Matt Eby was named to the second team, All-CAC for the third straight years. Over the 2006 season, Eby scored six of the nine team goals. He was also recognized as the October Athlete of the Month by Gallaudet Athletics. Eby ended his soccer career with 21 goals scored, and was considered to be one of the top defenders within the Capital Athletic Conference. The Lancaster, PA native contributed the winning goal in 2006 over Southern Virginia University in an away match. In April 2007, Eby earned top honors as the Gallaudet Male Athlete of the Year. He will continue to help lead the Bison over his service as assistant coach to head coach Larry Musa for the 2007 season.
Issue: June 21, 2007 By Sports Information Director Oscar Ocuto
Meet the 2007 Male Student-Athlete of the Year– Matt Eby
When you want a definition of hard work, Matt Eby is most likely your go-to answer. The Pennsylvania native was born and raised in Lancaster, Pa. and played four years of high school soccer and basketball. As a starting junior guard, the Lancaster Mennonite Blazers went to the Pennsylvania State Final Four and posted a 21-10 season. Blazer soccer proved fruitful as well, garnering 20+ wins and a State Final Four trip with Matt as a defender. During his senior year, Blazer basketball went 21-5 and soccer amassed a healthy 20-4-4 record.
Matt brought his lifelong passions for soccer and basketball to Kendall Green when he enrolled at Gallaudet in the fall of 2003. Gallaudet is a home of sorts for him; he met Kim Erickson (now Eby), his wife, and they have a 5-month-old son, Trenton. Matt also continued his excellence on the soccer pitch, scoring 21 goals as a defender over 4 years, in addition to being named to the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) All-Conference 2nd team for three years in a row. In his final season, Matt had a game-winning goal against Southern Virginia to help notch another victory for the Bison soccer team under Coach Luis Gendive.
The 6’2 Gallaudetian is also continuing to prove his mettle as a hoopster on the hardwood, playing in his third year for Coach James DeStefano and the Bison Men’s Basketball team. When asked about his most memorable basketball moment to date, Matt’s eyes lit up and a smile crossed his lips as he recounted the buzzer-beater half-court shot he made in the closing seconds of a game against CAC newcomer Hood College. “We were down the whole game, and my shot won it by three in the last seconds. It also was my best game where I scored 17 points,” he said, the proud smile still etched on his face.
That same boyish smile crossed his face when he talked about the day he became a father. “It was hard seeing Kim go through so much labor—I was surprised, because we had been thinking it might be a girl. We didn’t know the gender, and it was a nice surprise after all. The whole experience touched my heart.”
Hard work defines Matt Eby, because he has not let up in sports, or in life. Not only does he play soccer and basketball, he also is a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, works as a weekend Staff Residential Assistant for Campus Life, and balances school as well as family life. Matt plans to graduate with a major in Physical Education and have a 3.0 GPA or better to go with the degree.
When speaking about family life, Matt mentioned a role model: “My middle brother, James—because he was always helping me out growing up, coming to my soccer games and interpreting for me.”
This father, student, and athlete is a man of few words, one who leads by action and example, on and off the playing venues. He plans to continue playing for the Bison hoopsters, since he redshirted one year due to an injury prior to competing on the national soccer team for the 2005 Deaflympics. His goal for basketball? “To have a .500 season, and go to the CAC championships!”
