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Scott Palguta

Personal information
Full name	Scott Thomas Palguta
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Colorado Rapids
Number	29
Youth career
2001-2004	Cornell Big Red
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002-2004	Cape Cod Crusaders
2005-2008	Rochester Rhinos
2009-	Colorado Rapids
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 March, 2009

Scott Thomas Palguta (born August 23, 1982) is an American professional soccer player who is in his rookie season with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. The jump to MLS follows four highly successful seasons with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL 1st Division. A big, agile, left-footed defender, Palguta has displayed his versatility both as a central defender and left back. He makes his home in Forked River, New Jersey.

Youth and High school

Born in Toms River, New Jersey, Palguta played with the New Jersey ODP (Olympic Development Program) from 1994 to 2002 including the Region I Team from 1999 to 2002. The ODP competition took him to Morocco, Holland, Switzerland, France and Belgium. During the later years, he was moved from the midfield to the backfield due to his size and speed. He was an Adidas ESP Nominee in 2000 and was named an Adidas All-American in 2001.

Palguta graduated from Monsignor Donovan High School in Toms River, New Jersey in 2001 where he lettered for four years in soccer, basketball (shooting guard 17ppg) and track (miler and hurdler). In his senior year, he was named the team MVP in all three sports and was awarded the NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete Award. Palguta graduated ninth in his class and was highly recruited by several NCAA soccer programs. His athletic achievements were recognized on October 3, 2008 when he was inducted into the Monsignor Donovan High School Hall of Fame.

College

Palguta played his college soccer at Cornell University from 2001 to 2004 under the tutelage of Head Coach Byan Scales. He was named to the All-Ivy Team twice, once as a freshman and again as a senior. Palguta led the team in scoring as a junior and was named Captain in his final year. Already a professional soccer player commuting daily between Rochester and Ithaca, New York, he graduated in 2005 with a B.S. in Hotel Administration.

Palguta played his summer collegiate soccer for the Cape Cod Crusaders of the PDL (Premier Development League) from 2002 to 2004. He won back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003 and tallied the game-winning assist in the 2003 contest. He was named Captain and led the team to the national semifinal game in 2004.

Professional

Palguta was drafted by the Rochester Raging Rhinos in March 2005 in the 2nd Round of the USL First Division College Draft. With the help of his agent, David-Ross Williamson, he signed his first professional contract as a college senior. Despite the difficult task of balancing professional soccer with his studies at Cornell, Palguta impressed former Rhinos Head Coach Laurie Calloway during his rookie pre-season and immediately earned a starting position at left back. He scored his first professional goal against the MetroStars on August 3, 2005 during the Third Round of the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Palguta was the unanimous choice for "Rookie of the Year" honors in 2005, led all players in minutes played in 2006 and 2007, received All-League honors in 2008 and was named to the USL 1st Division Team Of The Week nine times in his brief USL career.

Palguta was drafted by the New Jersey Ironmen as their second pick in the second round of the 2007 Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Draft held on July 12, 2007. He passed on the opportunity, however, and opted to play with Red Bull New York's Reserve Division for the remainder of the season.

Palguta came close to breaking into Major League Soccer (MLS) twice before. He was a trialist in 2007 with Real Salt Lake and was the last player cut prior to the start of the season. In 2008, he accepted an invitation to join the Red Bulls as a trialist but despite being offered a contract, the Rhinos refused to negotiate a transfer and Palguta was forced to return to Rochester for the 2008 season.

After some pre-season training with New York in 2009, Palguta returned to Rochester to prepare for the upcoming season. Less than 24 hours later, however, the Colorado Rapids called and Palguta was enroute to Denver. With only four days remaining to opt out of his USL-1 contract, and having been claimed as a Discovery Player by Colorado, Palguta signed with the Rapids on March 11, 2009.

References

1. "Rochester Raging Rhinos Men's Roster #17-D - SCOTT PALGUTA".
2. "Monsignor Donovan High School Announces 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees" (PDF).
3. "Cornell University Meet The Big Red Men's Roster #17-D - SCOTT PALGUTA".
4. "Mass Premier Soccer - Cape Cod Crusaders - Alumni - SCOTT PALGUTA".
6. "Palguta Receives League Honors".
7. "2007 MISL Supplemental Draft".
8. ""Palguta Wearing #14 for Real Salt Lake"".
9. ""Can A Rhino Become A Bull?"".

External links

• Rochester Rhinos Player Profile
• David-Ross Williamson, Player Agent

• 1982 births
• Living people
• American soccer players
• Cornell University alumni
• People from Ocean County, New Jersey
• Colorado Rapids players
• USL First Division players
• Rochester Raging Rhinos players
• Cape Cod Crusaders players