University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

    Although Joachim Knispel might be easily recognized now for his service in the Armed Forces, Mr. Knispel got his start on the Pitt-Johnstown men’s soccer team and as the Mountain Cat mascot.  In his first college game at West Liberty State (WV), Mr. Knispel, a two-year team captain, scored four goals.  He holds the men’s soccer single-season scoring record with 16 goals in 1984 on his way to finishing sixth in the Western Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Soccer Conference and the Presidents Conference in scoring.  The previous season, Mr. Knispel, a native of Export, Pa., and a Franklin Regional High School graduate, finished third in the conference in scoring with 13 goals and nine assists.  Mr. Knispel was a NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic All-Region selection and a Western Pennsylvania All-Conference choice in both 1983 and 1984.  He finished his Pitt-Johnstown soccer career with 29 goals, 11 assists and 69 points.
            Mr. Knispel spent his last semester studying abroad at the University of Augsburg in Germany, where he obtained a certificate in International Studies.  His leadership qualities on the field transferred into the U.S. Army.  He was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in Military Intelligence after graduating in 1988 from the Army Officer Candidate School and a graduate from the esteemed Army Airborne School.  Mr. Knispel is a retired Lieutenant Colonel, with over 21 years of service, including a 2003 tour in Kuwait and Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He also is the former Deputy Chief of Staff for Georgia’s National Security Agency and the former Deputy Commander of the 116^th Military Intelligence Group.  Mr. Knispel earned the prestigious Defense Meritorious Service Medal for a successful career as a military officer.  The DMSM is the third-highest bestowed upon members of the U.S. military by the Department of Defense.  Today, he works as a civilian for the National Security Agency in Augusta, Ga.
     Mr. Knispel has not forgotten his soccer roots.  He was a youth league coach for leagues in Pennsylvania and Georgia.  Mr. Knispel and his wife Kristen have three children, Christiane, Penn and Devin.  The Knispels reside in Evans, Ga.
     “I feel honored to be recognized alongside these other talented and impressive Pitt-Johnstown athletes,” Mr. Knispel said.  “I'm grateful to the coaches—Pecora and Watyka—for pushing me physically and mentally during my college career.  The leadership skills I learned on the soccer field helped me prepare for my career as a military officer.  Being the first soccer player in the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame is extremely humbling, given the gifted pool of players over the years.”