FOSS celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1968 NAIA National Championship Team and welcomed home members of the 1970 National Championship Team as part of the 2008 FOSS Reunion Weekend on the D&E campus on April 11-12, 2008.


The 2008 FOSS weekend was a big success by all accounts and we certainly enjoyed getting together to celebrate the achievements of D&E Soccer, both past and present. The celebration centered around toasting our NAIA National Championship teams of 1968 and 1970, with many members of both teams coming to Elkins for the occasion. Dr. Greg Myers, Head Coach of the two championship teams, delivered a rousing rendition of what went into the making of the teams and shared some hilarious stories of various incidents along the way.

DJ extraordinnaire Duane Dyer ('94) got the current soccer teams mingling with FOSS members and their families as he spun tunes from across the decades during the traditional FOSS Icebreaker reception, which was held in the infamous ICEHOUSE on Friday evening. Soccer coaches, players and fans of all ages were welcomed by members of the FOSS Board (namely Ralph Hill, Doug Homer, Pat Massa, Bill Nuttall, Raul Ovalle, Vince Rooney, Hank Steinbrecher, Mark Stollsteimer and Charlie Straw) and immediately introduced to members of the two D&E soccer teams. The championship banners for the 1968 & 1970 teams were hung from the railing of the Icehouse to celebrate and welcome home our national champions.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday, April 12, 2008

The Annual FOSS Golf Outing was held at Canaan Valley Golf Course on April 12th, in which more than 25 FOSS members participated despite the cold, blustery conditions. Special thanks to Dan Court, Ralph Hill and Bob Wolf for organizing this wonderful event. In addition to the golf outing, a series of soccer skills games and challenges were set up by the D&E women's team, under the leadership of new Head Coach Raul Ovalle and senior captain Rachel Moore. Several prizes were awarded to those who participated in the skills competition. Adjacent to the games were a series of inflatable jumping stations for the children of our alumni and friends in Elkins to utilize throughout the afternoon.

FOSS Small-Sided Games & BBQ Luncheon

Several fraternities and sororities also set up interactive games for the kids to engage in and this helped set the tone for a wonderful afternoon at Harpertown Field. Activities were held on the soccer fields and in the parking lot above Harpertown Field, which also included a BBQ Luncheon, sponsored by the Sig-Ep Fraternity. In addition to the carnival-like atmosphere, a series of soccer skills games were coordinated by the D&E Women's Soccer Team, and helped enhance the events that were a part of the "Kids & Sibs" program which included an egg toss, potato sack races, face painting and a balloon launch prior to the Greyhound Cup match for the children of FOSS members and other alumni.

10th Annual GREYHOUND CUP (Alumni (0) vs. D&E Team (3)) - After a tasty BBQ chicken lunch provided by the Sig-Ep fraternity, FOSS's "old timers", meaning anyone who is still foolish enough to pull on their boots and not actually required to do so - including this year's graduating seniors, played a friendly game against the current Men's team and lost with pride, 3-0, behind two goals from sophomore defender James Kpainay....reinforcing the fact that they are the current WVIAC champions. FOSS participants included John Aldous, Adam Baumgardner, Makesi Bostic, Dan Court, Duane Dyer, Jason Gatt, Doug Homer, Jeremiah Hubbard, Cole Johnson, Michael Knox, Burge Spielman, Scott Stonesifer, Robert Ryan and Corey Wagner.

2008 FOSS Banquet Throughout the weekend, FOSS paid special tribute to the D&E Men and Women’s soccer teams for their outstanding performance during the 2007 fall seasons. Raul Ovalle and Mark Stollsteimer were presented with a customized golf cart to support the D&E Soccer program and help transport equipment and the occasional injured player to and from the playing field. Andrew Howell ('11) was the first soccer player to christen the movable bed on the cart after suffering a knee injury in the Greyhound Cup.

The awards banquet was a special tribute to the NAIA champions complete with remarks from Myers, Hank Steinbrecher, Charlie Straw and Bobby Wolf. Seniors from both team were inducted into FOSS by their respective coaches and this year's A.C.E. Awards were presented by the coaches to Matt Fannon, a junior defender from York, England, and Mallory McCartney, a sophomore midfielder from Ajax, Canada.

Thanks to the support of our Banquet patrons, we also raised over $1,200 for the current teams from a silent auction and raffle of various soccer memorabilia that was coordinated by Ralph Hill and Bill Nuttall. Many thanks to all who contributed their time and resources to support this special event.

Last, but not least, for those of you who purchased D&E Throwback Jerseys - thank you for your unwavering support of FOSS and the soccer programs at D&E. We have sold over 150 shirts and are still selling in order to reach our goal of 300 total jerseys sold. If you who were not able to come to Elkins or purchase a jersey in advance of the 2008 FOSS Reunion Weekend, click on the link below to reserve a special jersey for your loved one.

FOSS would like to congratulate members of the Class of 2008 for their outstanding performance in the classroom and on the pitch over the past four years - Go Senators!

Valerie Coleman of Elkview, W.Va.

Valerie received the 2007 FOSS A.C.E. Award for her academic and athletic excellence during the 2006-07 school year.

Stephen Engle of Virginia Beach, Va.

Michael Knox of Toronto, CANADA

Michael received the 2006 FOSS A.C.E. Award for his achievements on and off the soccer field.

Cole Johnson of Richmond, Va.
Ben Jones of Weirton, W.Va.
Katie MacGregor of Ottawa, CANADA
Ben McArthur of Elkins, W.Va.
Matt McLeskey of Wheeling, W.Va.
Rachel Moore of Oregon, OH
John Parsons of Baltimore, Md.
Mayra Ramirez of Pasadena, Calif.
Burge Spielman of Beckley, W.Va.
Becky Sinclair of Franklinville, NJ
Adam Voloski of Beckley, W.Va.