When Cesar Markovic took over the men’s soccer program at St. Peter’s College, he vowed to elevate the level of the program to an elite status.
"I wanted to make St. Peter’s into a soccer power on the East Coast," Markovic said.
That idea had to bring about some chuckles on the collegiate soccer scene. St. Peter’s College hasn’t exactly been a soccer power for many years, if ever. The Peacocks have fielded some competitive teams over the years, but none that could be considered as a power. Markovic had some lofty goals when he came to SPC from Hunter College, where he coached for five years, taking the program to the NCAA Division III tournament during his tenure.
"I know a lot of people didn’t believe it could be done," Markovic said. "I didn’t want to listen to that small school stuff, people saying that we just couldn’t compete. I didn’t believe that. I wanted to compete with the schools like Seton Hall, St. John’s, U. Conn. I knew I didn’t want to back down to those schools, simply because we were St. Peter’s. And I wasn’t going to back down in the recruiting process."
So the hard-working Markovic went to work, trying to lure the most talented players in the New York metropolitan area to come to Harvard on the Boulevard. The idea alone is mind boggling. Why would top players want to play soccer for a program that had been consistently floundering?
The answer: Markovic’s persistence.
"I started to get some kids that St. Peter’s never got before," Markovic said. "We got some players that really began to turn heads, some big-name players. I never set limitations on what we could do. I never set any limitations on myself or on the program. It was all part of the growing process."
In Markovic’s first year as head coach, the Peacocks posted a 2-16 record. Not exactly the power that Markovic envisioned.
But things got better. The Peacocks improved to 5-13 during his second year, then made a quantum leap to a 10-6-3 mark a year ago.
"We did some nice things last year," Markovic said. "We broke some records and did some things that a St. Peter’s team hadn’t done in a while."
But this year, with a solid nucleus back from a year ago, combined with the addition of some talented freshmen, the Peacocks have achieved some heights that were never before reached in the history of the program.
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Peacocks are currently 12-4-2, on pace to the best record in the school’s history. During the course of the season, the Peacocks have already defeated perennial Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference power Loyola of Maryland and knocked off cross-state rival Seton Hall for the first time since 1984.
Last Tuesday, the Peacocks took another step in the positive direction, facing the University of Connecticut in Storrs and battling the Huskies to a 1-1 deadlock. UConn is currently ranked No. 25 in the latest collegiate soccer national poll.
"We’ve already surpassed last year’s win total and hopefully, we still have some wins left in us," Markovic said. "It’s definitely a challenge playing a team like UConn in front of 3,000 people. But those are easy games to get up for. So are games like Seton Hall and Loyola. Where we have problems are the games against Niagara with 15 people in the stands. That’s all part of the growing process as well."
The Peacocks had a chance to enhance their status in the latest NCAA Mid-Atlantic rankings last weekend, but traveled to Buffalo, losing 1-0 to Canisius and tying Niagara, 1-1.
"We out shot Canisius, 17-1, but that one shot for them went in," Markovic said. "That proved that we have to be up for every game."
So after the lost weekend in Buffalo, the Peacocks are currently ranked eighth in the Mid-Atlantic region. They will head to the MAAC tournament next week, which will be held at the Wide World of Sports complex on the grounds of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., as one of the favorites to finally capture the elusive league title.
"I think we have as good a shot as anyone," Markovic said. "We have some of the best players in the league."
However, one of those, talented junior midfielder Douglas Narvaez, is lost for the season after undergoing throat surgery for a glandular problem. Narvaez had eight goals and four assists for the Peacocks before the surgery.
Another standout performer is senior forward Rinaldo Chambers, whom Markovic credits "for putting us on the map."
Chambers earned First Team All-Region honors last year, scoring 13 goals. This year, Chambers is being more of a distributor and has seven goals and a team-high 11 assists.
Sophomore forward Chris Megaloudis has also been a solid goal scorer for the Peacocks. It was his goal that enabled the Peacocks to tie UConn on Tuesday.
Defender Pablo Orantes, the team’s sweeper and a captain, has been "rock solid and one of the best defenders in the league," according to Markovic.
The lone local player is Alberico DePierro, the former McNair Academic star who scored nearly 60 goals his senior year for the Cougars. DePierro is a reserve midfielder for the Peacocks.
Markovic believes that the Peacocks could legitimately contend for an NCAA Tournament berth – which would be beyond wildest comprehension for the SPC program.
"This is definitely the year we have a shot at it," Markovic said. "In terms of the league, any team can win it. It all depends on how the teams match up. There will be a lot of factors involved, like the fields and the weather in Florida, which might benefit us. I like our chances."
So it’s safe to say that Markovic is accomplishing what he set out to achieve four years ago. Back then, it was unthinkable. Now, it’s much closer to reality. – Jim Hague