Shannon KeoughSenior communication major and midfielder Brian Raffle has been playing soccer since the age of 4. He has an incredible love for the game and he has accomplished a lot over the years.
Raffle attended Christopher Dock High School and started all four years. He broke the single scoring record his senior year, won two state championships, played two years in a semi-pro league for the Atlantic City Diablos and when he was 14, he played overseas in England.
“I loved playing high school soccer. It was the best time ever and a completely different experience than any team I’ve ever been on. All of my best friends played on the team so it was awesome,” Raffle said.
Raffle originally started off college attending Eastern University, which is directly across the street from Cabrini. In his senior year of college, he realized that he was not satisfied with how things were going over at Eastern.
“I had a lot of reasons for leaving, mostly because of school. The communication was different over there. I wasn’t happy with how soccer was going and I didn’t find myself agreeing with some of the ideals, I don’t hate Eastern and I did enjoy myself there,” Raffle said.
Despite the transfer, while at Eastern University he won the PAC Player of The Week in 2008, the PAC Second Team Selection in 2007 and the PAC Honorable Mention Selection in 2006.
“At this year’s ‘Battle of Eagle Road’ I was struck by how many of our old Eastern University friends received us with love and warmth. They were all so happy that Brian was playing. So many of his best friends were on the opposite team and in the stands. I don’t know how Brian was able to focus on the game, but he certainly did,” Eric Raffle, father of Brian Raffle, said.
Raffle explains that he is happy with his choice in transferring to Cabrini.
“I am enjoying myself, I love the team and the school. I’ve met great people and everyone is nice. As for the team, I love the guys and the coaches are very supportive and knowledgeable of the game. Some coaches are unpaid and they’re there everyday to help us improve.”
After only being enrolled in Cabrini for roughly a month, Raffle is already being recognized by the CSAC league and won the Player of The Week award about two weeks ago. He has seven goals and one assist for the season so far.
“I want to help lead the team to a CSAC championship and go a few rounds deep in the NCAA tournament,” Raffle said.
“We are just so grateful that Brian found an opportunity to play one more year,” Eric Raffle said.
Raffle makes it known that his parents are the reason for his success and love for the game.
“I just want to say thanks to my parents for coming to all of my games and for being there through all of the ups and downs,” Raffle said.
“I think he’s an incredible athlete and I’m so proud of his accomplishments,” Audrey Raffle, mother of Brian Raffle, said.
“It’s always been a blast to watch Brian play, he’s very creative and he’s a ‘fun’ player to watch. Audrey and I usually attend the games, most often with my parents. We all get the same thrill watching him play now as we did when he was just a little kid. We’re intensely aware that this is somewhere near the ‘end of the road’ for us, soccer wise. It’s been a great gift for all of us,” Eric Raffle said.
“Brian Raffle is a tremendously skilled, tactfully sound player who can play anywhere in the midfield and score goals at will. He has the unique ability to get off shots with either foot, from short or long range and that makes him extremely dangerous. In addition, he has a great will to win that other players on the team feed off. Finally, his defense has also picked up, making an all-around dangerous player for our team, as witnessed by his game-winning goals against Alvernia and Rutger’s Camden in overtime,” coach Glen Jaskelewicz said.
“I just want to get better everyday, to stay healthy since I broke my leg in sophomore year and I want to be a leader. I want to play an NCAA tournament since I never got to play due to my leg,” Raffle said.
After graduation Raffle hopes to get a job and he might consider getting into coaching. He also has thoughts of law school or getting his masters in business.
“My dream job is to be a professional athlete, but whose dream isn’t that?” Raffle said.
