Hall of Fame
Theodore “Ted” Riverso ’78 – Class of 2005
The kind of fellow you can’t win without…
Exorcising the ghost of a national record for consecutive losses was no small task. It required hard work, superb teamwork, a dedicated coach and a catalyst on the field.
The catalyst of the “Green Machine” that established Le Moyne soccer as a legitimate Division II program starred on two NCAA-tournament teams and captained the Dolphins in his junior and senior years.
With a European’s propensity to manipulate a ball with feet rather than hands and a fierce competitive drive, he was a scoring threat whenever he touched the ball. The most effective play in Le Moyne’s repertoire was simple: get him the ball and let him make something happen.
When attacking one-on-one from his midfield position he was overpowering. He used the entire field and all the people on it. Without help, a single defender would be left in the dust. When coverage cheated toward him, he had an uncanny ability to pinpoint the weakness created in the defense and pass to take advantage.
Opponent’s defenses focused on physical play and denying him the ball. Bruised and battered, he became the symbol of the Green Machine’s determination to win. He was sidelined by a broken leg in one of the most devastating injuries ever suffered by a Le Moyne athlete in intercollegiate action. Yet he still served as an inspiration to his team on the sideline. He eventually returned to competition with the same indomitable spirit and in 1997 he received the James Saxby Memorial Award for courage on and off the field.
A dean’s list student, he went on to a career in banking, raising a family and providing important volunteer service to a list of organizations ranging from Big Brother/Big Sister to the Spanish Action League, youth soccer clubs, parent-teacher organizations and his alma mater.
A struggling athletic program requires a catalyst to spark a mindset that expects to win. Because he was the sort of person you can’t win without,
Theodore Riverso ’78 belongs in the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
October 15, 2005
