Newark, N.J. (Tuesday, April 29, 2008) – The Newark Public Schools System will be holding their 12th Annual Principal for a Day Program this Friday, May 2, and the New Jersey Ironmen are pleased to announce that goalkeeper Tony Meola will be the honorary principal at Rafael Hernandez School. The event serves as a day in which business, civic and community leaders actively participate in the day-to-day activities of a school principal while interacting with students and teachers.
“I am excited to take part in this event,” Meola stated. “It is always nice to be able to participate in events that involve the youth of the local community.”
Meola will spend the day working alongside the everyday principal at Rafael Hernandez School, Juan Carlos Ruiz. Throughout the school day, Meola will visit classrooms and perform some of the tasks that occupy the daily regimen of Principal Ruiz.
Rafael Hernandez School is located at 345 Broadway in Newark. Any media requests regarding the events of the Principal for a Day Program can be directed to John Archibald, New Jersey Ironmen Director of Communications, at 973-757-6314, or Valerie Merritt of the Newark Public Schools System at 973-481-5004.
Meola lettered in baseball, basketball and soccer at Kearny (NJ) High School. On the soccer field, he tallied 43 shutouts in three seasons in high school before moving to forward his senior year, scoring 33 goals. He then attended the University of Virginia on a soccer and baseball scholarship. Playing under head coach Bruce Arena, Meola received All-America accolades his freshman and sophomore seasons. He capped the 1989 season by winning the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club award as the top collegiate soccer player in the country, and the Cavaliers won a NCAA co-championship that season with Santa Clara. He was also a two-year letterman in baseball and was drafted by the New York Yankees.
After his sophomore season, Meola began to pursue a career as a goalkeeper with the U.S. National Team. He made his debut on June 10, 1988, against Ecuador, and his second cap was a victory over Peru to win the 1989 Marlboro Cup. He played every minute in goal for the national team in both the 1990 and 1994 World Cup, including a 2-1 victory over Colombia to advance to the second round in 1994. He again played for the national team in 1999 and earned his 100th cap in 2006.
Meola was a member of the New York/ New Jersey MetroStars from the inception of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996 until 1999, holding the initial league record with nine shutouts in 1996. He was traded to the Kansas City Wizards in 1999 and had a standout season in 2000. He shattered the league record by tallying 16 shutouts en route to being named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. He also led Kansas City to the league championship that year, and he was named MLS Most Valuable Player for the season and the MLS Cup. Meola remained in Kansas City until 2004 before returning to the MetroStars in 2005. In 2006 he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI, and he played for the now-named Red Bull New York through that season. He joined the New Jersey Ironmen for their inaugural season in the Major Indoor Soccer League prior to the 2007-08 season.
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY IRONMEN
The New Jersey Ironmen, operated by Jeff Vanderbeek and Michael Gilfillan of the NHL New Jersey Devils ownership group, recently completed their inaugural season in the Major Indoor Soccer League. The Ironmen play their home schedule at Prudential Center in the Downtown Core Redevelopment District of Newark. The Ironmen are coached by two-time MISL Coach of the Year Omid Namazi and Assistant Coach Kevin Sloan. For more information on the New Jersey Ironmen, visit www.njironmen.com.
ABOUT THE MISL
The Major Indoor Soccer League, a single-entity organization with a coast-to-coast presence, represents the major league of professional indoor soccer, featuring the finest indoor soccer players from 32 countries around the world. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s official website www.MISL.net.