Men’s Rookie of the Year-Chris Arling: Soccer
It was a freshman year to remember for Chris Arling. The Windham, New Hampshire native became a prominent role player for the UNH men’s soccer team this season. Although the 3-3-1 final conference record was not what they drew up, the men’s soccer team came out of the gate strong and rolled to a 7-0-2 start, and finished overall with a record of 10-5-3. The Wildcats’ success can be attributed to the stellar play of Arling, who started 16 of 18 games during the campaign and tallied four goals, five assists and 13 points on 56 shots. He was recognized as America East Rookie of the Week during two consecutive weeks of the season. At the end of the year, he was recognized on the 2015 America East All-Rookie Team. One skill that separated him from the rest of the pack was his constant physicality throughout the matches. Defenders would have to clamp down more than ever to stop Arling. Season highs included three shots on goal against UMBC and multiple one-goal games throughout the season. His shining moment came on Oct. 30 against the University of Hartford, where he broke free across midfield in double overtime and sliced a ball into the back of the net, to win a thrilling conference game for the Wildcats. The sky’s the limit for Arling, who follows in his mother’s footsteps as a former UNH student-athlete. Arling excelled in all areas of the field last season, and is poised to have another standout year as a forward for the Wildcats under head coach Marc Hubbard.
