A Force on the Field

"It does feel nice to be recognized for having a good season, but the awards are just a reminder of what we accomplished as a team, which is the most important part."
-BRYAN PIERZGA

It's a nerve-wracking sight for opposing coaches and players when Penn State Altoona soccer standout Bryan Pierzga steps onto the playing field. Even more alarming, the junior from State College will use his final season of eligibility to lead the Altoona Lions in 2007. When the plan to play Division I soccer at his local Penn State campus—University Park—fell through, Pierzga had no idea that his future did indeed lie at Penn State … Altoona, that is.

"Division III programs get better when they recruit DI and DII talent," states Lion head coach John Parente. "Bryan's situation is clear evidence of that."

Pierzga's name now graces the soccer history books at Penn State Altoona, when he became the school's all-time leading scorer in the early part of last season. To date, Pierzga has 103 career points via 39 goals and 25 assists, all of which are career records at the Ivyside campus. His quiet leadership, unwavering dedication, and solid on-field performance are a result of hard work and a burning love of the game.

"Soccer is my life," states Pierzga, who has played at various levels for more than sixteen years. "I didn't start taking up other hobbies like biking, snowboarding, and paintball until recently. I also used to be a skateboarder, but once soccer became more and more of a focus, I figured it'd be a good idea to stop."

What Pierzga hasn't stopped doing is collecting postseason hardware. Headlining his trophy case are two National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Mid Atlantic Region All-American awards. In 2005, he was named a third team all-region player before nabbing first team honors this past season. He joins former Hollidaysburg standout and current Lion women's soccer coach Tim Wassell as the only two Altoona players to twice receive NSCAA honors. His seventeen goals and eleven assists in 2006 were tops on the squad, which finished 14-4-2 overall and runner-up in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

For his efforts, he was selected to the AMCC first team and finished second in Player of the Year voting. He garnered recognition from D3kicks.com, earning a spot on the Mid-Atlantic Regional team. Perhaps most impressive is Pierzga's consistency, as he was named a first team all-conference performer in each of his first three seasons. After his freshman campaign in 2004, he was voted AMCC Newcomer of the Year by the conference coaches. And while the individual recognition is flattering, Pierzga is the first to pass credit to his teammates.

"No honor that I gained would have been possible without my teammates," notes Pierzga, who is interested in pursuing sports medicine upon graduation. "It does feel nice to be recognized for having a good season, but the awards are just a reminder of what we accomplished as a team, which is the most important part. The best players in the world would look foolish if not for the surrounding team."

"Bryan and two freshmen [now sophomores], Cory Suter and Tim Morris, accounted for thirty-four of the team's sixty-three goals," notes Parente. "Bryan helped make these two freshmen instant stars in the conference and they helped Bryan achieve Regional All-American status. They took pressure off of each other, which is what teammates are supposed to do."

Pierzga's story is even more remarkable when one considers his role as a prep player at State College High School. In his own words, he was a "behind the scenes midfielder" who wasn't heavily relied upon to score goals. At college, Parente asked his talented freshman to switch to the forefront striker [forward], something that Pierzga openly embraced.

"I'll do whatever it takes to put Penn State Altoona on the map," states Pierzga. "We are a young program, so we don't get as much recognition as the traditional powerhouses of Division III. But we play hard and often surprise top-notch teams, like Carnegie Mellon this past season. They were ranked ninth in the country, and we beat them 2-1. Those are the games and the moments that make everything worthwhile."

—STEVE CRIDER