Union Omaha continues to find gems in the Omaha area. This afternoon, the club announced the signing of midfielder Eddie Gordon to the 2022 roster.
Eddie Gordon is no stranger to the Omaha area, playing high school soccer at Creighton Prep and college soccer at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Before joining the Mavericks at UNO, Gordon was a decorated player for the Junior Jays. In his four years at Creighton Prep, he was a team captain for two years, played in three straight Nebraska Class A title games, won the state title in 2017 (runner-up in 2015 and 2016), was a two-time Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year, and was twice selected to the First Team All-Nebraska selection (both times as the team captain). Oh, and was also named the honorary captain of the All-Nebraska Class A team. If he didn’t win the “Most Likely to Succeed” superlative, he definitely used that as motivation to work even harder at UNO.
In his four years as a Maverick, Gordon had 46 starts across 77 appearances, collected 3 assists, and was selected for plenty of conference honors, including Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence, Summit League Academic Honor Roll, CoSIDA Adademic All-District Team, Summit League All-Tournament, and All-Summit Second Team.
The connection between Gordon and Union Omaha head coach Jay Mims has been a long-time development. In a 2020 essay/interview with The Summit League, Gordon spoke about his deep desire to play for Mims. Even before being offered a spot to pay at UNO, Gordon played for Mims at the club level and became fond of, what he would coin, “The Mims Effect.” In the essay titled, “I Will Reach the Summit,” Gordon described the high standards and expectations placed upon himself and his teammates:
“None of the kids on this team were incredible by any means, but we worked harder than anyone else we played, including other teams in Omaha, at regional tournaments. Even though we were never as talented as some of the academy teams, it wasn’t difficult to see which team worked harder, ran farther, and wanted it more. We coined the term, “The Mims Effect”, and no matter what team he coaches, those qualities shine through.”
When he was awarded the no. 6 role on the team at UNO, it meant more than just the number on the jersey. As fate would have it, Gordon’s dad wore the same number during his collegiate soccer career at Notre Dame. To go one step further: growing up, Gordon’s favorite soccer player, Mark Moulton, was both a midfielder and captain at both Creighton Prep and UNO. Playing in the midfield and wearing the no. 6 jersey at UNO was in the stars. His journey didn’t stop upon graduation, as Mims recruited him to play professionally.
In the club’s press release, Mims expressed excitement with Gordon joining the club and seeing his development: “Eddie has an incredible determination to succeed and a great attitude. He is a versatile player who can play in a number of positions. I look forward to his development over the new few years, and I am super proud of him. It really is special to begin his professional career right here in the city where he grew up.”
Gordon was quick to express his own excitement of the signing: “It’s been a dream come true to be able to join this team and be a part of this organization, and I’m so blessed to be able to continue my journey here in Omaha. I’m incredibly excited to have a chance to help this team in any way that I can! I can’t wait to get started!”
Union Omaha has their second match of the regular season tomorrow in Georgia as the Owls take on South Georgia Tormenta FC at 6:30 PM (CST). Tune into ESPN+ for the broadcast and then stay tuned to Who Gives A Hoot for reactions, breakdowns, and all of the content to feed your Union Omaha appetite. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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