The Red & White

Nicolas Alberga ‘26 is from Montreal, Canada, and is an integral part of the recent success of the Boys Varsity Soccer Team. Coming off a season with 14 goals and 3 assists, along with the prestigious “all NEPSAC” award, he looks to help lead the team into an even better season. “Building off the historic season we achieved together, we must continue to work harder to have even more success. There are more expectations for us this season so we have to go out and prove everyone right,” he said. Starting off at 3-1-1, the St. George’s Boys Varsity Soccer team has not disappointed so far. 

When Alberga arrived at St. George’s, he was unsure if he would fit in socially or understand the team culture right away. However, “My teammates have always treated me as if I were their brother and never as an outsider,” he shares, crediting that the team’s welcoming environment as a major factor in his confidence on and off the field. These strong relationships within the squad can be attributed to Coach Quintin, who has sought to make the boys friends and teammates first, then individuals second. Alberga appreciates greatly that “Coach Quintin has always believed in me. Since he first saw me play in Canada, we became close and he gave me an opportunity. He has treated me as a son and supported me as an international student. I am committed to repaying his efforts by bringing home a championship.”

Alberga has high aspirations not only for himself, but also for the rest of the soccer team, as he states, “I want to win team MVP for the second year in a row, as well as being an All Offensive Player in the ISL. I would also love to finish out my senior year with a class B and ISL championship, bringing some hardware to our cabinets.” 

The team has been dangerous in front of goal so far, with 16 goals in 8 matches. This may be in part due to the several strong recruits Coach Shay Quintin brought in this year, notably including Titus Henries 29’ and Mitchell Kollie 29’, both coming from NationOne Academy in Liberia. According to Alberga, “The new recruits are integrating very well. I am working to try and make St. George’s their home away from their home, which is thousands of miles away. They have had a direct impact on the team’s results and have helped us win. With some more time to understand our tactical preferences, they will be even better and more impactful.” 

Tactically speaking, Alberga believes that the team is already clinical but could definitely work on lifting another up defensively: “We are a small but very technical team that is dangerous going forward, so all that is left to do is play with passion defensively and stay together, and the sky will be the limit.”

The team dynamic has gradually improved year by year. With eight seniors this year, Alberga and the others are working to uplift everyone and build off of the success from last year. According to Lawsen Fevrier 26’, “Nico is my friend first and teammate second. Our close bond allows us to overcome adversity while playing in the midfield and work harder because I am relationally invested with Nico and our team’s success.” 

Alberga’s favorite moment in a St. George’s jersey was both painful and unforgettable: “I dislocated my shoulder twice in our first ever playoff game against Middlesex and still managed to score the winner that sent us to the semi-final.” Even though that moment was bittersweet, it fueled Alberga’s drive to compete for a championship in Class B. Having set his sights on bringing home a championship, Alberga is ready to lead by example and make his final season at SG his most memorable yet.