Ecker to reunite with Vaz at Eastern Illinois University
After two seasons as an integral member of the Cowley College men’s soccer team and another season as a volunteer assistant, Andre Ecker will be reunited with his former head coach, Ruy Vaz, as he recently signed a letter of intent to play soccer at NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois University.
During Ecker's two seasons as a player at Cowley, he helped the Tigers win 32 games and capture a pair of district titles, advancing to the national tournament each season and finishing as the national runner-up in 2024.
He was a Second Team all-conference and all-region selection as a freshman and served as a co-captain and leader for the team as a sophomore. The Liberal Arts major was named the September 2024 Male Athlete of the Month
He remained at Cowley as a volunteer assistant under first-year head coach Marcos Ribeiro in 2025. He helped guide the squad to a 16-2-1 record, conference and district titles, and an appearance in the national tournament semifinals.
"Andre was a great example of what it means to be a student-athlete; he was outstanding on and off the field, a true leader in our program," Ribeiro said. "I am very happy for him, and I am sure he will do amazing at EIU. Ruy is very happy with his addition because he knows that he is getting not just an amazing player but also an incredible human being."
Vaz enters his second season as head coach at Eastern Illinois after winning 110 games as head coach at Cowley.