Goalkeeper Josh Perryman has broken ETSU’s all-time program record with 205 career saves, knocking out the last five saves in the season’s last game against UNCG on Oct. 30.  

“I mean obviously, it’s something I’m proud of,” Perryman said. “Especially considering the first year I was here where I wasn’t playing . . . looking back then, that’s something I wouldn’t have thought I’d have been able to do, especially just with the stature of goalkeepers that have been at this program before me.”  

The record was previously held by Jonny Sutherland, another English goalkeeper who played as Perryman was beginning his career at ETSU. Perryman (Sheffield, England) was redshirted his freshman year but came in as a starter in his sophomore year, quickly becoming an essential part of the team. 

(Contributed/ETSU Athletics)

In addition to his record-breaking career saves, Perryman was named SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year in 2019 as well as named to the SoCon Honors Roll a couple of times. Perryman will graduate in December with a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science.  

“He’s just a really nice kid, got a really caring personality,” said Josh Scott, the interim head coach. “He’s been a very good organizer and communicator for the team as one of the captains, and he’s been an absolute pleasure to have around.”  

Perryman hopes to take the next few months to figure out how to move forward with his career still involved in soccer. He plans to move to North Carolina to seek the opportunity to coach and give private lessons to kids looking to play in college on scholarship.  

Perryman’s last season was a tumultuous one for the whole team. A coaching rearrangement occurred in mid-October, causing Scott, the previous recruiting coordinator, to step in as acting head coach. Despite new leadership and an average season, both Scott and Perryman believe that the team grew as a result of the challenges.  

“We’d like to have won more games, we’d like to have gone further in the tournament, but it was good in the sense that it brought us together as a team and really tested the character that we’ve got in this group. You know, leaving this program now, it gives me a lot more confidence in how the team and the program’s going to be in the future,” said Perryman.