Chasing a dream is often times fairly unconventional and rarely a nice and tightly mission. Those complication are expounded upon even more when it comes to athletics.

When Vinicius “Vini” Dantas stepped foot on the Azusa Pacific in the fall of 2008, he had never played outdoor soccer but that didn’t stop his desires. He came to the United States with the assistance of a Christian ministry organization and was connected with the Azusa Pacific soccer program. The Cougars were coming off a National title which help create Dantas’ excitement to play at Azusa Pacific despite his limited knowledge of not only outdoor soccer but the southern California culture.

“A year before I came to Azusa Pacific they had just won the [NAIA] National Championship and that made coming to Azusa Pacific more appealing,” Dantas said. “When I came here it was really nice and they guys were great. From that point on, there was no looking back.”

During his first year with the program the native of Sao Paulo, Brazil went through the challenging rigors. After overcoming a foot fracture prior to his freshman season he was able to play in 11 games, starting seven, but scored just twice while his injury healed. Yet, as he adapted to the outdoor game he began to thrive on the field. His sophomore year he earned all-conference honors as the Cougars went 16-3. The following season he was named an NAIA All-American while helping the Cougars advanced to the national tournament for the first time in three season.

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Dantas is fond to recall those times at Azusa Pacific. Despite his accolades, the moments that mattered most to him came off the field. “Some of my favorite memories of playing for Azusa Pacific revolved around the traditions we had. Like the singing at the fountain or playing soccer golf around campus. Just the everyday things that we did with each other is what I most remember. Those small things were real important for me and my experience.” Coach Blomquist recognized Vini’s impact as a part of the Azusa Pacific soccer family. “He embraced the culture of community we are trying to create here and valued his teammates and the program very highly.”

His time at Azusa Pacific concluded after an overseas experience during the summer of 2011. He left Azusa Pacific before his senior year of eligibility on a soccer missions trip to England. While on that excursion, he caught the eye of those watching him play. With more one season in a Cougar uniform on the horizon he was torn between sacrificing his collegiate eligibility and pursuing his dream as a professional player.

“I talked with Coach Blomquist and he was on the fence about whether I should sign professionally or not since I was a major part of the plans for the upcoming season. After seeing how legitimate the opportunity was to play professionally, the decision was made a bit easier since it had been a dream of mine to play on the professional level.”

“It was tough to see Vini go with a year left to play but we always desire the best for our players and want them to continue playing beyond Azusa Pacific,” says Coach Blomquist. “He had just started to come into his own and was ready to take his game to the next level. This was an opportunity Vini just couldn’t pass up and we were excited to see the impact he would make.” Dantas landed in Norway playing for Molde F.K. where he was able to learn under renown striker Ole Gunnar Solkjaer who managed the team. Dantas reflects, “In Europe the soccer system is much different than the U.S. People start playing professionally at 16, 17 years of age and even though I was older than the newer players I was viewed as a younger play so I had to make-up a lot of ground. I just wanted to play as much as possible and gain as much experience as I could.”

Amid his continued learning of the outdoor game, Dantas threw another huge scenario into his life. He got married. Just a few months after starting with Molde F.K. he married fellow Azusa Pacific student Alicia Rose Orrico. With special permission from the Applied Exercise Science department Orrico was able to support her husband and move to Norway while completing her degree through online courses. She graduated with her degree in May, 2013.

After playing for Molde F.K. the desire to play closer to his and his wife’s home came to the forefront. An opportunity with the Baltimore Blast of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) became available. This past November, Dantas suited up for the seven-time MASL champions.

“I loved my experience in Baltimore. I wasn’t expecting the amount of attention the fans gave it,” Dantas said. “When I went to Baltimore I was looking for something to take me from point ‘A’ to ‘B’ for my outdoor career. There are many things that I do that fit well into the indoor. Baltimore was so good and the competitive drive each player had was something that made an impact on me.”

The Blast reached the league finals against the Monterey Flash and despite falling in the league finale to Monterey, Dantas made a serious impact on the squad. He was second on the team with 16 goals during the regular season then finding the back of the net four times in six playoff games.

His success at the indoor level this past season helped him earn an outdoor playing opportunity with the Pittsburgh Rivershounds of the United Soccer League (USL). Dantas has played in both of the team’s game this season and has already registered an assist. The team is slated to play a 29-game regular season schedule between late March through mid-September.

“I like the way things are progressing with my career. I’ve always liked to play the indoor game. I have a lot of joy with that. Right now the focus is to keep developing my outdoor game. I feel like I reached the highest level of indoor soccer and hopefully I can continue to develop my outdoor game so I can reach the Major League Soccer (MLS) level or something like that.

“I can’t believe where soccer as taken me. There was a time in Europe when we played a team in Switzerland and there were 30,000-plus people in attendance. It took me back to when I was four and I started dreaming of playing professional soccer. It was crazy to think that dream then and realize where I was at that moment.”

As he continued to climb the ladder of soccer success, his ultimate goal remains getting back to his roots in Brazil.

“It is a dream in mine to go back home and play in Brazil. The competition level there is extremely high and the players are some of the best in the world. If I could ever develop my game to play at that level it would be awesome.”

“We are proud of what Vini has accomplished as a pro.” says Coach Blomquist, “But mostly, we are proud how he represents the Azusa Pacific soccer program on and off the field.”