* r»r- -
Page 8 - CROSSROADS - December, 1977
SPCCTS
7-6 Record
Ekids Season
The 1977 edition of the Belmont Abbey College soccer team closed
with a 7-6 record under first-year head coach George Kennedy.
“We had a lot of new guys playing this year,” commented Ken
nedy, who came to Belmont Abbey after a successful tenure at
Florida’s Bishop Kenney High School and as an assistant with the
Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer I.«ague. “I was
pleased with the results. The guys really worked hard.
“We started the season with only one senior on the squad,” Ken
nedy continued. “We had two but defensive man Tony Stouffs was
injured in a pre-season drill and was lost for the season. Anytime you
have a very young team you need as many experienced players as
you can get. loosing Tony had to hurt.” Stouffs was a three-year
starter for the Crusaders.
“When you consider the schedule that we played our record was
not that bad,” Kennedy elaborated. “UNC-Chapel Hill and Ap
palachian were both on our schedule. These two schools were among ■
the top five teams all season long in the rankings for the South.
Appalachian played Clemson, who is ranked number one in the
nation, in a very close game. That gives you an idea of the caliber of
soccer we play here.”
Injuries also hurt the Crusaders, Goalie Tim Garter, a freshman
from Charlotte, suffered a concussion, missing the last five games of
the Crusaders played with minor injuries throughout the season.
The Crusaders displayed poise in several wins over the course
of the season, downing St. Andrews 4-3, UNC-Charlotte 2-1, UNC^'
Greensboro 6-1, Catawba 5-0 and hllon 4-0.
“Soccer is unlike other sports. With a young squad in some;
sports, you can call time-out and settle them down. There are no
time-outs in soccer. That made it very difficult to settle them down.
“I was really proud of the way the guys hung in all season. They
kept the spirit up and really worked hard. Sometimes, when the
going gets tough, people tend to give up. That’s easy. Not our team,
they hung in and were fighters. They were really dedicated.”
Besides Carter, the (’rusaders had several other impressive
newcomers in the line-up. William “Chip” Smith, a freshman, did an
excellent job on offense. Butch Brown also did a good job. Back .
again next year will be P"ekri Soussi, who had several multi-goal
games.
The only loss to graduate will be Khalid Khalifa.
SCHEDULE
DATE
OPPONENT
SITE
Jan. 4
tiardner-Webb
Charlotte Coliseum
. . 7
Catawba
Away
!l
Castleton State (Vt.)
Home
. 12
Barber-Scotia
Home
. 14
llSC-Spartanburg
‘ Away
16
Allanlie Christian
Home
. 18
IINC-Asheville
Away
21
Pfeiffer
Away
. . 23
Augusta (Ga.)
Away
, . 26
Catawba
Home
. 28
C.SC-Aiken
Home
. :tii
Elon
Away
Feb. 4
Heritage (Fla.)
Home
. ti
I'SC-Aiken
Away
!l
Lenoir Rhyne
Away
It
.Augusta (Ga.)
• Home
13
Methodist
Home
16
Seton Hall
Away
. . 18
I'NC-Asheville
Home
Elon
Home
. 25
Central Wesleyan
Away
March 2
Lenoir Rhyne
Home
-I- AU.IIOMKGAMKS WIU.BK RLAYKD AT7:30p.ni.
Charlotte Coliseum
Site of Jan. 4 Clash
Reliiioiit .Abbey College
basketbull will return to the
Cliurlotte Coliseuin Wednesday
evening, Jan. I at 7 p.m.
The Crusaders will meet rival
(iardiief-Webb in the first game
of a double-header. Davidson
lakes on Marshal I'niversity at
9 p.m.
.An alumni reception will
follow the game in the
Hospitality Room of the
Coliseum.
Tickets are $3 and $5 and can;
be purchased at all Abbey home;
games or from the Athletic
Department at the College
during the week.
"53"
55
42
35
['54'
25
■„N
HERE ARE THE 1977-78 Crusaders! Left to
right: Coach Bobby Hussey, Stan Parker, Mike
Littlejohn, David Kershaw, Greg Leslie, Desmond
Dennis, Glenn Tambon, Eddie Jenkins, Billy
Holmgaard, Jimmy Crawford, Jack Campbell,
Lawrence Carter, Bobby Moran.
Cagers Score Upset
The Belmont Abbey College
basketball team chalked up its
first win of the 1977-78 season
with a 75-67 win over Old
Dominion in Norfolk.
Junior college transfer
I.,awrence Carter led the way
for the Crusaders, pumping in
26 points, eight of them coming
from the free throw stripe, as
Belmont Abbey utilized a
patient style of play in the
game. His only miss from the
stripe came in the first half. He
hit eight consecutive ones in the
second half.
The Crusaders trailed at the
half, 24-22, and trailed by as
many as seven points early in
the second half, before Carter
and crew went to work.
Sophomore Billy Holmgaard
was second highest scorer for
the Crusaders, with 20 points.
He also hauled in eight
rebounds. Freshman David
Kershaw added 15 more points
and seven rebounds.
“I was very pleased with the
way we played,” commented
Coach Bobby Hussey, who is
entering his seventh season at
the helm. “We made a few
mistakes, but we made up for
them. I am happy for the team:
they deserved to win.
“Lawrence played the way he
is supposed to play,” Hussey
continued. “He took control of
the offense and was a leader out
on the floor. I would hate to pick
any certain player; it was a
team effort all the way.”
Old Dominion is a NCAA
Division 1 power, and rarely
loses at home.
The victory offset the season-
opener loss to Johnson C. Smith
at the College’s Wheeler Center.
The score in that one was 102-
85.
Kershaw was the leading
scorer for the Crusaders then,
pumping in 20 points. Mike
Littlejohn added 15,
Holmgaard, 14, and Jack
Campbell, 13.
‘‘We were tight going into that
one,” commented Hussey. “I
thought we might shake it after
we got into the game, but we
didn’t.
“We shot poorly in the first
half against Smith, but were
only eight down at halftime. We
shot even poorer in the second
half and made several costly
turn-overs in the beginning.”
The Crusaders are on their
way into their 27-game
schedule. • They have the tough
NAIA District 26 games,
against such foes as Gardner-
Webb, Lenoir-Rhyne and
Catawba ahead, as well as
Seton Hall in a non-district
game.
“We are again playing a very
tough schedule,” said Hussey.
“With this type of schedule, you
cannot afford any type of let
down. We will have to be on our
toes the whole season.
“The win at Old Dominion
demonstrates the type of
basketball team we will have
this season. It is going to be
tough, but we can handle it,”
Hussey concluded.
Abbey Trip Bad;
ODU Suffers
The visiting locker room in the Norfolk Scope just before game
time on November 30 was not exactly the liveliest place in town.
Twelve tired, hungry and stiff Belmont Abbey College basketball
players prepared to meet powerful Old Dominion in front of 10,000
people.
Coach Bobby Hussey sat quietly reviewing scouting reports
wondering how his travel plans had faltered. Piedmont[s flight eight
was to arrive at the Norfolk airport shortly after noon, giving the
team more than enough time to check into their hotel and visit the
Scope prior to the game. Hussey planned a light workout to shake
any pre-game jitters caused by playing in a large arena, followed by
a pre-game meal at 4 p.m.
However, all the well laid plans were washed out. Flight eight
landed in Raleigh to pick up several passengers. The ten minute
stop-over was changed to an hour delay. It was later announced that
the continuation of the flight had been conceited, due to inclement
weather at Norfolk. The airline arranged for the team to be tran
sported to Norfolk by bus. However, the buses would not leave until
after three o’clock for the trip which would take at least four hours.
With no guarantee of arrival time, Coach Hussey didn’t want his
players to sit on a bus four hours and then be expected to play against
a strong Division I basketball team. After some deliberation the
group from Belmont was put aboard an Eastern Airlines flight bound
for Richmond, Va. Due to the fog it took two approaches to finally
land. The travel-weary group then was boarded on a chartered bus
to continue the trip to Norfolk. A small prepackaged snack was
given to each player. Little did the Crusaders know while riding
through a storm on Interstate 64 that they were now having their pre
game meal.
Throughout the day as the team carried baggage through air^rts
and bus stops, people wondered who they were. “Belmont Who.
became the usual response when the people were told that the group
consisted of the Belmont Abbey College basketball team. Most of the
people wished the unheard of team well, but believed that Old
Dominion would win easily.
When Ronnie Valentine, Old Dominion’s All-American candidate
took the opening tap into an ODU basket, the 10,000 fans rose to their
feet. The crowd, anticipating another 100 point ODU performance,
thought the unknown Crusaders would be no threat to their home
team. .
However, the ODU fans would have to wait another night. Their
team which had just defeated Niagra and barely lost to St. Johns was
not finding the Abbey the pushover they expected.
At half-time the Abbey was within two points. The second half was j
all Belmont Abbey’s. The Crusaders put together a string of 14 points
to take a 16 point lead. Only pressure by Old Dominion made it close
at the end.
The visiting team’s dressing room was somewhat different after
the game. A scrappy Belmont Abbey team knew what they had just
accomplished. They were savoring the thrill of hts victory. As the
press were speaking with Coach Hussey in the locker room, one of
the players looked up and said with a smirk “Old Dominion Who?”