THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, July 4, 1995                  TAG: 9507040535
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
                                             LENGTH: Short :   44 lines

MARINERS CAN'T WAIT FOR SHOT AT RICHMOND

Forty-two seconds left and the game was still scoreless. A corner kick sailed to the top of the box, and the Hampton Roads Mariners watched 59 minutes of solid soccer go down the drain.

The Mariners had suffered other defeats before last Wednesday's last-minute letdown on the road at Richmond, including a 1-0 loss to Atlantic Division-leading Charleston, and a 2-1 loss to Myrtle Beach that was wiped out on appeal.

But losing to the Kickers hit an even deeper nerve.

``It was a tough loss to swallow, because we played really well,'' said Mariners captain Mark Waite. ``We're ready for the rematch. We owe them one.''

Hampton Roads will get its rematch, and a second chance to knock Richmond from the ranks of the unbeaten when the teams meet today at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach. Kickoff is 5 p.m.

The Kickers have won 13 straight games.

``Everybody is looking forward to playing them again,'' said goalkeeper Garth Lagerwey. ``We should have won the first time.''

Although Hampton Roads' offense wasn't at its best in the first go-around with Richmond, Lagerwey took full responsibility for the loss.

``I came off my line (on the corner kick), and the rule for a goalkeeper is if you come off your line for a ball you have to get it,'' Lagerwey said. ``I didn't and we lost the game.''

Mike Clark scored on a header over Lagerwey to give Richmond the 1-0 win.

MOVIN' ON UP: With the win this past weekend over Roanoke, Hampton Roads holds a slim three-point lead, 91-88, over Charlotte for third place in the Atlantic Division. The United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues revised the Mariners' record to 11-2 after dropping one of the team's designated makeup games.

Charleston leads the division with 134 points and holds a commanding 30-point lead over second-place Raleigh. The Battery (16-1) has played four more games than Hampton Roads. by CNB