American Eagles men's soccer

History

Early history (1949–1968)

American University kicked off its varsity men's soccer program in 1949 as a member of the Mason-Dixon Conference in the NCAA College Division, the predecessor to Division II, but suspended it after just two seasons when a study by the board of trustees decided the school was too small to field a competitive team (the Eagles had compiled a 2–10 overall record) and the sport was too expensive to fund. It was revived, however, in 1954, with the hopes of replacing the role of the football program (ended by the Board in 1942) as the centerpiece of homecoming weekend and a source of school spirit.

The program had achieved a modicum of success under six different head coaches by the mid-1960s when AU made the decision to move to Division I (the then-University Division), announcing in the spring of 1966 that it would join the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), the largest in the nation, for the 1966–67 collegiate year. That left no time, however, to schedule enough conference opponents to be eligible for the MAC's soccer championship, so the Eagles continued to compete in the Mason-Dixon Conference in soccer for one additional season. Since the other schools in the MAC's University Division did not operate as their own division until the 1969 season, this effectively enabled AU to use the 1966–1968 seasons to transition to Division I. The Eagles compiled a 2–14 record against other D1 schools (while going 6-14-3 against D2 opponents in the Mason-Dixon Conference and MAC College Division) over that time under the tenure of tennis coach Larry Nyce for two seasons, then Ned Boehm.

Move to Division I (1969–1971)

The 1969 season marked the beginning of MAC University Division soccer and AU's real foray into Division 1 under Coach Boehm, with the team compiling a 3–4–1 record against D1 opponents, going 1–3–1 in conference play against the rest of the MAC University Division's eastern section (tying Hofstra at home, beating La Salle on the road, then losing to West Chester at home as well as road games against St. Joseph's and Temple). Junior defender Jeff Wood and freshman forward Fahad Al-Rajaan were named to the all-MAC eastern team, while senior defender Chris Kalavritinos and junior goalkeeper Ira Kamens were named to the NCAA's all-South region team.

In 1970, Boehm left the athletics department to accept a job as assistant director of admissions. His replacement was Sidwell Friends head coach Dick Stimson, who had won three high school championships in eight seasons there, including going undefeated in 1967. The 1970 Eagles would have compiled a 3–5–1 record against D1 competition but for a bizarre game at Reeves Field against new conference foe Drexel. It was a wild affair, with the Eagles blowing a 2–1 lead after trailing 0–1, Al-Rajaan scoring a hat trick on AU's first 3 goals, and junior Jim Tate tying the game 5–5 (after he had previously tied it at 4 on a goal off a corner kick) with just seconds remaining in regulation. With two minutes to play in the second overtime period, Drexel head coach Don Yonker was ejected from the game for assisting one of his players whose leg had cramped despite the referee not stopping play. But he refused to leave the field, so the game was called a forfeit.

AU soccer's coaching carousel would continue in 1971 with Stimson's departure. But Boehm helped recruit Scottish-Canadian John Kerr Sr., a member of the Canadian Men's National Team and professional player in the NASL (at the time for the Washington Darts), who had coached Georgetown's freshman team to an undefeated record in 1970. The student-athletes immediately responded to Kerr's experience as a professional international soccer player who was willing to practice with them and share techniques. Most importantly to the Eagles, Kerr nurtured the sudden interest in soccer by sophomore Kurt Kuykendall, who had been cut from the varsity basketball team after his freshman year and threw himself into learning how to play goalkeeper—a position that was open on the team after the graduation of Kamens. Though the 1971 Eagles’ 2–5–1 record against D1 opponents appeared to be a step backward, the team's play was much improved qualitatively. Four Eagles were named to the all-MAC eastern team: Al-Rajaan, junior defender Kenny Davidson, junior midfielder Mark (Lowenstein) Grabow, and sophomore forward Alan Ross. (Kuykendall, Lowenstein and Ross would all play professionally in the NASL for the new Washington Diplomats after graduating.) However, the Darts moved to south Florida over the winter (where they would eventually be reborn as one of the key franchises of the NASL's glory years, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers) and Kerr's contract was sold to the New York Cosmos. Another coaching change was yet again in the works for the Eagles, but few could have guessed the 20 years of stability and unprecedented success (for AU athletics) that coach would bring.

The Mehlert era begins (1972–1973)

Pete Mehlert was born in Shanghai; raised in Hong Kong, London and Bethesda; and played soccer at Walter Johnson High School and Boston University, where the aggressive, combative—if undersized—midfielder was twice named to the All-New England region team. A year after graduating BU, he was hired as American's first full-time soccer coach. Inheriting four all-conference players, in 1972 he guided the Eagles to a 3–5 record against D1 competition, including two wins against conference foes (including the program's first-ever against 1961 NCAA champion West Chester thanks to a shutout by Kuykendall and a dramatic header by freshman forward Mark McDonough.) Senior forward Brian O’Neill, Kuykendall and Lowenstein all were named to the all-MAC University Division east team, with Lowenstein being named eastern section MVP.

The Eagles continued to improve in 1973 with their first-ever winning season against D1 competition and a .500 record against MAC conference foes, including road wins in Philadelphia against La Salle and Drexel. Al-Rajaan (as a fifth-year senior – he sat out the 1972 season for personal reasons), Kuykendall and Ross were again named to the MAC University Division eastern all-star team. In a move that would foreshadow his trademark penchant for lining up the best opposition in the country, Mehlert scheduled a year-end match under the lights at Washington & Lee High School in Arlington against St. Louis University—who had won the NCAA championship nine of the previous 14 seasons and would win their tenth a few weeks later. Despite outshooting the Eagles 26–8, the Billikens only won 1–0 thanks to Kuykendall's 22 saves. In December he would be named an honorable mention all-American. The capstone to Kuykendall's collegiate career would occur in January 1974, when the NASL expansion Washington Diplomats drafted him with the #2 overall pick.

While the Mehlert era was off to a great start, big changes loomed: In 1973, the NCAA created its current three division structure. For 1974, 12 of the 13 MAC University Division schools (all except Gettysburg) decided to form their own new multi-sport Division I conference—the East Coast Conference—rather than continue in the MAC's multi-division structure. (The rest of the MAC would shortly move to Division III status.) How would AU adjust? And how would Mehlert replace the best player in school history to date in the critical position guarding the nets?

New conference, familiar foes (1974–1976)

The East Coast Conference (ECC) retained the MAC University Division's east–west sectional alignment—which reflected more of a big market-small market division than geography, with West Chester moving into the West Division (along with Bucknell, Delaware, Lafayette, Lehigh and Rider) and AU remaining in the East with the four Philadelphia schools (Drexel, La Salle, St. Joseph's and Temple) and Long Island-based Hofstra. But not wanting to lose such a high-quality regular opponent, Mehlert would continue to schedule the Golden Rams until they would eventually leave Division I in 1982. The 1974 season would also see AU's first game against the University of Maryland, a 2–3 loss in College Park, beginning another top-notch annual local rivalry. Unhappy with his three candidates to succeed Kuykendall at goalkeeper, Mehlert asked senior midfielder John Rachlin to try the position after watching him “fooling around” in the nets during practice. Despite not having ever previously played the position in a competitive game, Rachlin would help the Eagles attain a 3–4–2 record against D1 opponents and a 1–2–2 mark in the ECC East, beating West Chester at home and earning shutouts against Hofstra on the road in his first win and Georgetown at home to end the season. After a shaky start that included AU's first loss to local rival George Washington in 6 years, the selfless Rachlin earned enthusiastic support from his teammates and praise from Mehlert.

There are many differences in the rules of college soccer compared to the professional and international game, including the ability of substituted players to re-enter the game (with certain limitations) and a game-clock that counts in the wrong direction (backwards). Another critical difference is the treatment of regular-season ties, which the NCAA over the decades has tried various ways to resolve, using overtime periods of different durations under both timed and sudden-death rules. If college soccer was played like soccer in the rest of the world, the Eagles would have been undefeated against D1 opponents in 1975, but officially were 5–2–3 (thanks to a 1–2–3 record in their 6 overtime games, including a heartbreaking own-goal loss to West Chester on the road and a home overtime loss to Temple—the closest the Eagles had come to beating the traditional-powerhouse Owls in 10 tries). They also had their first-ever winning record in conference play, going 3–1–1 including their first win over St. Joseph's (they were previously 0–7–2 against the Hawks). Junior goalkeeper Jack Cassell (a name very familiar to the AU community) brought stability in the nets for the Eagles, recording four shutouts against D1 opponents. In recognition of their most-successful season to date, four Eagles were named to the all-ECC East Division team: defender Ted Nussdorfer (junior), midfielder Mbakiso "Reggie" Dambe (senior), and forwards Alex Chambers (senior) and Aidan Cunningham (freshman).

Welcome to the post-season! (1977–1979)

The 1977 season would be a streaky one, but ultimately prove the most successful in AU history to date. The Eagles won their first division championship thanks to two 1–0 overtime victories over Temple; one at Reeves Field, the other a playoff game in Philadelphia that served as the tie-breaker for the two schools' identical 4–1 conference records. Making the accomplishment all the more impressive was the Eagles’ previous 0–11 record against the Owls since turning D1 in 1966. Both winning goals were scored by senior transfer Rolf Neitzel—who had previously attended Montgomery College and the Naval Academy and would emerge as AU's most dangerous scoring threat—on crosses by the Eagles’ outstanding midfielders: sophomore Calderon (in the regular-season game) and junior Cunningham (in the playoff game). Other highlights included: a return to Old Dominion's tournament, where AU lost to Long Island University before ending their early 0–3 start against D1 opponents with a victory against Virginia Military Institute; the beginning of another new local rivalry, this time against 1971 and 1974 NCAA champion Howard University (the Eagles lost to the Bison 1–3 at home); 5 shutouts against D1 opponents by junior goalkeeper Vecchione; and a 5-game midseason winning streak. To end the season, the Eagles would face West Division champion West Chester in the ECC title game. The 1–2 home loss to the Golden Rams was disappointing considering the Eagles had beaten them on the road 3–0 earlier in the season, but Neitzel suffered a head injury and West Chester was the hungrier team and outplayed AU. Neitzel, Cunningham and senior defender Garn Anderson were all named to the all-ECC East Division team as AU finished with an 8–8 record against D1 opponents. But a sense of unfinished business from 1977 would fuel Mehlert and the returning Eagles to greater heights over the next two seasons.

It would be a year of firsts for the Eagles in 1978: the beginning of another local rivalry with new Division I entrant George Mason University (setting the tone for that intense rivalry with a 0–0 tie against the Patriots in Fairfax), going undefeated at home against D1 competition (6–0), and AU's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in any team sport thanks to an at-large bid—despite not winning the ECC title but posting an 8–4–1 regular-season record against D1 opponents. The modest freshman forward Kevin Barth picked up where Neitzel left off the previous season, with his head emerging as the most dangerous part of the Eagles’ offense. Vecchione had 6 shutouts against D1 competition, including three straight to end the regular season. The Eagles avenged their 1977 ECC title-game loss with a 3–0 victory over West Chester at Reeves Field, but their inability to beat Philadelphia nemeses Temple and St. Joseph's on the road left them with a 3–2 conference record and out of contention for the conference championship. The NCAA tournament selection committee, however, would deem them worthy of a chance for a national title. But the Eagles seemed outmatched and a bit overwhelmed on the road against undefeated Clemson, losing 0–4. (Clemson would finally fall in the College Cup, losing to national champion San Francisco in the semifinals). Junior Calderon and freshman Barth were named to the all-ECC East Division team (and others may have as well; ECC records are difficult to locate). The experience of playing in the NCAA tournament would help shape an even-more successful season in 1979, but the Eagles would first have to replace the graduating Vecchione in the nets.

Conference affiliations

The soccer team has played in several conferences, detailed below:

Players

Current roster

As of 19 Sep 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Coaching staff

As of 19 Sep 2024

Post-season honors

Final national rankings

2001: #14 in coaches poll

1997: #5 in coaches poll/ #8 in media poll

1985: #5 in coaches poll/ #8 in media poll

1984: #18 in media poll

1979: #14 in coaches poll

National awards

Player of the Year:

1985: Michael Brady (ISAA coaches award and Soccer America media award—the Hermann Trophy went to Duke's Tom Kain)

Coach of the Year:

1985: Pete Mehlert

All-Americans:

1997: Second Team - Forward Scott Pearson

1985: First Team - Forward Michael Brady; Second Team - Defender Keith Trehy

1984: Second Team - Forward Michael Brady

1983: First Team - Midfielder Michael Brady

1973: Honorable Mention - Goalkeeper Kurt Kuykendall

Conference awards

2025: Patriot League Midfielder of the Year - Troy Elgersma; Goalkeeper of the Year - Matthew Tibbetts; Coach of the Year - Zach Samol

2024: Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year - Forward Troy Elgersma

AU alumni in the pros and international soccer

Eleven AU alumni so far have appeared in a Major League Soccer (MLS) or North American Soccer League (NASL) game:

Defender Avery John played in 70 games from 2004 to 2009 with the New England Revolution and D.C. United. He also played in 75 games over 4 seasons from 1999 to 2003 with Irish first division clubs Bohemians, Shelbourne and Longford Town.

Midfielder Antonio Otero played in 25 games with D.C. United from 1999 to 2000. He was a Generation Adidas amateur signee with MLS in 1999 and assigned to D.C. United.

Defender John Diffley played in only 19 games from 1996 to 1997 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Sporting Kansas City at the end of his career because there was no US first division league after he graduated in 1989 until MLS was launched in 1996. Tampa Bay selected him with the 27th pick in the MLS inaugural player draft.

Midfielder David Nakhid played in 18 games in 1998 with the Revolution. He also played in 83 games over 4 seasons in European first division domestic leagues from 1990 to 1994: 42 matches with former Belgian first division club KSV Waragem from 1990 to 1992, and 41 with Swiss first division club Grasshoppers from 1992 to 1994. As a 1987 graduate, his playing career was also impacted by the lack of a top-level US pro league from 1985 to 1995.

Goalkeeper Kurt Kuykendall played in 15 games from 1974 to 1976 with the Washington Diplomats and New York Cosmos. The Diplomats selected him with the second pick in the 1974 draft.

Midfielder Troy Elgersma is actively playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2026.

Midfielder Mark (Lowenstein) Grabow played in 3 games with the Diplomats in 1976.

Midfielder Shawn Kuykendall played in 2 games with D.C. United in 2005. He was selected by D.C. United with the 96th pick in the 2005 draft.

NCAA tournament appearances

Division I tournament: 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2020

Titles

Source:

Conference

Tournament

ECC (1): 1979

CAA (2): 1997

Patriot League (3): 2001, 2004, 2020

Regular season

ECC (4): 19771, 1979, 1982, 1983

ECAC (1): 19841

CAA (1): 19851

Patriot League (7): 20041, 20051, 20081, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2025