FALL RIVER — Ruben Resendes’ mind as a student-athlete at Durfee High School resembled a head coach on the sidelines.
Throughout his playing days in high school soccer, the former Hilltoppers midfielder was vocal, determined, and viewed as an extremely hard worker on the field.
“As far as soccer goes, he is at the next level,” said Resendes ‘ uncle and current Durfee boys soccer head coach Tiberio Melo. “Even on the field as a player, you see the work ethic he had was impressive. He’s a workaholic and is someone that does not stop working.”
Now the Fall River native’s hard work has paid dividends, especially now from the sidelines.
With Resendes at the helm, the Franklin Pierce men’s collegiate soccer recently claimed their first NCAA Division II National Championship title since the 2007 season, the second in the program’s history after a 2-0 win over No. 2 Colorado State University-Pueblo at Interbay Stadium in Seattle, Washington.
“It was awesome and still doesn’t feel real, to be honest,” Resendes said. “Like I tell everybody for the last, how many years as a coach, that’s the ultimate goal winning the national championship.
“In soccer, you have to get a little bit lucky and the ball has to bounce your way. I will say this year, I don’t think luck had anything to do with it. We had a really good team this year.”
The victory completed a historic 25-0-1 season — the best in school history. The Raven’s 25 wins tied them for the single-season winningest record in NCAA Division II history, a record matched by the 2015 champion Pfeiffer University (25-0-0).
“We have a staff of six coaches that care so much and live every single day of their lives for these kids,” Resendes said. “They sacrifice so much and commit so much of themselves. I’m a little biased but I do think our coaching staff gives that little bit of effort.
“It is something I had as a player as well. I wasn’t the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest. I always had to put in extra work to compete at the highest level. I think that’s something that carried over into the coaching world.”
Melo wasn’t surprised by Resendes’ success.
“His soccer IQ was out the door,” Melo said. “He’s been going up, up and up [the ladder]. Now here he is a national champion. He doesn’t stop trying to better himself every single day. He an impressive [individual].”
From student-athlete to coaching
Resendes, who received league and Herald News All-Scholastic honors, played four seasons at Durfee where he starred as a midfielder.
After high school, he played briefly for the New England Revolution academy 18U team before playing Division II soccer at Southern New Hampshire University, where he earned NE10 Rookie of the Year in 2009. Resendes followed up with three straight All-NE10 selections in his sophomore through senior seasons, including first-team nods in 2011 and 2012.
During his career, the Penmen qualified for the NCAA Championship in all four seasons and advanced to the national quarterfinal on three occasions. Resendes went on to play one season professionally in Iceland’s top division with UMF Tindastoll.
Before becoming head coach of Franklin Pierce, he spent two seasons at Dean College, where he guided the Bulldogs through their final season at the junior college level in 2015 and into their first year at the Division III level in 2016. He was named Coach of the Year that season.
At Dean, Resendes posted a 33-3-0 record over 36 games, which included an undefeated regular season in 2015. While coaching at Dean, he worked full-time for the New England Revolution academy as an academy coach and scout.
Afterward, Resendes spent the last two seasons as the top assistant coach at Division I University of Vermont. The Catamounts captured the America East Conference regular-season title in 2017.
Resendes picked up collegiate coaching experience as an assistant at his alma mater, SNHU (2014), as well as Division III Emmanuel College (2013), where he was the associate head coach. He also served as the director of coaching and youth development for Blackwatch Burlington Premier Soccer Club in 2017 and 2018.
Toughness starts with family
Resendes, who resides in Swansea, said another thing to do with his coaching prowess comes from his mother, who works at the family-owned at Holiday Bakery in New Bedford.
“[My mother] is a real work workaholic,” he said. “She is obsessed with her job and her work, whether it is weekends, holidays, and nights. That’s maybe it is the hard work and determination that stems from that.”
On Wednesday, Resendes is beginning a new chapter in his life. He was named head coach for Division I men’s soccer team Bryant University after coaching at Franklin Pierce for four years.
Winning a national championship at the collegiate level has been a thrill for Resendes.
“We’ve been chipping away at this for the last four years,” he said. “To finally see it happen, even as a player, that’s something I have always dreamt about as a kid. To finally get over the hump is pretty special. It has been an awesome ride.”
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
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