Through the first seven games of the season, the Big Green seems to have found an answer. Forward Alex Adelabu '15 has emerged as a top scorer for the Big Green, responsible for five out of nine total Dartmouth goals this season.
Adelabu's season has already included memorable moments like his game-winning, overtime goal against Missouri State University on Sept. 14 and an Ivy League Men's Soccer Player of the Week accolade three days later. Until last Saturday, he had a four-game scoring streak.
"I'm happy, but I'll be even more happy if we keep improving," Adelabu said. "It's not just about starting well you have to maintain it."
Adelabu was born in Nigeria and moved to Houston, Texas when he was 12 years old. Although he played on soccer teams in Nigeria, the 6'0", 160-pound forward began to take the sport more seriously in middle school when he played on school and club teams.
Men's head soccer coach Jeff Cook first noticed Adelabu during the forward's senior year in high school, when one of Cook's assistants discovered him at a showcase in Texas.
"As a player, we thought he was incredibly hard-working and had a knack for scoring goals," Cook said. "We thought he'd be a great addition to the program."
Before joining the Big Green, Adelabu attended nearby Kimball Union Academy for a year with the intention of applying early decision to Dartmouth. Adelabu jumped out to a quick start as a freshman, scoring a game-winning goal against the University of South Carolina in the Big Green's first win of the season.
"He came into preseason as a first-year player and basically exploded on the scene," Cook said.
Once classes started, however, Adelabu like many other college athletes had difficulty with time management.
"The hardest part was balancing work and school you're expected to give 100 percent for both," Adelabu said. "I didn't adjust well to the workload, and it affected my soccer performance."
Adelabu said that he abandoned his assigned offseason workout schedule in May, which caused his fitness level to deteriorate by the time he returned to Houston after Spring term. Over the summer, he took on an internship in Houston sponsored by the Dartmouth Partners in Community Service that unexpectedly served as motivation for him to restore his fitness for the upcoming season.
"I learned about how we have to take advantage of our opportunities and be serious about the things we're doing," Adelabu said. "After work, I would just go out and run."
Before coming back to Dartmouth for preseason, Adelabu had a sense of what he wanted to achieve this year.
"I came in confident, but I wanted to learn more," he said. "I wanted to be a leader for incoming freshmen."
Adelabu's stellar performance this year shows how much he improved after the summer.
"In my 20 years of coaching, I've rarely seen such a transformation in a player over the course of a summer," Cook said. "[Adelabu] came back as a sophomore into preseason as a different person."
Perhaps the biggest asset Adelabu gained over the offseason was his increased confidence at Dartmouth and on the team. Co-captain Kevin Dzierzawski '13 said that the added confidence has already helped Adelabu on the field.
"He was very shy as a freshman," Dzierzawski said. "This year, he's been able to come out of his shell. It allows him to be more comfortable on the ball and make better runs across the box."
As with some of Cook's previous players who have gone on to play in the professional ranks, the head coach believes that Adelabu could have a similar future ahead of him.
"I think his best soccer is in front of him," Cook said. "If he continues to improve like this, he would have a very realistic chance of continuing with soccer after he's done with us."
Whether or not Adelabu continues with soccer after college, he has already made a meaningful impact on this year's team, both on and off the field.
"He's one of those guys who loves his teammates, soccer and everything to do with it," Dzierzawski said. "You can't say that about everyone, and I think that's important."
Adelabu will look to continue his magical run this season when the Big Green faces Princeton University on the road on Saturday at 5 p.m.
