Soccer Success at USIU Sparks Start of Women’s Team

Encouraged by the recent success of the United States International University men’s soccer team, Coach Mike Hovenic says the college is starting a women’s program.

Hovenic said the women’s team will compete on the club level this season. The team may advance to the NCAA Division I level next year.

“All the girls will be recruited from the San Diego county area and there will be 11 full-ride scholarships,” said Hovenic. “We have some outstanding women’s youth teams. I think we can put together a great women’s team.”

The men’s team isn’t doing so bad either.

A 2-1 loss to Fresno State in Fresno last year cost USIU a berth in the NCAA playoffs.

It would have been the first time any USIU team reached the Division I playoffs. For Hovenic, postseason play had become a matter of course. Until last year.

Hovenic, a graduate of Mission Bay High, San Diego City College and San Diego State, spent eight years coaching the boys’ soccer team at Chula Vista High and his teams won San Diego Section titles in 1976 and 1977. He moved to Southwestern College in 1980 and his teams won conference titles each of his three years there. He coached Point Loma Nazarene College into the NAIA playoffs in 1983 and ‘84, then took over at USIU last year.

“The challenge was the exciting thing,” said Hovenic. “To see if you can win at the next level.”

USIU was 14-5-2 last season and won the Southwest Soccer Conference title with a 7-0-1 record. The tie was with UCLA, the eventual national champion.

USIU returns Jeff Ward, the second-leading scorer, as well as striker Andy Walker and goalie Gary Francis, who allowed only two goals in conference matches last year. All three are from England. Also returning is most valuable player Norifumi Yahagi from Tokyo and Oscar Rodriguez from Hilltop High.

“I’m kind of excited about our recruiting,” said Hovenic. “We were very weak in bench strength last year. But we’ve done some recruiting locally as well as internationally.”

Heading the local recruits is fullback Robbie Peelman from Cuyumaca College and Jorge Huerta and Arturo Orozco, both from Southwestern.

The international contingent is led by Perola Lindkvist from Sweden, who Hovenic calls “an impact player.”

“Our goal is to make the (NCAA) playoffs,” said Hovenic. “We came so close last year. That would be an outstanding thing for the program and the school.”

Kyle Whittemore’s return to the San Diego State men’s soccer team has boosted the Aztecs (5-0) to a No. 5 ranking in the Far West. Whittemore, a sophomore, missed last season after breaking his leg in the gold medal game of the 1985 Olympic Festival.

Without Whittemore, who set three school scoring records his freshman season, the Aztecs struggled to an 8-8-4 record last year. This season, the offense is back. SDSU has scored 18 goals in its first five matches compared to 26 goals all of last season. Whittemore has a team-high four goals.

Bob Rump has resigned as men’s tennis coach at UC San Diego. Rump, who coached the mens’ team at Grossmont College for 24 years, retired after the Griffins won the state team championship last season but decided to return to coaching when the UCSD job opened. Rump, however, decided he would be unable to coach because his class load at Grossmont, where he teaches physical education, was increased.

Notes Richard Zayas, an All-American wide receiver at Grossmont College last year, set up Brigham Young’s winning touchdown in a 31-30 Western Athletic Conference victory over New Mexico Saturday. Zayas, who also played at Monte Vista High, caught a 47-yard pass late in the game to help set up the winning score. . . . SDSU setter Liane Sato was named to the all-tournament team after helping lead the Aztecs to the 10th Coors Collegiate Classic volleyball championship. Sato has been named to the all-star team in every tournament she has competed in since she transferred to SDSU from UC Santa Barbara after her sophomore season. . . . The Aztecs have named two former athletes as assistants for the men’s and women’s track teams. Jim Spillers, who competed in 1983 and 1984, will coach throwers, and Mark Sanders, who competed in 1984 and 1985 and set a school record in the decathlon, will coach several events.