Matthew Nelson:  

Just a little facts about me.I talk about my soccer playing alot because most of my friends and teammates would remember me most from soccer. I owe the McDowell Soccer team and coaches alot of credit for teaching the game to me because before my juniour year I was just a skier/ skateboarder who played a few years of baseball and little gridders football. I was way too small to play McDowell Football like my brother Mike Nelson who played in the 1970s. The below are some things that happened to me while playing soccer at McDowell and Gannon University. This is for anyone out there that was on my team and any of my old friends I have not talked to in awhile or anyone interested in my past. If I sound a bit to much I do not mean to. Im just telling what happened during my soccer playing days. Im the first one to critisize myself. Its the only way you can improve your game. You find what your faults are and improve on them, practice really hard. This is what I did after every game and currently do this and try to practice this in other areas of my life. And I do need help in certain areas.LOL. I graduated from McDowell in 1981 and from Gannon University in 1984. I played soccer for McDowell both my junior and senior years. My senior year we went 9-2 and were Metro champions. I played soccer at Gannon University and was a four year lettermen as a forward and played in the 1984 NCAA Div. II National Soccer Tournament. We made it to the quarterfinal round and were ranked 7th in the Nation at the time. After 24 years, I am ranked in the top five americans in scoring in 38 seasons and ranked 16th overall. Check out Gannon Universitys Soccer Website to see were I stand before Im off their lists as they have tons of great players who are crushing my numbers. Suffered a dislocated shoulder from a violent collision with a goalkeeper in 1982 and again in 1984. Played approx. 2.5 seasons as a result.Surgery in 1989 to fix shoulder. This collision was the worst Ive ever been hit, like the worst NFL Hit a person could receive. Running full speed taking a left footed shot from 20 yards out and being run over by a goalkeeper and defender and both players landing on top of me. Its like having 400#s of meat falling on you and I weighed 145#s then. The force of the collision threw me backwards and trying to cushion the landing I stuck me left arm out which caught the ground dislocating my left shoulder. It was very violent all wind was knocked from my lungs and could not breathe. It felt like an eternity. It was like getting hit by a car.I was on field for about an hour and a half. After a 6o mile ambulance ride to Eries St Vincent Hospital my shoulder was put back in place with alot of pain. The good thing once my shoulder was in place the pain went away. I felt Ok to play in the next game against Youngstown State at Ainsworth Field in Erie. Suited with a flak jacket to limit my shoulder motion I scored on my first shift on. I have a photo from that goal taken by my brother Mark a fellow McDowell Alumni and will post it on my site. Its a cool photo. I was happy to just be alive after that violent collision but grateful to come back and help Gannon University win against Youngstown State. Definitely that game was one my most memorable performances personally. I plan to put more old photos from the McDowell Team of 1980 and other photos once I fiqure out how to do it. So stop by later. Another collision with a Penn-State Behrend goalkeeper my Junior year was also a real bummer. My fellow McDowell Alumni and teammate from my McDowell playing days John Andrews a goalkeeper playing for Behrend ran into me during a game in the Fall of 1983. It was a total accident and no one was at fault, although John suffered a broken eye socket and doctors highly recommended for him to hang up his cleats permantly. My head ball went just outside the right post. John got his hand on the ball and shut me down. It was a great save on his part. I always felt bad about this accident.I am Sorry John Andrews my fellow McDowell Alumni and teammate!!!!! One humorous story happened in 1984 my Senior year playing for Gannon University. In one of my last games against Mercyhurst we were beating upon them pretty bad like 7-2 or something. It was raining and very muddy. Well fellow McDowell Alumni and goodfriend Gary Peterson was playing in goal. Gary played on McDowells Soccer team in 1980 and was pretty much the only person in my neighborhood that I practiced soccer with. I give alot of credit to Gary for teaching me how to play. Well during this game I really wanted to put one by him. I was playing with a sprained ankle that day with my right foot all taped. I got a nice ball from a teammate and in the mud I scored with a shot to the right of him. Laughing at him for scoring he picked up some mud and starting throwing it at me. It was really funny getting pelted by your good friend Gary Peterson a fellow McDowell teammate. In 2003, my brother Mark won a distinquished Alumni award at Gannon University and I told the story to Dr. Antoine Garibaldi-President at Gannon University about the mud throwing game. I thought it was funny at the time. Dr. Garibaldi gave me the impression it was an act of war on the part of Mercyhurst and it was disrepectful. So Gary, I hope you read this story you mud throwing swiss cheese goalkeeper.LOL. Had to change my desription of you because I think classmates.com censored me.LOL. I still scored on ya.LOL It was quite funny that Dr. Garibaldi did not think highly of Gary's action that day. I told him Gary Peterson was the main person who taught me how to kick a soccer ball and it was just to be funny. I credit my playing days at McDowell High in 1980 my most memorable and players from that team my senior year taught me how to play. Many miles we ran that year, Wind Sprints, etc.. Coaches Bo Root and George Duskas. Bob Osiecki our great Captain. Keith Giddings, Gary Peterson and Jeff Curry all helped in teaching me the game, as well as my Father Lee. In December 2006, I had learned as a youngster 9 years of age I was at a historic college football game featured in the movie "We are Marshall". Marshalls victory over Xavier in the last seconds of the game. Great movie. Very Inspirational. I participated in a punt, pass and kick competition in 1972 with players most likely from that team on a Saturday afternoon in Hun...Expand for more