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MCCC Assistant Soccer Coach Larry Povia
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Alum Bill Andracki To Be Inducted into NJCAA Hall of Fame
9/11/08
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Larry Povia,
MCCC assistant soccer and goalkeeping coach, has been selected as
a 2008 inductee into the National Junior College Athletic Association
(NJCAA) Hall of Fame. He and six other inductees, including MCCC
alumnus Bill Andracki ('89), will be formally honored at the NJCAA
Division One Championship Soccer Banquet in Phoenix, AZ, in November.
One of only two assistant coaches ever to be inducted, Povia begins
his 23rd season with the Vikings men's soccer team under Head Coach
Charlie Inverso. He has helped lead the Vikings to the NJCAA Final
Four 12 times in the past 22 years and to national titles in 1988,
1991, 1995, 1996 and 2004 (five of the program's eight titles).
He has trained a long list of MCCC All-Region and All-American players.
His other duties include making travel arrangements for the team
and serving as site coordinator for field usage by community groups.
He was an original member of the Mercer National Tournament Association,
a volunteer group that worked with the MCCC Athletics Department
under the direction of Al Leister to host the NJCAA National Tournament
on the college's campus from 1982 to 1990.
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Assistant
Soccer Coach Larry Povia
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Povia
spends his work days as an information technology manager for the State
of New Jersey, but says his time after hours is devoted to Mercer soccer.
"It has been very satisfying to work with these gifted athletes,
who come from all different backgrounds. I feel I have worked with some
of the best athletes in the country all these years. I wouldn't have traded
it for anything in the world."
Inverso is gratified that Povia is being recognized for his efforts. "Soccer
is a team sport. That goes for the coaching end too," Inverso said.
"Larry's knowledge of soccer and his dedication and commitment to
the players at Mercer over the past 22 years is unmatched. The accomplishments
of Mercer's soccer program are largely due to Larry's contributions."
Inverso was inducted in the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2006.
Mercer's
second inductee is All-American goalkeeper Bill Andracki, who played for
the Vikings during their 1988 national championship season. He went on
to play at Rutgers University, where he led the Scarlet Knights to the
national final and received NCAA All-American honors. In his professional
career, he played for Major League Soccer, United Soccer Leagues (USL)
and the Major Indoor Soccer League. He spent the final years of his career
with the USL's Rochester Rhinos, where he helped the team capture three
championships as well as an Open Cup Championship in 2001.
Directions
to MCCC
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