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Sisco brings work ethic to Keene State soccer team
KEENE, N.H. 10/13/10 – A senior on the Keene State College men's soccer team, Luke Sisco says he comes from a "get-up and go family." That probably helps to explain why in his final year at Stissing Mountain (N.Y.) High School, he not only played soccer, but also football, basketball, and tennis. Just for good measure, the Pine Plains, N.Y., native was also a member of the school's orchestra and marching band and even found time in his busy schedule to be in the senior school play, "Beauty and the Beast."
It's hard to imagine Luke Sisco sitting. But that's exactly what he did during his freshman season at Keene State. "It was very humbling sitting on the bench. Something I've never done before," said Sisco. "But it got me to where I am today."
If you're looking for Sisco these days, you can find him starting for the Keene State men's soccer team. One of the Owls' three captains, Sisco earned his spot on the squad the old-fashioned way – with hard work.
Sisco overcame the odds just to make the team. "It was intimidating. I came from a school where I was a big fish in a small pond," he said. "The only reason I made the team was because I worked hard." Seeing limited action in just three games as a freshman, a determined Sisco saw his playing time increase as a sophomore, before earning the starting nod as a junior.
"Luke is one of those players you love to have on your team, because he's a hard worker and someone always looking to improve," said KSC Coach Ron Butcher.
"Luke is one of the hardest workers on the team," added senior and fellow captain Brian Holmes. "He leads by example on and off the field."
Sisco fit right in with his blue-collar Stissing Mountain soccer team. Earning All-League and All-County honors, the Bombers were able to pull off a couple of upset wins during his stint with the team.
Not content to play one sport in the fall, Sisco decided to make it two-for-one as a senior, kicking for the school's football team. Sisco, who at the time stood 5-7 and weighed a robust 140 lbs., held his own on the football field, connecting on 11 of 13 extra-point attempts and hit a season-best 42-yard field goal through the uprights.
"As far as kicking goes, it very similar to soccer," said Sisco. "But when you put on the pad, it takes about 10-15 yards off. It's the same motion, but brute power." Sisco, who got bounced around on a couple of punts, even got a chance to return a kick in his teams' final game of the season. "I got lit up," he said.
Despite all his athletic pursuits, Sisco said he came to Keene State for everything besides soccer. "I knew they had a great program, but I wanted to be happy if soccer didn't work out," he said.
Due to his hard work, soccer has worked out just fine for Sisco at Keene State. He was a member of the Owls' NCAA tournament team as a freshman and will never forget scoring his first KSC goal – against Husson – as a sophomore. "I was dumb-founded that I scored a college goal," said Sisco, who after scoring the goal, pointed up to his parents in the stands as a gesture to say thank you.
Looking forward to leading Keene State to its first Little East championship and NCAA berth since 2006, Sisco epitomizes an Owl team whose success comes from battling in the trenches and going after every ball.
"I'm not the most skilled player of the team, but I feel I am a good role model to the other players," said Sisco, a social science/education major, who wants to pursue a career in teaching and coaching. "I show them that hard work can pay off."
"Luke wanted to finish his Keene State career with a great senior year," said Butcher. "No one worked harder during the off-season to get better," said Butcher. "If everybody had his work ethic, we'd never lose a game."
