When Matt Eliason ’11, the all-time leading scorer for Northwestern men’s soccer, buried a bicycle kick during a July 2013 charity match with soccer star Lionel Messi, the highlight earned the No. 1 spot on SportsCenter’s “Top 10 Plays” and changed the trajectory of his life. Inspired by the goal, Eliason, who had been working as an analyst for GE Capital, rekindled his professional soccer career, earning a spot on Thróttur Reykjavík FC, a club in Iceland. His stint with the team was short-lived due to injury, and Eliason now lives in Chicago, working as a senior associate at TRC Advisory. His journey was chronicled in the documentary Messi & Me. Northwestern men’s soccer coach Tim Lenahan executive produced the film, and the crew included executive producer Gregg Latterman ’96 MBA, director Renny Maslow ’96 and producer Jake Abraham ’96. Messi & Me has screened at film festivals in New York, Los Angeles and Napa Valley, as well as Barcelona, Spain, and will be available through streaming outlets this spring.
Family Ties
Veronica Burton is a leader of the women’s basketball team’s vaunted “blizzard” defense. The two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year averaged better than four steals per game this season, tops in the nation. It’s something special for Burton to play the sport she loves for the University that has been home to her family for generations.
Reader Responses
This is so awesome. Can't wait to watch. Congrats, Matt!
—Arturo Menchaca ’06 Chicago, via Northwestern Magazine
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