After three years as the star goalie for DePaul, Gandhi Cruz departed Lincoln Park for the next chapter of his soccer journey. To the surprise of many, but certainly not Cruz, Santiago Dávila has stepped right in, filled his shoes and created his own legacy.

Arriving on campus as a freshman in 2021, Dávila immediately became close with Cruz, who was a redshirt freshman at the time.

“He was here the year before, but obviously it was the Covid year (2020),” Dávila said. “So we went through a lot of college firsts together, and I think that initially brought us really close together.”

Cruz said their first conversation was not about soccer, but about what they had in common. Both are from the Midwest, and both sets of parents are from México.

Cruz, who transferred to Oregon State last summer, was one of DePaul’s most successful goalies in recent memory. He led the Big East Conference in saves per game in 2022 and 2023 and was a two-time Big East Third Team member.

“I remember watching Gandhi play and I was like, that’s the difference between me — a kid that’s been good at a pretty high level at youth levels — but … you can see the difference in just the little details,” Dávila said. “His footwork was just a little sharper, his handling, the way he could hold the ball compared to some of the shots I would just push away.”

Describing Cruz’s warm up routine, it’s easy to imagine feeling intimidated by the diving saves he would make after barely warming up, leaving the freshman Dávila in awe.

Instead of settling for his backup role and being complacent playing second fiddle to Cruz, Dávila worked hard to catch up to the star goalkeeper. He recalled one day during spring of that same first year when Cruz pulled him aside and said, “Damn, you’re getting good.”

Dávila did not make it this far by mistake. Seventh-year head coach Mark Plotkin first saw the then-high schooler play in a tournament in Florida.

“He was playing for his FC Wisconsin team, and he just fit everything that we look for,” Plotkin said. “He was very technical. He was really good with his feet, and then his shot stopping definitely stood out.”

During the recruiting process, Plotkin drew on Dávila’s love for the city and exploring new places as a big reason for his commitment. During their first meeting in Chicago at Jam N’ Honey on Sheffield Ave., Plotkin still remembers Dávila’s relaxed demeanor and “old-school” clothing style – all the way down to the exact pair of Nike Air Monarchs.

“I was like, ‘Oh, he’s kinda stylish, I feel like he’ll like the city,’” Plotkin said. “He just checked all the boxes from a playing standpoint and from a personality standpoint.”

When Dávila finally began his collegiate career, Plotkin emphasized his two goalkeepers’ similarities in terms of play style and noticed how Dávila “closed the gap” year over year, until there “basically wasn’t even a gap” between their skill level.

“You’d be standing there and he’d be on one goal, Gandhi on the other, and you couldn’t tell the difference,” Plotkin said. “They’re both coming up with ridiculous saves.”

Dávila credits Cruz for this rapid improvement.

“Having that guy ahead of you, that really motivates you to just keep trying to push him too, to make him realize that you’re not just here to be his teammate and a friend, but also to compete with him,” Dávila said. “But at the same time, you’re best friends.”

After spending nearly every day at DePaul for three years with Cruz off the field and watching him from the sidelines on the field, his fellow goalie was set to transfer, leaving the starting job up for grabs.

Cruz said the decision was easy, adding that Dávila’s greatest strength is not only his leadership — always coming to practice with a positive mindset and motivating his teammates — but also his competitiveness.

“Even with me being the starter, he always pushed me and he always wanted me to get better, too,” Cruz said. “After my last game, I knew straight away that he was going to be the starter.”

Dávila’s chance had finally come.

“I remember (Cruz) telling me, ‘Now’s your time,’” Dávila said.

It was Dávila’s time.

His first start would come in a spring season game in 2024. Plotkin and Cruz both fondly remembered how Cruz’s parents came to see Santi play despite their son no longer being a Blue Demon.

“My parents out-of-the-blue texted me that they wanted to come and cheer the guys on, and they knew how much this meant for Santi,” Cruz said. “They were super excited just because they knew he waited his turn, he was always patient, he never complained, and they were just really happy for him. They were as excited for him as if I was playing.”

DePaul men’s soccer surpassed its win total from last year, Dávila pinning an exhibition match against the University of Michigan on August 16 as the beginning of their success. The Blue Demons put up three goals in the first half of that game in Ann Arbor against the Big Ten team.

“We walked out of there, and I remember everyone kind of just looking at each other and being like, ‘We could really do something special this year,’” Dávila said.

After a strong start to the 2024 season, the new starting goalie tallied a complete shutout of Creighton in Omaha on Oct. 4, withstanding 23 shot attempts and making seven saves. This performance earned Dávila Big East Goalkeeper of the Week for the first time in his career.

After receiving the award, Dávila received a text from Cruz, who is succeeding in his own right at Oregon State with a save percentage of 75.

“He was like, ‘You’re a hell of a goalkeeper,’” Dávila said. “I was like, ‘Takes one to know one.’”

Dávila is the mentor now. A younger brother, he always imagined being able to be the older brother. As a senior, he can finally be the older brother, enjoying every moment with the younger Blue Demon goalkeepers.

Though the Blue Demons lost in the first round of the Big East Tournament, Dávila has prolonged his DePaul career. NCAA rules allow a fifth year for graduate student-athletes, something Dávila told The DePaulia he will pursue.

“All of it has happened way too fast,” Dávila said. “It leaves you wanting more.”

Related stories:

• DePaul Men’s Soccer finishes spring season on high note, looks forward to fall – The DePaulia
• Lincoln Park turned soccer hub: how the Premier League captivated the neighborhood – The DePaulia
• Red Stars, Ricketts partnership driving change – The DePaulia

Stay informed with The DePaulia’s top stories, delivered to your inbox every Monday.