CHICAGO (December 3, 2019) – Former Loyola University Chicago men's soccer standout Elliot Collier (Hamilton, New Zealand/St. Paul's Collegiate) made his international debut last month with the New Zealand National Team. The forward was one of seven players to make a debut for the All Whites in their November tour. In 2018, Collier became the first player in program history to be selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, signing a contract with the Chicago Fire.

"Our entire program is excited to see Elliot achieve his dream of playing for the full New Zealand national team," Loyola men's soccer head coach Neil Jones said. "Elliot is an immensely talented player who embodied everything we look for in players, team first mentality, hardworking and a positive attitude. As a proud New Zealander myself, I'm especially proud of this achievement for Elliot."
 
The Hamilton, New Zealand native appeared in the All Whites first match against Ireland on November 14 and then made his first international start on November 17 against Lithuania.

"Ever since I was a little kid I always wanted to play for the All Whites," Collier said. "Achieving a childhood dream is always going to feel amazing especially when you look back at all the hard work that got you there. Spending four years at Loyola with an ex-All White as my coach definitely helped me achieve that dream as Neil already knew what it takes to put on that jersey."

This past season, Collier started in 20 matches for Memphis 901 FC, recording six goals and his first career hat trick. During the 2018 season, Collier made nine starts for the Fire, scoring one goal and tallying one assist.
 
A four-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, Collier found the back of the net 17 times in his career at Loyola. He also earned First Team All-Valley honors in both his junior and senior years to go along with a First Team All-West Region selection by the United Soccer Coaches in 2016.