On midfield we had 2 x national team players and Hall of Famers Todd Curry (West Genesee, USA) and Brad Kotz (West Genesee, USA). We called Todd Bakey for his great head and shoulder fake. Todd and I came to cuse a little skinny kid but like me he started lifting weights and gained definition and strength. Todd like the Deskos had great speed but a quicker first step. A 3 x All American and a midfielder of the year, Todd had a killer instinct you could see when he chased down an opponent on defense. In addition like Hall of Famer Brian Wood (St Mary’s Annapolis, Hopkins), Todd had a rifle for a shot and the ability to pick corners on the run with both hands. Todd made the National team his sophomore year, which I believe makes him the youngest player to do so. Kotzy, a 4 x All-American, had great speed, he worked hard in the weight room, and he almost never caused turnovers. Brad had tremendous eye hand coordination; he would joggle a lax ball on the top of the head of his Brine superlight II; a trick akin to what Tigerwoods does with a golf ball and an iron. But a quick release and shooting accuracy represented his greatest assets. For example, I saw him shoot an amazing 4 for 6 in a World Cup game in Perth, Australia. Similar to greats Roddy Marino (Massapequa, UVA,Saints, NYAC, USA), and Tim Goldstein (Ward Melville, Cornell, USA), Kotzy played with a pocket no deeper than a women's stick. His quick release consistently allowed him to score shooting hip side opposite the goal’s stick which is the toughest shot in the game to stop. I roomed with Brad, John Smoller (St. Mary’s of Manhasset) and Gordy Mapes (Rush Henrietta, Rochester) during my first semester on campus. We lived at Skytop apartments on South Campus near Manley Field House and ate down on North Campus. In addition to Shaw Hall, some of us male athletes also ate at Haven Hall. The food at Haven tasted the same as Shaw but Haven Hall was an all girls dorm.
