Men's soccer strives for nationals

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by Grant Flowers

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Club president Ken Spruell and captain Dave McMath believe it will be the first game of a successful season.

The Lads reached the national tournament in 1990 and 1991 after winning the Texas Collegiate Soccer League title. Last season the team placed fourth in the league, a far cry from nationals.

The Lads believe they will improve on their 1992 record. They hope to collect more titles than the single championship they won last year, the Post Oak YMCA co-ed league championship that they won with support from members of the Rice women's soccer club.

The Lads lost five players to graduation, most significantly forward John Long and forward/halfback Adam Kinsey. Their experience on the attack will be missed early in the season.

"Our big weakness right now is goal-scoring," McMath said. "But we've been switching people around and seeing if that could result in more goals. Our defense is strong enough to win games until the offense starts up."

Senior goalkeeper Stu Baur returns for his second year as a starter. At 6-7, Baur has an advantage in the air on corner kicks and crosses.

"I think that my height intimidates some attackers," he said.

Surrounding Baur is the best defensive unit the Owls have had for several years. Baur describes the group as "phenomenal."

The Owls' strength lies in the midfielding corps, however. Spruell, Randy Westbrook and Adam Lewis fill three of the four midfielder positions.

"The midfield is our strongest unit," Spruell said. "It's crucial to have a good midfield because they control the game. They provide solid defense, do some of the offensive work, and basically control the middle of the field."

Six freshmen have worked out with the Lads, and most should make the squad.

"Last year one or two freshmen tried out," Spruell said. "This fall we got six, so this is a great year for freshmen."

Of these newcomers, Ruben Rodriguez is one to watch. Rodriguez, from Brownsville, played with club teams in Mexico for several years.

"Ruben is very quick," McMath said. "He plays outside, on right half or right wing, where his speed can be a big advantage. [Rodriguez is] the hardest worker we've got out there."

Rodriguez said that he does not feel pressure as a freshman to help the club.

"I think that there's enough upperclassman experience to lead, and I think some of us younger players can help us win," he said.

The biggest problem with the freshmen players is conditioning. According to McMath, "The freshmen are skilled, but they're also out of shape."

"We've been concentrating on conditioning so far this year," added Spruell. "We get ourselves tired, and then we work on the skill stuff. That's the way it is in the game."

Baur thinks that early work will result in victories for the Owls.

"We've been stressing fitness as a key," he said. "If we're in shape, we can run harder and run longer."

Baur also mentioned unity and depth as advantages of the Lads.

"We like to be 11-as-one when on the field," he said. "This unity will help us beat the good teams in the league. Also, we should have a full roster of 18, with more depth than last year."

The top competition in the Texas Collegiate Soccer League should be Baylor University, Texas A&M University and, to a lesser degree, the University of Texas at Austin.

The Lads were supposed to play Louisiana State University in an exhibition at Kingwood High School on Aug. 28, but it was cancelled due to heavy rains.

The men's soccer club will have their first home game Sept. 12 against Lamar University.

This item appeared in the Sports section of the September 3, 1993 issue.

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