Rivals to Teammates: Men's Soccer Recruits Share Their Story

Once rivals facing off during championship games, two incoming Lebanon Valley College freshmen will find themselves working together on the soccer field as teammates this fall.

High school seniors Kurtis Rineer of Hempfield and Braydon Shuck of Elizabethtown are quickly transitioning from foes on the field to fellow Flying Dutchmen as the pair recently learned that they were the first two players to comprise the men's soccer program's incoming freshmen class.

Throughout the course of their high-school athletic careers, Rineer and Shuck were both part of competitive and dedicated soccer teams for their respective institutions that aren't that far from each other, geographically. But it was only during their senior seasons that the two had the pleasure to compete against one another. They faced off not once, but twice during their final seasons, in both the league and district finals.

 "I knew Braydon before these games had occurred and respected his skill and talent," said Rineer. "He was normally an attacker but his team needed him at center back so we faced each other quite a bit on the field during those games. The first time we played against each other was for the L-L League Championship, which Elizabethtown won 2-1. The second time we faced off was for the PIAA District 3 AAAA Championship, which Hempfield won 1-0."

Since those title games, the two have committed to Lebanon Valley to play under the direction of head men's soccer coach Charlie Grimes.

Read the full story on GoDutchmen.com.