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Young, but improved is the best way to describe the 1974 High Point College soccer team which opens its season Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mount against North Carolina Wesleyan. The 2 o'clock game is the first of 12 regular season matches for the Panthers, who will be playing their home schedule in Albion Millis Stadium. Twelve lettermen return on the 23-man roster which includes eight outstanding freshmen and a pair of ex perienced junior college transfers. Leading the Panther drive for their first soccer cham pionship season since the late 1940s is junior captain Gary Downing of Smithtown, N.Y., and alternate sophomore captains, Wayne Wright of Timonium, Md., and Bill Redfern of Washington, D.C. Redfern was named to both the NAIA District 26 and Carolinas Conference all-star teams a year ago, along with junior fullback Tom Mackin tosh. The Panthers are expected to start three newcomers in the offensive line along with Redfern, the teams leading scorer a year ago, Tim Nichols, a junior college transfer from powerful Essex Community College in Baltimore, Md., which played in the junior college nationals a year ago, will start at right wing, while Jeff Potter, a freshman from Baltimore, will start at left wing. Potter was All- Baltimore County and All- Metro for Loch Raven High School, which posted an 11-1- 1 mark last year. The other inside is freshman Doug Challenger, an all-state per former from Wilmington, Del. Downing and sophomore Mike Ludwigson of Seaford, N.Y., starters on the line last year, will man the outside halfback positions, while freshman Hunter Britt, an All-Suffolk County selection in Smithtown a year ago, will start at center half. Defensively, where the Panthers should excels this fall, High Point will start Mackintosh, and yet another pair of Smithtown, N.Y., players at fullbacks, Greg Goehle, a two-year starter at Suffolk Community College, will start at left half, while Jerry Gostic, an All-Suffolk selection last year, will start on the right side. A pre-season injury to freshman goalkeeper Richard Kellerher has open ed the Panthers to their biggest question mark as sophomore Joe Ramsbotham of Winston-Salem and Wright are battling for the starting assignment. Wright was an outstanding fullback for the Panthers last year, while Ramsbotham was a starter at right wing. Other lettermen who started games for the Panthers a year ago, and who will see action in a two platoon system include half backs Tom Hartman, Orrin Magill, and David Hausmann, and lineman Eric Herr. The Panthers got their first action of the season last Saturday with a 9-0 pre season win over Greensboro College, and in that match depth appeared to be a key asset. “We are a young team, basically freshmen and sophomores, but we feel that we have the type of personnel who can win right away,” offered Panther coach Ray Alley. ‘‘We feel that we are capable of playing sound and exciting soccer, and feel that Saturday's match is a key one for us. We need to start the season with a big win. “On our roster we really don't have anyone that would hesitate to use in a tight situation. We can really go with any of 19-20 players and not lose that much strength on the field. Depth should be a real asset, and as we play more and more together we will continue to improve and get stronger. “We should be a better scoring ball club this year and our fullbacks, down as far as five, are excellent. We are inexperienced in the goal, and we will probably make some mistakes there. (See YOUNG On 5B) HPC SOCCER SCHEDULE Sept. 21, at N.C. Wesleyan; Sept. 24, Atlantic Christian; Sept. 28, at Elon; pt. 30, Guilford; Oct. 5, at Pfeiffer; ct. 8 at Davidson; Oct. 12, UNC. Wilmington; Oct. 146, Pembroke State; Oct. 19, at Atlantic Christian; Oct. 22 at UNC-Greensboro; Oct. 26, Belmont Abbey; Oct. 30, Pfeiffer.
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High Point Enterprise
High Point, North Carolina, US
Fri, Sep 20, 1974
Page 42
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