College Bound Athlete - Aiden Crean

Glastonbury High School boys soccer coach Chris Vozzolo described senior standout Aiden Crean as a “great decision maker” and a “leader by example.”

Soon after his senior season ended, Crean made a decision on his future and will be setting an example on the soccer fields at his next destination in Rhode Island.

“I’m excited to announce my commitment to Salve Regina to continue my academic and athletic career,” Crean announced earlier this year. “Thank you to everyone that has helped me in this process.”

Crean was raised in a family that primarily played baseball, and he too dabbled in baseball, before discovering that his passion was on the pitch.

After playing town soccer as a toddler and excelling at club soccer for Oakwood, Crean continued to thrive at the high school level.

“Soccer is a part of my identity,” stated Crean, who also played Connecticut Football Club (CFC) soccer in the winter and spring, “I revolve my weekly schedule around it and it takes up 10-11 months out of the year, but I love the sport. I’ve made so many connections through soccer.”

This past fall, he earned all-conference and was captain for a Guardians team that lost only once in the regular season and finished with the fourth-best record in Class LL.

Crean noted that it’s the candid moments that he shared with his teammates at GHS that he will miss the most, also crediting both of his head coaches for making his time at the school an enjoyable one. 

For his first two years, Crean played under longtime coach Mark Landers before Vozzolo took over prior to his junior year. 

“I liked helping create a new identity for the program,” said Crean, who solidify the backline for the Guardians defense that shutout ten teams this past season.  

Vozzolo said that Crean was the ideal general on the defense end.  
 
“Aiden was a huge part of controlling the final third of the field on that end,” stated Vozzolo. “He is an extremely good tackler on the ball and an extremely good communicator.” 

Outside of athletics, Crean volunteered for Unified Sports for multiple years at GHS and was part of the Big Siblings program during his junior and senior years.  

When searching for a college, Crean said it was important to find a place that allowed him to blend school work and with his dedication to soccer.

“Salve was a really attractive school because of that balance and because of location,” Crean said of the school in Newport. 
He will be joining a Seahawks team guided by longtime coach Craig O'Rourke II, who has led the program to a pair of conference titles, most recently in 2019.

On Monday, Crean was one of 468 graduates at GHS.

He now turns his attention to challenges beyond his home town.   

​“I’m excited for the change,” said Crean, who was born and raised in Glastonbury. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people and continue playing soccer against players at the college level.”