Men's Soccer | 9/16/2020 4:21:28 PM
Senior Justin Pumputis returns for his fourth season with the Nazareth College men's soccer team in 2020-21. Pumputis, a center back, was one of three Nazareth players to start every game in 2019 as he contributed one goal and one assist and helped the Golden Flyers post a 0.73 goals-against average with nine shutouts. He helped lead Nazareth to a 14-3-3 overall record 2019 and the program's first Empire 8 Championship since 2006.
Pumputis, a native of Hilton, NY who attended Aquinas Institute in Rochester, earned All-Empire 8 first team honors in 2019, second team accolades in 2017 and was an honorable mention selection in 2018. He has five goals and 12 points in 56 career games for the Golden Flyers.
Justin Pumputis - Why I Play
Institution: Nazareth College
Sport/Position: Soccer, Center Back
Academic Major: Business Management with a minor in Analytics
GPA: 3.4
Class Year: Senior
Academic Honors/Clubs/Community Service Roles: Multiple Dean's List recipient. Also serve as Vice President of Student-Athlete Mentors program at Nazareth.
What Have You Done During the COVID-19 Pandemic to Stay Active and What Are Some Positive Effects of the Pandemic You Have Experienced?
I did some work outs through our team trainer and then on Youtube. Some positive effects were that I found new ways to stay active while being stuck home which my girlfriend or sister helped me with.
What Role has Soccer Played in your Personal Development?
Soccer has helped me a lot with my confidence and being able to respond to failure and success. I never getting too high or too low, which is really important. Soccer has also showed me how to be the best leader, teammate, and player that I can be for my team.
At what age did you start playing Soccer and what made you stay with it? Did you play any other sports growing up?
I started playing soccer when I was 5 pretty much because my sister was playing and the other option was tee ball which I never was interested in. I stuck with soccer because it just felt right. I enjoyed it, I wasn’t bad at it, and it gave me something to do and look forward to while growing up. I loved traveling to tournaments too and staying at hotels with my teammates. I also played football for a year and basketball for a couple years.
Any Superstitions When It Comes to Pregame Rituals/Training?
Each season some things have changed but others could be seen as rituals. The most common ones are listening to music to just settle in and focus but also playing some games on my phone to help keep me relaxed and not get too serious before games. It is supposed to be fun so if I get too serious I feel like I am not playing my way. I also always tape my left wrist, it started as a “cool” thing to do in high school but now it feels weird if I do not do it.
Why Did You Decide to Attend Nazareth?
I chose Naz because I could play soccer here and it was closer to home so my family could come to games. I also came here because I knew I would be getting a great education that would help set me up for success in the future.
How has Playing Collegiately and in the Empire 8 Prepared You For Life After College?
Playing college soccer in the Empire 8 has introduced me to so many different people with different backgrounds who all want the same thing, and that is to work hard, play the sports we love and get a good education. It has prepared me to always put my best foot forward, work as hard as I can, and to never judge a book by its cover.
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time in College: My favorite memory has to be winning the Empire 8 Conference Championship last year. After making it to the conference tournament my freshman year and losing in the semi finals, and then making it to the championship my sophomore year and losing again, being able to get back to the finals, at home, and win the championship was an incredible feeling.
Favorite Professional Team: Buffalo Bills
Favorite Movies: Dunkirk, The Other Guys, Hateful 8
Favorite TV Shows: The Office, Parks and Recreation, Last Chance U, SpongeBob Square Pants
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: Last Chance U
Favorite Food: Mostly everything, I love snacking
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla but with
A LOT of sprinkles and other stuff on it
One Thing Most People Do Not Know About You: I like puzzles
Advice to Younger Student-Athletes on Why You Chose to Play a Collegiate Sport and Why Playing A Sport is So Important/Beneficial?
I chose to play a collegiate sport in order to continue playing the sport I have been playing all my life. Playing a sport is important because it gives you an escape from all the homework, papers, tests, and everything else in life and you also make friends that last a lifetime. You become a part of a family within your team, and with the right culture and support, you always have someone to go to for help whether it is related to your sport, your course work, or just life in general.
The Empire 8 Conference's “Why I Play” Series features a student-athlete from one of its member institutions who discusses devotion to its respective sport.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram