Club soccer team heads to nationals

by Michael Canan
THE POST

One Ohio team will be playing for the national championship during Winter Break.

The Ohio club men's soccer team (8-2-5) travels to Austin, Texas, this week to play in the National Intramural Recreations Sports Association tournament Thursday through Saturday.

Before the season started, team members decided to raise money to travel to play in the open division of the NIRSA tournament, which requires an entry fee. The team, however, beat out more than 100 other teams and gained one of 16 bids to the championship tournament by placing second to Illinois at its regional tournament at Ohio State.

After receiving a bid to the tournament, Ohio received $500 from NIRSA and then $700 from the Ohio club sports office. Earlier in the season the team raised money by selling pizza and discount cards, and organizing a car wash.

"They really are excited," coach Mark Brandenburg said. "They have been looking forward to it all year. The hard part of the season is done."

The hard work might be completed, but the competition at the tournament will be far from easy.

Ohio opens the tournament at 8 a.m. Thursday against Alabama. The Bobcats then face Brigham Young, which won the tournament the previous two years, at 2 p.m. Thursday. Ohio also plays Navy at 8 a.m. Friday.

Other teams in the tournament include Colorado, Cornell, Penn State and Illinois.

Brandenburg said the talent level of club sports teams has increased in the last five years.

"Club sports teams are a lot more organized and talented than they used to be," Brandenburg said. "A lot of the (change) has come from the ground up. Advisors and club presidents have developed leagues across the country, and NIRSA was very instrumental in developing the club sports championship, which gives them something to shoot for."

Ohio's officers and senior Todd Sanville have been instrumental in developing Ohio's program, Brandenburg said. The officers are president, Brian Burger; vice president Ben Cooper; treasurer, Chris Ryan; and travel coordinator, Chandler Clifton.

The results of the tournament will be posted on NIRSA's Web site (http://www.rs.utexas.edu/nirsa). Anyone with questions about the club soccer program can contact Burger at bbski@hotmail.com.