Udi Cohen

Classroom

Since coming to Hartford, Cohen has excelled in the classroom. He is a five-time dean’s list honoree and was named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice. Cohen also holds a 3.6 cumulative grade-point average. A marketing major, Cohen spent this past summer completing a marketing internship with the St. Louis Lions of the Premier Development League, where he was also the team’s leading goal scorer. Cohen is also a native of Tel Aviv, Israel, and came to the United States in 2012 with a minimal background in English, making his scholastic achievements all the much more impressive. “I always knew that I wanted to play soccer professionally, but the main reason I came to Hartford was to earn a valuable degree that I could combine with soccer,” Cohen said. “If everything goes right then I should be able to play somewhere after college, but I know that I’ll also have my degree in marketing for whenever my playing career is done.”

Character

Following high school, Cohen spent the next three years fulfilling his compulsory military obligation with the Israel Defense Forces. He served in an intelligence unit while also playing professionally for Beitar Tel Aviv Remla FC in Israel’s second division. Cohen credits his time in the military for helping him develop a deeper respect for other people in cultures, as well as the friendship he cultivated with Senegalese striker Omar Tall, a former teammate in Hartford. “I met so many people from so many different places when I was in Israel and it taught me so much about respect,” Cohen said. “Be good to everyone. Just be nice. Be friendly: Friendship means a lot. [Hartford head coach Tom Poitras] always joked about what the chances were of a Jew from Israel and a Muslim from Senegal becoming best friends? But we did. It’s all about respect.”

Community

Cohen has been an active member in the local Jewish community since his freshman year on campus in 2012. He is a regular at the Chabad House on the University of Hartford’s campus and also serves as the Hawks’ Athletic Department representative for Chabad. Cohen, who also participates in a class called Sinai Scholars, seeks out fellow Jewish students and student-athletes on campus and encourages them to become active in the community as well. “I found my Rabbi on the very first day of school, and I’ve been going there every weekend since then,” Cohen said. “That helped me, especially when I wasn’t playing early on, because it made it easier for me to meet and talk to people. [Religion] is so important to me because I am so far from my parents and my family, who are all still in Israel. It helps me keep that connection with them. When I was at home, Fridays were always an important night for my family. We’d have a big dinner together and then I would go to synagogue with my dad. That was special to me, and I’ve tried to keep that going.”

Competition

Cohen joined the Hawks midway through his freshman season after winning an eligibility appeal with the NCAA and immediately became a contributor for Hartford. He started five games as a freshman and 15 as a sophomore, when he earned America East All-Conference Second Team honors and was named to the Jewish Sports Review All-America Team. Cohen led the team in scoring (11 points) during his sophomore season, but a hamstring injury limited him to just five starts as a junior. This fall Cohen has returned to form and, through mid-September, leads the team with four points (goal, two assists) to date. Fully healthy, Cohen is averaging 92.6 minutes per game and has helped lead the Hawks’ attack from his center midfielder position. Hartford’s roster features 13 freshman, eight of whom have started for the Hawks this season, and Cohen’s veteran leadership has been crucial to the team’s early success.