History in Philadelphia: A Celebration of Hartwick Soccer
by David Lubell
“I just want to mention how excited the six-year-old me would be about the fact I’m speaking here at this event,” President Darren Reisberg revealed to dozens gathered for a presidential event earlier this year at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. “Soccer was my sport growing up. My father, who knew nothing about soccer, drove me around northern New Jersey to soccer games, wherever we needed to go. He even bought us season tickets to the New York Cosmos at Giants Stadium.”
Yes, the new Hartwick president is a former soccer player, and the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Convention was the right place to reveal that part of himself. And it was the perfect place to reflect on the indelible cleat print the College has left on the “world’s game” in America.
“This IS the Hartwick community. I hope you feel it,” Reisberg said. “This is a special evening. If you look around the room, you can see the love, honoring our past, present and future.”
A wealth of Hartwick soccer royalty looked on with approval. Former players from multiple decades were represented, including Ray Flanigan ’73, David D’Errico ’74, Duncan Macdonald ’78, Art Napolitano ’78, Mark Mettrick ’88, Carl Rees ’88, Trustee Santo Russo ’91, and Ian McIntyre ’96 – fresh off coaching Syracuse University to the 2023 men’s soccer national title.
Not to mention the 55 years of men’s head coaches: Al Miller, who from 1968-71 planted the seeds of success at Hartwick, then won a North American Soccer League title as head coach in his first year after leaving; Timo Liekoski ’71, the former All-American Hartwick defender who later took his charges to the national finals in 1974; Jim Lennox, who produced Hartwick’s national championship in 1977 and helped created a soccer powerhouse; McIntyre, who ranks second in career wins at his alma mater; and John Scott, who has proudly steered the program through its most turbulent years.
Industry “builders” were also well represented. Thom Meredith ’73, a legend in US Soccer administration, served as the night’s master of ceremonies; and Francisco Marcos ’68 connected via Zoom from Portugal. The pioneering Marcos helped develop pro franchises in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Calgary; created the Southwest Indoor Soccer League and United Soccer Leagues; and received the US Soccer Federation’s Werner Fricker Award in 2007.
But it wasn’t just event invitees who paid tribute to the program. More than a few convention attendees passing by and, realizing it was a Hartwick event, asked if they could crash the party. Each offered their own reasons for wanting to pay respect, and that was good enough to gain entry.
Players and coaches mingled with friends and family. Scrapbooks and photos were brought out, inviting attendees to reflect and remember.
“As we move forward, we plan to invest further in our athletics program,” Reisberg said, previewing some of his plans.
He later joined in a group photo capturing all past and present players and coaches, officially signifying the start of another chapter in Hartwick’s storied soccer history.
Not surprisingly, the event went to “extra time” – fittingly, as there was too much to discuss and too little time to do it. From there, many streamed toward the lobby bar where hundreds of conventioneers gathered. It was the perfect venue to reminisce long into the night.
1956 Hartwick’s first intercollegiate team
Hartwick Soccer Field 1958
1963
1963
1963
1964 Team dinner at Thornwood hosted by President Binder
1967
Goalie Ken Castledine 1968
Co-Captains Jim McLauchlan and Lenny Rinaldo 1968
Coaches Al Miller and Bill Killen 1969
Player Alec Papadakis 1969
1969
NCAA Playoff Semifinals 1970
1970
1973-1974
1974
Hartwick defeats Cornell in 1974
Super8 Tournament 1976 Dallas
1977
Four man collision during match vs. University of Vermont in 1978
1977
1978-79
Coach Lennox 1979
1979-80
1980 Coach Jim Lennox and Assistant Coach Jape Shattuck
1980-81
1980-81
1980-81
Players with Coach Jim Lennox in 1980
National Sports Festival Championship Game in August of 1981
David Long 1982
Soccer seniors 1983-84
Celebrating Mayors Cup Win in 1983
1983-84
1984
1986-87
1995
Player Ian McIntyre 1995
1995
1995
Mayors Cup vs. Georgetown: Players Ian McIntyre and Matt Lawrence 1995
1995
1998
Player Jason Clarke 1998
Players Andrew Perzigian and Andrew Nickolarsen 1998
2017 Reunion of 1977 Mens SoccerTeam
Special thanks to Clough Sports Photography for contributing images from the 1970s.
Thanks to the HartLand Promise, Makenna Ventuleth ’27 is one step closer to her career goals.
Kowalczyk is exploring binge drinking, scientifically defined as four or more drinks in two hours for women, and five or more for men. More specifically, he’s investigating planned vs. unplanned binge drinking.