Mickey's soccer career started in 1958 at 8 years of age, when he played in the Bob Lloyd Little League in Lawrence township for two years. When the league folded, he was fortunate and joined the Tom Hamnett Little League, based at Hetzel's field in East Trenton, which was at the time the home field for Trenton Junior College, which is now MCCC.
From 1960-63, he was blessed with legendary coaches and mentors such as Al Wilson, Pete Pietras, Ted Swieconek, Bill Drake, Jim Solarski Sr., and Charles "Ping Pong" Farrutto. When he turned 13, Mickey continued on in the Hammet Little Bigger League, still under the guidance of the legendary coaches and mentors of East Trenton and Mercer County. The Hamnett select team won two successive national invitational tournaments in 1964 and 1965. This team was composed of several future MCCC stars, Jim Solarski Jr., Art Kearns, Dan Knox, and Pete Lindaeur.
During his time as a High School student-athlete, Mickey earned the distinction of three-time all-county selection (10th, 11th, and 12th grades). He was coached by Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame coach Toby Pontani at Trenton High School and by Hall of Fame coach Lou Angelbranndt in 11th and 12th grades at Lawrenceville High School, where he captained the 1967 team to its first state championship. A year-round player, Mickey helped the Tom Hamnett Juniors, ages 16-18, win three straight NJ state junior cup titles in ‘66-’68, and two straight Eastern regional titles in ‘67 and ‘68. In 1968, the Hamnetts went on to the National Junior Cup Final in St. Louis, where they lost to St. Philip Neri Juniors. While they were there, the team met with Pele and his Santos team of Brazil, who were touring the US.
On to MCCC, and in 1968 under legendary coach Stan Dulugosz, MCCC won the National title, beating perennial power, Florissant Valley of St. Louis. Mickey was voted the most valuable mid-fielder of the tournament, and was a first team All-American selection. The following year, 1969, he was again chosen as a first-team All-American selection. During the two seasons that Mickey played for MCCC, the Vikings established a 33-0-2 win-loss-tie record.
After graduation, Mickey continued to play for several years for one of the top teams in the state, the Trenton Extension, with fellow MCCC stars Jim Solarski Jr., Ken Hess, Dave Leckie, Pete Lindauer, Jimmy Dill, and Joe Bianchini. In his 40s and 50s, he played with the Trenton Power, a team composed of many of the great players from Mercer County in Over 40 and Over 50 tournaments, at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Onianta, New York.
Mickey has been inducted into the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame (2002), and the Lawrenceville High School Athletic Hall of Fame (2011). He continues to coach and train at the youth level in the Hamnett organization and for Mooch soccer.
