Massachusetts' run in the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Tournament, where the Minutemen reached the semifinals for the first time, did not nothing to change the fact UMass is a small program, awarding the equivalent of 2.3 scholarships. For red-shirt juniors Doug Rappaport and Chris Brown, both products of Tucson, Ariz., they must decide whether to stick around for another season on partial scholarships or move on. Rappaport plans to attend medical school, and Brown's tentative career goal is to be an investment banker. "As I was walking off the field in the final four, I kept thinking 'I don't want this to be my last game,'" Rappaport told Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star. "It's tough to think about not going back. I'm not sure what I'll do."
WNC decision to cut women's soccer leaves Winter in limbo
The last two decades have seen several men's soccer programs get the ax as schools face budget crunches and struggle to meet Title IX guidelines. It is rare that a women's program is dropped, so members of the Western Nevada College women's program thought athletic director John Kinkella was joking when he called the players together in November to tell them the school was dropping the program. "But he kept on talking, and that's when the tears started," said Ashley Winter, a WNC soccer player and Dayton High School graduate. Robert Perea of the Reno Gazette-Journal examines the impact of the JC school's decision to drop women's soccer.
Ulster legend Vizvary is Freeman Sportsperson of the Year
George Vizvary, the Kingston (N.Y.) Freeman's Sportsperson of Year, enjoyed a banner year in 2007. The Ulster County Community College men's soccer coach was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame, recorded his 500th and led the Senators to second place behind Richland in the Division III championships -- their first appearance in the NJCAA national finals in 29 years. The Hungarian-born Vizvary, who coached U.S. internationals Njego Pesa and Ronil Dufrene, has seen the game change in recent years. Most of the immigrant players he brings up from the New York metropolitan area are now from Latin America. "My clientele is different," he said. "You're creating a different tasting soup." Vizvary, who also had former Hermann Trophy winner Joe Ulrich, says coaching at school that does not offer scholarships requires creativity. "My bag is full of bunnies," Vizvary remarked. "It is magic."
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