It all began 100 years ago in 1913 on March Field, right on the Lafayette College main campus.  A group of young male students, who were interested in soccer and had played the game in high school, wanted to form a team.  At the time, there wasn't even an Athletic Director at Lafayette.  There were just a few committees who made decisions on athletics and football, at the time, was the dominating force on campus. In those days, the College had something called a "Smoker", which was just a pep rally club with a band and cheerleaders.  They marched through the town of Easton, spreading their soccer news. The reception was excellent and everyone agreed to "Go For It"!  The group went back to the College and pleaded their case and received the approval to start a soccer program.

At that time, there were two very important men backing the team.  Mr. Freeman, an Englishman by birth, who lived in Easton, was a true gentleman.  He was the leader of the music department and director of the Lafayette College band. He was truly one of the most respected men in the town of Easton.  Mr. Freeman was proud of his relationship with Lafayette College.  The other gentleman, David Paul, was a native of Ireland.  He had played soccer in high school and was very interested in the development of the game.  David was an all-around star and became the first soccer coach at the College.  His first year, the team played four games, with a 1-3 record.  Despite a losing season, soccer was firmly established at Lafayette.  

After a few short years, soccer was interrupted due to World War I, but came back strong in 1920, with a new head coach who was a local Eastonian - Mr. Scottie Cuthbertson, David Paul continued as an assistant coach and as he was bright and an outstanding player himself.  David will always be remembered for the way he helped lift the program off the ground.  He worked on the fundamentals with the team but he also spent time focusing on "teamwork" and "togetherness", which was a new concept in coaching and was sadly lacking in the coaching arena.  Scottie also played soccer and had a great interest in the game.  Scottie pushed Lafayette to its first winning season and began a long line of Cuthbertsons who would coach at Lafayette.  Scottie coached for only one year and he had a winning record of 8-3!

Everyone was happy to have Scottie as a coach.  The town and College rallied around him and welcomed him warmly.  Scottie was born in Glasgow, Ireland and died at the age of 80 in 1964 in Easton, PA.  He was known for his winning personality, which allowed him to bring happiness to the people of Easton who were down and out at the time.  He was a vaudeville entertainer and visited schools, hospitals, old age homes and even prisons.  The day Scottie died, all of Easton gathered to say good-by in a prayer.  He was one of a kind and would always be remembered by the entire town.  He was superman in disguise!

Scottie's real name was Alexander F. Cuthbertson and he devoted most of his waking hours entertaining people of all kinds.  He spent three days a week at the Easton Hospital distributing balloons and gifts to youngsters in the pediatric ward and cheering up other patients.  He produced a variety show for inmates at Northampton County Prison every Christmas and he was honored by the prison in 1952.  His volunteer work did not go unnoticed elsewhere.  In 1953, Scottie was named the "Optimist of the Year" by the Easton/Phillipsburg Optimist Club.  He worked for many years as a patternmaker for Ingersoll Rand in Phillipsburg.  He recalled that when he first moved to Easton, townsmen told him that he could watch a strange game for 10 cents.  That game turned out to be soccer!

Finding coaches to follow Scottie was difficult, but Scottie's two brothers, Alex and A.W. coached for a few years in the late 1920's and Alex came back to coach from 1938-1942 and had a record of 9-31-3, the most wins in Lafayette history at the time.  A far cry from the success of today!

In 1947, Lafayette's Athletic Director wanted to get some stabilization for the program and went to Bethlehem Steel's club program to their Jack Trotter. Trotter was a well -established coach and had a 14-38-4 record at Lafayette for his four-year term (1947-1951).  Coach Trotter was my coach and although Trotter had some very good talent throughout his years as a coach, the program didn't show much success.  Trotter was tough and cared for his boys and was himself a very strong soccer player.  

What followed was a very unusual move by the Lafayette administration.  They decided to recruit coaches who had a primary focus on basketball, but would also agree to take on the responsibilities of coaching soccer as well.  The College went on to hire three such coaches over the next 20 years, including Bill Van Breda Koff ("Butch"), George Davidson and Gary Williams.  Butch was an excellent all-around athlete at Princeton University. George Davidson had never played much soccer, but he took to coaching the sport easily.  Gary Williams was recruited as an assistant basketball coach, but also took on the men's soccer team at the same time. Of the three coaches, I really think that Gary Williams enjoyed his time on the soccer field the most.

Butch was a college All-American in both soccer and basketball.  He was a real character and a most natural and gifted athlete.  He coached at Lafayette for two years and had a soccer record of 18-15-1.  This was the first winning record since Scottie Cuthbertson.

Following Butch was George Davidson, who coached for a decade from 1955-1966.  George was my classmate and a true friend. He was a great high school payer and was captain of the 1950-1951 Lafayette basketball team.  He did not play soccer at Lafayette, but he followed in Butch's footsteps coaching both soccer and basketball.  George was an amazing college basketball player and dazzled the fans with behind the back passes, passes off the pivot, driving to the hoop and scoring from any place on the floor.  Sometimes you just didn't believe what you had just seen!  Dave coached soccer for 10 years with a record of 51-72-6.  A that time, 51 wins was the highest ever in Lafayette history.  George continued his career at Lafayette as the Athletic Director after his coaching career and ended with his retirement.

Gary William's soccer boys played hard for him and they had an overall record of 35-54-17.  Williams maintained a very close relationship with the College, even after he went to be an amazing head coach of basketball for the University of Maryland.  Gary was a likeable guy with numerous friends.  He will always have a pace in his heart for Lafayette College and he left a piece of himself in every player he coached. 

Jamie McLaughlin, an amazing former Lafayette men's soccer player, filled in as head coach for one season and recorded a 4-11-2 record in the history books.

The East Coast Conference was in the making, and Lafayette accepted an invitation to join in an attempt to be a true first-class soccer team.  Lafayette was not yet a soccer powerhouse but all that changed when Steve Reinhardt arrived on college hill in 1980 to take over the Leopard's program.  Reinhardt was a 1969 graduate of Long Island University and was a soccer player and a member of the school's 1968 national runner-up squad.  For the next ten years, he excelled and Lafayette recorded a decade of soccer dominance.  His record was an outstanding 131-66-19.  Steve was always on the move and always looking for a way to keep his team on top.  He was seen as a great recruiter and he had a "win at any cost and never say die" attitude. He had a lot of charisma and was able to transfer that to his team.  He hired top-notch assistant coaches who contributed in keeping the spirit of the team together.  Reinhardt greatly appreciated his assistant coaches and I believe that he obtained full-time head coaching positions for all of them as they left Lafayette.  Reinhardt was a great motivator and full of spirit.  His players responded well to his approach and played their hearts out every day!  He had some of the soccer greats on his team and there is no question that during the 80's Lafayette soccer was a formidable foe for anyone who wanted to come to Easton to face the Leopards on their home field.  Steve was a dream come true and his teams fought like tigers (or Leopards!) every time out on the field. 

In 1980, Lafayette took 3rd place in the ECC Conference, after a 0-1 loss to Temple.  Under Reinhardt, Lafayette went on a winning streak, making it to the ECC championships for the next 5 years and winning the championship title in 1984, with a 3-0 win over Towson, in 1986, with a 5-1 win over Drexel, and in 1987, with a 5-0 win over Rider.

Now the Patriot League loomed closer than ever for Lafayette.  In 1990, the Patriot League did become a reality and in the first year of Patriot League play, Lafayette lost to Fordham 0-1 in the championship game.  Over the next thirteen years, Lafayette would win seven Patriot League Championship titles, have three play-in games to the NCAA and participate in five NCAA Tournaments.

In 1992, Jeff Gettler replaced Steve Reinhardt and Gettler was known as the "Professor", since he had studied soccer in Europe and the U.S.  Gettler was a formidable coach for his four years with an outstanding record of 40-26-8.  He quickly got the team together with spirit and confidence and they won the Patriot League title in back-to-back years (1994-1995).   Jeff was named the Patriot League Coach of the year in 1994.  The Professor was loved by all who knew him and was respected as one of the best coaches in the game.  Gettler was really a brilliant man and made a large impact on improving the College's soccer team.  He won all kinds of awards coming in from all over Europe and the U.S.  He was recruited from Lafayette to the University of Richmond, where he coached soccer until his retirement.

Nelson Rodriguez was Jeff Gettler's assistant coach, and became head coach in 1995 and went on to achieve an impressive record of 20-13-4 in just two years.  He proved to be one of the better-known young coaches in the business.  He had an excellent position with the Major league Soccer Administration but his dream was to get back into the excitement of college coaching so he joined the Lafayette family or a few short years.

The tradition of excellence continued with Lafayette College winning the Patriot League Championship titles in '93,'94,'95,'98,'99,'00,'03,'05 and '12 – an incredible run of success.  The team entered the NCAA tournament in 2005 and made it to the sweet sixteen.  Lafayette soccer was now in a position of dominance with a very bright future ahead!

In 1998, Tim Lenahan came from Stockton College, where he had turned around their soccer program.  Lenahan's teams brought everything that he stood for to the field.  He was an excellent coach and his team trusted him because he was honest and worked hard to make the team a success.  Lenahan was always respected for his knowledge of the game.  He ran a tight ship and had a definite game plan for each of the games.  He was a "blood and guts" kind of guy, asking his players to never leave anything on the field.  His teams worked very hard for him and he and his teams were a great combination and over the course of his career at Lafayette, he compiled a record of 32-23-3, including two back-to-back Patriot League Championships.  After just two years at Lafayette, Lenahan received a call from Chicago's Northwestern University men's soccer program offering him the head coaching position.  It was a coaching position that Tim could not refuse.  When Lenahan left Lafayette, he promised a Big Ten Championship, and true to his word, he won the championship trophy for Northwestern in 2011 and 2012!  I was very close to Timmy and we have remained very good friends.  I have attended a few of Northwestern's games near the Windy City, including one against Lafayette.  The soccer stadium is incredibly impressive with Lake Michigan as a backdrop.  I am so proud of Tim Lenahan's accomplishments.

What a couple of greats – Gettler and Lenahan!  Gettler was the Professor and Lenahan was all blood and guts.  The combination of Gettler and Lenahan was good for 90-plus wins and the era for winning teams was well on its way.

After Rodriguez went back to the MLS and Lenahan to Northwestern, Bruce McCutcheon, the Athletic Director, said he was determined to hire a great coach with a long tenure.  The story of Dennis Bohn was about to begin!  Lenahan and Bohn were very close friends and Bohn had been Lenahan's incredible assistant coach at Lafayette.  A few of the senior soccer stars and myself met with Bruce McCutcheon and said "the best soccer coach is right her on our campus, look no further!" Bruce agreed and named Dennis Bohn the new head soccer coach.  Bohn was perfect for the challenge.  He knew Lafayette well and was a very bright young man.  A graduate of Columbia University, Dennis had played soccer and basketball in college and was also an outstanding student.  His passionate personality and his hard work ethic are coupled with outstanding leadership qualities.  He has a great relationship with his team and their parents.  The freshman know that when they leave Lafayette after four years, they will be a better soccer player, but most importantly, they will be a better person.  Bohn works his teams very hard, but they respond in a positive fashion.  He is a teacher and so proud of the scholar athletes that have been honored by the Patriot League and by the College.  He is truly a friend of the players, like a big brother, and they all respect him for that quality.  He is honest with his recruits and they trust him completely.  President Weiss complimented Dennis' talents by giving him much needed scholarships to be able to play on an even field with the other Patriot League competitors. 

Bohn chooses his recruits very carefully.  He plans to play them, so all the frosh are ready to go!  The ultimate goal for each season is to qualify for the Patriot League Championship at the end of the season, win the title and qualify for a bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Lafayette soccer has won more Patriot League Championship Titles than any other league rival!  The championship trophy in 2005 led to the future.  Coach Bohn taught the team to play hard, play tough, play clean, play smart and play together.  Leadership is so important and we have had outstanding leadership in all of the senior classes during Bohn's tenure.  In the past 2012 championship season, the seniors were exceptional leaders.  They were all winners, leaving no room for losing.  They had great support from the students, the faculty and the townspeople.  Bohn was more that a coach he was truly a friend to all of his players and to their parents and families.

Of all that the soccer program has accomplished over the past 100 years, the game for the 2012 Patriot League Championship between Lafayette College and American University was a wonderful college success story.  Dennis knew American's weaknesses and took to the field to exploit them.  Yes, American was talented, but they didn't have the teamwork, togetherness, pride, spirit and confidence that was shown by the Lafayette players that day!

On that day, on that American home field, Lafayette was a team that could not be denied.  I was never proud of a Lafayette soccer team than I was the day the team shocked the soccer world with a win over American to win the Patriot League Championship Title.  The hometown referees were always partial to the American team, but Lafayette played so well that there was nothing the referees could do to change the outcome of the game.  It wasn't only that the Lafayette team won the game, - it was how they won the game.  Talent alone can win games, but talent, teamwork, and togetherness win championship titles.  American didn't have the quality of teamwork that Lafayette possessed.  When it was apparent that the control of the game was in the hands of the Leopards, the American team fell apart.  The leopards played tough and got a 2-0 lead and the defense was ready to take over.  Everything was in Lafayette's favor.  We had more shots on goal, more times in front of the net, more turnovers and the referees were giving us a fair break. There was much celebration as the game ended in a spectacular win!

It was a wonderful moment in time as the Lafayette Leopards were champions and, yes, so proud of it!  They were bound together with love, appreciation of each other and a bond that would never break.  They would walk together as champions forever and no one could take that away from them.  The boys held the trophy high while the cameras captured the emotion and excitement of the moment.  What a wonderful ending and great celebration for the newly named "Kings" of the Patriot League.

THE ROSTER:

Sean: Captain and the leader of the team
Josh: The motor that never stopped
Rob: The Professor of the defense and a guiding light
Nick: Solid as a rock as a freshman
Blake: So cool, the coveted Scholar-Athlete Award of 2012/2013
Peter: Great performance, improves each year
Kyle: Solid as a rock and always looking to score
Alex: Will be one of our best In 2013/2014
Zach: A leader on and off the field.  Pepper Prize Winner!!!!!
Nate: Goalie.  Amazing all season long

And here is a personal note to the incoming freshman.  Welcome to Lafayette College!  It is a very special place.  Academics are an absolute must along with your soccer career.  Lafayette has a superb faculty and many of you will become scholar athletes.  Your team will be playing on a beautiful fall night under the lights with the coeds cheering in the stands and the College alumni and townsmen standing along the fence cheering you on but certainly working over the opposing team.  This kind of evening will certainly seal the fact that you made the correct decision and are officially part of the Leopard family.  

Through the generosity of my daughter and son-in-law, themselves both scholar athletes at Lafayette in the late 1970's, the Oaks Leadership Academy has become a major part of our scholar athletic programs.  Potential leaders on the various athlete teams participate and we are fortunate to have the people of Jansenn Peak Performance running the Academy.  Leadership is all about relationships and togetherness on and off the field. Always being positive and supportive breeds a winning attitude.  Yes, the Lafayette soccer team has a bit of a swagger in their walk these days because they are positive and supportive with each other every day. The really do "have each other's back"!  They are taught to be always encouraging, to believe in themselves and their teammates and to show the opposing team how team work and togetherness can win championships!  Always be honest, support and challenge each other and most importantly, trust your teammates and your coach and they in turn will trust you.  Play the Lafayette College's way – hard, tough, clean, smart and most of all play together as a team.  Love and respect each other.  Win a Patriot League Championship and you will walk with your teammates as champions forever!