Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 3, 1993 TAG: 9309030048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
One week after the Kickoff Classic and Pigskin Classic signaled the start of the college football season, Virginia opens its bid for a third consecutive NCAA Division I men's soccer championship Saturday at the Coca-Cola Classic in Charlottesville.
Virginia Tech serves as host for the Virginia Tech Tournament this weekend and Radford visits Clemson, but one week later there will be another "classic" when Roanoke College holds the Domino's Classic at River's Edge Park.
The Maroons, who graced the Division III rankings last year for the first time in the program's history, have their sights set on their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Roanoke won seven of its first eight games in 1992 and finished 12-4.
"I feel we're on a par with any [Division III] team in the region, but we need to be able to finish," says coach Scott Allison, whose team opens its season Monday at Division I semifinalist Duke. "We are as good as anybody at getting in position [to score]."
Virginia is ranked No. 1 in Division I, but the Cavaliers were not a unanimous choice for first place in the ACC. Coach Bruce Arena picked UVa third behind Duke and N.C. State.
"This talk of a `three-peat' is purely fictional," says Arena, whose Cavaliers tied No. 4-ranked Creighton in an exhibition game Saturday in Omaha, Neb. "It wouldn't bother me if we got kicked around a little; it's a good way to wake up a team."
A look at the teams at colleges covered by the Roanoke Times & World-News:
Men
\ FERRUM: Tom Thatcher, who coaches both Panthers soccer teams, is hoping the men can improve on a 4-11 record that included four losses by one goal, including a 2-1 setback to then-No. 3 Methodist College.
Steve Reynolds, from Franklin County, returns for his first full season in goal and will be joined by second-team All-Dixie Conference selections Will Cunningham on defense and Emerson Umana up front.
\ RADFORD: It will be a new era for the Highlanders, who lose the most celebrated player in the history of the program, Dante Washington. The All-American and U.S. Olympian set the Big South Conference career scoring record with 82 goals, 13 last season. No returning player for Radford had more than two in 1992.
The Highlanders also lose goalie Frederick Rondeau; however, Rondeau shared time last year with Chris Barrett, who had a 1.87 goals-against average in 15 matches. Senior captain Darryl Springer, who has started 58 consecutive matches, helps solidify the defense.
\ ROANOKE: Andy Smith, who led the Maroons in scoring in 1991 before an injury-plagued sophomore year, is back at full speed and will provide offense along with Keith Arnott, who scored 20 points as a sophomore.
Roanoke has two All-America candidates in midfielder Dustin Fonder and defender Nelson Vasquez, a three-time all-region back. The Maroons' hopes for their first NCAA Tournament bid could hinge on sophomore Rick Keeley or freshman Mike Birely, the leading candidates to replace All-American Aaron Ewert in goal.
\ VIRGINIA: Midfielder Claudio Reyna, chosen as the college soccer player of the year by the Missouri Athletic Club, returns for his junior year and joins a strong Cavaliers nucleus that also includes high-scoring A.J. Wood and Jeff Causey, a fourth-year starter in goal.
UVa (21-2-1 in 1992) is looking for ways to come up with the scoring provided last year by Ben Crawley, who had 17 goals, and Brad Agoos, who set the school assists record. Brian Bates and Clint Peay, returning from reconstructive knee surgery, help make up for the loss of Erik Imler on defense.
\ VMI: Coach Stephen Ross must do without three of the top four scorers from last year's 4-14 team, including Southern Conference Freshman of the Year Bill Kaushagen, who is trying to improve his grades at Northern Virginia Community College.
The Keydets, who were shut out six times and scored a total of 20 goals, will be looking to junior striker Geoff Blum, whose six goals earned a share of team scoring honors with Kaushagen.
\ VIRGINIA TECH: Senior striker Jason Entlich, voted the offensive player of the year by his teammates in 1992, will be the focus of a Hokies attack that loses four-year lettermen Eric McLellan and Tarik Walker. Rodney Walsh, last year's top newcomer, will be counted on for increased productivity.
Senior goalie Brian Bulger, who had two shutouts and a 1.85 goals-against average, will play a major role if Tech approaches last year's 10-7-2 record. The Hokies will get a lift from the return of Chris McNally, a regular two years ago who missed the 1992 season with an injury.
\ WASHINGTON AND LEE: Coach Rolf Piranian needs to replace the Generals' only four-time All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference selections, Greg Williams and Reid Murphy. Junior co-captain Alan Christensen, a midfielder, will draw the opposition's top scorer and Piranian hopes for scoring from John Robinson and Dan Rhodes, who combined for six goals in W & L's 8-8 season. \
Women
\ FERRUM: The Lady Panthers won as many games last year, when they were 6-8, as they did in the previous two seasons combined. Ferrum's initial first-team All-Dixie Conference selection, Carrie Early, returns for her junior year. Early and sophomore Holly Culpeper each had seven goals and six assists.
\ HOLLINS: Hollins faces a rebuilding season under new coach Kellie Kennedy, who officially assumed basketball and soccer duties Thursday. Kennedy, with a background primarily in basketball, takes over a team that won one ODAC game and was 3-12 overall.
\ RADFORD: The introduction of women's soccer as a Big South varsity sport has given the Lady Highlanders an opportunity to play for a championship for the first time. Senior Sue Williams already holds the school scoring record with 39 goals, including 13 last year, when Radford was 11-8-1.
\ ROANOKE: Junior Heather Harlan, who started seven games last year and had three shutouts, steps in for ODAC Player of the Year and third-team All-American Amy Martin. The Maroons (12-6-1) also must replace All-ODAC sweeper Tia Rubin, but they have plenty of offense in forward Robin McLaughlin, who is on pace to set a school scoring record.
\ WASHINGTON AND LEE: The Generals won three of their last six games after a 2-8 start and welcome back their top two scorers, Angie Carrington and Anne Spruill, as well as All-ODAC choice Aspen Yawars on defense. Goalie Kate Stimeling has been moved to offense, which benefits from the return of 1991 AllODAC pick Corinda Hankins after a year abroad.
\ VIRGINIA: Virginia will seek its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid despite the loss of all-time scoring leader Andrea Rubio. Kristen DiMillio and Kim Smith are back after scoring 10 goals apiece last year. The Cavaliers, who were ranked as high as No. 2 last year, when they finished 14-5-1, face six teams ranked in the Top 20.
\ VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies open their first season as a varsity sport under Sam Okpodu, an assistant for the last three years at N.C. State, where he set the ACC scoring record from 1981-84. Midfielder Sarah Schwark, a junior from Orchard Lake, Mich., will serve as captain.
by CNB