NEWBERRY — Newberry College senior Quincy Kroeschell and freshman Tobias Henriksen are both on the Newberry College’s men’s soccer team.
While they both might have a passion for soccer, they come from two very different places — one is from Charlotte, N.C., and one is from Norway. They have very different backgrounds and are overall two very different guys.
But what makes them tick? Let’s find out.
Quincy Kroeschell’s major is graphic design. His favorite food? Tacos.
Hailing from the ‘Queen City’ of Charlotte, N.C., Kroeschell is entering his final year playing for the Wolves.
Growing up his parents taught him to patient and kind despite his brothers constantly teasing him. But it wasn’t his kind and good spirit that brought him to Newberry. It was his love for soccer and graphic design.
“I wanted to play soccer in college, and I wanted to be a graphic design major, and so I emailed the previous coach here (Coach Barry Slagle), and he scheduled a visit for me. I immediately loved the campus and the friendly way that all of the students treated me,” said Kroeschell.
With the Wolves, Kroeschell has recorded the most minutes of any player. He made his first goal of the season Sept. 21 against Coker. In the 77th minute, Kroeschell put in a deflection that came off the Coker goalkeeper.
“I work as hard as I can in every drill and try to focus on doing the little things right. I think about what I have to do in the game, and imagine myself being successful in the game (such as making a tackle),” Kroeschell said.
Before each match, he puts his left shin guard on first, moves to his right shin guard, then laces his cleats beginning with his left foot.
One of his greatest athletic achievement was when he attended Ralph Lundy Soccer Academy at the age of seven. The camp has been held at locations such as Christ School in Asheville, N.C. and College of Charleston in Charleston. At both camps Kroeschell was awarded the Walt Chyzowych award, which is given to the camper who exhibits the best passion for the game of soccer.
Off the field, he enjoys playing the guitar and singing.
“I’m constantly singing. It’s probably to the point where others think it’s annoying. I also love movies, especially Disney movies,” said Kroeschell.
His favorite artist include UK pop superstar Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. His favorite song on the newly released album Divide is Dive. His favorite athletes include David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
Tobias Kvalvik Henriksen’s major is communications and his favirute drink is chocolate milk.
Henriksen, an incoming freshman from Finnsnes, Norway, prepares for his first season with the Wolves.
He grew up in a brutal environment in the north of Norway where temperatures dropped as low as -25 degrees Fahrenheit.
“I feel prepared for anything the world puts in my way. We live in total darkness for around six months every year, and the only source of light for the soccer field is the northern lights. The humidity here in South Carolina isn’t so bad after all,” said Henrikse.
His parents and the remainder of his family has shown him great support. Although his mother was hoping he could live a bit closer to home, they have constantly believed in him. Everyone back home is very excited about him living out his dream.
“I started playing soccer on my 6-year-old brother’s team when I was 3 years old. I was walking out on the field with a jersey that reached down to my ankles. I found my one true love. From that moment, I’ve always wanted to be a professional soccer player,” said Henriksen.
He decided Newberry was his new home because of the endless trust and confidence the coaching staff had in him.
“The faith Coach Cooper had in me as a player was the most important thing for me,” he said. “I hope to repay the confidence he had in me with good results on the field. I wasn’t really interested in talking with schools further north because I wanted a different climate change.”
Before every game, he likes to listen to upbeat music and and eat tons of food. His favorite athletic moment is debuting in the Norwegian top division in Futsal and for his childhood team Finnsnes IL in Norwegian 2. Division. He also enjoyed attending NTG in Tromsø, a top level sports-school.
“I think the key for me is to enjoy it. If you love what you do, you’ll spend as much time on it as you can. Because of this I can stay and do extra work after practices with no problem, and this definitely will help with my game,” said Henriksen.
Off the field he enjoys beating his teammate Claus Lehland in FIFA. His mom and dad were both born on May 4, 1965 and he has a pet polar bear. Henriksen has been working as a journalist since he was 13 years old. His favorite team is Inter Milan and his favorite athlete happens to be Davis Bryan.