Andre Shinyashiki

Classroom

Andre Shinyashiki holds a 3.63 GPA in marketing at the University of Denver. He helped lead the Pioneers to the top grade-point average in the country in back-to-back years (2015-16, 2016-17) He is a two-time member of both the Hornbeck Scholars and dean’s list for undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 grade-point average while taking at least 15 credit hours, and he is a three-time member of the Summit League Honor Roll. He also has earned a spot on the Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence.

Character

“Andre is one of the most unselfish guys I know. He never asks anyone to do something that he’s not willing to do himself—that’s academically, in the community and on the field. He understands as a leader of this team that it’s his job to build people up, and it’s his job to hold everyone to the standards and expectations of the program. Most importantly, I’ve watched him grow over his four years in his ability to motivate and to support people. He’s increased his self-awareness and his growth mindset. He’s never satisfied with where he is at, and no matter how good or bad he plays, he is still hyper-critical of himself, but not to a fault. He’s also found a good balance of understanding that growth also comes from the ability to be kind to yourself, too.” – Head Coach Jamie Franks

Community

Along with his team, Shinyashiki is a two-time winner of the Gold Vest, which is awarded to the most well-rounded program at the University of Denver, taking into account community service, academic excellence, performance on the field and support of the other student-athletes. He has participated in the following community service events and projects: visits to the children’s hospital; serving at the Denver Rescue Mission; participating in the Grant Ranch Elementary School reading program; working with the Clothes to Kids program; helping with Top Soccer (helping kids with special needs and disabled soccer players); assisting with a field day at a local elementary school; and taking part in the initial adoption of Team IMPACT Teammate Ben Brewer.

Competition

Shinyashiki owns Denver’s DI career records for goals (28), game-winning goals (11) and points (68). As of nomination time, he was first in the country in game-winning goals with three in three matches, including an overtime winner against No. 3 Washington. He also was third in the country in total goals with five after netting his first career hat trick in Denver’s season-opening win at Monmouth, earning College Soccer News National Player of the Week for his performance. The 9:04 between the first and third goals of his hat trick was the 15th-fastest time between three goals by the same player in NCAA history.

In 2016, he led the Pioneers with 23 points on nine goals and five assists in a campaign that saw Denver reach its first-ever College Cup, scoring five game-winning goals that season. He was awarded the 2017 Summit League Offensive Player of the Year last season, and the 2015 Summit League Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. He scored nine goals in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

Through the first 10 matches of the 2018 season, Shinyashiki leads the country in goals (19), game-winning goals (7) and points (40), scoring eight more goals than the next closest player in the country heading into October. Entering the second full month of the regular season, Shinyashiki has scored more goals than all but 23 of the 205 NCAA Division I programs in the country. The Denver captain scored Denver’s last 10 September goals in three matches of a five-game winning streak. Shinyashiki has led the Pioneers to an 8-0-2 record to start the season, the Pioneers third 8-0-2 start in the first 10 matches in the last four years. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native has four hat tricks this season, including a Denver single-game record four goals in Denver’s 4-3 win over conference rival Omaha. His first three goals in the Omaha match came 3:51 apart, the eighth fastest three-consecutive goals by the same player in NCAA Division I history. Earlier this season, Shinyashiki had a hat trick against Monmouth in the season opener, scoring those goals 9:04 apart, the 16th-fastest time in NCAA history. Denver’s striker has the program’s Division I career and single-season records in goals, game-winning goals and points.

Shinyashiki has earned a plethora of national awards in the first month and a half of the 2018 campaign, including United Soccer Coaches’ National Player of the Week twice, College Soccer News National Player of the Week twice and Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week once.