Derek Axon joined the Nichols College men's soccer coaching staff as the program's graduate assistant & goalkeeper coach ahead of the 2026 season.
A four-year keeper for the Bison from 2022-25, Axon appeared in 41 career matches while making 35 starts and established himself as one of the Conference of New England's top goalkeepers. During his senior season in 2025, he started all 12 matches, recorded a career-high 65 saves, posted a 1.39 goals against average and a .802 save percentage, highlighted by an 11-save performance against Endicott. He earned Conference of New England Defensive Player of the Week honors twice during the season and was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
Axon burst onto the collegiate scene as a freshman in 2022, appearing in 16 matches with 14 starts while ranking second in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with 77 saves and third in save percentage (.811). He recorded four shutouts, finished with a 1.27 goals against average (the eighth-best single-season mark in program history at the time), and compiled a 7-5-2 record.
Over his four-year career, Axon earned three conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, CSC Academic All-District recognition, three Academic All-Conference selections, and helped anchor the Bison defense throughout his tenure.
Axon graduated from Nichols College in 2026 with a degree in General Business. Prior to Nichols, Axon graduated from Foxboro High School, where he competed in soccer, ice hockey and track & field. He was a Hockomock League All-Star and won a National Club Championship with Bayside FC before beginning his collegiate career.
