Maximiliano Rocco returns to his alma mater and enters his first year as an assistant coach with the Patriot women's soccer program
He recently served as a coach with the Tormenta FC program in Statesboro, Ga., and was the varsity boys' soccer coach at Trinity Collegiate School In Florence this past spring.
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he played the 2020 and 2019 seasons at Francis Marion and earned a bachelor of business administration degree in human resources in 2021.Â
As a goalkeeper for the Patriots, he was a D2CCA second-team All-Region selection in 2019 as the 16-5-1 Patriots won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. FMU finished the year ranked No.22. He started 21 of 22 matches, posted a 1.73 goals against average with 63 saves and a school-record 11 shutouts. `He also registered the second-longest scoreless streak in program history (434:22). During the covid-shortened and delayed 2020 season, he started 10 of 11 matches, posted a 1.10 GAA with 33 saves and two shutouts.
He garnered PBC Goalkeeper of the Week accolades during the 2019 season, and was named to the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll for the 2020 spring semester.
He also took advantage of the extra year granted by the NCAA because of the covid pandemic and played the 2021 season at Gannon University. He posted 94 saves in 18 matches with eight shutouts, and earned PSAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice.
Prior to coming to FMU, he attended ASA College in Miami, Fla., for his freshman and sophomore years. He posted a 1.67 goals against average as a sophomore in 2018 and averaged 4.25 saves per match, after recording a 2.41 GAA as a freshman for the Silver Storm with one shutout and 54 saves in 11 matches.
In addition to his junior college play, he has experience playing with the KSA Storm FC of the NPSL in 2018, and with Miami United in 2019.
(8-2022)
