Alfred State College

Gabe Kuhn is entering his sixth year as Alfred State College’s Head Men’s Soccer Coach with this fifth official season in 2024 due to COVID-19. Kuhn was named Head Coach of the Pioneers in May of 2019.

In 2024, the Pioneers had another historic season, marking their third consecutive winning campaign with an impressive 13-3-3 overall record and an undefeated 6-0-2 conference record. For the first time in program history, the team went unbeaten in conference play, conceding just one goal throughout the conference season. The Pioneers also achieved a significant milestone by becoming AMCC Conference regular season champions for the first time. A program-record 10 players earned All-Conference honors: Jack Leahy, Travis Scandalis, Jean Kagde, Henry Leahy, Jackson Powers, Nuri Sarbudak, Chuck Domm, Liam Hyatt, Josh Price, and Alex Preston. Additionally, three players were named to the All-AMCC Tournament Team. Coach Kuhn was recognized as the AMCC Coach of the Year, earning back-to-back honors. Jack Leahy received Defensive Player of the Year accolades, while Travis Scandalis was named Newcomer of the Year—the first time a Pioneer has earned this award. Leahy also made program history by being selected to the United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region for the second time and becoming the first Pioneer to earn United Soccer Coaches All-American Third Team honors. The Pioneers were also nationally ranked in 12 statistical categories for Division III. They finished #3 in the nation in goal differential, #4 in points per game, #2 in scoring offense, #3 in shots on goal per game, #4 in total goals, and #7 in total points. Off the field, the Pioneers excelled academically, with 14 players earning All-AMCC Academic Honors. Josh Price and Jackson Powers also received prestigious CDC All-District Academic Honors.

The 2023 season was a historic success for the Pioneers as an NCAA men’s soccer program again having back-to-back winning seasons. They finished with a record of 17-4-1, the best in program history and one of the best records in the country. The team also had a 7-2 conference record, which is the program’s best. Under Kuhn’s leadership, the Pioneers won their first AMCC Conference Championship Title and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Five players, including Jack Leahy, Garrett Potts, Jackson Powers, Henry Leahy, and Jean Kagde, earned all-AMCC conference honors and three players were selected for the all-AMCC Tournament team. Kuhn was recognized as the AMCC Conference Coach of the Year, while Garrett Potts and Jack Leahy received offensive and defensive player of the year awards, respectively. Both awards were firsts for the men’s soccer program. Potts and Leahy were also selected in the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team, another first for the program. In the NCAA Tournament, the Pioneers faced the #6 team in the country, SUNY Cortland, and lost 2-1 in the first round. The Pioneers last played in the postseason in 1994, when Alfred State won the NJCAA Region III Championship. In addition to their success on the field, the Pioneers were nationally ranked in eleven statistical categories for Division 3. These rankings include being the #1 team in the country in goal differential, total goals, and total points, #2 in the country for scoring offense, #5 in the country in points per game and shots on goal per game, #9 in the country in total assists, #10 in the country in shot accuracy, and #15 in the country in assists per game and win-loss-tied

percentage. Off the field the Pioneers had fourteen players who earned All-AMCC academic honors.

In the 2022 season, the Pioneers finished with a 10-6-4 record, the first winning record in program history, and ended the season in third place in conference play for the first time. It was also the first time the Pioneers hosted a home playoff game. Kuhn led six players, including Andres Mateos, Jack Leahy, Nuri Sarbudak, Will Bowen, Jackson Powers, and Gavin Rice have earned all-AMCC conference honors and two players to the all-AMCC tournament team. Off the field, the team had nine players earn All-AMCC academic honors. Kuhn also served on the Region Seven advisory ranking committee.

The 2021 season was a significant step in the right direction for the Pioneers. The team made their first appearance in the AMCC Conference playoffs, finishing fifth place with a 7-11 record. The Pioneers won their first conference playoff game and made it to the semi-finals for the first time in program history. Two players earned All-Conference honors, David Benson and Jean Kagde. This was the first time in program history to have any player be named to the all-conference team. In addition, we also had two players earn all-AMCC tournament team honors. Off the field, the team had eleven players earn All-AMCC Academic honors.

Due to COVID-19, the 2020 season was canceled, but Kuhn coached 14 players to the All-AMCC Academic team. In his first season as head coach in 2019, the Pioneers had a 1-15 record but were competitive in many games losing ten games by close margins. Kuhn coached seven players to the All-AMCC Academic team.

Before joining Alfred State, Kuhn served as an assistant coach at Stevenson University from 2016 to 2018 seasons. In his first season on staff in 2016, Stevenson had a record of 3-13-3. The following year, despite a young team, Stevenson finished with a record 3-13-2 record. In Kuhn’s second season at Stevenson University, Kuhn coached Tariq Lee, who was named the All-MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and All-MAC Commonwealth second-team player. In 2018, Stevenson had a successful season winning the most games since 2010. Stevenson finished with a 12-9-1 record and made it to the conference playoffs for the first time in the Middle Atlantic Conference. They also participated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 2010. Kuhn coached two All-MAC Commonwealth Second team players, Tariq Lee, and DR Medtart, and had two players, Dylan Holy, and Matt Stellitano, earn All-MAC Commonwealth Honorable mention. Off the field, Kuhn coached a player who was recognized as an academic All-American and Academic-All District, as well as being named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region team and All-MAC Academic Team.

Before his time at Stevenson University, Kuhn spent a season as an assistant coach at McDaniel College. McDaniel competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, the highly competitive Centennial Conference. Kuhn was tasked with being the recruiting coordinator for the state of Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. During his time at

McDaniel College, Kuhn was also a staff coach for the Maryland Olympic Development Program and worked with various club teams during his time at McDaniel.

Kuhn also has plenty of experience coaching at the club and high school level. As the head coach at the Park School of Baltimore, Kuhn led the team to the MIAA “B” Conference semi-finals. The MIAA Private School League in Maryland is widely known as one of the toughest high school leagues in the Mid-Atlantic. Kuhn was also the head varsity coach at Pikesville High School, guiding them to the quarterfinals in the Maryland State High School playoffs. Kuhn was also an assistant boys’ varsity coach at his alma mater Fallston High School, helping the Cougars make it to back-to-back state semi-finals and having plenty of players receive all-county and all-state honors.

As a player, Kuhn spent a season at Harford Community College (NJCAA) and led his team to the program’s first Maryland JUCO Conference Title with an 11-0-1 conference record. Kuhn helped lead the squad by earning a national ranking for the program’s first time while finishing 14-4-1 which is the best record in program history. At Harford Community College, Kuhn had a lot of success being named to First Team All-Maryland JUCO, First Team All-Region, All-Maryland Tournament Team, and on the 2010-2020 All-Decade team for the fighting owls. Kuhn was a three-year starter at NCAA DIII Cabrini University, where he helped lead the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and competed for a conference championship each season. Kuhn was captain of his team, receiving first-team all-conference honors and All-ECAC Region Second Team honors.

Coach Gabe Kuhn resides in Dansville, NY with his wife Caroline, and their son Bowen.