SUNY COBLESKILL MEN’S SOCCER LANDS TRIFECTA OF SECTION II SOCCER TALENT
SUNY Cobleskill Head Men’s Soccer Coach Rob Szmarz has been known on occasion to enjoy a leisurely August afternoon in Saratoga, NY watching some of horse racings best thoroughbred talent compete for exceptional prize money. But long before the fourth-year Fighting Tiger mentor takes I-87 north this summer, he has already hit a trifecta of Section II soccer talent with commitments from: Middleburgh High School standout forward Austin Standhardt, Voorheesville High School star midfielder/forward Greg Klopfer and high scoring Hartford High School forward Aaron Aiken.
“With Austin, Greg and Aaron, I think we’ve started to put together a recruiting class with a pedigree that can take us, more often than not, to the winner’s circle. In Region III soccer you have to have first rate thoroughbreds to compete and I think we’ve definitely hit the recruiting trifecta today with these three young men because of the combination of their playing ability and their character,” said Szmarz.
If the 2005 edition of the Fighting Tigers was at times offensively challenged; the addition of Austin Standhart, Middleburgh, NY, should help alleviate the problem. The Section II career leader in goals scored with 133 during his prep career, Standhart was a four-time Western Athletic Conference All-Conference Selection and the league’s Most-Valuable-Player in 2005. He was also a four-time selection to the New York State Section II Class C All-Star squad and a member of the Albany Times Union Capital District All-Star Team in 2005. A three-time New York State Public High School Scholar/Athlete Team selection Standhart intends to major in Sports Management while at Cobleskill.
Named the 2005 New York State Section II Class B Player-of-the-Year; after leading Voorheesville High School to the Section II Championship Greg Klopfer, Voorheesville, NY, brings an impressive resume with him to the Fighting Tiger program. Selected to the All-Colonial Council First Team four-times Klopfer was named the league’s Most-Valuable-Player in 2005 after leading the conference in scoring for three consecutive seasons. Additionally, he was selected to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association All-State Fourth Team in 2005 and was twice named to the Albany Times Union’s Section II All-Star Team as a second team selection in 2004 and a first team honoree in 2005. While at Cobleskill Klopfer intends to major in the college’s Physical Education/Recreation/Sports Studies program.
Completing the trifecta for the Fighting Tigers is forward Aaron Aiken, Hartford, NY, who brings with him a nose for the goal which saw him set the New York State Section II record for most goals in a single season with 52 this year capping a three-year varsity career that saw him score 100 goals and pass out 37 assists. Aiken was a three-time First Team All-Adirondack League selection for the Tanangers leading the program to the league championships in 2003 and 2005. The high scoring forward was a three-time New York State Section II Class D All-Section Team selection and was selected by the Glens Falls Post Standard as the newspaper’s 2005 Player-of-the-Year. Academically Aiken intends to major in Business Administration while at Cobleskill.
In 2005 the Fighting Tigers posted one of the best turnaround season’s in the nation at the NJCAA Division III level as the program went from a 4-10-1 overall record with a 1-5-1 league record in 2004 to a 10-6-1 overall record with a 3-3-1 record in Mountain Valley Conference. Under Szmarz the Fighting Tigers qualified for the NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament for the first time since the 2000 season advancing to the tournament’s quarterfinal round. For his team’s achievements, Cobleskill Head Coach Rob Szmarz was named the 2005 Mountain Valley Conference Co-Coach-of-the-Year.
