Marshalltown Community College men's soccer player Pedro Oliveira has committed to play soccer at Queens University next season. Oliveira recently concluded his two-year career at MCC and graduated from the college on May 5.
An integral member of one of the most successful recruiting classes in program history, Oliveira appeared in all but one game throughout his career as a Tiger, starting 39 of 40 games. A primary defender, Oliveira scored five career goals, including four during his sophomore season and finished his tenure as a Tiger with 14 points. During his time at MCC, the Tigers won 33 games and reached consecutive Region XI Championship games along with setting many team records.
Oliveira was a two-time NJCAA All-Region XI First-Team selection and was an NSCAA All-East Region Second-Team selection. Oliveira earned the NJCAA Exemplary Academic Achievement Award as a freshman and is a two-time member of the Academic All-Region XI First-Team.
A NCAA Division II institution located in Charlotte, NC, the Royals are members of the South Atlantic Conference.
Oliveira focused on a variety of reasons why Queens was a good fit for him. "I had the opportunity to go on a visit to Queens and I really enjoyed the environment. The team is very good and academically the school is great. Queens is a great place to develop my soccer skills and also focus on my academics."
"The idea was to come to Marshalltown and take it a step further following my career as a Tiger and I am very excited to continue to play at the next level," Oliveira added. "It is going to be a challenge but it is a challenge that is going to be great for me."
Marshalltown and Queens have had a strong relationship over the past three years as three different Tigers have played for the Royals. Former Tiger Celes Vilar recently concluded his career at Queens while Oliveira will join Juan Carlos Carrillo and Alberto Morales on the roster for next season.
"Joining a few other Tigers at Queens goes to show the great relationship that Queens has with Marshalltown. I'm very excited to play with those guys, especially with Alberto who I played with last year. I know I will have a couple of forwards to score for me while I'm defending."
MCC head coach Rafael Martinez is proud to see another member of his program continue their career at a four-year institution. Martinez expressed his excitement regarding both Oliveira and fellow Tiger Fernando Gutierrez who will also play at Queens University next season.
"The success that both Pedro and Fernando have had at MCC is another example of how Marshalltown can be a great platform for many student-athletes who, otherwise, may not have had the opportunity to reach their dream of coming to the United States to get a quality education while competing at the sport they love. Both Fernando and Pedro came with low level of English proficiency and due to their hard work and the support and encouragement of many people at MCC, they are now full adjusted to life in the US, have the academic foundation needed to continue their careers at a quality institution like Queens, and have had plenty of individual recognition through their efforts on the soccer field."
"Pedro led with his voice and his demeanor on a daily basis, regardless of not being officially a team captain. He also demonstrated that team comes first, and adjusted to many different positions on the field in order to help us be successful. His physical presence and technical abilities were evident and many colleges put their eyes on him since his freshman year."
"Overall, I am extremely happy of what these student-athletes are accomplishing through their hard work, and I am confident that their time at Queens will be full of success on and off the field."
In terms of his time at MCC, Oliveira discussed the positive changes that he has endured over the past two years.
"I think that I had the best experience related to soccer when it comes to my time at Marshalltown. A lot of people questioned why I was coming to Marshalltown from Brazil, but I can say that I never had any experience before like I had here at MCC. What we had these past two years on the field was amazing. Academically, everything was great. I've been able to really improve my English thanks to all of the people here at Marshalltown."
"There are so many people that have helped me get to this point in my career, especially the coaching staff and my teammates. I'd like to give a special thanks to my professor Nancy Adams because she really helped support me in the psychology field along with George Johnson and Dave Engel. The entire faculty and staff at Marshalltown have been great. The community support at MCC is something special. So many people were there supporting us at every game."
"I'm excited to move on, but I'll miss MCC a lot. I'd suggest to everyone who is coming to Marshalltown to make the best of it because if you do your best here, you're going to get the best out of life. The American dream can be real if you really put your best effort in."
Oliveira will major in psychology at Queens with a focus on business administration.
