UNCW’s Shannon leaving it all out on the pitch
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — One member of the UNCW men’s soccer team has played every game like it’s his last because it will be in the near future.
Senior Jake Shannon started for the team on day one as a freshman. His 6,129 career minutes played ranks fourth in program history, having only missed a single minute of game action across 68 contests after breaking a contact lens.
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His dedication to the team is reflected back at their captain.
“I take pride in it,” Shannon said. “I’m really grateful that I have all the coaching staff’s trust. I’m really thankful that the guys trust me to be in that position. I try and give it my 100-percent every game.”
Shannon is also the only Seahawk to have played every single minute this season. He makes sure to keep his body rested whenever possible as he doesn’t get the chance to do so during games.
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“That kind of is hard because the college season, it’s go, go, go,” Shannon said. “You play every Tuesday and then every Saturday. In terms of that, it’s trying to do other things off the field to boost your recovery. We have really nice facilities we can do ice baths, hot tubs, eating right, getting your sleep, all that stuff to try and make sure you can be the best on the field.”
2025 also marks Head Coach Aidan Heaney’s 25th season leading the program. He’s seen many players come and go, but recognizes just how much Shannon stands out from most others.
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“He’s been Mr. Consistency, Mr. Resilient,” Heaney said. “The amount of minutes he’s played and he’s stayed injury-free as well even though he’s a center back and a defender, which is quite a physical position. He’s been with us and stayed healthy and been consistently good. Been tremendously pleased with his development with us over the four years.”
UNCW begins CAA tournament play on Thursday at Campbell. Shannon hopes to go out on top and lead the Seahawks to their first NCAA tournament berth since 2018.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
“Every time that I step on this field, I know I have all the fans, all the alumni’s support,” Shannon said. “My family’s support, all the coaches. I’ve felt that from the first minute that I’ve been on campus and that I’ve been a part of this program. Trying to get a championship for the program, I’d really like to be remembered by that. To finally win a championship my senior year.”
Shannon was named the CAA co-defender of the year as well as a first team all-conference selection on Wednesday.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
