D. Ryan Monceaux
Sports Editor
Soccer recruiting rocks
UH's women's soccer team, which will compete in 1998 for the first time in school history, has been rated as having one of the best recruiting classes in the nation.
The Web publication Soccer Buzz is the first in the nation to rank Division I women's soccer recruiting. Editor Randy Diggs has ranked the best in the nation according to regions, with Houston falling in the Central region.
The fledgling Lady Cougar program has been ranked number 8 in the Central region. Diggs says that the recruiting class at Houston is a major surprise and should challenge for the C-USA crown in the near future. UH was also the only C-USA team ranked in any region.
Coach Huston was very excited about the class she signed.
"I'm really proud of this first class," Huston said. "They understand that it will take some time to grow. They also understand that UH athletics has a winning tradition in all sports, and that we intend Cougar soccer to follow suit."
Seven of the original 13 players are from the Houston area, and all but one are incoming freshmen. The other player, Michele Deomme, is a junior transfer from Nebraska.
Lady Cougar soccer will begin its inaugural season Sept. 1 against St. Louis, but has scheduled a home exhibition Aug. 29 against Oregon.
Did someone say soccer?
Coach Huston has also just announced that Steve Branz will serve as assistant coach for her team.
Branz is a former professional player and goalkeeper coach with the nationally recognized Challenge Soccer Club in Houston. He also player collegiate soccer at Cornell between 1988 to 1991.
"Steve is an outstanding young coach, and I look forward to having him join our program, Coach Huston remarked."
He has also trained every goalkeeper for the South Texas Soccer Association's state teams from 1993 to 1997. Branz also served as president of Competitive Excellence Inc., which provides field-player and goalkeeper training for soccer clubs throughout the Greater Houston area.
Speaking of coaches...
Clyde Drexler has officially announced that he has completed his staff with the hiring of Reid Martinka as an assistant coach and former Cougar standout Byron Smith as the coordinator of basketball operations.
"We are very happy to have Reid and Byron join our staff," Drexler said. "Reid will be in charge of scouting opponents and will assist with the on-court instruction of our players. Byron will coordinate events, assist in game preparation and practice and assist the academics coordinator for men's basketball."
Martinka joins Reid Gettys and George Walker on the bench. Martinka was the administrative assistant for the Commodores in the 1997-98 season. He has previously worked for the video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs.
Smith was a two-time all Southwest Conference selection for the Cougars in 1989-90 and 1990-91. He played four years professionally in Australia after leaving UH. He returned to Houston and completed requirements for a bachelor's degree in Sports Administration in August, 1997.
Groove to this...
With all apologies to Daily Cougar Entertainment Editor Joey Guerra, Cougar athletics has a reason to groove.
Nick Torina, a sophomore left-handed pitcher from Houston, has a background with funky beat. It seems his father, Nick Sr., was the drummer for the '70s group Wild Cherry, who recorded the smash hit, "Play That Funky Music, White Boy."
When asked about it, Nick Jr. seems to give the same old song and dance.
"My dad works for Office Depot now. And every once in a while people ask him to play that song," the junior Nick said.
Torina got his nasty funk on in 14 relief appearances for the Coogs in 1998. He pitched 20.0 innings and struck out 20 while only walking nine. The only blemish is that Superfly Torina had a 6.30 ERA for the season, but he reduced it to a more Macho Man effort of 3.00 in conference action.
Yeah, that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh uh-huh.