SOCCER TEAM BRIMS WITH NEW TALENT

by Brian Folsom

The 1997 UM-St. Louis men's soccer team will have many new faces and few familiar ones, but it will be hungry to improve on last season's 12-7-2 record. The Rivermen want to be a major competitive force in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Here is a player by player look at the 1997 Rivermen:

Goalkeeper:
Brad Beeler- Brad is a senior from Union, MO, who has been a backup to Mark Lynn the past two seasons. His experience and hard-work ethic will be invaluable to the team. Kevin McCarthy-A freshman, Kevin comes from his high school in Norman, OK. His career includes a state champion title. McCarthy has impressed head coach Tom Redmond and should see some playing time when Beeler needs a breather.

Midfielders:
Joshua Eckrich- Josh will return as one of the starters. He started 17 games last season and was a hard working, dependable player.

Scott Luczak-A sophomore, Scott returns as the team's leading scorer, with ten goals and five assists last season

Chris Steinmetz- Chris, also a sophomore, started all 21 games for the Rivermen in 1996. In addition, he scored 2 goals and made 5 assists, tying for the team lead in this area. Joshua Fair- A freshman from Michigan, Fair has impressed the coaching staff and will push for a starting job. Redmond said that Fair is an exciting player and will be fun to watch. Fair is also enrolled in the Honors College on campus.

Drew Wilson- Another freshman who will push for a starting job, Wilson comes from Francis Howell North, and he is also grabbing the attention of the coaching staff. Redmond noted that Wilson is very versatile, and he will be used in many different situations.

Ryan Inkley-Yet another "new face," this sophomore is a transfer from Central Methodist and is a former high school teammate of Luczak at Lindbergh High School.

Backfield:

Kevin Pierce- A sophomore, Pierce appeared in 11 games last season and will be relied upon as a force in the backfield this year.

Joe Becker- Becker started six games last season, and Redmond also expects him to be a force in the backfield.

Joe Stdko-A junior transfer from Florissant Valley, Joe has won high praises from coaching staff for his work ethic

Forwards:

Tim Kelly-One of only six seniors, Kelly played in seven games last season.

Jason Aft- Jason is a sophomore who returns as the second leading scorer from a year ago. In 1996, he scored nine goals and had two assists.

Mark Mendenhall-A sophomore from Granite City, Mark is coming off a successful freshman season during which he started 18 games, scored four goals and had two assists.

Greg McCarthy-A senior, Greg played in 15 games for the Rivermen in 1996, dropping in two goals.