If you’re watching Scott Messer for the first time on a soccer field, you would think that being a goaltender for a professional team is something he would be bound to do right out of college, but if you ask him, you’ve got the wrong member of the Oakland University men’s soccer team.

“If I weren’t playing soccer, I probably would be an astronaut,” Messer said. “Kyle Bethel is the one you need to look out for soon to go pro. He’s playing out of his mind right now.”

Messer, a management information systems major, considers himself to be more of a computer geek than an athlete at times.

“I’m definitely on the computer a lot when I’m not on the field,” Messer said. “I like games like ‘World of Warcraft.’ My favorite game growing up was the ‘Zelda’ series.”

Against the competition

The redshirt junior made his debut on the OU men’s team last season, appearing in seven games.  He earned his first career victory against Cincinnati last September with his first shutout coming a couple days later against Dayton in a 2-0 victory.

He went on to record three straight four-save games and eventually earned a place on the All Summit League Team in 2011.

In his first year as a starter on the team, Messer stepped up as a leader and become an anchor for a team defense that has improved from years past.

In 2012, has garnered numerous shutouts and recognition including Summit League Player of the Week this season. Messer hardly takes credit for his consistent play toward the team’s success this year.

“Our team defense, with the back four we have, really made a difference for us this year including improving our chemistry,” Messer said. “The time we spend together off the field playing Xbox and joking around with one another has really helped us grow together as unit and you see the results on the field.”

That attitude has helped hold this team together through what has been a hard earned place among the top of the Summit League.

“We pretty much all hang together all the time,” Messer said. “No one has anyone in particular that they like to hang with because we all hang amongst each other so everybody is close to the next guy.”

Past the field

Aside from being an anchor for the soccer team, he looks to be the one to keep the mood light no matter the circumstance.

“I would have to say I’m the jokester on the team, I like pranking a lot of the guys,” Messer said. “I guess that’s part of me being a weirdo.”

Assistant Coach Andy Wagstaff said in reference to Messer and his unique personality, “yeah, I think it’s agreed among the guys around the team that Scott is the weirdest of all the players, I don’t know why maybe it’s the computer games.”

What isn’t weird is his future past college.

“My dad owns a lot of pizza shops,” Messer said. “So I was maybe thinking of getting into that business or working for a big computer company like Microsoft. I love computers so I could always see myself doing that.”

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Contact Staff Intern Allen Jordan via email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aj1218