THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406100965
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940610 LENGTH: Medium
The rookie from Old Dominion University has supplanted Scott Budnick, who began the season as the 'Canes No. 1 keeper.
{REST} ``Tim has earned the starting role, though I think a lot of Scott Budnick,'' said head coach Sonny Travis. ``Scott's a good keeper, no question. But Tim played well enough last week to be named U.S. Interregional Soccer League defensive player of the week.
``It's been a game-by-game evaluation. Tim played well against Raleigh (3-1 shootout victory) and that's the deciding factor right now. We're just looking for the right combination.''
Figureido, a native of Paget, Bermuda, was a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection at ODU last fall and ranked fifth in goals-against average the previous season.
YOUNG BLOOD: Look for forward Ian Spooner and midfielder Hector Suarez to be given extra creative freedom tonight when the Hurricanes host the Columbia Heat.
Spooner, who plays for Radford University, was slowed by an ankle injury last week but is back to 100 percent.
However, Suarez's twin brother, Victor, appears to be out for the season with a knee injury. A partially torn medial collateral ligament will be operated on at some point this summer in hopes that he'll be ready to return to the University of North Carolina for the fall season.
Also on the injury front, Billy Owens is still slowed by an ankle injury sustained this spring. The All-CAA forward from William and Mary ``has looked impressive in practice,'' Travis said. ``But the trainer hasn't given him full clearance and until then there's no way for him to get in top-notch shape.'' Thus, Owens will continue to receive spot playing time until the ankle is fully healed.
SCORING PUNCH: The Hurricanes, who'd been held scoreless in four of five games heading into last weekend's road trip to Greensboro and Raleigh, responded with six goals in the two games.
``We finally started hitting the ball with a little more confidence,'' Travis said. ``We just seemed a little more determined.''
Travis saw the team's 4-3 loss to defending league champion Greensboro as a building block for the remainder of the season.
``I think it helped us,'' Travis said. ``Greensboro dominated us in the first half. But we realized at the half that we could play with them.''
Play they did. After falling behind 4-1, the Hurricanes mounted a charge and cut the lead to 4-3, but couldn't cap the comeback.
Travis was infuriated that the Dynamo were never called for a seventh foul in the second half. Greensboro picked up six fouls in the half's first 16 minutes, then went the final 14 minutes without a foul.
``Without a foul being called, that is,'' Travis said.
The USISL's Atlantic Division is experimenting with a seven-foul rule in which the seventh foul results in a 35-yard shootout kick for the opponent.
``The referee just put the whistle away,'' Travis said. ``It's a bad rule all around. The refs know how many fouls they've called. It just puts pressure on everyone involved: players, coaches and refs.''
CORNER KICKS: Travis said Thursday that William and Mary standout Steve Jolley, who had agreed to play for the Hurricanes this summer, has been kept on the players pool for the Under-23 U.S. National team. It is likely Jolley will not rejoin the Hurricanes this summer. . . . Olaf Kampschmidt has resigned as Hurricanes general manager to pursue other business interests. Assistant coach Shawn McDonald has been named acting general manager for the remainder of the season. by CNB