The 100th anniversary celebration of the Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association on March 21st, 2015, was a particularly momentous for a Lehigh graduate.
Attila “Ed” Csongradi, ‘67G ‘71G is one of 19 people inducted into the inaugural class of the EPSA Hall of Fame for his contributions to the growth of soccer in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Csongradi grew up playing soccer in Hungary for the local adult team Komadi S.C. before attending the University of Miskolc, where he studied mechanical engineering. He emigrated to Canada after the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution and completed his engineering degree at the University of Toronto, all while playing on soccer teams there.
In 1963, Csongradi moved to the Lehigh Valley when he was transferred to the Ingersoll-Rand facility in Phillipsburg, N.J., where he joined the Easton Soccer club, then the Allentown Soccer Club. He earned graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Management Science from Lehigh University, and then went on to work at Bethlehem Steel and Northampton Community College.
Ed Csongradi played for Allentown Soccer Club for 11 years, and was a player and coach for the Saucon Valley S.C. and Sunburst S.C. until he moved on to age appropriate teams in 1993. He retired from playing in 2008 at age 72.
In 1969, Csongradi co-founded the Greater Bethlehem Soccer League with Tom Fleck, Charlie Garcia, and John Makuvek; he helped establish the Lehigh Valley Soccer League and the Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League in 1974 and 1975, respectively. Csongradi lead the Shimano Junior U-19 team to win four league, two state, and other tournament championships when he served as coach for seven years. He also coached NCC from 199 to 2006 and to a state title in 2006. Csongradi served on the EPYSA coaching staff from 1980 to 1984.
Ed Csongradi has worked as referee since 1972. He has previously been named to the Lehigh Valley Soccer Hall of Fame inaugural class and the Northampton Community College Athletic Hall of Fame as the men’s soccer coach.
His wife, Valerie, son Tom, and other family members joined him as he accepted his award at the banquet.
Aislinn Strohecker '18 is a writer with the Dean’s Office of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.
