Purcell this year's Cunliffe?

by Aaron Unterreiner
Herald Sports Editor

Article Last Updated; Friday, November 13, 2009 12:09AM

Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Treyner Juelsgaard and No. 1 FLC will host No. 10 Colorado School of Mines at 2 p.m. today at Dirks Field.

Click image to enlarge

JERRY McBRIDE/Herald

Fort Lewis’ all-time leading scorer John Cunliffe tries to dribble around the Skyhawks’ current leading assist man, Tom Settle, right, during Tuesday’s practice at Dirks Field. Cunliffe has been assisting this year’s playoff team.

JERRY McBRIDE/Herald

“I don’t know if you’ll ever have another John Cunliffe in Division II soccer again.”
Oige Kennedy, FLC men’s soccer coach

For argument's sake, let's call Euan Purcell this year's John Cunliffe.

Before the Fort Lewis College men's soccer purists cry blasphemy, consider the most glaring similarity between the two strikers, whom both happen to call Bolton, England, home: Purcell has matched Cunliffe's blistering pace of 1.2 goals per game during their respective senior seasons.

Cunliffe, the year after the Skyhawks' most decorated striker led FLC to a national championship, produced 29 goals, 16 assists and 74 points in 24 games played in 2006.

Purcell, who has battled injuries again this season, has 18 goals, three assists and 39 points in 15 games.

Not exactly as extravagant as Cunliffe's numbers, but, of course, the alumnus has a body of work, too, that reads 75 goals, 62 assists and 212 points, which is fifth-best in Division II men's soccer history. He led the Skyhawks to a national title in 2005 then to a runner-up result in 2006.

"I don't know if you'll ever have another John Cunliffe in Division II soccer again," FLC coach Oige Kennedy said Thursday night.

For lack of an argument, let's call Cunliffe the greatest player in FLC history.

In case you haven't noticed, the greatest player in FLC history has been stalking the sidelines come game time recently, and he's been running up and down the pitch come practice time.

"It's been great to have him around," said Kennedy, the Skyhawks' first-year head coach. "The boys love having him around."

For the last month, Cunliffe has been a regular at Dirks Field, mentoring players, including Purcell, and assisting coaches Kennedy, former mate David Oberholtzer, Jason Bestwick and Brian Fredrick. Kennedy was a first-year assistant during Cunliffe's senior season.

"He wants to help," Kennedy said. "He wants to help this program get better."

Cunliffe, who did not return a phone call from The Durango Herald on Thursday, was drafted seventh overall by Chivas USA in the MLS SuperDraft in 2007. He was traded to San Jose the day before the 2008 season started, then was waived by the Earthquakes just days before the 2009 season.

Cunliffe, who scored five goals in 27 games, signed on with Carolina RailHawks FC, a United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division team, a second tier to Major League Soccer.

Kennedy said the Fort offers the player a chance to stay fit before a possible second playing career in Europe.

Until then, he's riding the Skyhawks' coattails for another glance at a collegiate championship. He'll be on hand today when this year's top-ranked FLC side hosts a familiar foe in No. 10 Colorado School of Mines at 2 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championships.

Fort Lewis (19-1) is 2-0 this season against Mines (15-2-4) and has won by an aggregate count of 7-1.

"We'll approach it like any big championship game," Kennedy said. "It's do or die time, lose and go home. We're fortunate enough to host a tournament game, so obviously we want to be in that game Sunday, for the whole team and for everybody else."

West Texas A&M (14-1-2) will play Midwestern State (12-1-3) at 11 a.m. today at Dirks Field, with the second round of the championships at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Mines coach Frank Kohlenstein, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, sees similarities between the '09 Skyhawks and the '05 Skyhawks, if not between Purcell and Cunliffe.

"I think it's great they're No. 1. I think they deserve to be," Kohlenstein said. "Their first 14, 15 players are the best in the country.

"I think there are some similarities. When you look at the film, you can't spot any weaknesses when you watch them play. Usually there are some glaring spots that you can pick out and say, 'OK, there's a spot we can attack.' "They're a very offensive-minded attacking team, but they do their job defensively, too," he said. "That's very similar to the '05 team."

That's not lost on Kennedy, either.

"We wanted to score more goals than we did in either the '05 or '06 seasons, and we've managed to accomplish that," Kennedy said.

FLC has scored an NCAA-best 92 goals this season - 4.6 goals per game.

"But any time your team is mentioned in the same breath as those '05 and '06 teams, that's a good thing," he said.

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