Oct. 16, 2007

A lot of athletes and fans focus on the numbers part of a sport: runs, hits, touchdowns, goals, etc. Admittedly, those statistics can sometimes tell the story of how an athlete or a team is performing. More often than not, however, they simply serve as the spark for great debates.

Still, it can be easy for a student-athlete to get caught up in those numbers but Texas native Evan Cohen isn't one of those players. As a senior defender on the Lafayette men's soccer team, he knows individual statistics certainly don't tell the whole story. To him, the team is the main story, not the individual players who make up that team. His unselfish attitude toward his soccer career at Lafayette is genuine, as it's also very evident in every other aspect of his life off the soccer field, as well.

Playing defense inherently means that the contributions those players make often aren't reflected in goals or assists and it can be hard to single out one single defender who had a standout performance in a game. A team's entire defense has to play together as one unit in order for the rest of the team to be successful.

So far this fall, the Lafayette defenders have worked together extremely well, as they have allowed just seven goals through the team's first 12 games of the season. The Leopards at one point had a six-game shutout streak, speaking to high level of play from the entire defensive unit. Cohen said the Leopards knew defense would be a strength this season, but admitted no one really foresaw this kind of play.

"We had a lot of returning players this fall and our team has always preached defense first," he said. "We always have a pretty good defense but this year we've had a lot of players step up and do really well for us."

Cohen acknowledges that while some of the defenders may brag a bit about their standout play, he knows it's mostly in good fun, since no one the team truly believes that the individual is more important than the team.

"As far as individual awards and recognition, that's not what we're about," he said. "We're more about winning as a team. The defense is certainly playing well but we all take pride in that. It's more than all about the defense; it's really a full team effort."

That outlook serves Cohen well during the season as a key member of the Lafayette bench. Often the first to enter the game, Cohen knows each member has his own unique role on the team, an ideal he has embraced.

That team-first attitude has long been a staple of the Lafayette soccer program and is part of what attracted Cohen to the College. A Denton, Texas, native, Cohen traveled a long way to Easton, Pa., but has found his niche here, although the transition wasn't entirely smooth.

"I came here because Lafayette is a great school with a great mix of academics and athletics, but it took some time getting used to the East Coast. The biggest changes were the weather and trying to put my two cents into conversations. It was hard to work my way into conversations because everyone here talks so fast," he said with a laugh.

Cohen has since learned to impart his two cents, however, and his two cents often come in the form of advice for the younger players on his team, as well as other student-athletes on College Hill. Cohen is a member of the Peer Mentorship and Peer Tutor programs. As a peer mentor, he works extensively with first-year student-athletes, providing them tried and true advice and support.

Earning Peer Mentorship status isn't something that's taken lightly. The program, coordinated by Dana Filchner, helps freshman student athletes adjust to college life. Peer mentors undergo extensive training in study skills, time management and exam strategies. It's often head coaches who recommend the student-athletes they feel exhibit the characteristics needed to be a mentor, and Lafayette head coach Dennis Bohn knew that Cohen possessed those characteristics.

"Evan is a complete student-athlete and a role model to all players on our team," Bohn said. "He is responsible, unselfish and dedicated both on the field and in the classroom. Even is always there to help the players so being a Peer Mentor and helping others on campus was a perfect fit."

Cohen's interests range far beyond soccer and mentoring, however. A Biochemistry major, Cohen isn't simply passing time until graduation. He's been actively involved with different projects concerning his major, including spending last summer conducting research with his professor, Dr. William Miles.

While many spent their summers lounging by the pool or on the beach, Cohen spent 40 hours a week assisting Miles in the laboratory. The main goal of the research was to synthesize drugs that might be used as anti-cancer agents in the future, a topic that touches the lives of far too many people.

Cohen didn't simply assist Miles, however. He also worked to develop his own research and hopes to take that knowledge into medical school when he graduates in May. Currently in the process of applying, to say Cohen has a lot on his plate would be an understatement. So how does he balance it all?

"I've always just worked really hard, set goals for myself and tried to make sure I meet those goals," he said.

Coaches can only hope their players approach soccer and life the way that Cohen does. Members of the Lafayette soccer team know they have only to ask Cohen for advice and he's more than willing to pass along key pieces of knowledge and information he's picked up along the years. When asked for just one piece of advice he'd preach above all others, however, his answer was simple.

"It's all about working hard every day and doing everything you can in whatever role that may be," he said.