Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1982)
Dangerous duo propels kickers Cooney-Thompson connection clicks By Steve Friedman Of ttw EnwraM The connection Defined in Webster's Dictionary it means: "A thing that connects " But for the University of Oregon men s soccer team it means Steve Cooney to Scott Thompson Cooney and Thompson, both second year players, have emerged as a scoring duo which has propelled Oregon to a 6-2-1 record going into Wednesday night’s game at Oregon State this season Wednesday s match with the Beavers was the last regular season Oregon Inter collegiate Soccer Association contest. The Duck kickers took a 4-2 league mark into the match. Results were una vailable at press time They started the season combining for a late goal which saved a tie against Lane Community College As they've become more accus tomed to each other, their scoring output has increased Their best performance came when they combined for an eight goal performance against Oregon Institute of Technology on Oct 24 'their take charge attitude and superb skills (separate them from the rest). They are like coaches on the field.' “They didn't jell together immediately,'' says coach Bruce Palmbaum. "But there aren't many people who do in their first year Cooney was a freshman and it was Thomp son’s first year on the team, as time went on, though, I could see they were going to make their mark It was just a matter of when." The time is now Cooney and Thompson have the experience and the knowlege of each other's play They have become Oregon's most potent offensive weapon In that first pre-season game against LCC, the pair set the tone for the rest of the year With under a minute to go in the game and Oregon down by a goal, Cooney took over He dribbled the ball to the right corner and crossed it to the front of the penalty area Thompson came running down the middle and banged home the tying goal with 30 seconds left "It was a beautiful ball,” says Thompson "I ran over to Steve and said We did it!' It was like a dream.” Cooney is the man who the team looks to for ball control The quarterback Because of this, other teams mark him with two or more defenders and this leaves other players, like Thompson, open Steve is a smart player," says Thompson. "He makes things happen up front and creates opportunities by making space Whether he is directly or indirectly involved in the play, he has a big effect.” For Thompson, the recipient of many of the passes, goals are his forte But he shuns the scoring image "I've just been in the right place at the right time," says Thompson. "My job is to score, but if it weren't for Steve and the team, the scoring op portunities wouldn't be there " Cooney echoes Thomp son's thoughts on team play and says, "Our scoring starts in the back " Still, a certain aura sur rounds these two when they step out on the field Freshman Garrett Hughes says it's "their take charge Photos by Dave Kao Scott Thompson (above) struggles for position with a Lane Community College player while Steve Cooney (in background) looks on. Thompson hits a shot on goal (lower left) attitude and superb skills. They are like coaches on the field " Nobody knows this better than LCC, though. In their first league game, the connection struck again But this time for the winning goal before the end of the first half "Steve sent the ball across the goal past three defenders and all I had to do was put my foot on it." says Thompson “It was all set up by Steve taking the defenders with him and creating an opening for me." It is plays like that which lead Palmbaum to describe this year's attack as one of the most potent the club has known Cooney and Thomp son are a big part of that attack The connection It has a new definition: Cooney to Thomp son, GOAL Walton sidelined with fractured cheekbone SAN DIEGO (AP) - Center Bill Walton of the San Diego Clippers, sidelined since 1980 with a painful foot injury, fractured his cheekbone during his first regular-season appearence in the National Basketball Association in more than two years, a spokesman for the club said Wednesday The 6-foot-11 center was in jured Friday in the third quarter of the Clippers’ season-opener with the Phoenix Suns when he scrambled for a loose ball and was accidentally elbowed in the face by teammate Michael Brooks, said Jim Dunlap, public relations director for the Clip pers Walton, 30, later returned to that game and team officials were optimistic that he would be able to play later this week, pending an examination of the injury by Walton’s physician Vartm M Dunlap said that if the doctor clears Walton, the former UCLA star will play Saturday night in Chicago when the Clippers meet the Bulls He said the team is looking for a protective facemask that would shield Walton's cheekbone from further injury Walton, troubled by injuries throughout his professional career, is attempting a comeback after being sidelined with a chronically injured left foot His return to the NBA has been on a part-time basis in order to give his brittle foot time to heal completely so it can withstand the rigors of playing full time Walton currently plays about once a week for the Clippers and attends law classes at Stanford University during the week Bowerman Continued trom Page 1 "I do not want him to have the discretionary authority to wake up some morning and decide that he wants the trophy room turned into a laundry room," Bowerman said in his statement But Bowerman also said he had "no objection to the athletic director being designated as controller. administrator, overseer, lord or king of the building," as long as Bay uses the building according to the terms of the gift Curt Simlc, vice president for University relations, also expressed concern over the wording of the statement, but added It was "encouraging" for Bowerman to broach the subject of the donation "If Bill Bowerman has something to say to us he should do so to the president or to the administration," Simic said "We're not going to nego hate this through the press " In a later interview. Bowerman seemed to be In agreement with Simic "It they want to discuss (the gift), It's negotiable." Bowerman said "I would be more than happy to sit down with them and say How can we work this out?' If they don't want to. I have other fish to fry " Bowerman said he waited un til Wednesday to release the statement because he wanted to wait until after Tuesday's elections to renew negotiations with the University He said he wanted to avoid publicity while campaigning against Ballot Measure 3 The statement clarifies Bowerman's position on use and control of the proposed building Stipulations in clude ■ • The track facilities would be paid tor entirely by private gifts • The facilities could be used only for track and field pur poses •The building could be used for other purposes when it was not being used by the track team The purposes Bowerman named included pre-ceremony gatherings during graduation cermonies and use by faculty during summer months The University would "certainly honor the purpose tor which the building was given," Bay said, after hearing the stipulations But “the decision should be made within the University," Simic added In what he called a "completely unrelated issue," Bowerman also "categorically denied" allegations that he had requested investigations of three University track athletes for accepting shoes, clothing and money from Nike and Adidas shoe manufacturing companies "My position and my record will show that never did I point a finger at any athlete," Bowerman said.
