To say that the Flint City Bucks had some offensive firepower last summer is an understatement. Look no further than the men’s NCAA soccer season for proof – two of the top five goal scorers in the country this season played at Atwood Stadium over the summer.
Donavan Phillip had a record-setting season as a Buck. That success propelled him to new heights during his college season at North Carolina State University.
Phillip, a junior, led No. 15 NC State in goals this season with 15. NC State opens the NCAA Tournament on November 23 against the winner of the Marshall and Cleveland State game.
He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-ACC First Team. That was an encore to his summer in Flint, in which he had 12 goals and nine assists, won the USL League Two Golden Boot award, and was named the USL League Two Player of the Year.
Phillip has already been drafted by the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, and in an interview with Flint. Daily. in August, he said he was hoping to have a successful college season that would prepare him to go pro. He also credited the environment with the Bucks for preparing him to take the next step in his career.
“The experience (in Flint), it was great,” Phillip said. “You know, the support staff and all that, they take really great care of you. They’re very professional because that’s what they’re trying to do, they’re trying to give you the experience of what it will be like to play for a professional club and they do that really well. We had a really good year and I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.”
Phillip wasn’t the only Bucks alum to collect impressive accolades this season. Palmer Ault, who played two seasons in Flint, had 16 goals and 10 assists for No. 6 Indiana University. His 16 goals tied him for first in the entire NCAA in scoring. Ault was named Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-Big 10 First Team for his efforts.
Ault, a senior, was a stabilizing force in the Indiana lineup all season.
“As well as volume, Ault has also modeled versatility and consistency,” the Indiana Athletic Department wrote in a news release. “Ault has scored with his right foot, left foot, inside of the foot, in the air and has assisted from open play as well as from three different kinds of set pieces: corner kick, free kick and throw-in. Over 18 matches, Ault has not played consecutive matches without producing a goal or assist.”
The Hoosiers are also in the NCAA Tournament. They’ll face the winner of Saint Louis and Kentucky on November 23.
Phillip and Ault aren’t the only Bucks who will play in the tournament. No. 14 Akron also received a first round bye and faces the winner of Michigan and Notre Dame on November 23.
Four Bucks players are on the Zips’ roster. The team finished its season 11-4-3 and includes Matt Dreas, who was named to the All-Big East Second Team, Ashton Kamdem, who made the All-Big East Third Team, and Jack Roman, who had five goals and five assists on the season. That trio played for the Bucks this past season, and goalkeeper Mitch Budler, who played in Flint in 2024, had 11 shutouts and won Big East Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Two other Bucks players will play in the first round of the tournament. Wes Carnevale, who had six goals and two assists for Cornell this season and was named All-Ivy League First Team, leads the team against Lafayette on November 20.
Schinieder Mimy, who had a goal and four assists for UCLA this season, will play for the Bruins against Grand Canyon on November 20.
The full NCAA Tournament bracket is available online to check out when former Bucks play and what round they might match up against each other.
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