Quaker Valley’s Dominic Reiter to play soccer at Pitt

By: Shawn Annarelli
Friday, June 28, 2019 | 6:36 PM

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Dominic Reiter was in disbelief, so he called his twin brother, Fritz, to share that Pitt soccer coach Jay Vidovich offered him a spot on the team.

The shock didn’t wear off for about a week — the time it took for Dominic to commit to his dream school — but Fritz knew that would be Dominic’s choice.

“I was just really proud of him right away because he deserves it more than anyone I know,” Fritz said. “The amount of work he puts into soccer is unreal. To get an opportunity like this is awesome, and I know he’ll do well there.”

The offer was a surprise to the twins, an inseparable pair of rising seniors who helped Quaker Valley win a WPIAL championship in 2016 and a state title in ’17.

Dominic attended several Pitt ID camps and met the coaching staff, but he didn’t hear from Panthers coaches while considering schools such as Robert Morris and Bowling Green. He didn’t think Pitt was interested in him until late May when he saw Vidovich and Pitt assistant coach Rich Costanzo watching a Beadling Soccer Club scrimmage.

“Pitt always seemed out of reach to me, so this was all a little bit out of the blue,” Dominic said. “I actually didn’t even know they were there until halftime. Starting off without the pressure of knowing they were there probably helped, but then I knew I had to play hard like I always do for them to notice me.”

Dominic’s effort as Beadling’s centerback — he typically plays striker for Quaker Valley — immediately began to pay off.

Vidovich and Costanzo spoke with him after practice, gave him a card and told him to call. They toured Pitt’s campus and facilities a few days later and ended it with an offer to be a defender.

“I kind of grew up around Pitt and went to some of their games because my mom is a professor there,” Dominic said. “Just being from the area and seeing the success this coaching staff has had has brought a lot of excitement. It’s a real dream come true, and that’s why I couldn’t process it.”

Dominic did what Fritz told him to do: take a few days to think about it.

It was helpful advice from someone who also is navigating the same recruiting process, so Dominic reflected on his goals and his past.

“It’s been a dream the last 15 years just being able to play with my brother, and we know that goes both ways,” Fritz said. “Having someone right by your side to give advice really helps. We give opinions to each other straight up. We’re not sugar-coating anything for each other just like if we were on the field.”

Dominic realized he wanted to try to help Pitt win an ACC championship— maybe even a NCAA title — and be coached by Vidovich, a three-time ACC and one-time NCAA coach of the year with a national championship on his resume.

He also thought about his brother, Fritz, and friends like Franky Fernandez. They want to add more trophies and medals to their collection before graduating in 2020.

“I’ve thought about the great team we’ve still got at Quaker Valley and wanting to compete for WPIAL and state titles,” Dominic said. “I owe everything to those guys. Their caliber and how we all push each other just elevates everyone’s game. Without them, there’s no way I’d be in a position like this.”

With Dominic’s decision made, he will wait for Fritz to make his choice in the next few months.

The twins know they could be going in different directions after experiencing every practice and game together.

“I think Fritz was more excited about Pitt than me initially, and that’s how supportive we’ve been for each other,” Dominic said. “I think in practices we go the hardest against each other. The success we have now is directly a result of that and being there for each other.”

Potentially playing for different teams doesn’t mean they can’t share their experiences.

“If we’re not together, I’ll definitely come back to Pittsburgh for some games, and I’m sure he’ll do the same,” Fritz said. “We’ll come home, pass the ball around and play a few games like we always have.”

Tags: Quaker Valley