Bluefield University's soccer program is seeing exciting results early in the career of Justus Repschlaeger, a freshman goalkeeper from Bodenwerder, Germany. Repschlaeger, who has already made a significant impact this season, was recently ranked nationally for his impressive performance between the posts. With 102 total saves, he finished the season as the 6th-ranked goalkeeper in the NAIA for saves.

Justus's Journey to Bluefield

Justus's path to Bluefield University began in Germany, where he worked with an agency to showcase his talents to U.S. colleges. "I wanted to play soccer at a high level, and with the help of my agency, I got my information out there," Justus explains. The agency sent videos and a profile to various schools, and soon, Bluefield University's head coach, Gabe Blakman, reached out.

After several discussions with Coach Blakman over Zoom, Justus made the decision to come to Bluefield without having seen the campus in person. "I was really influenced by the people here, especially the other international students like Yannik," Justus recalls, mentioning his connection with another international player who helped him feel at home. The welcoming atmosphere of the team and the university helped solidify his decision.

Despite the challenges of adjusting to a new country and a new level of competition, Justus was optimistic about his first season. "I knew it would be hard at first to find a rhythm, but as the season went on, the more comfortable I felt," he reflects.

Coach Blakman on Justus's Freshman Year

Head coach Gabriel Blakman has high praise for his freshman goalkeeper. "Justus was a fundamental part of the team during his first year," Blakman says. "He adapted to the game so quickly, which is very hard to do for a freshman. Justus single-handedly kept us in so many games when things were not going our way, giving us hope to come back and salvage some points."

Despite the team facing several challenges throughout the season, Repschlaeger's resilience and dedication never wavered. "He stayed strong through adversity, and I'm very proud of him for that," says Blakman. "He never gave up and continued to play at a high intensity all year long."

Looking ahead to the future, Coach Blakman has big plans for Justus in the off-season. "During the off-season, I'm hoping that Justus works even harder than before—both physically and athletically," he says. "With the experience from his first year and the hard work he'll put in during the off-season, I'm confident that he will help us make it to the conference tournament next year. We'll celebrate our progress together!"

Justus's Reflections and Goals for the Future

While Repschlaeger is proud of his accomplishments in his first year, including being named AAC Defender of the Week twice, he remains focused on the team's future. "I'm sad we didn't make the playoffs this season," he admits. "I think as a team, there's a lot of room for improvement."

Individually, Justus is pleased to have contributed to the team's efforts, but he knows there's always room to grow. "I'm happy to have contributed to the team's success, but I want to keep getting better," he says. "Next year, my goal is to improve even more so I can help the team reach its full potential."

Justus is optimistic about his future at Bluefield and is determined to keep progressing as both a player and a person. With his work ethic and dedication, the Bluefield soccer program is surely in good hands as they look to build on this year's experiences and strive for greater success in the seasons to come.