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

DATE: FRIDAY, May 26, 1995                   TAG: 9505260034
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TOURNEY BUILDING ON ITS SUCCESS

The Crestar Festival Soccer Tournament continues to grow, and its event committee may need to find additional space to play the games

Actually, it already has.

This year's tournament will be played on 20 fields at seven Roanoke sites on Saturday and Sunday and features more than 3,000 players on 184 teams from nine Eastern states. Champions will be crowned in 18 boys' divisions and seven girls' divisions.

Next year, the teams should be playing at the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Complex now under construction at Vineyard Park. For the second consecutive year, the Crestar tournament will raise funds for the project.

When finished, the complex will have either eight or nine lighted fields.

``We expect the construction to be done sometime this summer and, hopefully, we'll be playing there next spring,'' said Clinton Morse, the vice president of the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Club. ``It will be one of the biggest soccer complexes in Virginia.''

The tournament's field has 28 more teams than last year. There are 53 girls' teams and, for the first time, there will be two U-14 divisions in the tournament.

``It's unusual to see our girls' program grow like that,'' said Danny Beamer, executive director for the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Club. ``It surprised me to have that many teams. Our girls' program [in Roanoke] is getting stronger, so maybe word is getting out. The girls' teams coming in are real strong.''

Several Roanoke Star teams should be strong. In the boys' competition, the U-19 squad coached by Beamer has the potential to do well in a strong field. Beamer said the U-12 White, U-15 and U-16 teams also have good chances.

In girls' play, Star's best contenders are the U-10, U-14 and U-16 teams.

``We have a good mix of teams,'' Beamer said. ``We have some really strong teams. ... This year's Crestar tournament will be one of the best ever.''

The teams will come from Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina and New Jersey.

Top contenders in the boys' field include the U-12 Catawba (N.C.) Valley (North Carolina state champs), U-13 Atlanta Lightning (Atlanta Cup champions) and the U-19 New Jersey Red Devils (New Jersey runners-up).

In girls' play, the U-13 and U-16 Atlanta Lightning Girls are among the favorites.

by CNB