Freshman Already Making an Impact

Freshman Bayo Adafin has been nothing short of a sensation since joining the men’s soccer team. Already a starter, the forward has marked down two assists and leads the team with 18 shots. In high school, he was named Mr. Soccer runner-up and led his club team to win the state cup championship. But deep down, he is a true Minnesotan: he plays ice hockey.

“That’s just what Minnesota is: hockey,” he said.

Adafin’s love for hockey, however, has not stopped him from pursuing a collegiate soccer career. More than anything, Adafin’s sports experience, coupled with a strong work ethic, has helped him develop into a speedy forward who dominates the field. Hailing from midsized Rochester, Minn., Adafin developed a love for both soccer and hockey early on. His entrepreneur father first introduced him to a soccer ball at the tender age of three, while he and his brother discovered ice hockey in a picture book in third grade. Adafin pursued both sports through high school until he made the decision to opt for college soccer, not hockey.

“I had the option to pursue college hockey, but I didn’t really want to,” Adafin said. “I guess the thing I like about soccer is just the beauty of the game, the creativity of the game. A lot of people just see it as bunch of people running around kicking a ball on a big field, but when you break it down, it’s a sport of beauty. If you watch the professionals and how they dictate the ball and how others present themselves, you see that you move as a unit. You can take on a player one-on-one or 11-on-11.”

Although Adafin decided against continuing with hockey, his trademark speed may be the result of his years of training on the ice, he said.

“There’s an urgency about hockey to work hard and be better,” Adafin said. “Hockey is a continuous process. You have to do the off-season dry-land training and really be serious about it. If you relax, someone’s going to take your spot and beat you to the other side of the bar.”

Adafin’s tenacity and experience with competition has softened his transition from high school soccer to the collegiate level. With a work ethic instilled in him by his father and an enthusiasm he shares with fellow team members and captains Mike Testa and Tom Heinbockel, Adafin has managed to adjust to the physical demands of the Columbia soccer program, he said.

“It’s all a tremendous step higher, which you have to get used to,” he said. “The jump has been high. I think I’ve done a pretty good job with it. It’s my first year, and I’m pleased with where I’m at and how much I’ve improved. It’ll be fun to see what I can do and more importantly, what we can do as a team.”

Adafin has established himself within the team dynamic as the go-to man who uses his speed to create opportunities for fellow Lions. He and his freshmen compatriots work together on the field to provide energy and youth for the team, according to Testa.

“What’s good about Bayo as a forward is that he can play with his back to the goal and is able to open up a lot of space underneath for our attacking midfielder,” he said.

Adafin, who stayed with Testa during his recruiting trip last year, made a lasting impression on the captain. “We were really pushing for him to come,” Testa said. “He’s a good finisher, and in terms of speed he’s hands down the best kid on the team. He’s a great kid and a good locker room guy, really a great kid to have off the field too.”

Testa said he expects that Adafin’s lucky streak will continue well into the season.

“He’s certainly made a lot of strides this preseason,” Testa said. “He’s still got tons of potential. Bayo’s going to be a leader on this team for a very long time, and he has a lot of time to keep progressing. He’s a freshman. For where he’s at right now, you’ve got to be pretty happy with it.”

The reporter of this article can be reached at sports@columbiaspectator.com.