THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210651
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
When Hampton Roads coach Sonny Travis signed Darren Eales, he didn't just get a talented soccer player.
Eales also brings a mixture of intelligence, leadership, and dedication to the Mariners. Last year, as a senior at Brown University, Eales was one of three finalists for the prestigious Walter Byers Scholarship, awarded annually to the top student-athlete in the country.
On Tuesday, Eales, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA in economics, found out that the $10,000 scholarship had been awarded to Robert Zatecha, a lineman for the University of Nebraska football team.
``They called to tell me I didn't get it, but I figured as much because the other two (candidates) were football players. I was the token non-football player,'' Eales said.
According to Eales, he knew after interviewing April 9-10 that Zatecha would be the one.
``At the banquet, he already knew all the committee members. I figured that was it.''
COVER SHOT: It might not be any consolation for missing out on a $10,000 grant, but Eales can take pride in the fact that his face is on newsstands across the country this week as the cover boy for Soccer America magazine.
``Leroi (Wilson) pointed it out to me. I didn't believe him at first. . . I thought he was just winding me up,'' said Eales.
The photo, from Brown's NCAA quarterfinal match against Rutgers, leads the 1995 college issue.
In the United States International Soccer League preview inside, Hampton Roads is recognized as having the ``best catch of this year's college grads, adding All-Americans Darren Eales (Brown) and Mike Veneto (New Hampshire) as well as Indiana midfield workhorse Brandon Ward.''
Veneto is no longer with the Mariners.
EN ROUTE: When the Kansas City Attack lost in the fifth game of last week's National Pro Soccer League semifinals to St. Louis, it figured to be a bonus for Hampton Roads. Keith DeFini, an All-American at Creighton who plays for the Attack, wasn't scheduled to join the Mariners until May.
But according to Travis, DeFini is still finishing up his coursework and won't join the team until next week.
Travis hopes to have DeFini available for the April 29 Greensboro game.
MAKING WAVES: Coach John Daly will check out possible Hampton Roads Waves players on Sunday when the Waves face his own William and Mary women's soccer team in a 2 p.m. scrimmage at Lake Taylor High School, field 2.
The Waves are Hampton Roads' entry into the United States Women's Interregional Soccer League. by CNB