Dominic Samuel (Canadian soccer)

Dominic Samuel
Dominic Samuel sitting on the pitch being attended by medical staff
Samuel with Forge FC in 2021
Personal information
Full name Dominic Edmund Samuel
Date of birth (1994-09-29) September 29, 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Right-back, Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Forge FC
Number 4
Youth career
2004–2008 East York SC
2008–2012 Sigma FC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Southern New Hampshire Penmen 87 (15)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Seacoast United Phantoms 6 (0)
2015 Sigma FC (2)
2016 Rochester Rhinos 26 (0)
2017–2018 Sigma FC 33 (3)
2019– Forge FC 115 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 22, 2024

Dominic Edmund Samuel (born September 29, 1994) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a defender.

Early life

He began playing youth soccer with East York SC.[1] Afterwards, he joined Sigma FC.[2]

College career

In 2012, he began attending Southern New Hampshire University, where he played for the men's soccer team.[1] He scored his first collegiate goal on September 26, 2012, against the Saint Michael's Purple Knights.[3] After his freshman season, he was named to the Northeast-10 Second Team and All-Rookie Team, as well as being a Daktronics Second Team All-Region.[1] After his sophomore season, he was a NSCAA Second Team All-America selection, NSCAA First Team All-Region and Daktronics Second Team All-Region, Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference, and was named to the Northeast-10 and NCAA All-Championship teams.[1] In 2014, he was a Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference Team and Northeast-10 All-Championship Team selection and was named to Daktronics Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America Second Team.[1] As a senior he was an NSCAA First-Team All-American,[4] CCA First-Team All-American,[5] CCA All-East Region First Team,[6] and Northeast-10 Defender of the Year.[7]

Club career

In 2014, he played with the Seacoast United Phantoms in the Premier Development League.[8]

In 2015, he played in League1 Ontario with Sigma FC. He was named the league Defender of the Year that season,[9][10] as well as being named a league First-Team All-Star.[11]

After college, Samuel trialed with Major League Soccer club New England Revolution, but ultimately did not sign with the club[12][13] He instead joined the Rochester Rhinos in the American second-tier United Soccer League.[14][15]

In 2017, he returned to Sigma FC, playing with them for two seasons.[16][17] In 2018, he was named the league Defender of the Year for the second time,[18] as well as a First-Team All-Star.[19] Over his two seasons, he scored three goals in 33 regular season appearances.[20] While with Sigma, Samuel worked 10 hour weekday shifts in a lumberyard, before heading to trainings, and five hour shifts on weekend gamedays.[21] In 2020, he was named to the All-Time League1 Ontario Best XI.[22]

In February 2019, Samuel signed with Canadian Premier League side Forge FC.[23] In February 2021, the club picked up his club option for the 2021 season.[24][25] He led the team in blocks and aerial duels won in 2021.[26] In January 2022, he re-signed with the club on a new multi-year contract.[27][28] In October 2023, Samuel helped Forge win their fourth league title, following a 2–1 win over Cavalry FC in the play-off final.[29] After the 2024 season, he departed the club.[30]

International career

In April 2011, Samuel attended his first Canada national team camp with the under-17 team.[31]

Career statistics

As of November 9, 2024[32]
Club Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Seacoast United Phantoms 2014 PDL 6 0 ? 0 — — — 6 0
Sigma FC 2015 League1 Ontario ? 2 — — 3 0 — 3+ 2
Rochester Rhinos 2016 USL 26 0 2 0 1 0 — — 29 0
Sigma FC 2017[16] League1 Ontario 17 2 — — 1 0 — 18 2
2018[17] 16 1 1 0 — 3 0 — 20 1
Total 33 3 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 38 3
Forge FC 2019 Canadian Premier League 25 0 1 0 2 0 — 4 0 32 0
2020 9 0 1 0 — — 4 0 14 0
2021 26 0 2 0 2 0 — 7 0 37 0
2022 18 0 3 0 1 0 — 2 0 24 0
2023 19 0 2 0 3 0 — — 24 0
2024 18 0 3 0 5 0 — 2 0 28 0
Total 115 0 12 0 13 0 0 0 19 0 159 0
Career total 180 5 15 0 14 0 7 0 19 0 235 5

Honours

Club

Forge FC

Individual

  • League1 Ontario Defender of the Year: 2015, 2018
  • League1 Ontario First-Team All-Star: 2015, 2018

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Dominic Samuel Southern New Hampshire profile". Southern New Hampshire Penmen.
  2. ^ "Forge FC re-signs defender Dominic Samuel to multi-year deal". Canadian Premier League. January 13, 2022.
  3. ^ "No. 15 Men's Soccer Blanks Saint Michael's 2-0". Southern New Hampshire Penmen. September 26, 2012.
  4. ^ "Five From Men's Soccer Honored by NSCAA". Southern New Hampshire Penmen. December 10, 2015.
  5. ^ "Samuel, Zucco, Tergo Capture CCA All-America Honors". Southern New Hampshire Penmen. December 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "Men's Soccer Quartet Garners CCA All-East Region First Team Honors". Southern New Hampshire Penmen. November 30, 2015.
  7. ^ "SNHU Men's Soccer - Penmen In The Pros". Southern New Hampshire Penmen. May 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "Eight PDL Players Earn DII First Team All-America". Premier Development League. December 6, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017.
  9. ^ "2015 Defenders Of The Year". League1 Ontario. November 23, 2015.
  10. ^ "League1 Ontario Awards - Defenders Of The Year". Ontario Soccer Association. November 25, 2015.
  11. ^ "2015 League1 Ontario Men's All-Stars". League1 Ontario. November 17, 2015.
  12. ^ Lemieux, Jeff (January 27, 2016). "Preseason News & Notes: Trio of fresh faces join Revolution camp in Casa Grande". New England Revolution.
  13. ^ Jacques, John (February 5, 2022). "Samuel Keen To Keep Growing With Forge: 'I Deserve To Be Here'". Northern Tribune.
  14. ^ "League1 Ontario 2015 Defender Of The Year Samuel Signs With Rochester Rhinos". League1 Ontario. March 27, 2016.
  15. ^ "Samuel, Doublette Sign Professional Contracts to Play in USL". Southern New Hampshire Penmen. April 12, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Dominic Samuel 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  17. ^ a b "Dominic Samuel 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  18. ^ "Samuel And Simpson Win 2018 Defender Of The Year Awards". League1 Ontario. November 23, 2018.
  19. ^ "Top 2018 Performers Recognized At Year-End Awards Gala". League1 Ontario. November 26, 2018.
  20. ^ Urciuoli, Anthony (February 25, 2019). "Forge FC coach brings former Sigma FC players to Hamilton". Global News.
  21. ^ Thompson, Marty (March 15, 2021). "Dominic Samuel's 'exhausting' story of lumberyards & L1O". League1 Ontario.
  22. ^ Thompson, Marty (May 27, 2020). "Reviewing L1O Men's All-Time Best XI". League1 Ontario.
  23. ^ "Forge FC Signs Goalkeeper Triston Henry and Defender Dominic Samuel". Our Sports Central. February 25, 2019.
  24. ^ "Canadians Kwame Awuah, Dominic Samuel return to Forge FC for 2021". Sportsnet. February 2, 2021.
  25. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (February 2, 2021). "Forge FC bringing back Canadian defenders Awuah and Samuel". Canadian Premier League.
  26. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (December 8, 2021). "CPL50 – 50. Dominic Samuel (Forge FC)". Canadian Premier League.
  27. ^ Jacques, John (January 13, 2022). "Forge FC Re-Signs Dominic Samuel". Northern Tribune.
  28. ^ Urciuoli, Anthony (January 13, 2022). "Forge FC bring defender Dominic Samuel back to Hamilton". In The Hammer.
  29. ^ Tierney, Mitchell (October 28, 2023). "Highlights + Analysis: Forge wins 2023 North Star Cup, defeating Cavalry to lift fourth playoff crown (Oct. 28, 2023)". OneSoccer. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  30. ^ Jacques, John (December 16, 2024). "Forge Original Dominic Samuel Departs". Northern Tribune.
  31. ^ Dominic Samuel at the Canadian Soccer Association
  32. ^ Dominic Samuel at Soccerway