Malcolm Duncan is Providence’s superhero senior
For any comic book fans reading this, Providence senior Malcolm Duncan’s name might sound familiar to you. That’s because he shares the name with one of the first Black superheroes in DC Comics history, the character known now as Vox, who first appeared in Teen Titans back in the early 1970s. Duncan told BGN, “I was not aware of that but now I am, and I think that’s a very cool fact. I was named after Malcolm X and don’t know any other Malcolm’s so now I can bring that up in conversation.”
On the pitch for the Friars, Duncan has been putting in some super hero-like performances on the backline as he’s helped the team improve from 5-8-5 his 2017 freshman season to 16-7 in 2019.
During the 2019 season, the Toronto native started all 23 matches for the Friars and his performance earned him Providence’s David Kreisen Unsung Hero Award. “It meant a lot coming from the coaches,” he said. “I’m not someone who depends on praise, but I was happy to see that a lot of my hard work didn’t go unnoticed, and that I was recognized as an important member of the team.”
Now, the senior defender has gone from winning that award to being named a team captain. Duncan explained, “Being selected as a captain definitely is a boost of confidence, but I know that with the coachable and helpful teammates I have it makes my job a lot easier.”
“Also, I looked up to the captains I played with here immensely, so it was a proud moment for me to be selected.”
His first match as a captain went well as Providence opened the 2021 season with a 4-0 win over rival Rhode Island, their first victory vs. the team since 2017. That match also marked the first game action for Duncan and Providence since the 2019 season ended with a 2-OT loss in the NCAA Tournament third round.
Second half surge! A look back on our season opening W 😈#GoFriars #PCMS pic.twitter.com/r3W0q8kePm
— Providence M Soccer (@PCFriarsMSoccer) February 21, 2021
Before the season-opening victory, Malcolm said, “I’m definitely thrilled to be getting back onto the pitch after so long. Soccer is my lifelong joy so it’s been difficult this past year to be out of a competitive setting.”
“My teammates and I are very excited for games to start again after such an impressive 2019 season. We’ve just been adjusting to each other as a team and have added new pieces so it will be a fun year as a group.”
Next up, Providence will look to make it two straight wins to start the season when they travel to face UConn on Saturday.
