We are still a few months away from the Flint City Bucks season starting, but thanks to the exploits of several former players, the club has stayed in the news throughout the offseason.
Donavan “Gusto” Phillip, who had a record-setting season with the Bucks last summer, won the 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the top player in NCAA Division I soccer each year, on January 9. The trophy is college soccer’s oldest and most prestigious award, equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in college football or the Naismith Player of the Year award in college basketball.
Phillip’s college season at NC State, in which he led the Wolfpack to the NCAA title game and scored 19 goals, follows up an impressive season in Flint. Phillip won the USL League 2’s Golden Boot Award, scoring 12 regular season goals and five more in the playoffs while leading the club to the Central Conference title.
“I couldn’t be more pleased that Gusto received this award,” said Bucks coach Paul Doroh in a news release. “I’m also very proud of the hard work he has put in to become the player he is. He has earned it. It’s rewarding to have a chance to work with a player like Gusto. He’s a
phenomenal talent and person and I’m happy that the Flint City Bucks were able to be part of this incredible journey. We wish him every success in the future.”
That immediate future includes moving on to the professional ranks. Phillip, a native of St. Lucia, announced on his social media on January 12 that he’s foregoing his remaining college eligibility and turning pro.
“Thank you for your incredible support throughout the season and throughout my time here at NC State,” Phillip wrote. “Wearing the NC State jersey has been an absolute honor and I am forever grateful for this program, university, and the people I met along the way who made it feel like home. To our fans, thank you for your constant support, energy, and belief in our team throughout the season, we couldn’t have gotten to where we did without you guys. To the coaches, support staff, and administration behind the scenes, thank you for the guidance and care that helped shape me both as a player and person. After much thought and prayer, I’ve decided not to use my final year of eligibility and will instead pursue a professional career. NC State will always be home and I’ll forever be proud to be part of the Wolfpack.”
Phillip has already been drafted by Major League Soccer, being selected 62nd overall by the Colorado Rapids in 2025. He’s the second consecutive Flint City Bucks alumnus to win the Mac Hermann award as Michael Adedokun won it in 2024 after a standout season at Ohio State.
Another dynamic Bucks goal scorer from the recent past, Malik Henry, also earned an impressive honor this month. Henry, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, which if Flint’s sister city, earned his first senior national team call-up. He will be a part of Team Canada’s January training camp.
Henry played for the Bucks in 2023 and 2024 and was a crowd favorite because of his elite speed, which put constant pressure on opposing defenses.
After concluding his college career at Akron, Henry joined the professional ranks in Major League Soccer, playing for Toronto FC. Henry, a midfielder, played 109 minutes and recorded one assist in nine games for Toronto last season.
Among other offseason accomplishments for former Bucks players, eight were part of college teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament and two were selected in the 2026 MLS Draft.
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