DENVER – Metropolitan State University of Denver prides itself on its diversity, which includes a student body whose individuals come from virtually every background and experience.
 
The MSU Denver men's soccer team has taken that point of pride and has extrapolated it to an exemplary extreme.
 
The Roadrunners' 24-player roster includes seven international players. Another spent several years living outside the United State. And even though there are players from seven different countries (including the U.S.) and nine different languages that are spoken by members of the team, everyone speaks the same language when it comes to common goals.
 
"I love it," said forward Jacob Coking (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton), who is almost a local since he hails from Chandler, Ariz. "It's the first time I've experienced such a diverse group of people, and I honestly think it brings us closer together.
 
"You learn about other guys and what they've gone through in their lives, and how they've ended up in the same place that I have. It's really cool to, not even compare our lives, but to get a deeper look into what they've done in theirs."
 
Midfielder and team co-captain Yannick Schad (Munich, Germany/Theodolinden-Gymnasium) as well as defender Benjamin Brill (Bruchmuhlbach-Miesau, Germany/Staatliches Heinrich-Heine Gymnasium Kaiserslauter), are from Germany. Midfielder Bryan Amouyal (Ashdod, Israel/Mekif Tet) is from Israel. Midfielder Gianni Steijlen (Eindhoven, The Netherlands/Summa College) is from The Netherlands. Defender Todd Gibbs (Auckland, New Zealand/Rosmini College) is from New Zealand. Forward Vinicius Krusser (Florianopolis, Brazil) is from Brazil. And goalkeeper Alessandro Gentile (Milan, Italy/Scuola Europa) hails from Italy.

What's more, Jaime Gutierrez (Aurora, Colo./Aurora West College Prep Academy) spent part of his youth living in Mexico, and Niels Kool (Las Vegas, Nev./Rock de Leijgraaf) went to high school in The Netherlands. There are at least a half-dozen players who speak Spanish -- Coking is trying to add the language himself.
 
"I love learning everyone's languages," Coking said.

Most of the international players have major roles for a Roadrunners team that is 7-7 overall and is fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a 6-4 record for 18 points.
 
Bouncing back from a heart-breaking overtime loss to NCAA Division II No. 9 Colorado School of Mines, the Roadrunners hit the road for games Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Regis (8-3-2, 7-1-2 and third) and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (6-4-3, 5-3-2 and sixth).
 
The Roadrunners are excited about the opportunity. And their international players, as always, will play important parts.
 
Some had already been with the program, but others, like Steijlen, are new. But everyone seems to be near the top of his game now, as MSU Denver won four straight games before the near-miss loss to Mines.
 
"Everything is different (in United States college soccer)," Steijlen said. "Back home we have a long season, with only one game on the weekend. Here it's two games in a weekend and a lot of practices in between. So for my body, it was a big adjustment. But now I've been here for a while, and I'm starting to get used to it."
 
MSU Denver strives to be the model urban university of opportunity, diversity, excellence and transformation. The institution has 124 international students, for 0.6 percent of the student body. For the men's soccer program, the seven international students account for 29.2 percent.
 
MSU Denver coach Jeremy Tittle likes the chemistry and cohesiveness that has come along with the international influence to his roster as well as the opportunity for players to have more of a real-world experience in an increasingly globally interconnected workforce.
 
He said that, in general, the players find their way to his program through any number of avenues.
 
"Just like domestic guys, they come from all walks of life, all different ways of coming here," Tittle said. "Sometimes they know somebody. Sometimes they initiate contact. Sometimes it's a friend of a friend of a friend. There are services out there helping these guys get to the U.S., and we have contact with some of those services, too. Word of mouth is always good, too."
 
That was the case for players like Amouyal, whose friend joined a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference program, or Steijlen, who has friends playing Division I soccer at the University of the Pacific.
 
"I really like the diversity over here, because you can learn from each person," Amouyal said. "You learn about his culture, how he behaves, what he likes. But eventually everyone is a human being and loves the same things.
 
"We have a real connection, a real team bond. We're really strong as human beings. It doesn't matter if you are from Germany or Brazil, you can learn from everyone, what he brings as a person and as a player. I like the combination and the diversity."
 
Schad said the players have welcomed the opportunity to blend their experiences.
 
"Everyone is coming from a different background and has a different culture," he said. "And I think the diversity is good. Everyone brings even his own style of soccer to the program, and even off the field brings his own individual personality. It's a good thing."
 
Schad, for instance, rooms with Arizona's Coking, New Zealand's Gibbs, and forward Jaydon Moreschini (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) of Pueblo, Colo.
 
"Yannick is one of my best friends," Coking said. "We've grown up in different cultures, and to be as close as we are is amazing. Todd (new to the program this season), I had no idea what he would be like, and he's turned out to be such a great guy.
 
"Each of these guys adds their own importance to the team. It's cool to see how everyone has come together."
 
Steijlen said his friends at Pacific directed him to the United States to recapture his love of the game.
 
"In my home country, I lost the satisfaction of the game, enjoying the game," Steijlen said. "I don't know why, but that's how it went. So I asked them how they did it. They told me to see what my chances are. So I made a clip with some highlights and I sent it around."
 
Schad said that even though they are international players, he and his teammates have grown to love Denver, even if they do miss some things back home.
 
"I miss my family, friends – even though I've made great friends here – maybe some food places," Schad said. "But when I'm in Germany for three months, sometimes I miss food places from here, too."
 
What does Steijlen miss most?
 
"I should say my mom and dad, right?" he said, laughing. "Other than that I don't miss anything. I'm feeling good here."