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South Kent School Paved the Way for Three Marshall Soccer NCAA Champs
South Kent, CT, June 7, 2021 – Three South Kent School (SKS) alumni, Vinicius (Vini) Fernandes ’18, Alexander Adjetey ’19 and Alejandro Giner Murillo ’20, are members of the history-making Marshall University men’s soccer team, who clinched their first ever National Championship victory in May.
The 10th-ranked Marshall Thundering Herd defeated the 3rd-ranked Indiana Hoosiers 1-0 in overtime in the NCAA Division I College Cup. The SKS alumni all got to share in the pride of their team’s triumph.
Coach Finberg giving his team a prep talk before the 2017 Regional Championships.
“I’m not surprised to see the success from these guys, who all won Top Drawer Soccer Prep School National Championships at South Kent,” said Owen Finberg, South Kent School Athletic Director and Head Prep Soccer Coach.
Fernandes, a midfielder with Marshall, was a major contributor in the championship match, earning a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team. He was also a standout during this impressive season, which included surprise upsets like Marshall’s win against the No. 1 seed Clemson Tigers, advancing them to the Elite 8 and defeating defending champion Georgetown to advance to the Final Four. The three South Kent School alumni trained together daily throughout the season, “looking after each other” with the one goal of winning the championship. “Sharing this feeling with my brothers from SKS makes it even more special,” Fernandes said.
Preparation leads to success, and Fernandes emphasized that SKS instilled in him the mindset to help him achieve just that. South Kent School’s program cultivates excellence and encourages student-athletes to value even the small things, he noted. “If I hadn’t taken pride in everything I did and looked for excellence during practice and off the pitch with my teammates, in the locker room and classroom, I wouldn’t have been able to adapt and become an important part of the team like I did,” he said. “South Kent School has brought this culture for students––the culture of excellence––and I think that made it possible for me, Alejandro and Alex to become national champions and step up and help the team like we did.”
Adjetey, a transfer to Marshall this season, added: “South Kent School really prepared me in both academics and soccer…and in so many ways: respect, being on time in everything, finishing assignments on time, making new friends easily, embracing the hard work. Words can’t explain how grateful I am to be part of the SKS community.”
Giner Murillo shared the impact of the challenging academics and athletics at South Kent School leading to his freshman year at Marshall: “In my experience, Coach Finberg prepares you not only to play but to succeed at the DI soccer level. I can say with no doubt that SKS has one of the best prep soccer programs in the country, and the titles and numbers are the evidence. Not only as a student but as a person, South Kent School prepared me to be a disciplined and respectful young man, and above everything, a good person.”
Marshall’s roster will benefit from two more excellent student-athletes this fall, as Mohammed Seidu ’21 and Kymani McNeil ’21 join the Herd’s ranks. The five South Kent School alumni will help build upon Marshall’s already stellar momentum as national champions and back-to-back Conference USA champions.
“We say, ‘big players make big plays in big games,’ and Vini certainly did throughout this run,” Finberg added. “While Alejandro and Alex were limited as first year and transfer players, respectively, I have no doubt that they will bring that quality as they look to repeat as champions this fall.”
About South Kent School
Established in 1923, South Kent School (SKS) is a college preparatory school for boys in grades 9 through 12 and prepares young men to succeed in college and thrive as thoughtful and engaged citizens in a rapidly changing and intensely competitive world.