University of Virginia Library

Soccer Showdown Sunday

By Ernest Dempsey
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Virginia and Maryland
soccer teams meet head on this
Sunday in an all-important game
that could determine the season's
ACC champion.

The Terps, traditionally the
Conference's finest soccer club,
have never lost to the Cavaliers.
However, Virginia's coaches,
Richard Lewis and Ian Falconer,
feel that Maryland is more
vulnerable to defeat this year than
it has been in the past.

Bad For Terps

The basis for the coaches'
thoughts is fairly evident. First of
all, Maryland has already lost a
game to Howard University and a
loss, though momentarily inspiring
psychologically, hurts a team
during the course of the season.

Second, this season Virginia
has one of its finest soccer teams
ever. With such players as Jay
Connor, Phil Crane, John Gaughen,
Fred McGlynn, Sam Crosby, Jack
Sherry, and Steve Kennely, the
Cavaliers have proven (22 goals in 5
games) an offensive threat.

Good For Cavs

The defense is also quite
formidable, particularly in the
fullback spots. It is led by
tri-captain Dave Bowman, who
missed several games because of an
injury, and includes Ed Marks, Chip
Williams, and goalie Jim Glazer.
The defensive unit has allowed only
2 scores this season.

There is also a great deal of
depth on the Cavalier squad. As the
coaches have said, the same players
are back from last year's team with
a host of strong first and second
yearmen to back up their
experience, particularly on offense
in the form of Geoff Curme, Ted
Knetzger, and Andy DuPont.

A final Virginia advantage lies in
the fact that the Maryland game is
being played at home, where an
enthusiastic horde of onlookers can
add greatly to the Cavalier effort.

Nevertheless, the Terps will be a
strong unit. Soccer is taken very
seriously at Maryland as far as
recruiting and scholarships go, and
this attitude has brought to College
Park a host of excellent foreign
booters, including Razine Tugburk,
an All-American inside forward
from Turkey, who will face Virginia
on Sunday.

This Sunday's game will be an
extension of the traditional
Virginia-Maryland rivalry, and
more. While the Terps are very
cohesive and very competent, the
Cavaliers are an offensive power
backed up by a stingy defense. It
should be an action-packed contest
with, as Mr. Lewis said yesterday,
"no one wanting to hazard a quote
on its outcome."