Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 15, 1995 TAG: 9505160029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Throughout his distinguished college career, Brent Bennett never needed much help scoring goals.
But on Sunday, Bennett and the Roanoke RiverDawgs benefited from the assistance of the Greensboro Dynamo in a 5-3 victory in a United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues game at Cave Spring Junior High School.
Bennett, an All-American at James Madison in 1993, had three goals and an assist, and former Radford University All-American Dante Washington scored two goals for the RiverDawgs.
Bennett, who scored all three goals in the first half, was the beneficiary of a fortuitous bounce on his second goal, which went in off Greensboro midfielder Brian Japp and gave Roanoke (2-2) a 3-1 lead 13:10 into the game.
It was a Mother's Day present Bennett, a native of Trinidad, couldn't refuse.
``I was trying to hit it up to Dante,'' Bennett said. ``The guy [Japp] couldn't stop. ... I'll take it. I'll call my mom and tell her that was for her.''
Trinidad certainly is a long-distance call, but Bennett has no shortage of friends from his homeland. Bennett is one of four players from Trinidad on the Roanoke roster, including former James Madison teammates Mark Ellis and Ivan Sampson.
``I like playing with these guys [from Trinidad],'' Bennett said. ``We speak English, but it's a broken English. We have our own lingo.''
Sunday's outing was the best of the season for Bennett, who led JMU to an NCAA quarterfinal in the fall. Bennett had been bothered by a strained hamstring since the end of the college season.
Bennett didn't appear to be slowed when he scored his third goal on a live shootout that resulted from Greensboro's seventh foul of the half. Bennett took the ball from the top of the center circle, sprinted for the goal with other players in pursuit and sent a shot just inside the right post past Dynamo goalie Aidan Heaney to give the Dawgs a 4-2 lead with 37 seconds left in the half.
Washington's second goal made it 5-2 at the 37:13 mark. Steve Guinan scored Greensboro's last goal, with 19:50 to play. Guinan had two goals for the Dynamo, the two-time defending USISL Professional Division champion.
``This was a good win,'' said Washington, who will be leaving Roanoke in two weeks to join the Washington Warthogs of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. ``We've got some of the better players in the state right here.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB