Scott Palguta
Encyclopedia
Scott Palguta is an American
soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids
in Major League Soccer
.
in Toms River, New Jersey
in 2001 where he lettered for four years in soccer, basketball
(shooting guard 17ppg) and track
(miler and hurdler). In his senior year, he was named the team MVP in all three sports and was awarded the NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete Award. Palguta graduated ninth in his class and was highly recruited by several NCAA soccer programs.
Palguta played with the New Jersey
ODP (Olympic Development Program) from 1994 to 2002 including the Region I Team from 1999 to 2002. The ODP competition took him to Morocco
, Holland, Switzerland
, France
and Belgium
. During the later years, he was moved from the midfield to the backfield due to his size and speed. He was an Adidas
ESP Nominee in 2000 and was named an Adidas All-American in 2001.
Palguta played college soccer
at Cornell University
from 2001 to 2004 under the tutelage of head coach Byan Scales. He was named to the All-Ivy Team twice, once as a freshman and again as a senior. Palguta led the team in scoring as a junior and was named Captain in his final year. Already a professional soccer player commuting daily between Rochester and Ithaca, New York
, he graduated in 2005 with a B.S. in Hotel Administration.
Palguta also played for the Cape Cod Crusaders
of the USL Premier Development League
from 2002 to 2004. He won back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003 and tallied the game-winning assist in the 2003 contest. He was named Captain and led the team to the national semifinal game in 2004.
in March 2005 in the second round of the USL First Division
College Draft. With the help of his agent, David-Ross Williamson, he signed his first professional contract as a college senior. Despite the difficult task of balancing professional soccer with his studies at Cornell, Palguta impressed former Rhinos Head Coach Laurie Calloway
during his rookie pre-season and immediately earned a starting position at left back. He scored his first professional goal against the MetroStars
on August 3, 2005 during the Third Round of the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
. Palguta was the unanimous choice for "Rookie of the Year" honors in 2005, led all players in minutes played in 2006 and 2007, received All-League honors in 2008 and was named to the USL 1st Division Team Of The Week nine times in his brief USL career.
Palguta was drafted by the New Jersey Ironmen
as their second pick in the second round of the 2007 Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL) Draft held on July 12, 2007. He passed on the opportunity, however, and opted to play with the New York Red Bulls' Reserve Division for the remainder of the season.
Palguta came close to breaking into Major League Soccer
(MLS) twice before. He was a trialist in 2007 with Real Salt Lake
and was the last player cut prior to the start of the season. In 2008, he accepted an invitation to join the Red Bulls as a trialist; however, despite being offered a contract, the Rhinos refused to negotiate a transfer and Palguta was forced to return to Rochester for the 2008 season.
After some pre-season training with New York in 2009, Palguta returned to Rochester to prepare for the upcoming season. Less than 24 hours later, however, the Colorado Rapids
called and Palguta was enroute to Denver. With only four days remaining to opt out of his USL-1 contract, and having been claimed as a Discovery Player by Colorado, Palguta signed with the Rapids on March 11, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Youth and College
Palguta graduated from Monsignor Donovan High SchoolMonsignor Donovan High School
Monsignor Donovan High School is the only Roman Catholic High School in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. Located in the coastal community of Toms River Township, the school originally opened in 1962 as St. Joseph...
in Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
in 2001 where he lettered for four years in soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(shooting guard 17ppg) and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
(miler and hurdler). In his senior year, he was named the team MVP in all three sports and was awarded the NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete Award. Palguta graduated ninth in his class and was highly recruited by several NCAA soccer programs.
Palguta played with the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
ODP (Olympic Development Program) from 1994 to 2002 including the Region I Team from 1999 to 2002. The ODP competition took him to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Holland, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. During the later years, he was moved from the midfield to the backfield due to his size and speed. He was an Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
ESP Nominee in 2000 and was named an Adidas All-American in 2001.
Palguta played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
from 2001 to 2004 under the tutelage of head coach Byan Scales. He was named to the All-Ivy Team twice, once as a freshman and again as a senior. Palguta led the team in scoring as a junior and was named Captain in his final year. Already a professional soccer player commuting daily between Rochester and Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, he graduated in 2005 with a B.S. in Hotel Administration.
Palguta also played for the Cape Cod Crusaders
Cape Cod Crusaders
Cape Cod Crusaders were an American soccer team based in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1994, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
of the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
from 2002 to 2004. He won back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003 and tallied the game-winning assist in the 2003 contest. He was named Captain and led the team to the national semifinal game in 2004.
Professional
Palguta was drafted by the Rochester Raging RhinosRochester Raging Rhinos
The Rochester Rhinos are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having self-relegated from the USSF D2 Pro League...
in March 2005 in the second round of the USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
College Draft. With the help of his agent, David-Ross Williamson, he signed his first professional contract as a college senior. Despite the difficult task of balancing professional soccer with his studies at Cornell, Palguta impressed former Rhinos Head Coach Laurie Calloway
Laurie Calloway
Laurence John "Laurie" Calloway is a retired English-U.S. soccer defender who spent thirteen years in the English leagues and six years in the North American Soccer League....
during his rookie pre-season and immediately earned a starting position at left back. He scored his first professional goal against the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
on August 3, 2005 during the Third Round of the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-Qualifying round:Teams from USASA and PDL start.-----First round:Teams from USASA, PDL, and USL-2.----...
. Palguta was the unanimous choice for "Rookie of the Year" honors in 2005, led all players in minutes played in 2006 and 2007, received All-League honors in 2008 and was named to the USL 1st Division Team Of The Week nine times in his brief USL career.
Palguta was drafted by the New Jersey Ironmen
New Jersey Ironmen
The New Jersey Ironmen were an American indoor soccer team. They originally joined the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 2007–08 season. When the MISL ceased operations a year later, they joined the Xtreme Soccer League. The team played at the Prudential Center, sharing the facility with the...
as their second pick in the second round of the 2007 Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)
The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL had replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. According to MISL.net, the league has ceased operations as of May 31, 2008...
(MISL) Draft held on July 12, 2007. He passed on the opportunity, however, and opted to play with the New York Red Bulls' Reserve Division for the remainder of the season.
Palguta came close to breaking into Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS) twice before. He was a trialist in 2007 with Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
and was the last player cut prior to the start of the season. In 2008, he accepted an invitation to join the Red Bulls as a trialist; however, despite being offered a contract, the Rhinos refused to negotiate a transfer and Palguta was forced to return to Rochester for the 2008 season.
After some pre-season training with New York in 2009, Palguta returned to Rochester to prepare for the upcoming season. Less than 24 hours later, however, the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
called and Palguta was enroute to Denver. With only four days remaining to opt out of his USL-1 contract, and having been claimed as a Discovery Player by Colorado, Palguta signed with the Rapids on March 11, 2009.
Colorado Rapids
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Eastern Conference Championship (1): 20102010 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS Cup (1): 20102010 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...