Guest Viewpoint: Pat Price left lasting mark at Vestal, Cornell and beyond
Largely unrecognized among our local athletes of note, within the soccer community Patrick Price was long acknowledged as one of our most accomplished players.
But on or off the field, Pat recently left a huge void with his unfortunate passing at age 57.
Pat’s passion to excel led him to develop a skill set that enable him to play well above his 5-5 frame. As the saying goes, “while he was small, he played BIG.”
Pat’s soccer bio parallels the growth of the sport in our area. With the establishment of youth soccer programs in the 1970s, all the local high schools soon fielded boys and girls teams.
A product of the Vestal youth program, it was obvious to Vestal High School coach George Herrick that Pat, as a freshman, was ready to contribute to the 1981 squad. A four-year starter as a striker by his senior year, the left-footer had 24 goals and 27 assists: ranking him seventh in school scoring annals. The team’s record over that span was 76-11-6 including capture of the NYS Championship in 1982. Following the 1984 season Pat was named to the All-NYS first team and accorded NSCAA All-America honors. That summer he was chosen to play in the ESPN televised NSCAA all-star game at West Point.
Offered a scholarship by then national soccer power Hartwick College, Pat chose to ply his considerable athletic and academic prowess at Cornell University. While performing for the Big Red, Price captained the team while earning All-Ivy League honors four times.
Among this writer’s favorite Price anecdotes occurred in the 1970s when our BU soccer camp team played a preliminary match prior to a New York Cosmos match at the Meadowlands Stadium. The temperature on the artificial field probably was in the 90s that day, but that did not deter young Pat Price from collecting the ball and then repeatedly dribbling around and past most of the opposing defenders. As the game wore on and many thousands of fans took their seats, they began to ole each successful Price maneuver, much like bullfight spectators’ reactions when viewing a toreador’s sparring with a bull.
Late in the match and fearing for Pat’s health due to heat exhaustion, we substituted for him much to the dismay of the 50,000-plus fans. While collectively voicing their disappointment, they quickly rewarded his effort with a loud round of applause. In retrospect, not many area athletes can claim such recognition by such a large audience.
Post-Cornell, Pat earned an accounting degree at Binghamton (and later taught at the university). He was well respected in his profession and became a partner at Vieira and Associates, CPAs.
Quietly confident with a self-deprecating manner, his obituary cited a Grateful Dead lyric that reminded all about life’s end: “There ain’t a winner in the game, he don’t go home with all – Not with all.”
In the case of Patrick Price his all-to-brief life was lived with vitality and exuberance. For many he will be long remembered for also having played life’s game BIG, and having played it well!
Tim Schum coached men’s soccer at Binghamton University for 29 seasons.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Pat Price left lasting mark at Vestal, Cornell and beyond
