Alumni in Athletics: Kicking off a new calendar year, Brooks is taking a look back at our alumni who continued their sports success in college this fall with a four-part series. For more coverage of Brooks School’s alumni, check out the Brooks Bulletin.

In his graduate year as a member of the Tufts University men’s soccer team, Andres Rosas ’21 took home a national championship, capping off an impressive five-year career that saw the Jumbos secure two New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championships, make four appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) DIII tournament and win the national title on December 7 against Trinity University at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Virginia.

On the way, Tufts defeated Bates College 1-0 in the NESCAC quarterfinals, triumphed over Middlebury College 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals and scored a 1-0 victory over Connecticut College in the finals.

The team then battled all the way to that NCAA title game, where they managed to tie it up at one with just four seconds left in regulation. Five minutes later, Tufts scored the game-winning goal in overtime to take home the title. 

"Nothing replicates the feeling of running on the field, celebrating a golden goal in overtime," said Rosas. "We were so close most years and had been through some heartbreaking losses in the tournament, so to go out that way with the other 12 seniors was incredible. It was a storybook ending."

After battling significant injuries, the win was truly a triumphant moment for Rosas. He tore his hamstring during senior year and then again at the start of the season this fall.

"It was really hard to accept that my role on the field might be limited because of this," he said. "But I had incredible teammates that helped me find joy in my role and I wouldn’t want it to end any other way."

At Brooks, Rosas was a four-year member of boys 1st soccer, golf and squash teams. He played an important role on the 2018 team that was ranked No. 1 in prep school and won the NEPSAC Class B title and ISL championship.

In a profile of graduating students, Rosas’ then soccer coach, Willie Waters ’02, described him as "a great teammate and friend" who "turned himself into one of the best players in New England [and] always set team goals ahead of individual ones."

True to form, when asked about his soccer career, he also pointed to the success of his Brooks teammates: Saul Iwowo ’22, who was just named an All-American at Dickinson College, and Harry Bertos ’23, who recently scored the game-winning goal in the DI national championship game for Washington University.

"Seeing your other Brooks teammates succeed definitely inspires me to want to succeed," he said. "Watching Saul have a great end to his career being a 1st team All-American and obviously Harry having a great year … is pretty cool to witness."

Read more about Tufts' season on their athletic website, and check out Andres' career stats and accomplishments.

Learn more about athletics at Brooks on brooksschool.org.