Donavan Phillip Has Arrived: MAC Hermann Winner Scores First MLS Goal

Just eight months after being crowned the top player in NCAA Division I men’s soccer, Donavan Phillip has reached another important milestone in his professional career.

The Saint Lucia international scored his first MLS goal for the Colorado Rapids on September 19, finding the net in a 3-3 draw against the Seattle Sounders. The goal capped a rapid transition for Phillip, who went from becoming the 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy winner at NC State to making his professional debut and now establishing himself as an option in Colorado’s attack. 

Phillip’s arrival in Colorado came after one of the most productive seasons in recent NCAA history.

The forward scored 19 goals and added two assists in 22 matches for NC State during the 2025 campaign, leading the entire nation in goals and helping the Wolfpack reach the NCAA College Cup final for the first time in program history. He was also named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American before becoming the first NC State player ever to win the MAC Hermann Trophy.

The award, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and United Soccer Coaches, is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual honor in college soccer. Phillip received it in January 2026, just weeks before beginning his professional journey with the Rapids.

Interestingly, Colorado had already identified him before that historic season.

The Rapids selected Phillip with the 62nd overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, when he was still an underclassman. Colorado’s scouting department had identified him two seasons earlier, and the club ultimately benefited from committing to his potential before he produced his extraordinary 2025 campaign. 

Phillip signed a two-year contract with Colorado through the 2027 season, with three additional club option periods that could extend the deal through June 2030.

His first months in professional soccer have involved adapting to a very different level and environment. The 21-year-old has split his time between the Rapids’ first team and Rapids 2, gaining valuable minutes while continuing to adjust to the physical and tactical demands of MLS. 

He also made his senior international debut for Saint Lucia earlier in 2026. During the FIFA Series in Azerbaijan, Phillip started against the host nation and scored in the 52nd minute, giving him his first international goal on his first appearance for the senior national team.

The breakthrough moment with Colorado finally arrived against Seattle.

Phillip started the Rapids’ September 19 meeting with the Sounders and scored in the 56th minute, finishing a sequence that gave Colorado a 2-1 lead at the time. Morgan Whittaker scored twice in the match, but Seattle eventually fought back to earn a 3-3 draw. 

For Phillip, however, the result was secondary to a personal milestone.

It was his first MLS goal after making his debut earlier in the season, and his first goal for the Rapids’ senior team. According to Opta, Phillip has now made seven MLS appearances in 2026, totaling 264 minutes and recording one goal. He had also scored three times for Rapids 2 in MLS NEXT Pro. 

MLS demands a different level of physicality, speed and consistency, and Phillip is still in the early stages of that adaptation. But his path has already provided several encouraging markers: a historic NCAA season, the MAC Hermann Trophy, a senior international debut and now his first MLS goal.

For Colorado, the hope is that Saturday’s finish becomes the beginning of another productive chapter.

For Phillip, it is another milestone in a journey that has taken him from Saint Lucia to NC State and now to Major League Soccer — with the expectations of a former national college player of the year following him into the professional game.