Brian Rowland is a man who wears many hats -- student, soccer goalkeeper/captain, and now he has added one more to his collection: record breaker. During UMBC's October 26 homecoming game against New Jersey's Monmouth University, Rowland earned his 23rd career shutout, breaking a school record for total career shutouts and his personal record of total shutouts in a season. His skills on the field also helped to guarantee UMBC's spot at the upcoming Northeast Conference championships.

Rowland hails from Toronto, Canada, and came across the border to UMBC on an athletic scholarship. He did not take the traditional route from high school to college. Finishing high school one year early, Rowland traveled to England, honing his soccer skills and trying to be one of the lucky few that get a professional contract the first time around.

After his sojourn in England, Rowland returned home and decided to go to school. After seeing the tenuousity of the soccer athlete's career, Rowland knew that he would need something to fall back on one day. With this in mind, he took UMBC up on its offer. "I decided to come here and get an education for free," he says.

Now a senior majoring in economics, Rowland is on the cusp of many major decisions, one of which is what to do after graduation. Right now his plans are up in the air. He is interested in staying in this area because of the proximity to his family. "It would be nice to be here because it's closer to home," he states, but Rowland is not averse to going overseas to Europe or England again.

This past summer Rowland took part in a summer league that focused on professional development. Made up primarily of college players like himself, Rowland grasped this welcome opportunity to sharpen his already well-defined skills. Despite a minor muscle pull, UMBC's star goalie was in top form at the start of the season.

Rowland understands the difficulty that the future may hold for him. Not that he has any doubt in his skills, but he knows how hard it is to be a new addition to a team, being the one that has to prove himself to more seasoned players. "It's hard at times to be always be the new person," Rowland reflects, continuing, "I had thought about roaming around next year, but I've done that before in Canada and when I went to England."

Looking at the team he will be leaving behind, Rowland feels, "There's definitely a good team there. It's a very young team and they have a lot of good players." As for the upcoming NEC championships, Rowland bluntly states, "I think we're going to win it. If you're going to play, you might as well be first."

Insights Update: Men's Soccer recently tied Long Island University for the NEC title. Read more here.

- Jennifer Leigh Gibson