Daily Journal Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year: Serra’s Nate Coughlin

Anyone on the soccer field can score a goal, but not everyone on the soccer field is a goal scorer. So while Coughlin acknowledges he just tries to make the right play, more often than not, what was required was for him to put the Padres on his shoulders.

Coughlin’s 22 goals in 21 games led the county and was third in the Central Coast Section of those schools who posted their statistics at MaxPreps.com. He was named WCAL Forward of the Year as he helped Serra to a second-place finish in league play and a spot in the CCS playoffs.

Additionally, he led the team in assists, finishing with seven and he now caps his postseason honors being named the San Mateo Daily Journal’s Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year.

“His season was pretty fantastic,” said Serra head coach Mike Keller.

“I tried not to set too many expectations. That can hurt you sometimes,” Coughlin said. “I just went into every game trying to do the best I could do.

“I can’t be disappointed with how the season went. … I don’t think people expected us to to do as well as we did.”

A blend of power and speed, Coughlin thrived on the flanks for Serra. Head coach Mike Keller would move him around on the attack, switching sides and even moving Coughlin into the middle.

He was willing to do what it took to help the team win and was more than willing to be target forward. But his preferred spot was on the wing, which enabled him to drop deeper into the midfield to receive passes and then drive the sideline, taking on defenders, beating them off the dribble and then attacking the goal or looking to make a pass to set someone else up.

“He played both (attacking) positions for us pretty consistently. He’s very versatile,” Keller said. “He played wide, he dominated 1-v-1.”

Adding to his value is the fact Coughlin is adept with either foot, which enabled him to play on both flanks and be multidimensional.

“There are a lot of players who work (on only one foot) for a while, but people will understand you can only go one way,” Coughlin said. “I’m naturally right footed, but I’ve worked on my left foot a lot. It’s not a disability to use my left foot. … That’s something I’ve tried to work on — being multifaceted. Going at people with both feet.”

Which speaks to the nature of Coughlin’s determination to becoming the best player he can be. He played all the usual sports growing up — he even played volleyball his freshman year at Serra. But it was after his freshman year that he really decided he wanted to put in the effort to see how far he could in soccer.

“I switched to a bigger club and that’s when I realized there are real developmental levels to the game. That’s when I made the decision I want to fulfill whatever my potential is,” Coughlin said. “I lift (weights) in the morning before school. Get touches on the ball before practice. It’s more about just trying to get something (soccer specific) in every day.”

It’s that kind of work ethic that led to Coughlin earning a soccer scholarship to Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.

“Nate shows the blueprint of a high school guy who did a ton of work on himself and his game,” Keller said. “Between each season he always improved — a lot. Every year, he came back a better player.”

But it was also necessary for Serra to find as much success as it did. Coughlin showed a knack for scoring when he made the varsity squad his sophomore year, scoring nine goals in 16 games. Last season, he scored 17 goals in 16 games. This season, his 22 goals equalled the amount the rest of the Padres scored as a team.

“It was a little bit that way last year, so I got a little bit accustomed to it (being the main scorer). It’s a tough situation. I’m not the only person on the field. My job was to make whatever the best decision to make in the moment. I didn’t not make a pass because I thought I had to score,” Coughlin said.

But knowing that you’re the team’s main scoring threat adds a certain amount of expectations and pressures and Coughlin welcomes those because he has the right mindset to deal with those.

“It’s not really about the outcome. Whether I score or not, doesn’t mean my game was a failure. I can’t make it happen every time,” Coughlin said. “A lot of it is more mental. Knowing that I’m in a forward position to attack, I’m supposed to go to goal. It’s not going to be successful 100% percent of the time. It’s about being confident. … I’m going to try to make things happen.”

It was also important for Coughlin to make things happen at Serra. When Coughlin switched clubs after his freshman year, he didn’t look to play at the highest level, because that would have prevented him from playing for the Padres. In the end, Coughlin got everything he was looking for: he played at a fairly high level for club, he played for his high school team and he earned a college scholarship.

“I really liked high school soccer. It was so fun. So many great memories,” Coughlin said. “(Was the club I played for) probably a little lower level? Yeah, probably. … But if I had the opportunity to play club or high school — I’m going to play high school.

“High school definitely did mean something to me. … It’s almost like representing your country.”