Aztecs Still Seek Starter In Goal
San Diego State men’s soccer coach Chuck Clegg is six games into the season and still hasn’t decided on a starting goalkeeper. He has started senior Chris Volk three games, junior Dan Dalzochio twice and sophomore Shannon Story once.
Maybe Clegg should go through the season juggling his goalkeepers. His Aztecs are off to a surprising 6-0 start and are ranked 19th by Soccer America.
“Changing goalkeepers doesn’t affect a team like it would if a midfielder or sweeper were different every game,” Clegg said. “The goalkeeper only uses his hands.”
Clegg said the three-man competition will continue in practice this week. The Aztecs play at 20th-ranked St. Mary’s Friday and Clegg said he might not name a starter until that morning.
“I’ve never been in this situation before,” Clegg said. “I’ve always gone with a starter and a backup. But I have to be fair to the young men.”
It appears Story, a transfer from U.S. International, has the best chance of starting Friday. He was in goal for the Aztecs’ most recent victory, a 6-0 shutout over Cal State Dominguez Hills. Until last week, Story was ineligible because of problems transferring units.
Clegg was not counting on freshman forward Willie Franklin to be eligible this year either. Franklin, who went to high school in Everett, Wash., sat out last season attempting to gain California residency and didn’t become eligible until the fourth game.
But in his first game, he scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over USD. Franklin has also scored a goal in each of his last two games.
“He plays like a senior,” Clegg said. “He punishes goalkeepers. I knew he was a player when he scored that goal against USD. He didn’t seem to feel the pressure at all.”
Beginning Friday with St. Mary’s, Clegg said, the Aztecs enter their toughest stretch of regular-season games in the program’s history. They will play at No. 1-ranked Santa Clara Sunday, then play fifth-ranked Indiana and 10th-ranked St. Louis at St. Louis’ tournament Oct. 4 and 5.
Versatile Vaughn: Terry Vaughn, a tailback for Oceanside High, led San Diego County in rushing two years ago with 1,496 yards. He also played some quarterback in Coach John Carroll’s option offense. Vaughn is the leading wide receiver for the Arizona Wildcats these days.
Vaughn led the Pac-10 in average yards per catch last year. He caught 22 passes for 431 yards (19.6 average) and two touchdowns. Through three games this season, Vaughn has caught nine passes for 108 yards, including six in last week’s 23-21 loss to California.
“Terry is more mature this year,” Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said. “He’s working harder when he doesn’t have the ball.”
Tomey said he recruited Vaughn as a running back.
“It was apparent from the very beginning of practice that he was our best pass receiver,” Tomey said. “We just couldn’t keep him out of the lineup. He was one of the first true freshman in the history of the Pac-10 to start his first game.”
Vaughn is also fourth in the Pac-10 in punt returns this year. He has returned six punts for 47 yards.
Add county rushing leaders: Markeith Ross, who finished second to Vaughn in 1989 with 1,341 yards, is at Fresno State, where he is sitting out the season as a Proposition 42 case.
Ross, who attended Rancho Buena Vista, failed to score high enough on his Scholastic Aptitude Test and thus will lose his freshmen year of eligibility.
Steve Mooshagian, Fresno State’s recruiting coordinator and receivers coach, said Ross is receiving some financial aid this season but will have to earn a scholarship for his last three years.
“We’re well aware of what he’s done in his high school days,” Mooshagian said. “Even though he’s a non-recruited athlete, he’s not exactly coming up here out of the blue. We’re excited that he decided on us.”
Last year, Ross rushed for 1,622 yards and finished second in county rushing to Morse’s Gary Taylor, who had 1,997 yards.
Scholars: John Gomez and Mike Brille, two ex-scholar athletes at USD, are now attending Yale Law School. Brille, a third-team academic All-American, played soccer at USD from 1986 through 1989. Gomez, a second-team football academic All-American, played defensive line at USD from 1985 through 1988.
