Sussex to St Thomas-Aquinas

Adrian Sanchez has committed to playing for St. Thomas-Aquinas University for the Fall 2020-21 seasons. This is a very exciting opportunity for Adrian to now play at the next level and help St Thomas reach their goals.

During Adrian's time at Sussex, he helped the Men's Soccer program achieve its highest goals and he believes the best is yet to come for the program. Adrian said, "I have the utmost confidence in the coaching staff, returning players and the incoming players to keep the standard and go even further." A standard the boys have continued to push forward each and every year and is something Adrian believes he contributed to during his two years at Sussex. Sanchez said "I believe I helped leave behind a winning atmosphere and mentality, plus a standard that will continue to grow for years to come."

Coach Vernacchio had a lot of praise for Sanchez saying, "It is easy to see all the great achievements Adrian accomplished on the field, but getting to know Adrian during his two years at Sussex, I have come to know he is also an outstanding young man. From how he goes about his school work and taking care of his family, I was able to get a great look into what drives Adrian. I will miss our conversations and, of course, coaching a player who was always able to make something out of nothing on the field. He has impressed me as a person, student and player and St. Thomas-Aquinas certainly got someone that has his best years still ahead of him."

Adrian made an impact at Sussex and when asked what he enjoyed most, Adrian said "My time playing at Sussex was the probably the most fun I had playing soccer in my whole life. The team is very close, like a family, I had the opportunity to really bond with them and it was like going out on the field and playing with my real brothers every day. The feeling of knowing everybody's got your back and that you get along so well makes the experience that much better."

As Sanchez gears up to play for St. Thomas-Aquinas, he stated, "I felt STAC held the same core values and goals as Sussex and that was key in making my decision to go there."

With the next step for Adrian being a very bright and exciting one, Sanchez says, "I am most looking forward to my future. Once I start moving forward, I never look back." Very much the way Adrian would attack other teams is how Adrian is living his life.

On behalf of the Sussex Soccer family, and the entire athletic department, we wish Adrian the best of luck with all of his future endeavors.