The 1967 Stroudsburg Men’s soccer team is celebrating their 50th anniversary of the soccer program this season! The ’67 team is being honored this weekend for their achievements. Also, the 1971 district winning team is being inducted to the Stroudsburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame Friday, September 22 at halftime of the football game.

Both the 1967 and 1971 teams will join in a celebration which will be held onAi??Saturday, September 23 at 12:30 at Ross Stulgaitis Stadium.

This idea came about in a conversation at the 2016 soccer banquet with Student Alumni Association President Ms. SusanAi??Marsh Youngken, Ms. Ceal Yost, and former coach Mr. Michael Kane. Marsh Youngken began researching the former players and contacting them with the help of Ms. Bonnie White.

Tracking down people was ai???very difficult,ai??? Marsh Youngken explained.Ai??Despite the challenge, former players are coming from all over the country. Unfortunately, not all of the players could be reached.

Though the 1967 team obviously lacked experience, they learned basic plays and fundamentals of the game. As a result, they finished the season with a very respectable record of 6 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties.

Stroudsburg soccer gained their first major success in 1971, when they became the first Stroudsburg soccer teamAi??to win a district title with the record 9 wins, 5 losses, and 4 ties. The program continues to have success today.Ai?? In 2016, under head coach Mr. Michael Kane’s leadership, the Mounties won the Eastern Penn Conference (EPC) title.

Many of the players stay involved in coaching today. Mr.Bob Hartman, a standout player for the class of 1971, was named the 2015 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National High School Soccer Coach of the Year at Moravian after his team won the PIAA State Tournament.

Ai??ai???It’s been a tremendous program and incredibly successful up here in the north and down in the Lehigh Valley — very competitive,” said SHS principal Mr Jeffrey Sodl.

The Stroudsburg soccer program has benefited from havingAi??Ai??hard working and charismatic coaches such as Mr. Karl Dickl, Mr. C. Douglas Maclay, Mr. Jay Effross, Mr. James Ellison,and Mr. Michael Kane among them.

First year head coach Beebe hopes to continue the tradition.

Ai??ai???I think about them a lot, the big footsteps to follow in,Ai?? and the high expectations,” he said.