THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9409280577
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
New owners.
New name.
New status.
The Hampton Roads Hurricanes, a semi-professional soccer team owned by Ellis Gillespie, are a thing of the past.
Now it's the Hampton Roads Mariners, owned by Mark Garcea and Page Johnson. And the Mariners will elevate to full professional status for the 1995 season.
``Our entire (Atlantic) division is going pro next year and there will be no mixed play between semi-pro and pro in the USISL,'' said Mariners general manager and assistant coach Shawn McDonald. ``If we would have retained our amateur players, we would have had to travel too much to play other amateur teams.''
In announcing the changes, the Mariners also announced that head coach Sonny Travis and McDonald would be returning to their positions in 1995.
Gillespie was stripped of the franchise near the end of last season for failure to pay league fees. The franchise was handed over to Garcea and Johnson for completion of the season and officially awarded to Garcea and Johnson at league meetings in August.
In its initial season, the franchise averaged 2,800 in home-game attendance (fourth-best in the 72-team league) and made the playoffs in the United States Interregional Soccer League's Atlantic Division, bowing to Charleston in the opening round. Charleston and eventual league champion Greensboro both advanced from the Atlantic to reach the league's Final Four.
``Our division is the best in the league and no matter how you look at it I think we were as good as anyone in the division last year,'' McDonald said. ``It's a great division and will only get better with everyone going pro.''
Salaries for USISL players vary widely from as high as $5,000 a month to as little as $50 per game, according to McDonald.
``We haven't decided on a salary structure at this point,'' McDonald said. ``Some teams pay their players by finding them full-time employment. We will have to find a happy medium that fits our budgetary restraints.''
Part of the reason the franchise retained partial amateur status last season was so the team could use native college players, a marketing ploy which ownership hoped would boost attendance.
``But I think the fans came to see good soccer regardless of who we had on the team,'' McDonald said.
Mariners management has spoken to at least five players - Joey Lenard, Anthony Sherwood, Wayne Pratt, Mark Waite and Blake Rogers - about returning next year and intend to talk to at least six more - Jon Hall, Neil Mason, Carl Byrd, Alex Kee, Leroi Wilson and Eric Ferguson.
The loss of college players will mean the Mariners won't be able to use forward Ian Spooner (Radford University) or defender Byron Mitchell (Old Dominion University). Both were key players for the franchise last season.
Goaltender Tim Figureido returned to his native Bermuda to begin a teaching internship and isn't expected to return. Goaltender Scott Budnick's future with the team is still up in the air.
``We'll have to find at least one goaltender next year,'' McDonald said.
CORNER KICKS: The Mariners opted against playing indoors, feeling it would have meant too much travel and they didn't have enough time to line up sponsors or a playing site. . . . The Center for Effective Learning in Virginia Beach will still be used for home games. . . . The regular-season schedule will expand from 20 games to 24 (12 home games) and will begin in mid-April. . . . Season tickets are available for $45 for adults, $35 for children 16 and under. To order season tickets, call 464-6257. by CNB