Lehigh University Athletics
Hidden Talent
9/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Not many college coaches noticed Evan Bruno when he came out of high school. Now they notice him plenty, usually beating their defense and putting one in the back of their goal.
While playing at Middletown High School in Middletown, NJ, the forward did not attract much attention from the college ranks. Monmouth University, only a short drive from Bruno’s home, offered him a full scholarship, but not many other schools showed much interest.
"Monmouth is only about 15 minutes from where I grew up, so they saw me play a lot," Bruno said. "They offered me the scholarship, but they were really the only ones to recruit me very much."
Head coach Dean Koski had gotten the opportunity to watch Bruno play for a week at the MetroStars camp. "Evan wasn’t the best player there," Koski recalls. "But getting that much time to watch any player, you can see the total package. He’s the classic example of a player with a lot of potential to grow. Also, he had the physical and mental attributes needed to succeed at the college level. I don’t think a lot of school’s recognized the potential Evan had," Koski continues. "We were fortunate to have identified him."
The rest is history. Bruno started as a freshman in 1999 and tied for the team lead in scoring with six goals, three assists, and 15 points. He followed that up with one of the greatest offensive seasons in Lehigh history. En route to the Mountain Hawks first ever Patriot League Tournament Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament, Bruno scored 42 points from 18 goals and six assists. The nation’s 11th leading scorer (0.86 goals/game) was honored as the Patriot League’s Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the Mid-Atlantic Region’s First Team.
"Evan matured a lot as a player that year and refined his game," recollects Koski. "He began to figure things out and saw that he belonged here and that he could make a difference. Once a player gets to that point, he’s going to pursue it. Plus, he’s had a fantastic cast of players around him to put him in an environment to enable him to succeed."
The success continued his junior year in 2001, but not right away. Bruno missed the first two games of the season with a knee injury. Upon his return, he and the team returned to their old form, winning seven straight at one point. Bruno once again led the team in scoring with 23 points from nine goals and five assists. He was again named to the Mid-Atlantic Region’s First team and added All-American status to his resume after being selected to the NSCAA Third Team.
For Lehigh senior Evan Bruno and his soccer teammates, this season has been filled with many twists. Playing a difficult early season schedule Lehigh started 2-4-1. At the same time Bruno, typically a forward was playing midfield. Eighteen days ago Bruno was back at his customary forward position and the Mountain Hawks have win six straight matches, including wins over 18th ranked Duke and 21st ranked Pennsylvania. Now Lehigh finds itself with its highest national ranking ever, at No. 17.
"People tend to look at the numbers and think he hasn’t done as well this season," remarks Koski. "But in my opinion, Evan’s having a better year this year than he did last season. We moved him to the attacking midfield position to start the season. That he did so without hesitation after being an All-American at the forward position shows his commitment to the team."
Not surprisingly, Bruno picked up his play during the six game win streak, notching a pair of goals and five assists. He once again leads the squad with five goals, six helpers, and 16 points, despite missing one game and part of another due to injury.
"When I first came here, we couldn’t get teams like that to play us," Bruno remarked about the ranked Blue Devils and Quakers. "That those teams want to play us now just shows how much the program has grown in the last few years. It’s always more exciting playing teams that are ranked too. You get a chance to see how you stack up against the best."
Bruno is not the only New Jersey native on the Lehigh squad. In fact, nearly half the roster hails from the Garden State. He did not know any of them personally before becoming their teammates, but he had heard of them from high school and club action. Having so many guys from his home state provides an extra comfort level for the senior. "It’s our own little fraternity," he observed. "We make fun of the Pennsylvania guys a lot."
One thing that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is that Bruno and his teammates do not just play in the fall, they effectively play year round. He plays all summer on the Match Fit Academy club team. Fellow Mountain Hawk seniors goalie Ryan Grzeszczak, midfielder Dan Perciballi and back Matt Weick also play for the team Match Fit Academy team that qualified for the national championships this past summer. There is also a spring season where the Lehigh men play on Saturdays, and in the winter, the Lehigh team captains run off-season workouts.
Bruno is closing in on some milestones as his senior season winds down. The senior currently sits third on Lehigh’s all-time goals scored list with 38, and is second in both assists with 20 and points with 96. Such hallowed ground is not somewhere the forward expected to be when he came to Bethlehem. "I never expected to be good," he remembers. "I was surprised to start as a freshman, and everything else since is just extra."
"Evan continues the succession of great players here at Lehigh that includes Will Orben, Andrew Mittendorf and Kevin Jackson," Koski notes. "But the thing that has set Evan apart is the cast of players we have around him. Even just the other guys in his class that he’s played with for four years, like Grzeszczak and Perciballi, who are top players at their positions in the league. The others didn’t have that."
"Playing with Evan for four years has been great," Grzeszczak commented. "Coming in, I didn’t know much about him. But, after freshman year, he showed he was no joke. He’s all business out there. What stands out about Evan, to me, is his knowledge of the game. He’s spent a lot of time with Coach Koski learning the forward position. He’s very committed to improving himself."
When his days playing on the grass at the Ulrich Sports Complex are done, Bruno aspires to keep his soccer career going. He hopes to get a chance in the MLS, the A-League, or even in Europe. "I’d love to play in the MLS or anywhere," he says. "I think I could make it if I’m in the right situation with the right coach."
If someone gives him a chance, they might be surprised what they find.
While playing at Middletown High School in Middletown, NJ, the forward did not attract much attention from the college ranks. Monmouth University, only a short drive from Bruno’s home, offered him a full scholarship, but not many other schools showed much interest.
"Monmouth is only about 15 minutes from where I grew up, so they saw me play a lot," Bruno said. "They offered me the scholarship, but they were really the only ones to recruit me very much."
Head coach Dean Koski had gotten the opportunity to watch Bruno play for a week at the MetroStars camp. "Evan wasn’t the best player there," Koski recalls. "But getting that much time to watch any player, you can see the total package. He’s the classic example of a player with a lot of potential to grow. Also, he had the physical and mental attributes needed to succeed at the college level. I don’t think a lot of school’s recognized the potential Evan had," Koski continues. "We were fortunate to have identified him."
The rest is history. Bruno started as a freshman in 1999 and tied for the team lead in scoring with six goals, three assists, and 15 points. He followed that up with one of the greatest offensive seasons in Lehigh history. En route to the Mountain Hawks first ever Patriot League Tournament Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament, Bruno scored 42 points from 18 goals and six assists. The nation’s 11th leading scorer (0.86 goals/game) was honored as the Patriot League’s Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the Mid-Atlantic Region’s First Team.
"Evan matured a lot as a player that year and refined his game," recollects Koski. "He began to figure things out and saw that he belonged here and that he could make a difference. Once a player gets to that point, he’s going to pursue it. Plus, he’s had a fantastic cast of players around him to put him in an environment to enable him to succeed."
The success continued his junior year in 2001, but not right away. Bruno missed the first two games of the season with a knee injury. Upon his return, he and the team returned to their old form, winning seven straight at one point. Bruno once again led the team in scoring with 23 points from nine goals and five assists. He was again named to the Mid-Atlantic Region’s First team and added All-American status to his resume after being selected to the NSCAA Third Team.
For Lehigh senior Evan Bruno and his soccer teammates, this season has been filled with many twists. Playing a difficult early season schedule Lehigh started 2-4-1. At the same time Bruno, typically a forward was playing midfield. Eighteen days ago Bruno was back at his customary forward position and the Mountain Hawks have win six straight matches, including wins over 18th ranked Duke and 21st ranked Pennsylvania. Now Lehigh finds itself with its highest national ranking ever, at No. 17.
"People tend to look at the numbers and think he hasn’t done as well this season," remarks Koski. "But in my opinion, Evan’s having a better year this year than he did last season. We moved him to the attacking midfield position to start the season. That he did so without hesitation after being an All-American at the forward position shows his commitment to the team."
Not surprisingly, Bruno picked up his play during the six game win streak, notching a pair of goals and five assists. He once again leads the squad with five goals, six helpers, and 16 points, despite missing one game and part of another due to injury.
"When I first came here, we couldn’t get teams like that to play us," Bruno remarked about the ranked Blue Devils and Quakers. "That those teams want to play us now just shows how much the program has grown in the last few years. It’s always more exciting playing teams that are ranked too. You get a chance to see how you stack up against the best."
Bruno is not the only New Jersey native on the Lehigh squad. In fact, nearly half the roster hails from the Garden State. He did not know any of them personally before becoming their teammates, but he had heard of them from high school and club action. Having so many guys from his home state provides an extra comfort level for the senior. "It’s our own little fraternity," he observed. "We make fun of the Pennsylvania guys a lot."
One thing that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is that Bruno and his teammates do not just play in the fall, they effectively play year round. He plays all summer on the Match Fit Academy club team. Fellow Mountain Hawk seniors goalie Ryan Grzeszczak, midfielder Dan Perciballi and back Matt Weick also play for the team Match Fit Academy team that qualified for the national championships this past summer. There is also a spring season where the Lehigh men play on Saturdays, and in the winter, the Lehigh team captains run off-season workouts.
Bruno is closing in on some milestones as his senior season winds down. The senior currently sits third on Lehigh’s all-time goals scored list with 38, and is second in both assists with 20 and points with 96. Such hallowed ground is not somewhere the forward expected to be when he came to Bethlehem. "I never expected to be good," he remembers. "I was surprised to start as a freshman, and everything else since is just extra."
"Evan continues the succession of great players here at Lehigh that includes Will Orben, Andrew Mittendorf and Kevin Jackson," Koski notes. "But the thing that has set Evan apart is the cast of players we have around him. Even just the other guys in his class that he’s played with for four years, like Grzeszczak and Perciballi, who are top players at their positions in the league. The others didn’t have that."
"Playing with Evan for four years has been great," Grzeszczak commented. "Coming in, I didn’t know much about him. But, after freshman year, he showed he was no joke. He’s all business out there. What stands out about Evan, to me, is his knowledge of the game. He’s spent a lot of time with Coach Koski learning the forward position. He’s very committed to improving himself."
When his days playing on the grass at the Ulrich Sports Complex are done, Bruno aspires to keep his soccer career going. He hopes to get a chance in the MLS, the A-League, or even in Europe. "I’d love to play in the MLS or anywhere," he says. "I think I could make it if I’m in the right situation with the right coach."
If someone gives him a chance, they might be surprised what they find.
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