| 2004: To most 24-year-olds, acting as team captain for an expansion club might seem a daunting proposition, but Potteiger wore Harrisburg’s armband with uncommon poise in 2004. Often managing the flow of play from the central midfield, Potteiger’s unrelenting drive allowed him to lead by example and sheer strength of will. Potteiger finished with seven points (three goals, assist) and was named to the PSL Team of the Week on four occasions despite missing six games with knee and ankle injuries. The latter limited him to 109 minutes in two playoff games against Pittsburgh. Following the season, his peers recognized his outstanding campaign by voting him to the All-PSL First Team.
Honors: PSL Team of the Week, April 20 (Week 1); June 2 (Week 7); June 22 (Week 10); July 13 (Week 13); 2004 All-PSL First Team
Profile: Potteiger graduated from local Cumberland Valley High School in 1997 after a slew of honors, including being named Mid-Penn Player of the Year and snagging first team All-State honors as a senior. He was instrumental in Cumberland Valley’s run to the PIAA Final Four in 1997 and was named an NSCAA High School All-American that season. More accolades awaited Potteiger at Penn State University, where he started all 87 games of his collegiate career. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team in 1998, 2000, and 2001, and snagged Academic All-Big Ten accolades in 1999 and 2000. In 1999, he earned the club’s Bill Jeffrey Award as Most Valuable Player and was named to the Mid-Atlantic Region First Team. Potteiger was named a third team All-American as a junior in 2000. The Mechanicsburg native finished his Penn State career ranked ninth on the Nittany Lion’s all-time assists list with 19. Upon graduating from Penn State, Potteiger was drafted by the A-League’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Territorial Round, ninth overall), the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (Fourth Round, 41st overall), and the Harrisburg Heat of the Major Indoor Soccer League (Territorial Round, ninth overall). Potteiger spent the 2002 and 2003 A-League seasons with the Riverhounds. In 2003, Potteiger scored five points (two goals, assist) while playing 1,137 minutes in 21 games for Pittsburgh. He was named the Riverhounds Player of the Year as a rookie in 2002. |
