Mo Nuhu ’23 is a Junior at Amherst College, where he plays soccer. In his time at Hotchkiss, Nuhu was a four-year player for Boys Varsity Soccer and co-captain for two years.
He was named an All-American his Senior year as well as receiving All-State and WNEPSA All-Star recognitions in his Junior and Senior years. Nuhu also ran Varsity Track during this Senior year, setting the school record for the 100 meter.
At Amherst, Nuhu was the NESCAC rookie of the year and received Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors. In his Sophomore year, Nuhu netted 11 goals and eight assists on the way to winning the D3 national championship. In the final game against Conn College, Nuhu scored the first penalty for Amherst, which would go on to win the shootout by a score of 4-3.
How has Hotchkiss shaped your career?
I had to learn how to manage my time with both soccer and school. Being at Amherst has been so much easier because I was able to learn that early on at Hotchkiss.
What were some of your favorite memories during your time here?
For soccer, I think my favorite memory was when we beat NMH 3-2 in 2021. They were the best team in the New England division. It was a very good game for us.
My other favorite memory was Senior Dance. It was a special moment, because we only had a little time left with one another. We were able to spend so much time together while having a lot of fun.
How did you decide to commit to Amehrst?
The coach reached out saying, “I want you to come play for me.” I was talking to a lot of coaches. In the end, I decided that Amherst was going to be a great place to be. I realized that I would end up going to one of the best division three schools and one of the best schools in the country. That made it easier for me to say yes to the coach.
How has your time at Amherst been, both academically and athletically?
At first, it was a bit challenging for me being at a new place, a new school, with a different team, and different coaches. It took me a while to get used to things. As the season began and I started going to classes, things became a lot easier. Everyone is so nice and willing to talk to you and help you out. I became more comfortable here as I met new people and spent more time on campus.
What differences are there between playing for high school level versus college level teams?
I’d say that the main difference is physicality and the pace at which the game is being played. In college, the games go by really fast, because everyone is really fast and good. Everyone is near the same level as you are. What makes you stand out is not about soccer, but whether you’re willing to help the team out, push on when you’re really tired, listen to your coach, and do things that you might not want to do.
What was it like to win a national championship?
Obviously it wasn’t easy; we lost a couple games, we got sick, we tied games, and it took so much for us to win. It felt great after winning, knowing that we put in so much work by trusting our coach and working really hard.
What are some of your goals at Amherst and beyond?
I definitely want to win another national championship on the soccer field. Overall, I want to meet more people and spend some time with people that I normally wouldn’t. My goal is to play professional soccer if I can. If not, I’d like to find a well-paying job that I can learn from.
What is your advice for anyone who wants to get recruited for soccer?
First of all, trust in yourself and in what you can do. Having that confidence is extremely important. In college, there are going to be many players and coaches who have different ideas of what you should do. If you want to go to a school, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and be confident about it.
You should be patient too. Not everything is going to go the way you want it to go. There are so many things and so many moving parts in the process—like coaches who want certain players or the fact that certain schools can only take a certain number of players per year. Just be patient and keep on reaching out to others.
