photo courtesy of Christine Cestra
The men’s soccer team celebrates after scoring during the Sept. 13, 2014 game against Northwestern Ohio. The Pioneers won in overtime with a final score of 2 – 1. This was one of 15 victories the soccer team will have to forfeit after playing an ineligible player.

The Point Park men’s soccer team had a lot to boast about last season: an undefeated conference record, an undefeated away record, a 15-3 overall record – but the team must forfeit all 15 of last season’s wins after an ineligible player took the field all season long.

While the player’s credentials were eligible under the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), he was ineligible due to an “administrative clerical error,” according to Point Park Athletic Director Dan Swalga.

Swalga did not release the name of the player, but did confirm that he was on the team again this season – which concluded Thursday, Nov. 12 with a 2-0 loss to West Virginia Tech University in the conference semifinals – as an eligible player. 

Swalga first learned of the player’s ineligibility this past August. 

“There are forms that you complete and forward and send [to the NAIA],” Swalga said in an interview in his Student Center office Monday. “His name was not on the form. His credentials were eligible.”

In mid-October, Swalga sent a letter to athletic directors overseeing programs at the universities within the NAIA whose men’s soccer teams were affected by Point Park using an ineligible player.

“Unfortunately…if that would have been figured out last year, we would have had a good enough record with that forfeit to qualify for our pro-season tournament with the Christian colleges, which unfortunately we were one game away from,” Cincinnati Christian University (Ohio) head coach BJ Santiago said. “There’s not really anything we can do about it now.” 

“That forfeit” references the Oct. 4, 2014 5-0 Pioneers victory over Cincinnati Christian at Highmark Stadium in a conference match-up. 

Point Park participates in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) of the NAIA. Just four teams competed against Point Park in the KIAC last season – Cincinnati Christian, Asbury University (Ky.), Brescia University (Ky.), and Rio Grande University (Ohio).

This season, two teams were added to the KIAC – West Virginia Tech University and Ohio Christian University. 

Rio Grande University (Ohio) lost to Point Park during the regular season, but it was Rio that upset the Pioneers during the KIAC Tournament Finals to conclude Point Park’s season last year.

Scott Morrissey, head coach of the RedStorm who just finished his 27th season in the position, has been leading teams against Point Park even before the KIAC existed. Since head coach Jeroen Walstra took over the men’s Pioneers team in 2007-08, Morrissey’s RedStorm has been the Pioneers’ foe.

Morrissey recalled the history of Point Park men’s soccer, “they were always that one that was at the bottom of the league, didn’t win many games – kind of an opponent where you know you’re going to win. That’s not been the case, and I think Jeroen [Walstra] has done a fantastic job of transforming the program.”

His positive words do not stop there, however. 

“[Dan Swalga] has done a great job of identifying the one, most critical aspect of both the men’s and the women’s programs at Point Park and that is identifying a facility to call home. The facility right Downtown, that backdrop, playing at the Riverhounds’ facility really has made a massive different for Point Park,” Morrissey said in a phone interview Monday.  “Now  – people want to come to Pittsburgh to play ‘em because it’s a great facility. I think the program is headed in the right direction. The fact that they’re identifying the mistake made in the ineligible player – I think that’s formidable as well.” 

Morrissey’s 2014 RedStorm will officially gain one more win and one less loss, making their overall record 17-1, but “as far as the ineligible player, it doesn’t change how I feel about [Walstra] and his program and the school,” Morrissey said. “I think [the Pioneers] had a fantastic season last year…they beat us fair and square. Jeroen [Walstra] has done a great job – he’s got [the Pioneers] nationally recognized.”

Attempts were made to reach several team members from the 2014 Pioneers men’s soccer team, but they either were unavailable to be interviewed or declined to comment on the matter – however, the team is aware that their wins will be forfeited from last season, but are unsure when the official measures will be taken. 

As it currently stands, the NAIA has not changed the Pioneers record from last season, nor have the records been changed on the Point Park Athletics website. 

According to Swalga and Kevin Taylor, Director of Athletic Communications at Point Park, it is unclear at this time whether or not the men’s team will have to forfeit its KIAC Commisioner’s Cup as well, which was awarded to the team at the start of this academic year based on the results of the 2014 season.