Page 8 - CROSSROADS - October 1978
Belmont Abbey Soccer Team
Ranked Seventh In South
The Crusader soccer team is
off to their fastest start in
recent history. Boasting a
record of 11-1 midway through
the 1978 campaign, they are
currently the seventh-ranked
team in the South.
George Kennedy’s team has
had some big wins, including
spoiling Pfeiffer’s homecoming
by defeating the Falcons 1-0.
Tony Suarez scored the big goal
for Belmont Abbey College.
“We only have seven years
experience among our star
ters,’’said Kennedy. “Our guys
are working very hard at im
proving their games.
“We have made good
progress thus far. We still
aren’t where I want to be, but
things are improving. Each
time out we have to improve.”
Improve they have. The
Crusaders feature a hustling
defense that has limited some
opponents to only five shots.
Crusader goalies have six
shutouts to their credit, and the
offense has really been scoring
goals, including seven in the 7-0
home victory over Toccoa Falls
College.
“Matt Kennedy is the sincere
captain of the team,” said
George Kennedy'Of the team’s
goalie. “He is the most con
sistent man on the team, game
after game.”
The Crusaders’ only loss thus
far this season has been at the
hands of Clemson, the NCAA’s
number three team and the
South’s number one team. The
final score was 1-0, but the
game was scoreless until the
last three minutes, when the
Tigers scored on a penalty kick.
The young Crusaders demon
strated their poise.
The Crusaders also showed
their poise in a 2-1 overtime
victory over the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte.
Suarez scored the \yinning goal
for Belmont Abbey College in
overtime.
Other Crusader victories
include Catawba, Winthrop,
Florida Institute of Technology .
at Melbourne, UNC-Asheville,
St. Andrews, Jacksonville,
Emory and Lenoir-Rhyne.
Promising Season
For Crusader Basketball
The Crusader basketball
team is coming off of one of the
best seasons in recent BAC
basketball history. In 1977-78,
they finished with a 21-9 record,
the best in Coach Bobby
Hussey’s career at the school.
There were no superstars on
the Crusaders team; most
victories were team efforts, as
the players complemented each
other’s games. Not only did the
starters do a sound job, but
the bench played an important
role in each of the 21 victories,
including defeats of Pfeiffer,
Catawba, Old Dominion and
Lenoir-Rhyne.
Billy Holmgaard, a rising
junior;‘Vasia key man in the
Belmont Abbey attack. He
averaged over 15 points and 10
rebounds per game. Not a
flashy player by today’s
standards, Holmgaard was
consistent in doing his job.
Playing forward at 6-5, he gave
an inside punch, as well as
being able to take the ball to the
outside when the situation
dictated.
Lawrence Carter, who
transferred to Belmont Abbey
after a successful year at Lees-
McCrae Junior College, gave
Belmont Abbey some added
score punch from the point
guard position and as a smooth
WBTV Classic
Dec. 7, 8, 9
The Fourth Annual WBTV
Carolina Classic will be held at
Belmont Abbey College
December 7, 8 and 9. Eight
teams will be participating in
the single elimination tour
nament, but there will also be a
consolation bracket to ensure
that all teams play two games.
Gardner-Webb, the tour
nament’s defending champion,
will be returning. The Bulldogs
have won all three previous
Classics. Lenoir-Rhyne, the
runner-up all three years, also
returns. Both teams will be in
the hands of new coaches.
Belmont Abbey College
finished third in last year’s
events, the strongest showing
ever for the host Crusaders, and
Billy Holmgaard was voted to
the All-Toumament Team.
Other returning tournament
teams include Johnson C.
Smith, Barber-Scotia, Pfeiffer,
Livingstcme and Catawba. >
The eight teams will be seated
this year for the first time. In
past years the pairings have
been drawn from a hat.
Game times will be 2,4,7, and
9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday,
and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on
Saturday. The 1 p.m. cham
pionship game on Saturday will
be televised on WBTV. Tickets
for the tournament will be on
sale at each school and at the
door.
The pairings have not yet
been announced.
ball handler who was heady on
the court. Carter also excelled
in his defensive ability. He and
Holmgaard both shot over 70
percent for the season.
Rising seniors Mike Lit
tlejohn, a guard, and Jimmy
Crawford, a senior, also were
key factors in the Crusader plan
of attack. Each one came on to
give fine individual per
formances as well as aiding the
team effort.
Rising sophomore David
Kershaw gave the' Crusaders
another strong inside player.
His excellent leaping ability,
added to his 6-4 frame, gave
Belmont Abbey! ailded
rebounding. He qould also
handle the ball when hecessary.
These five started most oi the
1977-78 games. All jare back,
with an added year of maturity.
Three newcomers should also
add to the Crusade^’ bench
strength and replace three
lettermen who graduated. They
will be put to the test early in
the season, as Belmqnt Abbey
travels to Marquette University
to take on the 1977 NCAA
Division One champions.
Alumnus Heads
Athletic Foundation
Frederick R. Stann, a 1971
alumnus of the College, was
recently elected president of the
Belmont Abbey College Athletic
Foundation by the Foundation’s
Board of Directors.
As an attorney in Gastonia,
Stann is associated with Robert
H. Forbes, Attorney. He and his
wife Connie also live in
Gastonia.
Other members of the
Athletic Foundation Board of
Directors are: Dr. Raul C.
Aizcorbe, Mason Blandford,
Bud Wofford, Ms. Johnnie
Falls, Sam Robinson, Jim Poag,
Bobby Hussey, Fr. Raphael
Bridge, O.S.B., Lin Hollowell,
Ron Mahannah and A1
Prud’homme.
The purpose of the Athletic
Foundation is to support the
athletic program of Belmont
Abbey College. The College
currently offers intercollegiate
competition in basketball,
soccer, tennis, and golf for men,
and tennis and volleyball for
women. In addition, ap
proximately 65 percent of the
student body participated in
intramural sports last year.
1978-1979
Basketball Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
SITE
Fri. Nov. 24
Pfeiffer vs. Coastal College
H 7:00
B.A.C. vs. J.C. Smith
H 9:00
Sat. Nov. 25
B.A.C. vs. Coastal College
H 7:00
Pfeiffer vs. J.C. Smith
H 9:00
Mon. Nov. 27
Univ. of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
Wed. Nov. 29
Marquette
Milwaukee, WI
Sat. Dec. 2
Open
Mon. Dec. 4
Gardner-Webb
Charlotte Coliseum
Thur. Dec. 7
WBTV Carolina Classic
H
Fri. Dec. 8
WBTV Carolina Classic
H
Sat. Dec. 9
WBTV Carolina Classic
H
Thur. Dec. 13
Pfeiffer
A
Sat. Dec. 16
Johnson C. Smith
Charlotte Coliseum
Fri. Dec. 29
Augusta Tournament
Augusta, GA
Sat. Dec. 30
Augusta Tournament
Augusta, GA
Wed. Jan, 3
Elon
Burlington, NC
Sat. Jan. 6
Catawba
H
Tue. Jan. 9
Livingstone
Salisbury, NC
Sat. Jan. 13
Central Wesleyan
H
Mon. Jan. 15
Wingate
A
Wed., Jan. 17
UNC-Asheville
H
Sat. Jan. 20
Atlantic Christian
Wilson, NC
Mon. Jan. 22
Livingstone
H
Thur. Jan. 25
Catawba
Salisbury, NC
Sat. Jan. 27
Atlantic Christian
H
Mon. Jan. 29
Elon
H
Sat. Feb. 3
Wingate
H
Thur. Feb. 8
Lenoir Rhyne
H
Sat. Feb. 10
Augusta
H
Mon. Feb. 12
Pfeiffer
H
Wed. Feb. 14
Barber-Scotia
Concord, NC
Sat. Feb. 17
UNC-Asheville
Asheville, NC
Thur. Feb. 22
Lenoir Rhyne
A
Men’s Tennis
Anticipates
Good Year
The 1978-79 edition of the
Belmont Abbey College men’s
tennis team is anticipating a
strong year as the fall season
swings into action. After
coming off of a good season of
10-6 last year in powerful
District 26 play, things couldn’t
look better for Coach Mike
Reidy and forces.
Reidy, now in his ninth year
as the court mentor, gives his
team a promising outlook as
they go into match play.
“Hopefully we can better last
year’s record, but only through
hard work and determination
can this be done. However, I do
feel that we have a very
dedicated group of athletes here
at the Abbey who possess the
talent to provide some very
exciting play in our upcoming
matches. We are fortunate to
have these quality players here
at the Abbey.”
Anchoring this year’s 12-man
squad and holding the first and
second seeds are brothers T. J.
and Steve Reilly, respectively.
T. J. Reilly, the only senior on
the team, is fresh off of a big
win in the Spartanburg In
vitational Tournament in the
men’s singles division. Junior
Steve Reilly, who is currently
playing on the Crusader’s
basketball team, is not playing
fall matches this year, but will
be in full form when spring play
begins.
In addition to the Reilly
brothers, the standout
sophomore Roger Martin
should help provide a well-
rounded attack as the third man
with sophomores Andy Doris,
Dennis Noble and Herb Hunter,
and freshmen Kevin Burke and
Scott Davis vying for the fourth,
fifth, and sixth seeds during
District 26 match play.
“It’s going to take a lot of
work,” said Reidy. “District 26
will be very tough this year; as
tennis grows in popularity, the
caliber of players becomes
better and better. The com
petition seems to grow year by
year, but so does the enjoyment
of coaching.
“I guess coaching is my
hobby. I enjoy doing it. The
pleasure derived from working
with the players makes it all
worthwhile. 1 have a fine group
of athletes who are involved in
every facet of Belmont Abbey
College. The players are really
making the most of them
selves.”
Women’s Tennis
In Second Year
The Belmont Abbey College
women’s tennis team, now in its
second year, is in training for
the upcoming spring season. At
this time, the team has a
planned schedule of eight
matches.
Coach Mike Reidy said of his
team, “'Die girls are working
earnestly. We’ve had some
trouble getting all the girls out
to practice because of con
flicting schedules, but for the
most part, we’ve got a lot of
enthusiasm and interest on the
court.”
The women on this year’s
team are Peggy Condon, Kathy
Jones, Mandy Clevland, Pam
Kelly, Beth McCaw and Tracey
McCaw.