Tech Soccer Miners Take Second Place Trophy

NMT Miners team photo with the Mark Underwood Memorial Second Place Trophy. Front (left to right) Kay Olenrawaju, Nick Smallridge, Tyson Gobble, Galen Hartenberger, Shaon Shariff, James Martin, Alejandro Gauna, Theo Hosemann. Back (left to right): Paul Dailey, David Cordova, Michael Butkus, Russel Maier, Zach Peterson, Jimmy Karlin, Brent Henderson, Stew Robertson, Peter Munk, Pete VanMoorsel, Nick Karler.

SOCORRO, N.M., Feb. 27, 2006 – The Mark Underwood Memorial Soccer Tournament on the weekend of Feb.11 and 12 stirred up memories for the more seasoned members of the NMT Miners soccer squad. It was six years earlier that the Miners made their debut in the New Mexico State Soccer Association (NMSSA) and the amateur adult Albuquerque Soccer League (ASL). It was the very same tournament, on the very same February weekend, and at the very same venue – here in Socorro. Historically, the Mark Underwood has been good to the soccer team, yielding third place (2000), second place (2001), first place (2002), and another second place (2006) as the latest addition to the Miner trophy case. The hope is that the tournament will once again be good to the town, as the organizers have decided to bring it back to Socorro from Las Cruces, where it has been held since 2002 with dwindling participation.

Francisco Avilla shields the ball during the game against the Red Devils from Kirtland Airforce Base.

The five-team tournament this year was just a shadow of the 25-team tournament of 2000, but the competition was no less for the Miners. With only one division, the talent and ability ranged from mediocre to the very best in the state.

The first game on Saturday morning was expected to be the toughest test for the Miners. The opponent was Dep Kema, currently the top-ranked team in the Men’s Premier Division of the ASL. But with two weeks of solid practice sessions the Miners were prepared, and played one of their best halves ever. The starting defenders Galen Hartenberger, Michael Butkus, Jimmy Karlin and Peter Munk organized a cool, impenetrable line. The midfielders worked tirelessly to cover the field and keep possession of the ball, while forward Tyson Gobble made numerous fast attacks at the goal. At 15 minutes into the game, Gobble challenged the goalkeeper for a flighted ball, which popped loose to Alejandro Gauna who volleyed it into the net. At 28 minutes, midfielder Nick Smallridge fed Gobble who placed the ball past the keeper for goal number two.

Stew Robertson controls the ball as KAFB player approaches.

The second half was not as pretty for the Miners. The skilled group of players on Dep Kema did a better job dribbling and executing quick passes to get past defenders. Miner goalkeeper Zach Peterson needed to stay on his toes to make some impressive saves. At 50 minutes, a shot did get past, and Dep Kema was invigorated. Desperate to tie the game up, they began to pull a few tricks out of the old playbook when the referee wasn’t looking, and play got dirty. Tension reached its peak at the very end of the game, when the two teams clashed in a near brawl as time ran out. Two Dep Kema players received red cards and were ejected from the tournament. The team then forfeited their next game against the Bandeleros, the 2005 Fall Classic Champions.

The Miners earned their second victory of the day when they took on the Red Devils of Kirtland AFB. Socorro’s Nick Smallridge began the routing at five minutes into the game with a remarkable shot from 40 yards out. Smallridge was ablaze, and the Red Devils could do nothing to stop him as he went on to record a hat trick (three goals all in the first half). Gobble also got a goal with an assist from Hartenberger. Freshman goalkeeper Nick Karler recorded his first shutout as a Miner.

Sunday morning was a complete reversal, as emotions turned from the joy of Saturday’s victories to the agony of defeat. The opponent was the Bandeleros, the strongest club (Classic FC) team in the state comprised of the best young guns from Albuquerque. This is the next generation of “Banditos,” a renowned team from which several UNM Lobo soccer stars were born. Recognition of some of the “stars” and their confidence distracted the Miners right from the start. The Bandeleros, perhaps benefiting from their easy Saturday wins, controlled the ball well and attacked often. Their speedy forwards were able to find space behind the Miner defense, and their midfielders were able to place perfectly timed passes. They scored two consecutive goals at 5 and 10 minutes. The psyche of the Miners deteriorated rapidly, and as they were arguing a call with the referee on a dead ball, the alert Seth C deBaca (all-state player from Sandia Prep) quickly played the ball behind the defense to Trevor Cobb (2005 NM Player of the Year) to finish another one.

Action sequence of Tyson Gobble approaching on a corner kick and leaping header onto the goal as the Streetfrogs FC stand and watch.

During the second half, the Miners regrouped, but the counter attack opportunities that they created were not successful. Peterson and the defense managed to hold the Bandeleros scoreless in the second half all the way until the last three minutes, when all hope was abandoned, and concentration lapsed. The Bandeleros capitalized with two more goals to make it an embarrassing final score of 5-0.

With the first place trophy out of the question, the Miners showed up for their final game with lackluster ambition. But the non-threatening opponent, Streetfrogs FC, allowed the Techies to just have fun. The tone was set quickly, as newcomer Shaon Shariff scored on the Miners’ first play. It was Smallridge who gave him the ball on that play, and it was Smallridge who scored the next goal at minute eight. SFFC thought they might have a chance as they were awarded a penalty kick to make the score 2-1, but more Miner goals came from Gobble, Hartenberger and Paul Dailey for a final score of 5-1. Dailey’s goal came in the last five minutes of the game, a fitting end to a long and devoted New Mexico Tech soccer career, and making the second place trophy that much sweeter.

More Miner action for the spring semester will include the Second Annual Spring Fling 3 v 3 tournament to be held April 1 and 2 on the Tech campus. Several divisions will be offered, including youth. Further information can be found at their website http://infohost.nmt.edu/~soccer/, or by contacting organizers Stewart Robertson srober01@nmt.edu, Alejandro Guana, agauna@nmt.edu, or President Michael Butkus, mbutkus@nmt.edu

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