T-Birds' Hayden Hollinger signs with DI soccer scholarship

MacArthur had just arrived in town to become Casper University's first men's soccer head coach when he found himself on East 15th Street.

“I drove by Kelly Walsh (High School) and saw a kid working on his game,” McArthur recalled.

That child was Hollinger. It wouldn't be the last time MacArthur saw Hollinger on the soccer field at KW's Tom Stafileno Activities Complex.

“When he was in high school, I would drive past Kelly Walsh at 10 o'clock at night and Hayden would be there kicking a ball by himself,” MacArthur said. “It was mid-June and one safety light was on and he was juggling, dribbling, shooting, etc. under that light. And I saw him do it two or three times. If you saw that, he was probably always there.”

Hollinger's dedication to the game helped him earn all-state honors for the Trojans during his junior and senior seasons in 2021-22. It also helped him win scholarships, first to Casper College and then to Winthrop University.

Hollinger recently signed to play at Winthrop, a Division I school in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Eagles compete in the Big South Conference.

“Going from high school to DI is pretty tough,” Hollinger said. “So, coming (to Casper College) allowed me to really get recognized at a Division I school. The real thing started when I got here.”

Hollinger's path to DI school may have been paved at Casper University, but it actually began several years ago when he played in the Casper Blaze youth soccer program.

“It started with club soccer for me,” Hollinger admitted. “It depends on what kind of coach you have, but when I was at the Blades we had Chris Stanberry as a coach. He taught me to love the game and love what I do. And I had fun and I was able to win the game.

“That was the first time I realized that I wanted to continue doing this job. I not only want to play soccer in college, but I also want to continue playing soccer after I enter college.”

That drive to keep improving has been the key to Hollinger's success. What began with Blades and continued with Kelly Walsh was present from the moment he arrived at Casper College.

“When we brought him in as a freshman, we thought he was going to get some minutes off the bench,” MacArthur said. “But he came in and outperformed everyone. It was probably about 10 days into the preseason when we realized this kid was going to start. And he came in as a freshman and almost He started every game.”

Hollinger started 33 of 38 games in midfield and forward during his two years with the T-Birds. He started 18 games last year and had two goals and five assists. He helped Casper College win the Region IX Tournament and qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Championships. This is a first for both programs.

The T-Birds went 1-1 in pool play at the NJCAA Championship in Wichita, Kansas, last November.

“I would say that’s why I’m where I am,” Hollinger said. “Coaches at Winthrop were at Nationals and watched me play. I think I could have gone to a DI school, but it would have been a lot harder if I didn't make it to nationals. That was the biggest thing about recruiting. That was a factor.”

Playing for Nationals obviously helped — 13 other players who left last year's team committed to playing soccer at the next level — but MacArthur said Hollinger was going to D1. I know that there are other factors involved.

“I think Hayden just has that drive,” he said. “Winthrop's coaches have said they think Hayden will come and show the entire team how to work.

“He just loves the game,” MacArthur added. “And he loved the game so much that he worked hard at his job. The Blades gave him the foundation and he worked hard to become a college soccer player.”

Since the program began in 2021, the T-Birds have enjoyed success.

Casper College rose to No. 7 in the NJCAA rankings in its first year and was in the top 15 the following season. There were several Wyoming players on both teams, most notably Casper forward Daniel Diaz and Worland goaltender Connor Macy. However, most of the minutes were spent on international players.

The balance changed a bit for the 2022 season, with Hollinger and seven other in-state players donning the T-Birds' red and white uniforms. Wyoming's representatives include former Kelly Walsh standouts Kayden Allaire and Sian Riering, two-time Gatorade Player of the Year Cole Venable of Worland, Garrett Morris of Powell and Talon Rieling of Laramie. Lucky included.

Unfortunately, Casper College's promising 2022 season ended with a shootout loss to Laramie County Community College in the semifinals of the Region IX Tournament.

This past season, with Hollinger, Venable and Morris all playing key roles, the T-Birds finally broke through and defeated Otero Junior College to win the Region IX Championship.

“Part of our philosophy here is to take Wyoming players like Hayden who are under-recruited but are very motivated and want to be great,” MacArthur said. Stated. “And we get these international players from our professional academies. They have all the talent in the world, but maybe they don't have the same grit or drive as the Wyoming players. So we're trying to mesh them together.”

“This year has been a perfect storm for us in that respect,” he added. “We had Wyoming players and mixed them with international players and it was a lot of fun.”

Hollinger has played against and with some of Wyoming's best players over the years. However, playing against international players took his game to another level.

“Playing with international players was the biggest thing for my development,” he admitted. “Athletes from each country have different playing styles, so U.S. athletes need to introduce themselves to new competitions and new cultures.

“It was exciting to be in a team where most of the players are very good, because you can feel that you are improving in the training sessions because everyone you are playing with is good. is.”

Hollinger expects that to be the case not only at Winthrop, but also this summer when he plays in a semi-pro league in Denver. He will play for Flatirons FC in the Western Conference of United Soccer League 2 (USL2).

After this, I went to Winthrop. Hollinger has two years of eligibility remaining, so we'll see what happens after that.

“Hayden did it the right way,” MacArthur said. “He understands he's been given the opportunity to come here and prove himself at the national level. He deserves everything that's coming, but he's not done yet. He's really athletic and has a great foundation. There are no limits.”