by David Ferraris for Alumni Update - Sept. 13, 2007

Sprinklers chirping, sputtering cold water across a freshly mowed practice field; bits of dirt and grass quickly churned into the air as a new pair of cleats chases down a loose ball; the muted sound of a coach blowing a whistle and yelling instructions, signifying the beginning of a new drill.

These are the sights and sounds that signify a new season for the AU men's soccer team. This is not just any season, though, as 2007 marks the 10-year anniversary of a squad that finished with the second-best record in university history, capped by an epic run in 1997's NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament that had the entire university convinced that it could compete with anyone, anywhere.

"The '97 team was the perfect storm," says Coach Todd West, who was assistant coach at the time. "We had a very solid team returning from 1996, however, a couple of pieces came together to finalize a team that could have won a national championship."

The Eagles finished 17-4-4 that season while going 8-0-3 in division play, good enough to capture their first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) regular season title since 1985. Coach Bob Jenkins, who now coaches the under-18 national team and is director of coaching and youth development for U.S. Soccer (soccer's governing body), recalls being in the trenches as a sixth-year head coach of the team.

"You look at teams, and at seasons, and players - and how players mature. We played very well during the '96 season but didn't end up with the record we thought we deserved. So we returned a lot of key guys for '97, added a couple new additions, and building off momentum from the previous year, we're able to have an extraordinary season. I think everyone associated with the squad walked away from that particular season knowing it was special and most likely wouldn't be replicated any time soon."

Stand-out team members included: Avery John (now playing professionally for Major League Soccer's New England Revolution); Captain Stephen Franzke; Antonio Otero (former D.C. United midfielder); Todd Miller; and leading goal scorer Scott Pearson, who earned Second Team All-American honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

The '97 team's heroic march through the NCAA tournament came to a heart-wrenching halt when, faced against five-time national champion and second-ranked Virginia, the Eagles lost in overtime, 2-1. "We put a great team on the field and were in a position to win at Virginia, but not having Avery (John) in our central defense over the course of the game proved costly," recalls West. "Avery received a yellow card with only minutes to play in the Sweet 16 match vs. Maryland and had to sit because of penalty accumulation."

The 2007 team's spirits are strong, although AU will field a much younger squad than that of 10 years ago, and the team will most likely need some time to gain experience and gel before becoming another NCAA championship threat. There are many positives for the group, however. Coach West refers to the team as "fit as any group we have had in my 11 years here at American."

With only one senior (goalkeeper Chris Sedlak) currently on the field and one more senior two-weeks away from being cleared for competition following a knee injury, the young men of AU's soccer program will have to develop quickly, while a handful of upperclassmen provide leadership and set a solid example.

As for the men's soccer program of 1997 and its many faithful supporters, memories of a stellar season continue to serve as a model of commitment, talent, and magic that will one day, hopefully, be surpassed.

"I could talk for hours about that team and that group of guys," says West. "Suffice it to say that they will hold a special place in my heart and in the storied history of the American University Men's Soccer family. I would like to personally thank everyone from that 1997 team for an unforgettable run and for their continued support of the AU soccer program!"