ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610080008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
COACH SCOTT ALLISON gets his 100th men's soccer victory at Roanoke College by beating Lynchburg.
The meaning of Saturday's men's soccer game at Lynchburg College didn't register with Roanoke College coach Scott Allison until after it was over.
``To be honest, it's something I never thought about,'' he said.
The same could not be said for his players. After they saddled Lynchburg with a 2-1 loss, they showered Allison with gifts and glad tidings in a carefully planned ceremony. They were celebrating Allison's 100th victory as the Maroons' coach.
``They played it up big,'' Allison said.
The Maroons gave their coach a card, a bottle of champagne, and $100. They also made a deal with Lynchburg coach Bill Hayward to acquire the game ball for Allison's souvenir collection.
The victory was Allison's 10th over Lynchburg, his most against any opponent.
Allison's first victory at Roanoke came in the seventh game of the 1986 season, a 1-0 road win at Shenandoah. The Maroons' biggest victory margin came in win No. 79, an 11-0 decision against Emory & Henry in 1994. Roanoke won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship that year, as well as in '86 and '93.
Allison is a two-time conference coach of the year, in '86 and '93. He taught himself the game by watching the English Premier League on UHF channels as a child in Linthicum, Md. Although he was cut from his ninth-grade team, he later starred at Roanoke and was named the school's Male Athlete of the Year in 1979.
Allison became the college's athletic director in 1988 and relinquished his duties as the Maroons' men's lacrosse coach.
``Life became more manageable then,'' Allison said. ``I certainly think it allowed me to devote more time to soccer.''
The extra time paid off most in 1993, when Roanoke reached the final eight of the NCAA Division III soccer tournament. According to Allison, that showing led more prospects to consider Roanoke as a good place to play collegiate soccer.
On Saturday, some of those prospects showed their appreciation for their coach.
``It's the nicest thing a group of kids has ever done for me,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Allisonby CNB