with a commitment to innovation, access and representation. This program has grown massively in just five years, as it features 2,189 teams, 273 clubs and 30 MLS academies. The initiative has created a pipeline from youth soccer to college soccer. MLS NEXT Pro has even sent players directly into the MLS.
At the academy, Evans trained relentlessly, spending entire days at the facility. At the time, Evans still had not yet grown into his body. Despite being one of the smaller players on his team, he continued to train hard, but hardships soon followed.
Evans suffered a concussion and as a result, did not get much playing time. During this time, Evans leaned on his coach, Jonathan Rhodes. Rhodes coached Evans at NYRB for four years, leaving a lasting impact on and off the field.
“I was not getting much playing time and [Jonny] always stuck with me throughout the whole thing,” said Evans. “He has gotten me through some of the hardest playing moments in my life, mentally and physically. He’s probably why I am the player I am today.”
While a member of the U-17 team at the academy, Evans had one goal in mind: to sign a contract with a professional team. Before the season started, Evans hoped to play on the first team, which would have significantly increased his chances of securing a contract.
Unfortunately, the younger Evans did not make the progression he intended. He cycled through the second team, where he realized that he needed to create a list of schools and start emailing.
“Until I was 16 or 17, I did not even know any colleges. I just wanted to sign a professional contract.”
Kyle Evans
Evans got to work quickly. His first two emails were sent to the University of North Carolina and Syracuse University, but a lack of preparation and motivation quickly dismissed the two schools from his list.
After this, he took visits to Bucknell and American University, but did not truly honor the recruiting process. In fact, he had the opportunity to visit the University of New Hampshire, but turned it down.
“I would say I took these opportunities for granted,” said Evans.
However, his attitude changed drastically when Marist entered the fold. Head coach Matt Viggiano and his coaching staff were “very high” on Evans, piquing the midfielder’s interest in coming to Poughkeepsie. A few of Evans’ Red Bull teammates were already talking to Marist, junior defender Ethan Ortiz, and former Red Fox teammate Nick Sanchez.
“[The coaching staff] was locked in on the fact that they wanted me to be the guy,” Evans said. “My teammates from Red Bull coming here was also a really big factor.”
Evans committed to Marist in September 2022, getting another step closer to his lifelong dream of playing professional soccer.
A Career Rebuilt from the Ground Up:
While his younger brother’s path to college soccer followed a more prototypical timeline, Liam’s took a tumultuous turn. Evans was the culprit of many acute injuries, including breaking his back twice, breaking his leg, with a hamstring injury sandwiched in between.
Both back injuries occurred during Evans’s last two years of high school, just one year and one week apart. The second injury sidelined Evans for eight months, effectively eliminating the opportunity for Evans to play college soccer out of high school.
“I was not even supposed to be walking when I was home,” said Evans. “Since the injury happened so late in my recruiting process, a couple of schools passed on me, and I did not have anywhere to play my first year.”
In spite of not receiving an offer to play collegiate soccer, Evans enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) as a normal student. Before his second back injury, SNHU expressed interest in Evans.
In his first year at SNHU, Evans focused intensely on his nutrition, as well as getting back into the gym and doing physical therapy exercises to strengthen his back. SNHU boasts a top-tier Division-II men’s soccer program, so Evans knew he needed to be in top shape to give himself another chance to impress the coaching staff and more importantly, himself.
“I really liked the school, and I wanted to stay there and play. I wanted to prove to myself that I can play at this level.”
Liam evans
Evans met with the coaching staff in January of his freshman year and began training with the team shortly after. Evans played well, but before he could continue to showcase his skills, COVID-19 happened. Ultimately, the pandemic cancelled Evans’s sophomore season, which would have represented his first collegiate season.
In between the start of COVID-19 and Evans’ eventual return to campus, a period of stillness persisted. Evans remained unsure about his status with the team, but gained clarity when SNHU head coach Josh Taylor gave him a phone call over the summer.
The phone call served as Taylor’s way to formally tell Evans he made the team. Although uncertainty existed surrounding his status, Evans’ hard work and determination had officially paid off.
Evans made it through his first season healthy, appearing in five games and starting in three. At the start of the spring season, Evans pulled his hamstring, which required him to miss four months of action.
After recovering from the hamstring injury, Evans broke his leg a week later playing for his summer league team, the Hudson Valley Hammers. The Hammers, members of the fourth division of the United States soccer pyramid, were founded by United States Men’s National Team midfielder Tyler Adams in 2020.
This injury forced Evans to miss his entire senior season. In four years as an undergraduate student, Evans only played in one of those seasons.
“When I broke my ankle, Liam was the biggest part of me,” said Evans. “After all of his injuries, he could have given up, but he continued to grind.”
Evans followed up his injury-riddled past by starting every game in his final two seasons as a graduate student at SNHU. His 2024 campaign delivered standout results, including five Northeast-10 (NE10) Defensive Player of the Week honors, NE10 Defensive Player of the Year and a Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) second-team All-American selection.
Coming off this incredible season, Evans entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining. Evans’ individual success gave him the opportunity to be recruited, something he missed out on as a high school senior.
While other schools reached out, Viggiano’s elevator pitch to Evans really stood out. It was quite similar to the pitch he gave Kyle: directly to the point.
“Coach Viggiano was like, ‘We want you here; we think you will help us win and we want to have your leadership. It was also hard to turn down an opportunity to play with Kyle,” said Evans. “Only being an hour away from home and being able to play in front of my family was another huge factor.”
The Final Chapter:
This season was quite the year for the Evans brothers to go out on. The program earned its first national ranking in history, getting as high as No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I rankings.
The duo practiced hard against one another day in and day out, always trying to better the other.
“Kyle is one of the guys who I want to be better than myself. There are only a few people that you have in your life that you feel that way about.”
Liam EVans
“Every goal I have scored, [Liam] is always running over and getting excited,” said Kyle Evans.
In terms of individual on-field success, Kyle was selected to the All-MAAC first team. He was one of four Red Foxes who were selected to an All-MAAC team this season.
Liam proved to be a stalwart for Marist’s defense, starting every game and playing all 90 minutes in all but two games.
Even though the team struggled down the stretch and ultimately missed the MAAC playoffs, the brothers gained an experience that very few could ever attain.
Edited by Ryan Eichem and Cara Lacey
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photos by Marist Athletics
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