Men's Soccer Bids Farewell to Program Defining Senior Class

ITHACA, N.Y. – With the 2019 season coming to a close, the Cornell men’s soccer team bids farewell to an impactful class of eight seniors responsible for changing the culture of the program during their tenure. On and off the field, Ryan Bayne, George Pedlow, John Scearce, Ryan Shellow, Brady Dickens, Riley Adams, Ryan Hill and Kyle Walsh leave the Cornell program in a better place than they found it.

“It is hard to put into words what this class means to me,” said head coach John Smith. “From day one they stuck at it when most things around them would have suggested they ought not to, and in the ensuing years they proved themselves to be some of the most reliable, trustworthy, durable and perseverant student-athletes I have ever had the pleasure to coach. Although they will be sorely missed, their impression on the program was such, that their impact will be clearly seen on a day-to-day basis —from the psyche of the players, to the minute details essential to the running of a program. It has been an honor to work with this group.”

The program has made significant strides during the last four years under Smith, who took a program at the bottom of the Ivy League and turned it into a team capable of contending for the conference crown with help from the Class of 2020. Things were tough at the beginning though. In his first year as head coach and the first year of play at Cornell for Pedlow, Shellow, Dickens, Adams and Walsh, the Big Red finished the season at 1-14-2.

Coming into Cornell in 2016, the Class of 2020 wasn’t one directly recruited by Smith and his staff, which can make things tough on a student-athlete. It was up to them to buy in and take a leap of faith with a staff they were still largely unfamiliar with.

Despite a poor record in season one, players bought into the culture Smith created. 

“To go through all of the hardships and everything that goes with turning around a program, you have to let the program become part of you,” said Bayne. “For those of us that went through it, this program molded us as people. It’s kind of cliché to say that it means everything to you, but for me that’s an accurate statement.”

Changes for the better started surfacing in year two, as the Big Red finished the season with an overall record of 7-8-2 and earned a program defining win over No. 11-ranked Syracuse, 1-0, thanks to an overtime goal from Hill in the 99th minute.

Cornell reached even higher heights in 2018, opening the season with a 9-2 record and rising to the No. 18-ranked team in the country. A trip back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 seemed all but destined for Cornell, but luck had other plans, as three late season overtime losses bounced the Big Red from the United Soccer Coaches poll and out of tournament contention.

Despite not reaching their goal of an Ivy League championship, the Class of 2020 had a lot to celebrate in 2019. A pair of overtime wins over perennial powerhouses Michigan State (2-1) and Akron (3-2) were reminiscent of the 2017 win over Syracuse in that it reaffirmed Cornell’s position as an up-and-coming program. Cornell’s 6-nil win over Harvard showed that sometimes the most vivid memories of your career aren’t just those of victory, or watching your coaches run slopes, but of pain. A 4-0 loss to Harvard in 2016 served as added motivation for the Big Red, who wanted to return that favor before things were all said and done.

Each player will depart Cornell better prepared for the real world thanks to lessons learned on and off the pitch. 

“It’s the ability to come from absolutely nothing and build something out of it that will stick with me forever,” said Walsh, who became a manager for the team after his playing career was unfortunately cut short by injury in 2018. Walsh appeared in 19 games for Cornell over parts of three seasons and made three starts in the Big Red back line in 2017.

For others, the program changed their mentality on life. 

“On and off the field, this program has hardened me,” said Hill. “It makes you feel like you’re not intimidated or scared of anything anymore. I’m leaving here with a bring it on mentality.”

A fifth-year senior and a three-time team captain, Bayne grew up around the Cornell soccer program. After missing the 2016 season due to injury, Bayne will conclude his career at Cornell with 60 career starts on defense in 66 total matches played. While not a scorer by nature, Bayne had a knack for coming up big when the team needed him the most, scoring game-winning overtime goals against Colgate (Oct. 10, 2017) and Akron (Sept. 28, 2019).

“Cornell soccer is a large part of who I am," said Bayne. "What has meant more to me than anything, is being a part of the growth process that this program has gone through, because it has undoubtedly been the hardest thing that I’ve been a part of at this point in my life.” 

Transferring to Cornell prior to the 2018 season, Scearce didn’t go through the same trials and tribulations as others on the team, but still came in with the mindset of wanting to better the program. Scearce quickly became a part of the team and was rewarded with an All-Ivy League honorable mention in 2018 and a captain’s armband in 2019.

“I wasn’t a part of the team when it was in bad shape, but coming here and getting to know these guys and what they went through, it made me feel like I went through it with them,” said Scearce. “I integrated into the team with the mindset of being here to make this program better. After two years here, I’m proud to say I was a part of the group that turned it around.”

Named a team captain for his senior season, Riley Adams was a significant contributor on the Cornell side during his freshman and junior seasons, making 13 career starts in 24 appearances. Like others in the class, injuries unfortunately didn't allow for Adams to contribute as much as he wanted during his four years.

“My teammates helped push me through all of the injuries I had," said Adams. "I didn’t want to let them down. With our team especially, we’re so close that people on the team understand what you’re going through and are always there for you. They want to help you as much as they want to help the team as a whole. That’s something the coaching staff has really ingrained into the team.”

One of four team captains for the Big Red in 2019, Dickens used hard work and determination to earn back a starting job in Cornell's offensive attack. A goal on Oct. 22 against Albany set things into motion for Dickens, who has started four straight matches leading into Saturday. Dickens reaffirmed the decision to move into into the starting XI on Oct. 29, when he scored the game-winning goal against Bucknell in the 57th minute.

“I’ve learned so much from coach Smith. I think he’s by far the best coach and mentor I’ve ever had. When he talks he’s so persuasive and knows how to get you emotionally riled up. We have meetings and we’ll all be ready to come out and run through a wall for him because we know how much it means to him.” 

A native of Miami, Fla., Shellow has been a staple of the Cornell men's soccer program for four seasons, making 46 starts in goal for the Big Red in 47 total appearances. Twice Shellow has led the Ivy League in saves, posting 70 saves during each of his freshman and junior seasons. Shellow was in goal for several key victories during the 2019 season, helping Cornell to defeat Michigan State and Akron.

A second-team All-Ivy selection in 2016, Pedlow has been a key contributor to the Cornell offensive attack since he arrived in Ithaca from London, England. Despite going 1-14-2 in 2016, Pedlow and the rest of the Cornell team always kept a winning mentality, even when the wins weren't showing up in the score sheet.

“Growing up people would always say that success is a habit and I never knew what that meant," said Pedlow. "After going through what we went through, the way I interpret it, is that if you want something you have to act as if its already your reality, even if the results aren’t there yet. Eventually, by doing that every single day it will become your reality. With that, I also learned that it can slip away at a snap of the fingers if you don’t keep working.” 

The final member of the Class of 2020, Hill arrived in Ithaca prior to the 2017 season after two years of play at NCAA Divison III Haverford College. Hill was a starter for Haverford, appearing in 43 games for the Fords and taking a trip to the 2015 Elite Eight, but took a leap of faith in transferring to Cornell as a walk-on. One of the most notable moments in the John Smith coaching era, Hill scored the decisive game-winning overtime goal against No. 11-ranked Syracuse in 2017, helping vault the Big Red into the national soccer spotlight. Hill's final two seasons in Ithaca were met by the injury bug, which limited his time on the pitch.

"John and Drew were the two coaches that gave me a shot so I felt like I owed it to the staff and my parents for sticking with me," said Hill. "There were too many good things happening in the program for me to just give up that easily."

Playing in its final game of the season against Columbia at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, the Class of 2020 has a lot to be proud of. Though their time at Cornell was short, the impact made by the Class of 2020 will last a lifetime.