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Tsubasa Endoh, Senior, Midfielder, No. 10
Stats:
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 141 lbs.
Collegiate stats: Seven goals, 11 assists
High school: JFA Academy Fukushima (Tokyo, Japan)
How'd He Get to College Park?
Endoh lived away from his family in Tokyo in middle and high school so he could play for his club team, JFA Academy Fukushima. In 2011, tragedy struck Fukushima, as an earquake hit the city and forced the team to evacuate. His team hopped around different cities in Japan, eventually settling down in Shizuoka. You can read more about the entire ordeal here. Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski noticed Endoh at a camp in 2010, and he enrolled at the University by spring 2012.
In his freshman season, Endoh started four games and played in 20. He scored two goals and had three assists on a team full of playmakers. As a sophomore, Endoh made the leap to regular starter. He started 25 of the 26 games he played in, and scored three goals on the season. As a junior in 2014, Endoh missed a good chunk of the season with injury. But when he came back, he started all 16 games he appeared in and averaged almost 87 minutes played in those games, a career high.
Career Highlight:
Recording a goal and two assists in front of a record crowd in 2013's season opener against Duke.
Dream Season:
Endoh leaves his mark on the program in his senior year, and becomes a leader along with Mael Corboz both in the locker room and on the stat sheet. He gets on the radar of professional coaches and realizes his dream of playing professionally, whether it's in the U.S. or Japan.
2015 Prospectus:
Endoh should be one of the team's star players this season. He's been consistently good since the moment he arrived in College Park, and he'll be looking to give the team everything he's got as his final year comes to a close.
Up Next:
Our next subject went a combined 40-1-3 in two years of high school soccer, and was also a two-time state champion in baseball.