Date: Fri 13-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Boys'-Soccer

Full Text:

Boys' Soccer Preview - 1996

B Y T.W YATT

The Newtown High boys' soccer team came within an eyelash of making the

playoffs - in the first year of the South West Conference - a season ago,

losing out on a three-way tiebreaker after playing to a 10-3-3 regular-season

record. This season, with a roster lined with underclassmen, 15-year coach

Larry Ashmore hopes his team can find the extra resolve to make it over the

hump. " I have real high hopes for this team, " he said. " I don't want to be

too optimistic and make predictions, but I expect to be in the conference

playoffs. If we don't make the playoffs I'll be disappointed. "

Ashmore will have to do it without the services of All-State forward Brian

Wassman and fellow NHS grads Mike Storms, Jamal Stockton, and Kevin

Fitzgerald, but thinks he has a stable full of able-bodied ponies capable of

carrying on the team's winning tradition.

Leading the Newtown Nighthawks this season, will be tri-captains David Miller,

Steve Brookes, and Todd Burns.

Miller, an All-Colonial forward who led last year's team with 15 goals, will

move back to center midfield this season where coach Ashmore hopes he can

become a dominant force in the league.

" David has the ability to become a real impact player this season, " said the

coach. " He could be extremely dangerous. He's explosive. He has great

quickness and good skills with both feet. We need him to distribute the ball

for us. "

Brookes, who played on the midfield last season and was third on the team with

six goals, will be called upon to start at stopper when the season begins. He

will also see time on the midfield as well as the front lines. " Brooksie is

as tough a kid as we've got on this team, " Ashmore said. " He and Miller will

mix it up with anybody. "

Todd Burns is returning as Newtown's starting goal keeper. Though he's only a

junior, the team felt that Burns had the qualities necessary to make him a

tri-captain and coach Ashmore agrees. Burns recorded nine shutouts as a

sophomore last season, and allowed only 11 goals in the 17 games he was in the

net. The only other seniors on this year's team include Matt Schieffer, Andrew

Nathanson, and Adam Winner.

Schieffer and Nathanson will start at right and left halfback, respectively,

bringing their experience to the midfield which promises to be strong.

Winner, who starts the season on the sideline with an ankle injury, will play

fullback with the defense.

Newtown's two starting forwards in the 4-4-2 formation will be juniors Reid

Warner and Rob Anders. Warner scored five goals last season and three as a

freshman, while Anders found the net once.

Both players came into preseason ready to play and coach Ashmore is excited

about what their maturity in the off season.

" Those two seem to have progressed the most over the summer, " he said. "

They seem to have internalized the things that I've been trying to get these

guys to do year-in-year-out. They both hit the weights and bulked up, too.

These two guys are ready to play. "

Another player that has the coach excited is sophomore Sean Cavanaugh, who

will start at center midfield with Miller. Ashmore sees Cavanaugh developing

into one of the school's all-time greats.

Rounding out the starting lineup will be defenders Ryan Nezvesky, Justin

Davis, and Mike Messemer.

" I felt, coming into preseason, that the defense was going to be my big

question mark, " Ashmore said. " You have to have a strong defense in order to

be successful and, right now, our team defense is lacking. Our marking

man-to-man isn't anywhere near the level it needs to be in order for us to be

as successful as we want to be. But it's starting to come around. "

Part of the reason for Ashmore's optimism is his three freshman call ups.

Brian Gossling, Brett McEvoy, and Richie Engel will push the upper classmen

for starting positions.

Other varsity team members who will contribute this season include junior

forward Justin Pease, junior Matt Svanda, and sophomore Oliver Bejarano. Ryan

Loring, a junior, will back up Burns in the goal.

" Our versatility is one of our big assets this year, " the coach said. " We

also have an intelligent team, academically. Our major loss is [Brian]

Wassman. He brought our team intensity, which we will miss. But there seems to

be indications from several players on this team that they are going to step

up and become leaders. "

Once again this season, Bob McHugh will coach the jayvee team while former NHS

player, Chris D'Angelo will take over the freshman program. Helping out with

the varsity this fall are former NHS stars John Ball and Craig Kessler. Ball,

a professional soccer player with the Cleveland Crunch, will help out until

the end of December when he reports to Cleveland.

" I think its great that these guys are coming back and volunteering their

time, " Ashmore said. " I think its important to the program and important to

these guys on the team now. They see that there's a tradition here. The team

isn't just playing for itself, its playing for the guys who played here before

and the guys who will play here after them. "

Ashmore expects Bethel to be the class of the league again this season with

Kolbe not far behind.

Newtown opened its season on Wednesday, September 11, with a ax-xx win over

Masuk. The team will play all of its home games at Treadwell Park this season.

Schedule

All games begin at 3:45 unless otherwise noted.

SEPT 11, at Masuk; 13, at Brookfield; 17, at Kolbe; 20, POMPERAUG; 25, WESTON;

27, FORAN.

OCT 1, at New Fairfield; 4, BUNNELL; 8, at New Milford; 11, IMMACULATE; 15,

BETHEL (7 pm); 17, BARLOW (7 pm); 19, at Stratford (TBA); 22, NOTRE DAME; 24,

at Jonathan Law (6:30 pm).