BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Alex Popovich (men’s soccer, class of 1969) is among the athletes named to the 2018 University of Bridgeport Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The announcement was made on August 3 by University of Bridgeport Director of Athletics Anthony Vitti.
Other members of the University of Bridgeport Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 are: Linda Velaj (women’s soccer, class of 2010), Wolfgang Woischke (men’s soccer, class of 1972) and the 2013 Women’s Gymnastics Team. Jeff Bieder (class of 1968) will receive the sixth Fran Bacon Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching and Paul Antinozzi will be honored with the Purple Knight Shield of Merit Award.
Mr. Popovich helped propel the University of Bridgeport men’s soccer team to NCAA appearances in 1966 and 1967, as he earned All-America and All-New England League plus All-New England Coaches Team honors.
During his stellar UB career, Mr. Popovich netted 31 goals and chipped in eight assists for a total of 70 points which puts him seventh on the all-time goals scored list and number 10 in all-time points. Along with his All-America selection in 1966, Mr. Popovich was awarded a Collegiate Soccer Star Award by Pro Soccer Magazine.
In 1966 and 1967, he was selected to the U.S.A. and Canada Ukrainian All-Star Teams that played against Scottish side Dundee United, the Lithuanian Selects, the Canadian National League All-Stars, plus the Azores All-Stars of Portugal. Against the Azores All-Stars, Mr. Popovich netted three goals. Prior to arriving in the Park City, Popovich was a three-time New York City High School All-Star plus a three-year member of the International Soccer League Junior All-Stars. In 1964, he was named to the first USA Junior National team that played in the North America, Central America and Caribbean Championships in Guatemala.
Along with his soccer prowess, Mr. Popovich was a standout volleyball player, as he was a member of United States Volleyball Association teams that won over 25 USVBA and AAU titles, and he was selected five times as the Most Valuable or Most Outstanding Player in the Ukrainian Volleyball Championships of the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Popovich also served as the head men’s volleyball coach at Rutgers Newark University, helping guide the team to the 1978 and 1979 ECVL Championships and berths in the NCAA Division I Final Fours those same seasons. He is also a member of the Rutgers Newark Athletics Hall of Fame and the inaugural class of the Ukrainian Sports Museum Hall of Fame.
Honorees will be recognized at a ceremony during the UB awards dinner on Saturday, October 6, at 6 p.m. as part of the University of Bridgeport Homecoming Weekend festivities. The ceremony will take place in the Harbor Ballroom at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn (1070 Main St.).
The UB Athletic Hall of Fame was formed in 1981, and this year marks the 12th year of a revitalization that began in 2006 after 15 years without a class being inducted. This year’s inductees bring the total number of members to 92 individuals and six teams. For ticket information for the October 6 University of Bridgeport Awards Dinner, readers may call 203-576-4151, or log on to https://homecoming.bridgeport.edu/ub-awards-dinner/.
Source: University of Bridgeport Purple Knights