Mendon Soccer's No. 9 Jersey Carries Todd Pelino's Legacy into 2026
The Short Version
- Danny Coyne is only the fourth player in Mendon soccer history to wear the No. 9 jersey of honor for two consecutive seasons.
- Todd Pelino — 1985 Mendon graduate, three-year varsity captain, and Colgate soccer player — was killed on the 102nd floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, leaving behind a wife and two children.
- Former coach Joe Borrosh made No. 9 a jersey of honor rather than retiring it, so the number stays in play each season on a player selected by coaches and teammates for character on and off the field.
- On September 14, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the attacks, players and spectators held 25 seconds of silence before the Mendon–Batavia match — one second for each year since 2001.
- Coyne on the honor: 'To me the #9 is a lot more than just a jersey number. It represents all the characteristics that Todd Pelino displayed.'
On September 14, 2026, before Mendon hosted Batavia in a boys soccer match, the sideline went quiet. Players, coaches, and spectators held 25 seconds of silence — one for each year since the September 11 attacks. The player wearing the Mendon soccer No. 9 jersey was Danny Coyne, a senior captain who has now carried that number for two straight seasons.
The Pelino Who Wore No. 9
Todd Pelino graduated from Mendon High School in 1985 after three varsity soccer seasons, wearing No. 9 as a captain. He went on to play at Colgate University, then built a career in financial services. On September 11, 2001, he was at his desk on the 102nd floor of the World Trade Center. He left behind a wife and two children.
His former coaches remembered him as the kind of captain whose qualities go beyond the box score — the player who set the standard for how you carry yourself on a team and in the community around it.
How the No. 9 Tradition Started
Former coach Joe Borrosh could have retired the number. He didn't. As Spectrum Local News reported in 2019:
"We thought by making #9, Todd's number for two years, a uniform of honor to be given to a player that represented what Todd's character was all about would be a nice honor for Todd."
— Joe Borrosh, former Mendon soccer coach
A retired number sits on a wall and ends the story. A jersey of honor puts the number back in play every season, on a player who has earned it, in front of teammates and a crowd that know exactly what it means. Each year, coaches and teammates vote for the player who best embodies Pelino's character — on the field and off it.
Danny Coyne: Wearing No. 9 for a Second Season
Danny Coyne first wore the jersey in 2025 as a junior. His coaches and teammates selected him again for 2026, making him the fourth player in program history to earn the honor in consecutive seasons. He is a senior defender and captain.
Coach Mark Hurley's assessment from the 2025 selection announcement: "Danny is an outstanding leader and player who is respected by his peers and coaches."
Coyne put it directly: "To me the #9 is a lot more than just a jersey number. It represents all the characteristics that Todd Pelino displayed."
The Ceremony Before the Batavia Match
The Ceremony Before the Batavia Match
The September 14 date was deliberate — it fell on the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Players, coaches, and spectators observed 25 seconds of silence before the match, one second for each year since 2001. Coyne stood on the field wearing the same number Pelino wore here in 1985.
The full ceremony program and Coyne's selection details are in the Pittsford Schools announcement. Mendon plays home matches at Mendon High School on West Bloomfield Road in Pittsford.
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