Hall of Fame
The 1964 Norwich University men's soccer team helped establish the program's proud winning tradition. In only its sixth year as a varsity sport, the 1964 team posted a 7-1 regular season record under the guidance of head coach Roland "Lefty" Lyford. They qualified for the NCAA small college national tournament, being the first Norwich athletics team to ever participate in an NCAA Tournament.
Though the team's 31-man roster was the largest in its five-year history, it did not contain any foreign players, whom most colleges recruited for their superior soccer skill.
"We weren't the most talented team," remembers Bill Crittendon, one of the team's co-captains. "Coach would play 18-20 guys and we would give a high-energy team effort. Lots of hustle."
Fellow team co-captain Billy O'Neil, a senior defender/midfielder, emphasized the selflessness of all the individuals on the team. "Nobody was selfish, everybody bought in," said O'Neil.
The Cadets outscored opponents by a 22-4 margin during the regular season, with senior goalkeeper Joel Kobert posting a then single-season NU record six shutouts. Kobart's mark still stands tied for fifth in the school's all-time records.
The team's only regular season loss came to bitter-rival Middlebury, 3-2, in a fiercely contested match. O'Neil has a vivid recollection of that match.
"The one blemish on our record. They scored an early goal and we answered on a penalty kick. They scored again to take the lead and then we tied them again. I don't remember their third goal. Competing with Middlebury was a good indication of where our team was at that point."
The team could not parlay its greatest season on record to that point into playoff success, falling in the first round of the Tournament.
Injuries were a major factor in the Cadets' inability to advance. Defender Jack Sushke was sidelined for both matches with a knee injury sustained during the regular season.
The injury flurry continued when the tournament actually started as sophomore forward Mark Sturman was lost to a sprained ankle in the opening half of the first game. Things went from bad to worse in the second half when top scorer Marty Wilkes also went down with an ankle injury. With its two best finishers out, the NU squad couldn't find the back of the net despite carrying the majority of the play throughout the tournament.
They dropped a 2-0 decision to Washington & Lee before losing to Fairleigh Dickinson, 3-2, in a consolation game.
Coach Lyford has since passed on, along with some of his players from that year.
"Lefty was an excellent coach," recalls Crittendon. "He certainly got the most out of his players."
"He was like a second father to me," adds O'Neil. "I'd give him 99.9 percent of the credit. From selecting the team, to installing the strategy, to creating the great chemistry."
