NPSL Alum Chad Poarch Shines for Charlotte Independence

By Daniel Cermak/NPSL.com

Former West Chester United SC standout Chad Poarch joined USL’s Charlotte Independence
late in the season, but has already made a huge impact in the squad. The former University of
Delaware Blue Hen has already learned and grown as a player.

“I’ve been loving it,” Parch said. “I’ve really gelled with the team, learned a lot, I’ve only been
here for three weeks and some of the more experienced guys have already really taken me under
their wing. It was hard for me to come in and start playing right away but I have been playing,
and it’s good for me to log some minutes and get some experience under my belt, and that’s what
I’m looking towards doing for the rest of the season.”

Poarch started his soccer career at Middletown High School and youth side Kirkwood Roma,
where he helped them to four straight State Cup championships. He then started his collegiate
career at High Point University in North Carolina, where he appeared in 19 matches. He then
transferred to Delaware where he played the 2017 season.

Poarch also played two seasons for West Chester United SC. WCUSC helped prepare Poarch for
his current opportunity with the Independence.

“Honestly I loved it, guys like Blaise Santangelo, he’s my hero at the moment,” Poarch said. “He
was always there for me, and as far as West Chester United goes, there are a lot of great players
there, a couple of players have been signed from there so I think that speaks for itself.”

For West Chester United SC head coach Blaise Santangelo, Poarch’s talent really shined.

“After he stepped away from college to pursue a professional career, he joined our program and
had a breakout tournament for West Chester United during the 2019 U.S. Lamar Hunt Open Cup
qualifiers and tournament proper,” Santangelo said. “Chad is an amazing attacker and is a
lockdown defender. We are so proud of him and are happy to see him move on to the next level.”

Though Charlotte is out of the playoff race, Poarch and the rest of the squad are still trying to end
the season as strongly as possible.

“Staying strong mentally is really important, especially with the season they had, it hasn’t been
the best, but we’ve been able to pull a couple of wins in the past couple of games,” Poarch said.
“But we just have to make sure we stay strong mentally and that we are in the best shape
mentally and physically for the next match.”

Now that he has stepped into the professional ranks and seen some success, he wants to make the most out of what remains this season and what lies ahead.

“I’m looking forward to making an impact as much as I can, as an outside back I feel like I have
a lot of offensive ability moving forward, and I also want to gel in with the team,” Poarch said.

“Gaining confidence, gaining as much experience as possible, so for next season I’ll be in an
even better position than I am now.”

With Poarch able to bring an offensive flare alongside his defensive work, he will provide any
professional team with a great option in the midfield or defense.

Photo Credit: Charlotte Independence