Candlelight Vigil Held

A candlelight vigil was held at Herkimer College’s Wehrum Stadium Monday evening in memory of student Peter McAvoy who passed away suddenly on Saturday, April 19.

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More than 500 students, faculty, staff, coaches and community members gathered to pay tribute to McAvoy. One by one, about a dozen teammates spoke of the kind of friend, athlete and person he was. There were tears and laughs throughout. Dean of Students Matthew Hawes, Athletic Director Donald Dutcher, and Head Men’s Soccer Coach Pepe Aragon also spoke, followed by a performance of ‘Dust in the Wind’ by assistant coach Jose Lopez during which time 500 candles lit up the stadium. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the crowd joined together with the soccer team on the field and released 22 white balloons with the #4 on them into the sky.

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A senior from Dundee, Scotland and captain of the men's soccer team, McAvoy led the Herkimer Generals soccer team to two National Championships in 2012 and 2013. He played on defense as a center back, and helped the Generals outscore opponents 61-5 in 2013. He scored a team-leading 15 goals in 2013 and he scored the game winning goals in the National Quarterfinal against SUNY Adirondack (3-1), the National Semifinal against Richland Community College (2-1) and the National Championship game against Suffolk Community College (1-0). His awards included being named 2013 1st Team All-American, 2013 NSCAA National Junior College Player of the Year and 2013 National Tournament MVP. In two years at Herkimer College, McAvoy played 40 games, going 37-3 with 16 goals and 4 assists. The Herkimer Generals men’s soccer team have won 10 NJCAA Division III National Championship titles, seven under Coach Aragon.

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In his remarks, Coach Aragon addressed Pete directly in saying, “Thank you for being the best captain that I’ve ever coached. I truly felt honored to have been in your life for two amazing seasons. I love you and I know you’re watching over us. Thank you for touching so many hearts, and we love you.” With McAvoy’s family watching the ceremony live online from Scotland, Aragon read the words of Pete’s favorite soccer song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and shared some thoughts from Pete’s father, “Pete loved and lived the idea of Herk family and the wider concept of Herk Nation, to include those who had left the college and continued to identify with it. I would like to thank all the students and college staff for giving my son the opportunity to be part of the Herkimer community. I am greatly comforted, as is the rest of my family and his friends across Scotland, “by the unbelievable expression of human kindness and thoughtfulness that has been shown by the Herkimer community over the last few days.”