Mooch Games set for next Sunday at Rider

With the cold weather suddenly upon us and Thanksgiving closing in fast, the end of the high school soccer season cannot be far behind.

But before everyone moves indoors, local soccer fans will get one more chance to see some of Mercer County’s top girls and boys soccer stars play one more time prior to their graduations.

A week from Sunday — Nov. 19 — Rider University’s Ben Cohen Field will host the Glen “Mooch” Myernick Senior Games with the girls playing at 1 p.m. and the boys beginning at 3 p.m.

The event honors the memory of Myernick, who grew up playing soccer in Lawrence and went on to earn national and international fame, before dying suddenly in 2006. He became known locally while in high school when he earned All-America status while leading three Cardinals teams to state championships under head coach Lou Angebranndt.

Myernick then played one season at Mercer County Community College before moving on to Hartwick College, which he led to the NCAA Final Four in 1976, winning the Hermann Trophy along the way as Player of the Year in U.S. College Soccer. He played on the U.S. Olympic team and was the No. 1 draft pick for the North American Pro Soccer League, in which he played for nine seasons.

Later, Myernick rose through the coaching ranks until becoming an assistant with the U.S. Men’s Soccer team at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He was chosen to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2015.

The Mooch Senior Games are free to the public and feature some of the top senior players from schools throughout Mercer County.

The teams, coached by members of the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame, are divided into White and Red squads to commemorate Myernick’s school colors at Lawrence.

The referees for the matches donate their time in hopes that all might enjoy one more fun day of soccer before the 2017 season comes to a close.