Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Quick Words:

Boys-Soccer-History

Full Text:

Boys' Soccer History

The Newtown High School boys' soccer team had been competing for several years

in the Housatonic Valley Schoolman's League before the formation of WCC soccer

in 1964.

Coached by Bob Sveda, NHS enjoyed success in the new conference for years

while trying to make a name for itself on the state level as well.

In the first year of WCC competition, Sveda's Indians played to a record of

5-5 behind captain Paul Nelson. And only one year later, in 65, Newtown gained

its first-ever WCC crown when - behind Jim Glover, Klaus Ertl and Steve

Woodward - it defeated Abbott Tech 3-1 in the season finale to earn a

co-championship title with Tech.

That was followed up by a 6-5 season in 1966, and a losing 4-6-1 season in 67.

The Indians won their first two games in 1968 by scores of 2-0 and 4-0 as

Ronnie Skelton scored each of the team's first six goals of the season.

Skelton would finish the season with a team-high eleven and German exchange

student Klaus Obendorf would add seven as Newtown played to a 9-2 record.

In the WCC Championship against rival Abbott Tech, Bill Schierloh scored his

second goal of the game in double overtime and the Indians won 2-1 to bring

home the first WCC title (in any sport) in school history. Newtown was then

upset in the first round of the CIAC tournament by WCC foe, Masuk.

Skelton, Obendorf, and goalie Jeff Wagner were all named to the All-WCC team.

Wagner had set a school record during the year when he turned away 61 shots on

goal in a 2-1 win over Taft.

In 1969 the Indians posted a won/lost record of 8-3-1, but failed to defend

their crown, finishing second in the conference. Four-year varsity starter

Rainer Ertl, the team captain, set a new NHS scoring record when he tallied 19

goals and was named to the All-WCC team along with teammate Wally Pitman.

The 1970 season served as a rebuliding one for the soccer boys, who behind the

scoring efforts of Jerry Shpunt, Paul Miles, and Steve Gleason managed only a

6-4-1 record.

By the time the next fall had rolled around, Newtown High School had moved

from Queen Street to the newly-built facility on Glen Road, and the Indians

christened their new soccer field with a 7-0 victory over Bethel. Behind

strong efforts by Scott Mentley, Rich Tremblay, Nick Castellano, Paul

Schierloh, and Paul Miles, Newtown was able to win ten games that season

including a thrilling 3-1 win over Weston which would later set up a WCC

Championship rematch between the two.

In the rematch, Newtown pulled off a 2-1 win behind goals by Schierloh and

Miles, and claimed another WCC title.

Looking to repeat in 72, Newtown again ran into Weston in a must-win

situation. Though the Indians tied Weston 1-1 and finished the season unbeaten

at 8-0-4, it was Weston who claimed the WCC crown by virtue of a 10-0-2 mark.

In an exciting state tournament game that fall, Newtown beat St Pauls of

Bristol, 1-0, on penalty kicks after a scorless tie lasted through two

overtime periods. Doug Titus, Dennis Keane, Steve Burns, and Tom Carey

converted on four-of-five PK's for Newtown who won by one before being

eliminated by WCC rival Weston, 2-0 in the second round.

During the course of a 7-2-3 campaign in 1973, in which Newtown was led by the

efforts of All-WCC forward Art McAdams, NHS coach Bob Sveda, in his 14th year

as head coach of the Indians, earned his 100th victory and was honored with a

big chocolate cake. At the time of his 100th win, Sveda's career record was

100-41-12.

1974 proved to be one of the finest years to date in school history as the

Indians, behind five All-WCC players (Jeff DaMota, Fred Johr, Ed Schierloh,

Mark McAdams, and Warren Allen) compiled a 10-1-1 record, winning the WCC

crown and finishing third in the state. Johr led the team with 12 goals that

fall and DeMota added ten while the Indians' defense recorded a school-record

seven-straight shutouts while outscoring the opposition 36-6. Despite their

success all season, Newtown fell 1-0 to Middletown in the first round of

CIAC's.

During Sveda's final four seasons as head coach, the Indians became terminal

bridesmaids. While the teams of 1975 through 78 ran up records of 10-2, 11-3,

10-3-1, and finally, 8-5-2, they were never again able to capture a WCC title.

During those four seasons, Newtown saw standout players like Pete Ertl, Steve

Goodridge, Rich Scanlon, Frank DeAngelis, Chad Burroughs, John Leitner, Dan

Whelan, Matt McAdams, Glen DeMota, and Lance Goodridge.

Sveda resigned at the end of the 1978 season with a career coaching record of

153-56-19.

Bob's replacement was a man named Dave Clark. For two seasons (79, 80) Clark

coached such star plahers as Tim Leitner, Lew Craven, Ray Wamser, Kip Leitner,

Tom Norelli, Brian Kachur, and Fahri Scaticioglu, but finished with respective

records of 8-8 and 6-8-2 before handing the reigns to then-jayvee coach Larry

Ashmore.

The Ashmore Regime

Larry Ashmore was a self-proclaimed novice when it came to coaching soccer,

but it took virtually no time at all for him to get the NHS program turned

right back around. Behind Todd Martin, Rob Reardon, and Chris Kachur,

Ashmore's 1981 team went 7-8-1. It was the last losing season Newtown High

soccer would ever again have.

Ashmore and his Indians went 12-5-1 in 1982 and strung together winning

seasons through 1985 (behind All-WCC/ All-State Dave Sumple) when their first

real crack at a WCC title finally presented itself. In the first year of the

new WCC Championship Tournament, the 85 Indians turned in a 12-3-1

regular-season record, but were upset 1-0 in double overtime of a

disappointing semfinal contest against Pomperaug and had to find a way to

regroup for the state tourney.

Regroup they did. The Indians started by beating Foran 5-0 and North Haven

2-1, setting up a semifinal contest against Bristol Eastern that produced one

of the most elating moments in NHS sports history.

With the game tied 1-1 in the second overtime period, Ken Washburn blasted a

shot from 40 feet away that arced in over the goalies head for a 2-1 win that

sent NHS back to the state finals for the first time in 25 years.

Kris Svensson, Steve Sumple, Sean Hanrahan, and Washburn all turned in

unforgettable performances, but Newtown fell 4-0 to Guilford in the state

title game.

The 85 team set several school records including most wins (15), most shutouts

(10), and most goals scored (59). Midfielder Kris "Sweed" Svensson was named

All-WCC and All-State, while Sumple was picked for the All-WCC team as well.

As good as Newtown's teams of the 80's were, Bethel and Joel Barlow continued

to dominate their respective divisions. The 1986 season was no exception as

the rebuilt Indians went 10-4-2 only to finish second to Bethel in the Briggs

Division. Jeff Adams, Steve Sumple, and Bob Bixby were the stars that fall as

Newtown ended the year with a 1-0 loss to Guilford in the second round of

CIAC's.

Behind All-WCC stars Kevin Koonce, Bob Mercier, and John Hilty, the 1987 NHS

soccer team went 13-2-1 enroute to an appearence in the WCC finals with

Central Catholic. But on a bitter cold day in Weston, Newtown lost 1-0 in

double overtime to Central and its six-foot-six, All-Everything goalie

Terrence Dinnen.

The 1988 autumn saw another excellent season nullified by a better Bethel

year. Newtown's amazing 13-2-1 record was only second-best in the Briggs as

Bethel went 13-1-2, thus shutting the Indians out of the post season. Mercier

and Koonce both were named to the All-WCC team for the second-straight year.

If two losses wasn't good enough to make it into the WCC finals, Newtown would

just have to do better. Behind All-State defender Jerry Reidy, All-WCC goalie

Scott Calabrese, and record-breaking goal scorer John Ball (20), the 1989

Indians strung together eleven-consecutive shutouts as they compiled an

all-but-perfect record of 15-0-1, winning the Briggs and setting up a

championship contest with Joel Barlow. Newtown fell 3-0 to Barlow in the WCC

final and finished the year 16-2-1 after falling 1-0 to Guilford in the CIAC

quarterfinals. Nobody could have predicted it at the time, but Indians would

venge both defeats the following year.

The storybook 1990 NHS soccer season was one that may never be duplicated

again. Unquestionably the best season in school history, the fall of 90 saw

NHS play to an overall record of 20-1-1 which included a WCC championship win

over Barlow, and a 1-0 state championship victory over Guilford which saw

All-State forward John Ball score his 25th goal of the season on a penalty

kick in double overtime. Ball would finish his career with a school-record 55

goals, helping Newtown to outscore its competition 73-6 (both outputs school

records as well). The best soccer team in NHS history included Ball, Tim

Gardner, Mike Waterbury, Brian Fitzgerald, Sean Ertl, Rob Ball, Eric Lipusz,

Chris D'Angelo, DJ Henry, Scott Kellerman, Matt Briand, Mike Sigovich, Hugh

Jones, Craig Kessler, Jeremy Ewasko, Dean Osuch, Ed Zang, and Chris Enders.

All-WCC goalies Craig Kessler and Chris Enders helped lead Newtown to 8-7-5

and 11-5-3 seasons in 1991 and 92, but the Indians failed to get back to the

WCC finals. In 1993, though, behind All-State midfielder Steve Nelson, and

seniors Judd Wildman, Mike Bogdan, and Ross Schieffer, the Indians rolled up a

15-4-2 record. The 93 team earned a WCC co-championship (its last) when it

tied Barlow 1-1 under the lights on Barlow's home field. The gutty Indians

squad then excelled through the state tournament until running into Hand in

the state finals. Newtown took a 1-0 lead there, but lost 4-1.

Senior stopper Greg Gallagher led the Newtown team in scoring in 1994, making

All-WCC and All-State, but the Indians concluded their 32-year history in the

WCC with an 8-7-1 year. The team's final game as a member of the Western

Connecticut Conference was a 1-0 loss to Jonathan Law in the state

quarterfinals. In that game, Law's National High School Player of the Year,

Pierre Venditti, scored a goal from 60 yards away on the second half kickoff

for the game's only goal.

With the victory, Law may have set the stages for an interesting rivalry as

the Lawmen will be joining Newtown in the Colonial Division of the new

South-West Conference in 1995.

Newtown finished its WCC soccer campaign with a record of 286-107-31.