Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 1993                   TAG: 9311180254
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FALL SOCCER CLASSIC SET THIS WEEKEND

In its third year, the tournament, organized by the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Club, has expanded from 127 teams in 1991 to 154 teams in 1992 and 175 teams in 1993.

This year's tournament features championship teams, such as the Under-15 Braddock Road American Eagles from Northern Virginia; the New Jersey League Champions, Under-14 Jersey Shore Boca from Toms River; the Under-14 Richmond Strikers; and the Under-14 Augusta Arsenal Gunners from Augusta, Ga.

The competition will include more than 310 games on 30 fields in the Roanoke Valley. Most games will be played at the River's Edge Sports Complex in Roanoke and Green Hill Park in Salem, beginning Saturday morning and continuing until Sunday evening, when six female and 16 male division champions will be crowned.

Other game locations are Salem High School, East Salem Elementary School, Penn Forest Elementary School, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Highland Park, Vinyard Field in Vinton, Roanoke College Stadium and practice fields, North Cross School and Hollins College.

The tournament serves not only as a fund-raising event to underwrite the costs of soccer programs throughout the year, said Jim Hinson, president of First Virginia, "it also has a great economic impact on the Roanoke Valley."

Officials said the 1,500 hotel rooms blocked for the tournament have been sold out, and that the players, coaches, and their families will spend more than $1.7 million during the weekend.

For more information on the tourney, contact Clinton Morse at 983-7688 or The Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Club at 772-3871.