BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – As Vermont Green continues its quest for a league crown, they’re powered in part by a pair of players here for their third summers: Zach Zengue and Moussa Ndiaye.
“I just remember being so excited and having this feeling in my stomach that it was going to be the best summer ever, and it ended up being the best summer ever. Every summer I come back and I don’t think it can beat the last summer, and then it beats it. I love this place so much, Vermont is a great place,” Zengue said.
Both Zengue and Ndiaye first spent time in the Green Mountain State back in 2023, just before their first season with the club. Neither are from just down the road – Zengue comes from Minnesota, and is Ndiaye from Senegal. And they both remember their first stay fondly.
“It was my first time coming out of university. I didn’t know anyone here outside of a coach, so it was good to meet some new guys who played from college, it was great,” Ndiaye said. “Everything was green, the team was Vermont Green, I enjoyed it a lot.”
That summer treated them well enough to come back for a second one, and now, a third. They’ve become mainstays with the club. Both are captains this year, and Ndiaye is the all-time leader in appearances. And their experience with the team and coaching staff has helped them embrace an elevated role this time around.
“On the field being a leader this year, it’s been awesome. It’s been a learning experience for sure,” Zengue said. “I’ve enjoyed it, getting the guys together, getting everyone on the same page, and just keeping the group moving. Over a long season in the summer, we play a lot of games back-to-back and we rotate a lot of guys, so keeping guys happy and honest is a skill you have to have. Knowing which guys need to get talked to, which guys are fine, and which guys need a little encouragement. It’s been a really good learning experience for me this year.”
Since their first game, they’ve seen plenty of sold out crowds – but their connection to the community goes beyond the 2,500 seats at Virtue.
“After the games when we sign stuff with the kids, it’s the best part of the game,” Ndiaye said. “If you lose or you win, no matter what they come to you telling you to sign their armbands, their forehead, it means a lot.”
“I remember my first game, sold out, there were people sitting in the back behind the fence, the whole stadium was packed,” Zengue said. “I remember my first goal, the sound it made was crazy, I’ll never forget that feeling. But the community has just grown, I’ve started to make friends in the community, I know a bunch of the kids that come to the game now. I coach a local club here, Nordic, so I’ve made beautiful relationships that I’ll love for the rest of my life.”
As non-Vermonters, both of them say the soccer passion in the Green Mountain State is palpable.
“Vermont is a soccer state now. This community really likes the game, they really like it beyond some other states, they’re really passionate about the game,” Ndiaye said. “You can feel it, home games are different from playing away games. They like the game so much, sometimes it’s raining and we will have sold out crowds, that type of stuff means a lot.”
And that passion is a two-way street. The support the community gives to them, they feel right back
“I did not expect Vermont to have this big of an impact but I think that shows why I came back for a third summer in a row, this place is such a great place and made such an impact on my life that I wanted to come back and suck the marrow out of it every time I’m here,” Zengue said. “I just want to enjoy this last summer that I have here, live each day one by one and enjoy every moment I can, get the most out of it and give back to the community.”
“One thing I like about here, it feels like home to me, it’s like family,” Ndiaye said. “I couldn’t find another place to be, I just like it.”
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