Date: Fri 03-May-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

John-Ball-NPSL

Full Text:

Professional Soccer Title For Ball

With the tremendous list of past and recent soccer accolades bestowed upon

Newtown High graduate John Ball, nothing comes as a surprise anymore.

If he rented a tuxedo, it would have a million dollars in the breast pocket.

Last week Ball succeeded in doing something that even many of the greatest

athletes in all of sports history couldn't accomplish . . . winning a

championship at every level.

Having already achieved the game's highest team honor at the Rec League,

Travel-team League, High School, and NCAA levels, Ball put another feather in

his cap last weekend when he and the Cleveland Crunch, of the National

Professional Soccer League, captured the NPSL Championship beating the Kansas

City Attack in six games of the best-of-seven series.

" John's living a charmed life this year, " mused Cleveland General Manager,

Al Miller. " How many people win two national championships within a

five-month period? "

Ball, who was drafted and signed by Cleveland after helping lead Southern

Connecticut State University to the NCAA Division II National Championship in

December, joined the team in midseason and saw time in only one regular season

game. In the playoffs, though, Ball got on the field in six games as the

Crunch defeated Buffalo in three games in the first round and beat Baltimore

in four games in the second round before becoming only the second team in

league history to rally from a 2-0 championship series deficit as they beat

Kansas City in six.

In his first-career professional soccer playoff contest, Ball recorded two

blocks in a win over Baltimore.

" He was thrown into that game, pretty much out of need, because of injuries,

" said Miller. " And he responded by playing a hell of a game. He played

really well and helped us win that thing. The coach then decided to start him

in the first game of the championship in Kansas City. "

According to Miller, Ball " played like a rookie " in that game and played the

remainder of the championship series in a substitute role.

In January Ball had become the first player ever to join the perennial league

power on an intern/player basis. In the mornings he'd practice with the team

and every afternoon he'd report to the team office and do intern work to

finish out his degree with SCSU.

The team was 15-0 when Ball joined it on January 10, and finished the regular

season with a franchise record 31-9 mark.

" There's not too many players who can join the team in the middle of the

season and become one of the boys, " said Miller, " but John did. He earned

his respect. He's a tough kid and people noticed that. He kept his mouth shut

and was humble. He turned out to be a guy we had a lot of confidence in. "

Ball built such a strong relationship with his teammates that in his

first-ever professional soccer game - against Harrisburg - Cleveland was

awarded a penalty kick and the captain, Hector Marinaro, who was vying for the

league scoring title, allowed John to take the kick. He missed it.

" He's made giant progress in this league in a very short time, " said Miller.

" In our opinion, John has a good future in this game. We're going to sign him

again, for next year, and get on with it. "