Tiger Xie ’26.5 is making his mark in his first season as goalkeeper on the men's soccer team. Having grown up between Shanghai and Toronto, Xie took an unconventional path to Middlebury athletics, joining as a walk-on after playing for the club soccer team. In this edition of Seven Questions, he shares his path to the team, reflects on their remarkable season and reveals how he garners some pre-game luck in the New York Times Mini crossword.
Ting Cui: How did you first get started with soccer?
Tiger Xie: I honestly don’t remember when and how I started playing soccer. It probably was in first grade but I do remember playing together with all my friends at the time and that was definitely part of the reason. I also like the smell of fresh grass so that could have been it, too. I think running around a grass field in the sun was probably the definition of fun for seven year-old me.
TC: What made you choose Middlebury?
TX: I grew up in Shanghai and Toronto, both very urban settings, where I was getting a little sick of the city life so I wanted a change of scenery. I didn’t think I'd spend 4 years of my life in rural Vermont otherwise. I enjoy being part of such a tight-knit community where you see familiar faces everyday. I also think we have a pretty cool mascot compared to other schools. What even is an Eph?
TC: Most players join the team as recruited fall freshmen, but you made it as a junior Feb walk-on. What was that experience like?
TX: I didn’t apply to college with playing soccer in mind, but the idea of possibly joining the team came to mind during my Febmester before coming here. When I arrived on campus, I first started playing with the club soccer team, which was a big part of why I was able to walk-on. I had a pretty successful season with the club team and was invited to train with men’s soccer last spring before officially walking on for the fall season. All my teammates and coaches were very supportive throughout the process and I can’t be more grateful to be part of this program.
TC: The team has been having an incredible season (14–1–3). What's the pressure like as you aim for the NCAA championship?
TX: We’re just looking to focus on each game at hand. We’ve put in the hard work and we’re confident that we can outcompete teams but we’re also not entitled as the number one seed. There are no easy games, so we’re just looking to play how we’ve played all season and let our game guide us on the field.
TC:What's been your most memorable game or moment on the team so far?
TX: The most memorable moment for me was when we beat Babson 3–1 at home. This was the second game of a double-header weekend and one of our teammates ended up injured at the hospital after the first game, so we were playing for more than ourselves. We started off strong and created chance after chance, but they held a draw going into the dying moments of the game. When it seemed like it just wasn’t our day, Ari [Klayman ’27]’s shot gave us the lead with less than three minutes to go and I probably rewatched that goal 30 times. It was one of those games that reminded me why I love this sport.
TC: What's something about being on the soccer team that might surprise people?
TX: I think we as a team are pretty big fans of Yogurt City in town. We run soccer tennis tournaments or trivia during team meetings and winners often get gift cards to Yogurt City. I think the owners are pretty familiar with us at this point and they’re expecting a big order every time we step in the door.
TC: Do you have any pre-game rituals?
TX: I’m a big NYT games fan and it always feels good to solve the mini or get the connections on the morning of a game. I also enjoy spending time with the dogs in the trainer’s room if they happen to be there. Shoutout Cooper, Henry and Oscar.
Ting Cui (she/her) is a Sports Editor.
Ting has previously contributed as a sports writer and spent the past year in Washington, D.C., where she interned at the National Press Club as a policy analyst and politics writer. She also interned as an Editor at Fair Observer this past summer, focusing on stories related to international politics and security.
Ting is majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. She is also competitive figure skater for Team USA and enjoys hiking, thrifting, and consuming copious amounts of coffee.
