Soccer

Coach Tom Dent had just returned from a Canadian fishing trip when we contacted him for a rundown on his 1956 varsity soccer prospects. "Caught a 27-pound river salmon, fishing was great," he reported. He wasn't quite so specific about the soccer team.

"It's hard to tell about the team this year," said Tom. "We've lost most of our team from last year, particularly at defense. I think we'll have a lot of sophomores in the lineup this fall and will have to do some experimenting and shuffling before we can get a real idea of the prospects."

A great deal this year depends on the return of All-American Butch Waid. A great offensive player, Waid underwent a knee operation last year and just how the knee will stand up under competition is uncertain. Dent plans to shift Waid from inside left to center forward where he can spark the Big Green offense. Operating on the forward line with Waid will be veterans Bob Googins and Ron Chilcote plus some sophomores and reserves.

Captain Cal Perry heads up the halfback squad while Bob Holland and Bob Vostal are two letter-winning fullbacks. Clem Malin will be sorely missed at goal, but his brother Randy reported last year to the freshman team and, although he has never played soccer, he has the makings of a good goalie, Coach Dent reports. Another sophomore who holds promise is fullback Art Quirk.

Last year's freshman team, from which Coach Dent must draw heavily for replacements, was far from outstanding and this means that Dartmouth's 1956 varsity team will probably be weaker than last year's. After a good many winning seasons, this fall must be regarded as a "rebuilding year," but Tom Dent's teams have a way of surprising even on an "off year," so let's see what happens.