(AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF TONY KOLLER)

I have been frequently asked during the past several years who I thought were the best players who have played at VE. I imagine I have been continually asked this question because during the past thirty-seven years I have seen more youth soccer games at VE than anyone. This alone does not make me an expert but someone who has a lot of time to waste. I first became involved with VE soccer in 1969 through my good friend Jerry Oesterreich who I worked with during the 1960s.

I traveled with Jerry and the first youth team from VE to travel to Europe in the summer of 1969. It is this trip that introduced me to the wonderful and exciting game of soccer. It began my life long love affair with the game.

Since that time, I have observed some great soccer played by our youth teams and have witnessed the explosion of our youth program and youth soccer as a whole in this country. During this time I have seen many outstanding players in our youth program. At the risk of overlooking some and getting people mad at me, I will attempt to recall some of the more outstanding players during the past nearly forty years. This is in no way any attempt to slight anyone. If I do, I apologize. Remember, this is only my account from a fading memory.

THE BEGINNINGS
My first experience with soccer, as I previously said was the 1969 trip. There were many outstanding players on this trip and none more so then the goalie – Jimmy Bremner. Unfortunately, I only got to see Jimmy on this trip as his family moved to Ohio upon his return. The team was coached by Pete Kennedy and played games in Scotland (where they really do have scotch whiskey), England, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. This team was actually a composite of two youth teams and included such VE stalwarts as Bobby Viehweger, Don Bitterlich (who later while kicking for Temple' s football team set a myriad of NCAA kicking records), Bobby Waraska, Malcolm Macquarrie, Mark Regul, David Kennedy, Ernie Cannan, and the Magee twins – Andy and Doug.

1970s
The 1970s saw the first explosion of soccer with the addition of female teams and the start of fielding teams in every age bracket by the late 70s. In the early 70s, there were several very good teams. The Junior teams were the coaching domain of Jerry Oesterreich. Some of the outstanding players during the early years of this era were Franny McPeak, Paul Regul, Joe Sabol, Tommy Turner (present coach of St. Joseph University), Mike Finnegan, Phil Bareis, Billy Mc Dermott, Ernie Cannan, and Bobby Viehweger. The other early 70s team that was very good was coached by Dick Sesov and included Steve Lawson, Jack Horne, Billy Johnson, Gary Johnson, Don Bitterlich, Jack Haggerty, Tommy Haggerty, Bobby Waraska, and Donny Shoemaker. (I remember this team well as it was my first attempt at trying to help coach a team. I wouldn' t call it coaching as the players knew more than I did.)

In the middle 70' s players such as Billy Dahn, Billy Bock, Tim Mahoney, Matty and Mark Regul, Joe McCann, Wes Daniels, Kurt Eisenschmidt, Phil Mas, and Tom McDermott. In the late 70s one of the most talented Junior teams I ever saw play at VE included Karl Grabner, Pete Zimmermann, John Halko, John Sessock, John Murray, and Timmy Weglicki.

During the mid 70s, VE was one of the first clubs in the Philadelphia area to begin fielding female teams. The first female team at VE was coached by Walt Claus and Marge Mahoney. This team included Debbie and Verna Thiessen (now Mrs. Steve Lawson and Mrs. Tom McDermott respectively), Marie Mahoney, Linda Regul, Michele McDermott, and Kathy Hall. This will be the only girl' s team whose names I remember. For a history of female soccer at VE I look to Gus Moritz, Billy Gabel and Jay Bitterlich to fill in the blanks. They are much more familiar with the female program than I am. However there is one female player from the mid 80s who deserves mention, Debbie Black who later went on to become an All-American basketball player at St. Joseph University.

Prior to the late 70s, the youth teams were identified as Novice (under 12), PeeWee (under 14), Midgets (under 16) and Juniors (under 19). It was not until the late 70s that soccer began its explosion and teams were grouped in accordance with their age (U-8, U-9, U-10, etc.).

1980s
During this decade, there were many youth teams that excelled. In the early years of the decade VE had two Junior teams that excelled. These two teams won their respective divisions of the Inter County League and were to play each other for the League Championship. However, for reasons I do not know, the game was never played and they were declared co-champions. One team was coached by Ralph Hoffmann and the other by Bill Eisold. Players included Dale Caya, Mark and Eric Eisold, Ed Maier, Ralph Eisenschmidt, Mark and Eric Hoffmann.
In the mid 80s there were three youth teams that were outstanding. All three teams were perennial winners of the Inter County League championships. The first team was coached by Dale Rieber and included Pete Early, Paul Eisold, Scott Rieber, Dave Kivlin, Walt Medl, and Brian Pisch. The second was the female team coached by Richie Orlich and Gus Moritz and included Jenna Orlich, Diane Moritz, Debbie Black. The third team was coached by Gene Wohlfart and me and included Anthony Daniele, Steve Schaefer, Steve Paino, George Tittelmayer, Eric Till, Chip Amrein, Mike Minnano, and Frank Serban. Tom Kehan, Jr. joined the team later.

These three teams are memorable in that in 1984 they all made the final of the EPYSA Cup Championship with the female team and the younger boy' s team winning the Cup. The 1970 boy' s team is still the only boys youth team from VE to win the true State Cup Championship. Back then there was only one competition level. It was not until later that the Challenge Cup was instituted.

In the late 80s and early 90s, there were two outstanding youth teams. One was coached by Tom Kehan, Jr. and included Jeff Kehan, Dave Steinbach, Danny Ganz, Brian Carrol, and the Smith Bros. (not the cough drops). The other team was coached by Mark Eisold and included Brian MacDonald, Joe Schmidt, Michael Bast, Ryan Gillepsie, Joe Venziale, Mike Green and Ottinger.

1990s
In the early part of the 90s, the outstanding team was coached by Dennis Mullin and Bill Wagner and included Denis Mullin, Jr., Brian Wagner, Brian Cassell, Kenny Konopka, Clint Fairweather, and Rich Bitterlich. Another team that played in the mid 90s was coached by Wenzel Pisch and included Kevin Mullin, Mike Kochesberger, Eric Pisch, and Philip Gabel.

At the end of the decade John Kruse coached a team that included Mike D' Angelo, Kevin Gallagher, Mike Kurtz, Doug Malcolm, and Bitterlich.

The other boy' s team during this era was coached by Joe Byrne and Tom McDermott and included Ian Lawson, Joe Byrne, Jr., Pat McDermott, Nick Dancer, Bill Smart, Sean Meyer, and Keith Foster.

THE MILLENIUM
The latest junior team to end its career at VE is coached by Jim Brennan and included Bret Brennan, Danny Ohmont, Jon Tschtappen Pat Retner, Chris Hipple, Connor McNally, and Chris Claffey.

WE ARE FAMILY
What makes our club unique is that we still maintain the family atmosphere, which still impacts our youth program. When I look back over the past 40 years of soccer, the strain of family relations throughout our program is amazing. It runs not only through brothers and sisters but cousins, sons and daughters, and even grandsons and granddaughters. When you hear the names, you realize the family tradition. The McDermotts, Lawsons, Bitterlichs, Zimmermans, Grabners, Eisolds, Eisenschmidts, - the list goes on and on. I hope it continues far into the future.

THE BEST OF THE BEST
Since I have probably watched more youth soccer games during the past nearly 40 years than anyone else at VE, I have been often asked to come up with an all time VE team. This would be impossible since I have seen too many excellent players over the years. To single out only a few would be an injustice to many. So instead I have chosen to list players who I believe were among the best at their positions. Again this is only my subjective observation over the years. I am sure others can come up with other names that I may have overlooked.

GOALIES
Phil Bareis, Dale Caya, Pete Early, Pat Kivlin, and Danny Ohmont.

FORWARDS
Joe Sabol, Malcolm Macquarrie, the three Steves; Lawson, Feuchter, and Schaefer, Anthony Daniele, Ed Parkinson, John Sessock, Dave Steinbach, Mike Praezenika, Keith Foster, and Bret Brennan.

HALFBACKS
Billy Johnson, Mark Regul, David Kennedy, John Halko, Peter Zimmerman, Ralph Eisenschmidt, Eric Eisold, Brian Dancer, Denis Mullin, Louis Daniele, Kevin Gallagher, Kevin MacKenzie, and the best halfback combination of any team; Scott Rieber, Paul Eisold, and Dave Kivlin.

FULLBACKS
Franny McPeak, Tom Turner, Bobby Viehweger, Karl Grabner, Tim Weglicki, Ed Maier, Walt Medl, Clint Fairweather, Mike D' Angelo, and Nick Dancer.

With the above list of players, it would be difficult, nay impossible, to pick out one single player as being the best of all time. But if I had to pick out one player who exemplified what the true VE player should be all about that player would be Ed Maier. No player ever played with more heart, more determination, more passion, and more desire than Ed. He was not the most physically skilled player but used his God-given skills to the best of his ability. If all of today' s players could play like him, then they would all be all-stars and winners.

The above lists do not include any present teams or players. However, I believe our present day youth program is as good and as deep in talent as it ever has been. Years from now when we look back at the beginning of the new millennium, the above lists will be swelled with the names of many of our present day players.

EPILOGUE
No history of VE youth soccer would be complete if I did not recognize the two persons who I believe have been most influential in the success of our youth program over the past twenty-five years or so. First, Tom Kehan, Sr. is responsible for the tremendous success of our mighty-mite program. When Tom took over running the program in the late 80s, the program was on the verge of collapse. He has built it up to where it is one of the best in the area.

The other person is Jerry Oesterreich. It is through Jerry' s efforts that our teams today have the opportunity to travel to Germany. Jerry was instrumental in developing the close relationship with the many clubs in Germany that have allowed our teams to travel and compete and stay with host families.

FINALE
Well, that is about all I have to write for now. I am sure I have stirred a lot of memories and have missed many players. Please send me an e-mail and give me your thoughts. I can be reached at www.tkonova1@comcast.net .
I hope to hear from you.