Former, current NU soccer players seek professional careers

By Dana Harris
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Two former Norwich University soccer players will be attending a preseason mini camp for the Rochester Rhinos. Former Cadet Tim Kyrkostas and senior goalie Josh McElroy trained with the Rhinos on March 18.

Timmy Kyrkostas, 25, a 2002 Norwich graduate who is now living in Northfield, Vt., and serving as a volunteer assistant coach, said, "the Rochester Rhinos are the best A-league team in the U.S. and Canada. The A-league is the league right below major league soccer; in fact, Rochester usually beats most of the teams in the major league soccer."

Since Kyrkostas graduated Norwich last May, he trained very hard for hockey during the summer and was selected to go the Washington Capitals Rookie training camp down in Washington in July. He played extremely well.

"I surprised the organization with my work ethic and my attitude, and for that they wanted to put me in their minor league system, which was in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and I was playing, but for some reason that burning desire in my heart to play the game just wasn't there. I can't explain why," Kyrkostas said.

That burning sensation was more for soccer than it was for hockey. Kyrkostas wanted to come back north and meet up with his former soccer coach, again, but decided to help coaches and the soccer program out, as well.

"I realized that if I wanted to play a pro sport I should try soccer, first," said Kyrkostas.
Josh McElroy is good enough to make the team. He had incredible numbers in college, his attitude is great, he is maturing, he can be a professional, and we believe he can do it, according to Kyrkostas.

Kyrkostas said, "I believe he can do it. So we called the coaching staff up, and they weren't too sure about us, but after Coach Friske sold them that we were legitimate, serious young athletes, they decided to give us a shot and bring us into their mini-training camp in a couple of weeks."

According to Kyrkostas, even though he would be able to play during the soccer season, since it starts from March through early September, he could join the men's Norwich soccer team in September by missing a week or two of preseason or maybe two or three games.

Since the pro hockey team does not start until late October or early November in the minor leagues system, "I know I could go back if I wanted to," said Kyrkostas.

"Josh and I just want to go to Rochester with a positive attitude. We want to be the first guys on the field every day and the last guys to leave the field," said Kyrkostas.

Putting pressure on themselves as rookies would be too much for Kyrkostas and McElroy, since they're not going to be expected to come in, start, and star on the team, according to Kyrkostas.

"If they like our work ethic and they think we're good enough players, they might give us a chance, and if they give us a chance, we can grow into becoming professional athletes," Kyrkostas said.

Players have to maintain their strength and their bodies in the weight room and take good care of themselves. They get to play in front of large crowds, they get to travel, and it's a great experience for a young person, Kyrkostas said.

"You have to stay committed 24/7 and sacrifice everything, food you eat, sleep, your work ethic, diet, body weight, and workouts," Kyrkostas explained. "It's work, it's a job, and you have to be committed to what you are doing. You wake up, and instead of going to the office you go to the hockey rink or the soccer field, and you put in your two hours of hard work on the field or on the ice."

"I got the opportunity in hockey and hopefully I can get the opportunity in soccer. Josh and I are just going to go in and work our butts off and have fun," said Kyrkostas.

Since Kyrkostas enjoys coaching, he may stay in Northfield and coach if he doesn't make the team. While loving the competition and being involved in athletics, helping other serious young athletes would improve his own performance, Kyrkostas said.

With the excellent experience he had at Norwich, he realized that NU is his home away from home, and to come back and get a coaching spot at his alma mater would be an incredible opportunity, Kyrkostas said.

"I think it's going to be successful for myself and the university, and I think it's going to be a good situation, and I'm just happy to be doing it now." he said.

"Coach McShane is a huge positive influence on all of the coaches at this university. It's going to be successful for many seasons to come; we really believe that," said Kyrkostas.

If the coaches can get the players who are serious and mature in the classroom to transfer that maturity and seriousness over to the field, the task will be simple for the coaches as well as players.

"We want guys we know in crunch time to get the job done because they get the job done in the classroom," said Kyrkostas.

In order to take the program one extra step, they would have to do more then just win their league like they have for the past three or four years. They will need to do more than go to the NCAA tournament and make it to the "Sweet Sixteen," as they did two years ago.

They will have to put this "program up there where the hockey program is, and I think we can do it, to be honest with you, because everything else that they have done has gone a little unnoticeable," Kyrkostas said.

"I think the hockey program has the perfect blueprint for success. They have been so successful for the past couple of years that I'm just trying to bring that blueprint and execute it towards the soccer side of things," he explained.

The guys on the soccer team have tremendous amount of potential and capabilities, and have the opportunity to learn what success really means, according to Kyrkostas.

Kyrkostas said, "Coach McShane is also incredible through his organization, structure, and his discipline; those are three things you need to have to be successful in college and in the professional ranks. So that's my philosophy, as a player and as a coach, now."

Leaving hockey was to expand Kyrkostas' own horizons and skills overall, and by doing that he has "taken a lot of lessons from the hockey and brought them over to the other part of his life," which was soccer, according to Kyrkostas. "Josh and I just want to contribute to the team, not take over or have big heads and think we're Shaq and Kobe; we're more like Samaki Walker and Robert Horry."

Kyrkostas stated that some people assume that professional is NHL, but "if you're playing a sport and receiving a nice sum of money and you love what you're doing, it's professional, it really is, and for that it's a fun life, and I hope to get the opportunity to do it again."

McElroy, 22, a senior Architecture major from Boyertown, Penn., said, "I'm nervous, as well; I was doing research on their goalkeeper, and I was kind of intimidated."

With school on McElroy's mind, he will continue to look up to McShane and Kyrkostas as having a huge impact in regards to the person he is today as a teammate and a student athlete, according to McElroy.

"All I want to do is get my master's (degree), and that will be my life, until my name is picked up from another team. I want to finish up school before signing any contracts," said McElroy. "This is a great opportunity to accomplish one of many goals."

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