DATE: Sunday, October 5, 1997               TAG: 9710050209

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROB AMEN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   69 lines

THE MARLINS' SOCCER SUCCESS STARTS AT THE TOP SONNY TRAVIS HAS BUILT A WINNING TRADITION, ONE REASON THIS YEAR'S YOUNG TEAM IS 8-1.

Winning is nothing new in the Virginia Wesleyan men's soccer program. At least not in the past nine years.

Perhaps that's why the Marlins' 7-2 victory Saturday over No. 9 Messiah College at Foster Field wasn't such a surprise. What is, though, is how they won.

Four freshmen accounted for five goals, including the first four of the game, as Virginia Wesleyan rolled.

Such a win would have been huge nine years ago. Now, it's almost expected. And a major reason for that is Sonny Travis.

Travis, in his ninth season at the Marlins' helm, transformed what had been a .500 program into a 137-25-16 juggernaut.

He has led Virginia Wesleyan to the national tournament six of the last seven years and had his teams ranked in the top 20 for six consecutive years, from 1990 to 1995.

The Marlins - coming off a 1996 campaign that was touted as a rebuilding year that still saw them finish second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference - entered Saturday's game ranked third in Division III. But that's not their highest ranking. That came in 1991, when the team peaked at No. 2.

``He gets the best out of everyone,'' freshman Vince Sciullo, who scored twice Saturday, said. ``He deserves this. He deserves to be No. 1 in the nation.''

The program's success is nothing Travis can pinpoint. He would be a rich man, he says, if he had that answer. What is known is that he has given the school a winning tradition. It has repaid him with a commitment to his team. And a new facility.

The new soccer stadium was completed last October, and the college is erecting an adjacent field house with locker rooms, public restrooms and concession stands.

``I saw Virginia Wesleyan as a program that had the potential to be a great one,'' Travis said, adding that administrative support has been one of the keys to the program's advancement. ``If our athletic program needs something, we're getting the support.''

The team has showed its appreciation with an 8-1 start.

``I don't know that I'm surprised, but we have a long way to go,'' Travis said. ``We have a lot of outstanding seniors who are great players and leaders. They're bringing the freshmen along a lot quicker than I expected.''

Travis has the knack of recruiting freshmen who can play immediately. This year, eight freshmen have played.

``This has been my best recruiting class ever,'' Travis said. ``I go out and look for players that can play in a lot of Division I programs or are missing one thing and develop that. Diamonds in the rough.''

Travis has adapted, too. For example, the Marlins led Division III in defense in 1993. A year later, they led the nation in scoring.

It's all in the way Travis runs the program. He says everyone, from coaches to players, treats it like a Division I program. It's a year-round passion for him, with two seasons. In the fall, it's showtime. Games. Practices. In the spring, it's the grunt work. Weight training. Conditioning. Travis even created a reserve team this year that acts as a developmental squad.

It's a never-ending cycle.

``Coach Travis is a great coach and a great recruiter,'' said senior Gary DePalma, the team's leading scorer. ``That's where it all starts.''

At least it did for Virginia Wesleyan. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

PHILIP HOLMAN

Virginia Wesleyan's Gary DePalma, left, eludes Messiah's Mike Miller

to center the ball during the third-ranked Marlins' 7-2 victory over

the Falcons, who entered the game ranked No. 9 in Division III.

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