McAuliffe hits 550 wins with Chazy victory

CHAZY | Chazy soccer has long been defined by tradition, and on Wednesday night at picturesque George Brendler Field, that legacy reached another milestone. With Chazy's 5-0 victory over Boquet Valley, longtime head coach Rob McAuliffe notched his 550th career win, becoming just the eighth high school boys soccer coach in state history to reach that mark. In 30 seasons at the helm, McAuliffe has built on the foundation laid by predecessors George Brendler and Tom Tregan, guiding the Eagles to a staggering 550-48-28 record. Along the way, his teams have captured 10 Class D state championships, 20 regional crowns, 24 Section VII titles, and 26 league championships across the Mountain and Valley Athletic Conference and Northern Soccer League Division II. "You know, I'm just very fortunate that back in 1996, the school took a chance on a young guy to coach this team," McAuliffe said. "It was a very successful program prior to me taking over with George Brendler from the mid-60s to the late-80s and then Tom Tregan from the '90s until I took over in '96. So there's only been three of us since 1965, I think. So I think that consistency helped build a strong program. "Just very thankful that I was given this opportunity and that people took a chance on a young kid many years ago." Players say McAuliffe's commitment has been a constant driving force. "He's been there from when I started," junior captain Landon Duprey said. "I know when I started in Mini Mites, he was my coach, and he's just been with me the whole time. Obviously, you can tell he cares about this program because he's there with us all the time. He's there at practice every day. When he gets out to practice, he's ready for us to practice. "You can tell he's a good coach by how we perform. It's not easy to come out every year and have a good team. So you can tell that having him as a coach helps a lot." Sophomore Zeke McLennan said the Eagles' success stems from McAuliffe's constant push for improvement. "It's just that he pushes everybody," McLennan said. "Every season, he's always out here, and he just makes us better. He pushes everybody, whether in the locker room or in practice." With results come high expectations. "I feel like a lot of teams come into it hoping they can just win a sectional championship or, like, just even making it to the final four is great," Duprey said. "But we come into it knowing that our goal is to make it to states and to win states, which I feel like not a lot of programs have that." For McAuliffe, keeping the bar high has always been the plan. "We set a high bar from the start, and by the start, I mean way back in the '90s," McAuliffe said. "When I took over the program, my goal was to win a state championship. I remember saying to the kids, 'That's never going to change.' I demand a lot from my players. My players demand a lot from me. So we try to have a high bar at practice, high bar at games. "We are determined every year to win a state championship. I know sometimes that comes across as a little bit arrogant. I think it's honest. It doesn't mean we're going to accomplish that. But that is our goal every year is to win a state championship. This year, I feel like we have the players to do it." Beyond the trophies, McAuliffe said Chazy's soccer tradition belongs to more than just the players on the field. "I think it's a special thing for our community," McAuliffe said. "I think people look forward to the fall season to see the varsity girls and varsity boys play. There are so many people who come to games whose children have already graduated and moved on. It's just a special time of year for our little community. I think there's a lot of pride in our soccer programs and our school. With that comes a lot of people who want to come and support the team. "Yeah, it's our special little thing we have here." McAuliffe, who also serves as the school's superintendent, has firmly established himself among the most accomplished high school coaches in North Country sports history. But as for his future, McAuliffe said he hasn't given much thought to when his coaching career might come to a close. "Yeah, I don't know," McAuliffe said. "People have been asking me when the last season is going to be, and I really don't know, and that's not just saying that. I really don't know. "My son's a junior. But I do love coaching, and I do love spending my time with these boys, and so I really don't know when that day will come. "I do know that if I do believe that there's someone who can do the job better than me at some point, I do love the program enough and love the school and the kids enough that I'd be more than happy to step aside when that day comes. "But when that day is, I'm not really sure."

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McAuliffe hits 550 wins with Chazy victory

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