University of Virginia Library

3 PM, University Field

Soccer Team Opens With VMI

By Gordy Rawles
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photo By Bob Gill

Virginia Offensive Line Hustles For Loose Ball While Opposing Fullback Defends In '68 Action

All-Second-Year Attack - Crane, Mertenz, Connor, And McGlynn - Returns With Experience

Fully equipped with a
nucleus of experienced
veterans, a small crew of
talented first-year booters, and
a new chain link fence
encircling his University Hall
field to keep track of stray
soccer balls, Coach Gordon
Burris will lead his Cavaliers
into their first encounter of the
season this afternoon at 3
when they attempt to contain
the Keydets of VMI.

After accomplishing a
respectable 4-5-1 seasonal
record in 1968 under the scoring
power of four first-year men, the
Cavaliers will open the '69
campaign with still only four
fourth-year men in the starting
slots. Providing that invaluable asset
of three years of experience will be
John Taylor and John Bakhaus at
halfback, Mike Sorenson at
fullback, and Danny Abramson in
the goal.

In commenting generally about
his squad, Coach Burris stated that
"most of the players are
experienced, but on the other hand
they are very, very young." Perhaps
this observation applies mostly to
the offensive line, which is made up
of that same well-coordinated
quartet of now-second-yearmen -
Fred McGlynn and Phil Crane on
the wings and John Mertenz and
Jay Connor at the inside positions.

The same balance between
experience and youth exists in the
halfback line, but in a different
way. John Taylor, who is serving as
one of the booters' tri-captains for
the third consecutive year,
coordinates the offense and defense
from his center halfback position.
Flanking him as the wing halfbacks
will most probably be fellow
fourth-year man John Bakhaus on
the right and John Gaughan, an
inexperienced but aggressive
newcomer, on the left.

In last year's confrontation with
VMI the Cavaliers played a tight
defensive game stymieing the
Keydets' long-passing offense and
blanking them in the scoring
column, 2-0. Much of the same
experienced goal-guarding squad
will take the field again today.
From left to right on the fullback
line will appear Tri-captain Mike
Sorenson, second-year man Ed
Marks, and third-year booter Tom
Showalter; as a last defense Captain
Dan Abramson will be stationed in
front of the goal ready to pounce
on any penetrating enemy shots,
hopefully before they enter the
goal.

Once again the Keydets will
field what Coach Burris termed a
"typical military school soccer
team" with "total hustle." Their
type of game includes long passing
and a lot of hard running, which
could pay off if the ball is crossed
to their 6′4″ center forward.
However, Coach Burris feels that if
the Cavaliers can keep control of
the ball and exhibit some of the
finesse of which they are capable
the opener could very well result in
a victory.

In an exhibition last Sunday

Lynchburg College fell to the
potent offense of the Virginians by
a 6-2 margin, but Burris claims that
"it doesn't mean a thing." The
victory proved his previous
hypothesis: that the Cavaliers are
"much deeper in technical ability
and talent" than ever before; yet
Coach Burris continues to insist
that the essential factor in attaining
not only a victory this afternoon
but also Virginia's best soccer
record ever is "a disciplined short
passing game." If the Keydets are
allowed to play their own kind of
game, the results could be
disastrous.

The prospects are bright, for the
talent is the best Virginia has had in
several years and indeed the
coaching staff, which increased
from one to three this fall with the
addition of assistants Richard Lewis
and John Faulconer, is the best to
date. With a victory in their debut
this afternoon on University Hall
field Virginia would be well
prepared for their subsequent
confrontation with ACC foe
Clemson on Sunday and a
successful soccer season would be
well on its way.