Brad Rose ’11 was initially too much of a gentleman — his good character at times interfered with his aggressiveness on the field early in his Yale soccer career, head coach Brian Tompkins said.
“I think if anything there are times when he’s too nice on the field,” Tompkins said. “One of the things that he’s learned over the course of his time here is to toughen his competitive edge. He’s worked to make himself an effective and dangerous opponent to play against.”
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And his competitive streak has shown this year, as Rose, a second team All-Ivy selection, has notched six goals and four assists, meaning that he contributed just under half of Yale’s 22 goals scored this season. He leads the team in points with 16.
Improvement has been the name of the game for Rose, who has transformed from a steady contributor to a standout player, Tompkins said. Rose was second on the team in points as a freshman, but after a goalless sophomore campaign, came on especially strong in the latter half of this season, scoring four goals in five games in October, finishing tied for the team lead in goals with fellow forward Scott Armbrust ’13.
Captain Jordan Raybould ’10 attributes this shift to Rose’s improved positioning and ability to capitalize more on opportunities.
Rose has acknowledged his own improvement, and attributes it to coach Tompkins.
“College soccer is definitely a different level than high school soccer and club soccer before that,” Rose said. “The coaching is definitely a lot better and has improved my skills.”
But for a player who tallied 90 goals in his four years of high school at Upper Canada College, it was obvious from the start Rose had the talent to be a leading goalscorer.
Rose’s athletic career began in the hockey rink, where this Canadian struggled to find his place in his country’s popular sport, he said. Soccer cleats, however, fit Rose much better than ice skates.
“I found out at a young age that [hockey] wasn’t the sport for me,” Rose said.
After starting soccer at age six, by high school Rose had established himself as a valuable player, and Tompkins took notice. Rose first met Tompkins in a showcase tournament with his Canadian club soccer team and the two hit it off, Rose said.
“I immediately felt a connection,” he said. “He was very personable, and good communicating with me. I came on my official visit to see what the school was like and meet the team, and I just had a great time. I knew this school this was for me.”
Rose said he based his decision to come to Yale on the quality of the team’s character, as much as its talent. He added that from the second he got off the airplane from Canada, the team has made his transition to the United States as smooth as possible.
Rose possesses the very value that he sought in a college soccer team, said Tompkins, who called Rose a quality team member.
Off the field, Rose spends his time with his teammates, whom he describes as his best friends and the people who have “made” his time at Yale.
“We all like to make fun of Brad a lot, at least [midfielder Andy Shorten ’11] and I do,” Raybould said. “He’s a funny guy, and a good guy to mess with. He just takes it on the chin.”
Rose is majoring in economics and hopes to enter business after graduation. Rose said his ideal career involves soccer.
“Obviously it’s a dream,” he said. “It’s a goal I want to accomplish. I want to play soccer as long as I can before I throw in the towel.”