"Every kid or coach who participates in organized soccer on Staten Island owes him," were the words Sandy Rapaglia used to honor Dr. Gabriel Nigrin, one of the pioneers of the sport, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 93. "Doc started organized soccer on Staten Island. He's been a fixture since the 1960s. He was the man," said Rapaglia, the former director of coaching at S.I. United and a former member of the Eastern N.Y. State Board of Directors.

"He started a lot of us coaching and playing." Longtime New Dorp HS girls' soccer coach Nick Kvasic was one of those recruited by Dr. Nigrin to help his Silver Lake Soccer Club, which he co-founded in 1970 along with Vladimir Adzemovic.