@jeremyroth44[/author_info] [/author]
EWING – The College of New Jersey is home to some of the state’s standout student-athletes, and that has been the case since the Trenton State College days. Also, where there are great players, there are even better coaches within the supporting cast.
Saturday afternoon’s game against Kean University did not end in the Lions’ favor, but the program as a whole still had a reason to celebrate.
At halftime of the men’s soccer team’s 4-1 loss to Kean, the all-time greats of the program’s history were honored.
First, the home fans gave a standing ovation to the 2005 team that won both the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships. This year marks the 10-year anniversary for the team that finished the year with an astounding 16-3-1 record, and made it as far as the NCAA tournament quarterfinals.
Standing alongside them was the 1995 Lions team that was celebrating its 15-year anniversary of the season in which they also made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. The accomplishments of both teams marked some of the major milestones for TCNJ soccer, and even the Kean fans applauded with appreciation.
Following the ceremony in which all the former players received commemorative hats signifying their accomplishments, current head coach George Nazario took the field with his family to receive his acknowledgments from the crowd.
In the team’s season opener against York College, the Lions dominated in all aspects of the game to capture a 4-0 blowout victory. Not only was this the first win of the season for the team, but it was the 200th of Nazario’s stellar career.
“He has a great soccer mind,” said junior forward Sean Etheridge. “He knows how to win and has been around long enough to know exactly what it takes.”
During his 20-year tenor as the head coach of the Lions, Nazario has a 205-145-43 record and two NJAC titles under his belt. Within that time span, he has collected 12 winning seasons and 2010 NJAC coach of the year honors.
Not to mention, Nazario helped the school capture its first ever NCAA championship in a 1996 season that will forever be cherished in the program’s history books.
With a current 6-2-2 record, Nazario’s Lions are heading into the meat of their schedule, in which they will face NJAC opponents in seven of their final eight games. The sky is the limit for his coaching expertise, and the Lions hope to bring him to the promise land once again.