Rams Reflect: Men’s Soccer Caleb Pongratz

To summarize my overall experience as a student-athlete here at Suffolk University, I can say that it has been quite the rollercoaster.

  

Entering my freshman year, I moved from Hanover, Massachusetts to Boston. Not knowing anyone and entering a new environment, it was hard to adapt, especially when my first season was struck down and canceled due to the COVID pandemic. Thankfully, during this time, I was able to meet some of my teammates, who I held rivalries with in high school, that became my best friends.

 

My sophomore year was a struggle for me. I had prepped all summer for the new season and was extremely excited, but during preseason, I tested positive for COVID-19, which thwarted me from participating in almost all of preseason. Unfortunately, our team was eliminated in the first round.

 

Entering my junior year, I wanted a fresh start and wanted to be able to add more to the team. I knew our team had a goal, which was to win a championship and make the NCAA Tournament. Sadly, our team battled to the CCC Championship game, but we fell just short of our goals. 

 

Writing this, as a senior now, I entered the season with the same mentality. Wanting to prove people wrong, outputting the best version that I could, and assist this team in winning a championship.  Unfortunately, our team lost in penalties in the semifinals. I knew that after this season my playing career here was up.

 

Summarizing my collegiate career at Suffolk, I can say that this program across my four years improved each and every year. The group of individuals got more competitive and more family oriented as time progressed and it was really special.

 

Closing out my reflection on my collegiate career, I want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to all my teammates who have been with me over the last four years in this program. Every single one of you changed my life in ways that I can’t even describe. You’re all my second family and will remain a part of my family as long as I live.

 

To the coaches, I want to give a huge thank you to Head Coach William Maddock for giving me this opportunity to play collegiate soccer at this University. I also want to give a huge thank you to the long list of assistant coaches: Juan Gonzalez, Warren Backman, Danny O’Neill, Jose Meza, and Kyle Tremblay tremendously helped me improve not only as a person but also as a player.

 

I want to give a more important thank you to assistant coach Juan Del Valle, who was with us for my first two years at Suffolk University. JD was a great asset to have and was very vocal with me throughout my time and helped me in many ways that are deemed indescribable. He really deserves a lot of credit and was a great asset to have.

 

I can comfortably say that the leadership of this program has been heading in the right direction and that the coaches dedication to our program has definitely affected the guys in a positive way. Their dedication has translated to us and I believe that in the coming years, that success will be coming our way. I cannot wait to watch this program win a championship.

 

Along with the coaches, I cannot reflect on my time at Suffolk without showcasing the importance of our amazing athletic training staff. Huge shoutout to Rick Cox, who for three of my four years was the absolute soul of our program. He without any doubt made practices on bad days turn into good ones. He helped me in my recovery process with light injuries, my time with COVID, and my time as a whole at Suffolk that made me a better leader, better person, and definitely a better friend to others. Huge shoutout to Levi Roberts for his help throughout my time here as well. I always loved our discussions on shoes and how goofiness as well as the seriousness that Rick showcased was portrayed similarly by Levi. He was a great switch and addition to our program.

 

I wish you all the best and want to finalize this by saying thank you. I’m excited to watch this program grow and cannot wait to watch you all succeed in your futures. If any newcomers ever need a resource, I am always available.

 

CP17 Out.

- Caleb