While the Syracuse men’s soccer team finished its season Tuesday night with a nondescript, 3-2 double-overtime win over Pittsburgh, senior backup goalkeeper David Rabazzi finished the season like nearly every game during his college career: on the bench.

In his final season, Rabazzi played zero minutes while stuck behind juniors Alim Karim and Rich Scheer on the depth chart. His time on the field declined each of the four years Rabazzi played at Syracuse, from four games his freshman year to none this fall.

‘David would have liked to have played,’ said Rabazzi’s mom, Sylvia. ‘It’s disappointing he hasn’t been playing more. But he believes in the coaches’ decisions.’

Rabazzi never complained, though. Instead, he increased his workouts in the off-season, hoping for more playing time. Syracuse head coach Dean Foti told Rabazzi every year that, if he trained hard, he would have an equal chance at playing.

Scheer received that same advice and played more this year. Rabazzi was left on the bench.

‘He’s been training every summer,’ Sylvia Rabazzi said. ‘He never gave up hope.’

But Rabazzi expected more, in part because so early in his career at Syracuse, he got on the field and succeeded.

As a freshman, Rabazzi had his biggest game, starting the season opener at nationally ranked Boston College. He started three more games that year and figured his playing time would only grow each year.

When it didn’t, Rabazzi remained a leader, practiced hard, and held out hope he’d get a chance to play.

‘His leadership on this team is something that you don’t see in the box score,’ sophomore Edvin Hot said, ‘but he’s a big part of our team.’

Rabazzi will graduate this May as a footnote in Syracuse soccer history. But growing up, he had lofty dreams to play professional soccer, like so many other youngsters.

‘He was so passionate about soccer. It was his number one sport,’ Sylvia Rabazzi said. ‘He’s played it year-round since he was five years old.’

Rabazzi often played against kids two or three years older than him. His coaches were so amazed by his talent that one told Rabazzi when he was young to ‘Save (him) a seat at the World Cup.’

When Rabazzi excelled at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, he drew the attention of college coaches. He saved 171 of 180 shots his senior year and had 12 shutouts. He won an award for his outstanding leadership, unselfishness and character.

He narrowed his college choices down to Syracuse and Buffalo because they both offered an aerospace engineering program.

‘He wanted to play at the college level. He expected college coaches to be interested,’ Sylvia Rabazzi said. ‘There was no way he wasn’t going to play.’

Rabazzi would have gotten more playing time had he chosen Buffalo. But that hasn’t changed his perceptions of Syracuse. He’s been happy with the education he’s received and the slight playing time in a conference like the Big East.

‘He loves Syracuse,’ Sylvia Rabazzi said. ‘He’s very happy with his choice.’

After graduation, Rabazzi plans to find a job in his field but still have soccer as a side interest, perhaps in coaching.

The biggest regret for Rabazzi, though, is that he never got to play against Connecticut after growing up in the state, before moving to New York for high school. If there was one thing he wanted to do at Syracuse, it was to play against Connecticut.

‘He really badly wanted to play against Connecticut,’ Sylvia Rabazzi said.

When Syracuse traveled to Connecticut last week, it was Rabazzi’s final chance to play the Huskies.

The Orange lost, 3-2, and so did Rabazzi – again he sat on the bench.

Published on November 3, 2004 at 12:00 pm