To this day, nobody has accumulated more points in a Columbia men’s soccer uniform than Shahin Shayan. His 113 career points stand above the rest, while his 48 career goals are second. He also holds multiple top-five spots in single-season goals and points, his best coming during the 1979 Final Four run that saw him score 18 goals and accrue 42 points.
Shayan arrived at Columbia in the fall of 1976. After helping to lead a turnaround through his first-year and sophomore seasons, Shayan and the Lions hoisted the trophy as champions of the Ivy League for the first time in 1978. It was a drastic turnaround from teams that combined to win just four Ivy League matches the two years prior. The ’78 campaign started with seven straight wins and a 10-game unbeaten streak. The Lions rattled off four more victories to end the regular season 13-1-1 with a nearly perfect 6-0-1 Ivy League mark. Shayan led the charge, scoring what were then program records of 13 goals and 32 points to be named First Team All-Ivy League.
One of the most magical seasons in Columbia men’s soccer history followed a year later. Columbia captured a second straight Ivy title to propel themselves back to the NCAA Tournament. After falling to Hartwick at home in the regular season, the Lions had to travel to their rival for the NCAA’s First Round, where they delivered an absolute stunner. Behind two second-half goals from Shayan and Steve Charles, the Lions ended Hartwick’s season for a second consecutive year, 3-2, to move on to the quarterfinals against Rhode Island.
After thrashing URI, 5-1, in the quarters, Columbia advanced to the NCAA Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Their magical run came to an end against Clemson.
At the end of the season, Shayan had scored 18 goals and ended his career with 48. He held the program’s all-time goals record for 16 years, while his 113 career points still tops the rest some 44 years later.
Shayan was honored at the end of the 1979 season by being invited to the ISAA Senior Bowl Classic. He led the East to a 4-2 victory over the West and was named the 1979 Senior Bowl Outstanding Offensive Player.
Shayan’s career accolades include two First Team All-Ivy selections, two NSCAA All-Region selections, two Ivy League Championships, two NCAA Quarterfinal appearances and the program’s first NCAA Final Four.
Shayan is currently Chairman of the Board of Hoda International Financial Engineering Company, a private Investment Banking / Corporate Finance Advisory operation. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)/Islamic Research & Training Institute (IRTI) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of several charitable institutes helping orphans in Iran.
