Butcher Getting High Marks With Stick and Kicks : High school soccer: He puts field hockey on hold to help Royal bid for third straight Marmonte title.

Playing field hockey came with an unexpected price tag for Royal High senior soccer player Nick Butcher.

Not the $150 annual fee he forked over as a member of the under-21 national men’s team. Worse. It indirectly cost Butcher his athletic eligibility at Royal.

After playing on the soccer team during the last regular season, he was forced to sit out the Highlanders’ playoff match after failing to achieve the mandatory 2.0 grade-point average necessary to be eligible for high school sports.

His academic downfall?

He missed nearly a month of school in October, 1992, while playing for the United States under-21 field hockey team in the Pan American Games in Havana. As a result, he fell behind in his classes and his grades reflected it. His GPA dipped from its average of 2.5 to 1.96.

“My grades were good, then I went to Cuba,” he said. “That was basically the reason (the grades dropped), but I don’t want to use any excuses.”

That is an excuse, actually, but he is good-naturedly unapologetic and undaunted by the incident, which he characterizes as a mere aberration.

“I won’t be doing that again this year,” he said.

Butcher will, however, play soccer again this season for the Highlanders, one of the area’s top boys’ teams. His grades are up and so are his spirits.

Now a forward, Butcher is one of a talented group of returning players in search of Royal’s third consecutive Marmonte League championship. The Highlanders have not lost in 23 consecutive league matches.

Joining Butcher on the attack are senior midfielders Jeff Smilen and Sebastian Alvarado and forward Tim Pederson. The defense consists of Brandon Ford, Ryan Yokoyama, Chris Tosh and Josh White.

“We should repeat as league champs,” Coach Kevin Corley said. “We’re much more balanced.”

Butcher’s return is one reason Corley is optimistic. Butcher, a midfielder the past two years, has scored three goals in the first two matches.

“He’s fast and has got great ballhandling skills, and he’s terrific in the air,” Corley said. “He has college potential, but it seems like most recruiters think he’ll play field hockey.”

Butcher said his immediate goal is to get a college education, either at a four-year university courtesy of a soccer scholarship or at a junior college while continuing his field hockey career.

He can’t play field hockey in college because it is not a men’s intercollegiate sport. Well-known as a girls’ high school sport, field hockey is similar to soccer, using 11 players a side and the same position designations as soccer. And though Ventura County has a five-team club league for males, ranging from age 9 to adult, it is still extremely obscure as a male sport in the United States, existing only at the club and national level.

Men’s field hockey is, however, an Olympic sport, which is one reason Butcher wields a field hockey stick. “You have more of a chance to get to the Olympics in field hockey than in soccer,” he said. “It’s definitely a goal.”

And a distinctly possible one, at that. Butcher was only 16 when he became a forward for the under-21 team, and he traveled last summer to Canada, England and to the U.S. Olympic Festival in San Antonio as part of the team.

Should he someday make the Olympic team, he’ll owe his start to his mother.

Ingrid Butcher, a native of Trinidad, fostered her son’s interest in the sport when she took him to her own games. A former member of the Trinidad junior national team, Ingrid continued to play in Los Angeles and Ventura County after she emigrated to the United States in 1975.

Nick began playing in a five-team Ventura County club league when he was 11, and the sport came easily to him.

“Basically because of my mom, I guess,” he said.

Ironically, she took up the sport in Trinidad mainly because women were not allowed at the time to play soccer.

“I do play soccer now,” she said, laughing. “And I love it!”

So does her son, which is why he plans to avoid a repeat of last year, when he failed chemistry and was forced to watch the Highlanders’ playoff loss from the sidelines.

“I kind of let my team down,” he said. “ I felt like I should be out there helping my team.”

This season he is retaking chemistry and has a C, more in line with the Royal soccer image.

“The soccer team has the highest GPA--it’s about 3.4--of any of winter sport at Royal,” Corley said. “We really push that.”

Count Butcher as a believer.

Here are some other top teams to watch in the region:

BUENA

* COACH: Sean Roche

* ‘92-93: 17-2-3

Roche, the low-key, English soccer guru in his 15th season at Buena, was caught off guard by this team. He didn’t expect it to be so . . . good. “Surprisingly, I am pleased,” he said. Despite losing several key players from last year’s Channel League championship team, the Bulldogs could defend their title. Senior striker Jose Melgoza is the team’s most explosive player, and senior James Melcher is the defensive leader. Defender James Drescher is only the second freshman in five years to play on the varsity. Other key players are midfielder Jeff Saucedo, defender Josh Merman, forward Temo Sanchez and goalie Mark Thompson.

BURROUGHS

* COACH: Mike Kodama

* ‘92-93: 21-3-2

Preseason All-American Roberto Perez leads the Indians, who advanced to the Division III semifinals last season. “He’s a special case,” Kodama said. “He knows the game so well, we give him carte blanche to run the field.” Perez (23 goals, 15 assists) teams with his cousin, junior Jesus Diaz (13 goals), in the midfield. Forward Eddie Melgar and goalie Marc Binda were both All-Foothill League selections. Gret Guenther anchors the defense. Jeremy Mussack, Juan Almaguer and Daniel Meneses are talented newcomers.

GRANADA HILLS

* COACH: Pete Mabie

* ‘92-93: 8-3-1

The Highlanders won the West Valley League title last season, Mabie’s first year as coach. Senior forward Angel Gomez has NCAA Division I potential, Mabie said, and scored five goals in the first three matches. “I think he’s just about as good a player as I’ve seen at the high school ranks,” Mabie said. Four starters graduated, but defender Darren Halfend, forward Corey Heimlich and Martin Felman return. Ron Culver and Jordan DeJong were kickers on the football team. Bobby Gramacy has been the starting goalie because Nevin Smith broke a thumb.

HARVARD-WESTLAKE

* COACH: Rick Commons

* ‘92-93: 17-3-3

Commons takes over a team clouded in controversy last season, because of senior Dwight Angelini’s precedent-setting arrest for assault during a match. The first-year coach said the Mission League champion Wolverines are eager to put last season’s tumult behind. Juniors Jeremy Kroger, Warren Davidoff, Brian Angelini (Dwight’s brother) and Jay Rosen are the team leaders. “The crop of juniors we’ve got is exciting,” Commons said. “There are four or five players who have the potential to play big-time college soccer.” Teddy Macker, Jordan Elias and Sam Pfister also are quality players.

KENNEDY

* COACH: Fred Singer

* ‘92-93: 6-3-1

Striker Sean Dudra is a rarity in soccer--he stands 6-foot-4. “He attracts a lot of attention,” Singer said. “There’s not many guys his size who can play the game and retain possession (of the ball).” Retaining possession is actually Dudra’s specialty; he was the Golden Cougar football team’s leading receiver, with 59 catches for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns, and was a Times’ All-Valley football selection. Seniors Oscar Galicia and Devin Connolly return on the defense, and Miller Rodriguez and Robbie Shapiro are back at midfield. Sophomore Mathius Forgeonie has potential. Kennedy was second to Granada Hills in the West Valley League last season, and they should again battle it out.

MOORPARK

* COACH: Mike Scanlon

* ‘92-93: 18-2-2

Scanlon, who plans to retire at the end of the season, should have a pleasant send-off from this team. “I’m a lot more confident with this year’s team than last year,” he said. Last year’s Frontier League champion squad advanced to the third round of the Division V playoffs. Defender Jared Kira was an All-Southern Section selection last season. Goalie Aaron Linder, and forwards Pat Russo and Chris Silverest return, as do Jamie Surace, Rami Valderama and Paul Dojo.

PALMDALE

* COACH: Mike Shepard

* ‘92-93: 22-2-1

Arguably the area’s strongest team, the Falcons are led by forward Mike Dibbini, who scored a Southern Section-high 44 goals last season. Dibbini scored six goals in his first two matches this season. Dibbini’s brother, Murad, is a sophomore midfielder, and the team’s primary assist man. Defenders Luis Alcala and Justice Jones will protect goalie Beau Cline, and Raul Rossil and Geoff Carlson will play midfield. Sophomore Clint Shepard, the coach’s son, missed last season with a broken ankle but has recovered and will start at forward.

SIMI VALLEY

* COACH: Ken Dale

* ‘92-93: 10-7-2

The first-year coach inherits a talented team in a talent-rich soccer environment. “I’ve coached in a lot of different locations in the country and these kids are as good as I’ve seen anywhere,” said Dale, who coached at Radford (Va.) University last season. He likes the ability of midfielder Alfonso Ruiz, defender Kelly Hagadorn, forward Sean Harrity and especially goalie Travis Saylor. “I’m looking for big things out of (Saylor),” Dale said. “I think he’s got NCAA Division I potential.”