MAKING AN IMPACT: Princeton University men’s soccer player Cameron Porter controls the ball in a game this past fall. Senior forward Porter, who earned a slew of awards last season when he helped Princeton tie for the Ivy League title, was recently chosen by the Montreal in the third round of the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. The 6’1, 175-pound Porter, a native of Centerville, Ohio who tied for first in the NCAA in 2014 for total goals with 15, is currently trying to make the Impact’s roster. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Cameron Porter has proven he can excel at both soccer and his studies.

Joining the Princeton University men’s soccer team in 2011, Porter has enjoyed success on the pitch and in the classroom.

Last fall, he culminated his soccer career by leading the NCAA in points with 2.00 points per game and .88 goals per game, while tying for first in total goals with 15 and second in total points with 34 as Princeton shared the Ivy crown with Dartmouth.

The 6’1, 175-pound native of Centerville, Ohio ranks fourth all-time in points at Princeton with 75 in 67 games, is fourth in goals with 31, and is 12th in assists with 13. He was named the Ivy Offensive Player of the Year, the ECAC Player of the Year and earned All-Region honors.

Porter’s prowess in the classroom earned him Academic All-Ivy honors in 2013 and 2014. After this fall, the Computer Science major was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-America and earned second team Academic All-America honors.

In reflecting on all of his honors, Porter acknowledged that he was proudest of being recognized for his excellence in the classroom.

“All the awards meant a lot but I think the Scholar All-American award meant the most,” said Porter. “I have always taken pride in balancing academics with athletics.”

In Porter’s view, the lessons he learned on the soccer field over the last four years have a special meaning.

“The biggest thing is the coaches, mentors, and players I have been around, it could not have been better,” said Porter. “I have learned so much from them and I know I will apply that as I go on.”

Now Porter will get the chance to apply that knowledge at the pro level, getting selected by the Montreal Impact as the 45th overall pick in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Super Draft in late January.

“I want to see what my potential is if I solely focus on soccer,” said Porter, who is currently training with the Impact.

“All my life I have been balancing academics and soccer. Now it is all soccer. I think the biggest thing is to keep working hard and learn as much as I can from the older players and figure out where I can fit in and best help the team.”

Looking back on his final season at Princeton, Porter was determined to do everything possible to help the Tigers succeed.

“I think the biggest thing about the senior year is to make an impact and do the best you can for the team,” said Porter. “I internalized that and I think I did that.”

With Porter making a major impact, Princeton enjoyed a superb campaign, going 11-3-3 overall and 5-1-1 Ivy to share the league title with Dartmouth(11-4-2 overall, 5-1-1 Ivy).

“It meant a lot to the seniors,” said Porter, who helped the Tigers end the year with an 8-0-1 undefeated streak. “The year before we came in, the program went 7-0. Ten seniors graduated and we went 1-5-1 as freshmen. It was great to help the program turn things around, it was awesome to recapture that.”

In Porter’s view, his class has left the program in good shape to continue its winning ways.

“We helped establish a culture that will carry on,” said Porter. “It was being a cohesive team on and off the field, being a team in all aspects.”

As the fall unfolded, Porter discussed the possibility of taking a shot at pro soccer with Tiger assistant coach Jessie Marsch, a former MLS standout who was recently named as the head coach of the New York Red Bulls.

“After the end of the season, I kept running and going to the gym,” said Porter. “It was hard to find people to kick with.”

In early January, Porter’s work paid off as he took part in the MLS Player Combine held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“The combine went well, the MLS collects the seniors and younger international players that they want to see play again,” said Porter. “It is five days, three of the days are full games, the players are divided into four teams. Before the first game, we had vertical jump and agility tests and a 30-yard sprint. We also had interviews with the teams. I felt like I was playing well; the teams kept the info to themselves.”

While Porter wasn’t chosen in the first day of the MLS draft, he was snapped up early on round three.

“Of course I hoped to be picked in the first two rounds but I wasn’t disappointed,” said Porter.

“I was very excited to be chosen. I found out like everybody else — on the web. The team called me later. I couldn’t believe that it was actually happening.”

As Porter looks to make it with the Impact, he will draw on the foundation of his college experience.

“I really appreciate the support of the Princeton soccer community,” said Porter.

“The coaches, Jim (Barlow), Steve (Totten), and Jesse, have all helped me grow as a player. I learned to be a part of a team. I had an individualistic style of play when I came to Princeton, I hadn’t been on the strongest teams. They molded me to fit in with the team.”