Soccer

By the time this is in print veteran Dartmouth soccer coach Tom Dent will have unveiled his 31st Green soccer squad in the September 33 opener with Massachusetts State. A 35-man squad reported in mid-September, but Coach Dent is frank to admit that prospects are not as bright as they were with last fall's high-scoring squad which went undefeated in eight games and won the New England Soccer League title.

This fall for the first time Dartmouth moves into the newly formed Ivy Soccer League and also faces its longest schedule in history with eleven games on tap. Add to this the fact that most opponents look upon Dartmouth as the "team to beat this fall," and the fact that the Indians will be weaker than last year, both offensively and defensively, and you have a rough idea of the problems facing Tom Dent.

However, the man who told President Eisenhower during his June visit to the College Grant: "Ike, you're a darn good cook; whenever you get cleared up down there in Washington, I'd like to take you along on a fishing trip as my cook," is not the kind of coach to let a few problems spoil a fall of "teachin' the lads a few of the tricks."

The graduation of men like Captain Dave Conlan, center halfback, and fullback Dick Roberts, along with the absence of halfback Rollie Pollard, who is spending his junior year studying in France, tears a big hole in the Dartmouth defense.

Captain and halfback Wally Pugh along with veteran fullback Bob Vostal and sophomore halfback Bob Holland may plug the defensive gap, and Clem Malin returns as goalie this fall and will really be a help.

Ron Chilcote at outside right and Bob Googin at inside right are two dependable veterans, while Egil Stigum will be at center forward. Bernt Stigum, Egil's brother who was ineligible last fall, goes to an inside left post, while Steve Winslow, a returning star, will be back at the outside left post. Tony Giddis, whom Coach Dent spotted playing rec soccer and hauled onto the freshman team last fall, could move into one of the starting halfback slots, and Dave Shepard, a former Deerfield Academy player, seems to have enough experience to help out on the forward line.

Dartmouth has at best an outside chance at the Ivy title this first year of league play. Yale and Pennsylvania both have tough, veteran teams, with Cornell anxious to battle to the top. The Big Green's hopes rest squarely on the development of replacements and the ability of Dartmouth to toughen up its defense and create a scoring line.