Top scorer on soccer field, hockey rink takes place in Pine-Richland hall of fame

By: Jerin Steele
Saturday, August 19, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Matt Crummy was an all-around athlete in his high school days at Pine-Richland. He was also an all-terrain athlete.

Whether it was on the grass of a soccer field, the ice at a hockey rink or the rubberized surface of the track, Crummy made an impact with the Rams.

He’s the all-time leading scorer in Pine-Richland boys soccer history, helped the Rams hockey team reach two PIHL finals and was a WPIAL finalist in the hurdles.

For his efforts, Crummy will be inducted into the Pine-Richland Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 class.

“I really enjoyed (hockey and soccer) from a young age,” said Crummy, a 1999 Pine-Richland grad. “I remember playing soccer as far back as 4 or 5 years old. For hockey, I grew up at the time Mario Lemieux was drafted and the sport picked up popularity in Pittsburgh. It was a fun time to be a kid in Pittsburgh.

“Both sports are really high energy, require a lot of stamina and movement. They really brought out the best in me from a competition standpoint. Also, back then there was more opportunity to play multiple sports. That was something my parents encouraged me to do.”

Crummy will be inducted with Michael Buterbaugh, Bill Colpo, Kevin McCabe, Kristen Murslack and the 1960 Richland football team during a ceremony Oct. 7 in the Pine-Richland high school cafeteria. All inductees will be honored the night before prior to the Central Catholic/Pine-Richland football game.

Crummy was a striker on the Rams soccer team and finished with 83 goals. He broke the school record for goals in his final game against Hampton. He needed six goals to break it and got all six.

“My coach, Jon Conner, kept meticulous records, and during my senior year, we got an understanding of what the record was and what I needed,” Crummy said. “To do it in my final high school game is a fun memory. They left me in, and the team did a great job feeding me. It was a special game.”

During their senior year, Crummy and his soccer teammates lost a good friend and teammate Jim Kennedy, who died in a car accident. A scholarship in Kennedy’s honor is given to a boys soccer player every year and the school hosts Jim Kennedy Memorial soccer tournament annually. Crummy has been involved in helping with tributes to his friend.

“That was a tough time, but it galvanized us as friends and as a graduating class,” Crummy said. “We’re honored to carry on his memory.”

Crummy scored 30 goals and had 26 assists his senior year on the hockey team, helping the team reach the PIHL championship. The Rams also made the PIHL finals his sophomore year.

“In general, I was really fortunate to be on good teams in both hockey and soccer in my high school career,” Crummy said. “My sophomore year, we were undefeated in the regular season, but we lost in the Penguins Cup final. We got to play at the Civic Arena, which was a great memory.”

For track, Crummy was a hurdler and had a good mentor, his dad Bill, who was a long-time track and field coach at Pine-Richland. Bill was a multi-time state champion as a hurdler at Mars.

Crummy ended up finishing sixth in both the 110 and 300 hurdles at the 1998 WPIAL meet.

“My dad was an accomplished track star as well as a football player, so he was a good role model,” Crummy said. “That kept me grounded. I was a competitive guy, but it helped me understand that there’s other good athletes out there, even maybe in my own house, so I just wanted to be the best I could be and get better every day.”

Crummy went on to enjoy a successful soccer career at Carnegie Mellon. He was named to the Tartans’ 25th anniversary team in 2011.

After graduating college, he went on to be an assistant coach at Carnegie Mellon for a few years. He currently lives in the Pine-Richland school district and coaches his three children in youth soccer.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland