The Pine Needle 2004-05 Fall Top Male
and Female Scholar-Athlete Award

By Joel Beachum
Staff writer

They come from two different backgrounds, nations apart and varying cultures, but the similarities are very present as well for two of UNC-Pembroke’s top futbol players.

One midfielder wears No. 23, while the other midfielder wears No. 22. Both were named to the All-Peach Belt Conference first team for the last two seasons. Now, they respectively hold the titles of The Pine Needle 2004 Fall Top Male and Top Female Scholar-Athlete. They are Sascha Görres and Jamie Clarke.

Players that held a minimum of a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) and were considered to have outstanding athletic performance were nominated by the fall coaching staff. They were then chosen from a panel of 22 voters from the fall coaches, plus members of the athletic and academic staff, as well as athletic and academic administration to receive the honor.

During the athletic tenure of these two soccer players at UNCP, they have assisted the two programs in reaching a 58-13-5 combined record.

During their academic tenures at UNCP, they have held a combined GPA easily exceeding the 3.0 mark.

No. 23 – Sascha Görres

Görres, midfielder for the UNCP men’s soccer team, finished his second season with the Braves. He is the son of Klaus and Bridgette Görres. The native of Flensburg, Germany continues to be an offensive and defensive force for the UNCP program, as the team went to its first trip to the NCAA Final Four in Wichita, Texas.

Görres added further accolades at the conclusion of the season being named to the NSCAA/Adidas Scholar All-America squad, according to UNCP Sports Information. In addition, he was also placed on the All-American, All-PBC, All-Region and All-Tournament teams.

He was also drafted 10 th overall by the Richmond Kickers during the United Soccer League (USL) draft held in January.

His statistics during the last two seasons have totaled at 14 goals, 28 assists, 56 points and three game-winning goals. Görres also holds the season (19) and career mark (28) for assists for UNCP.

While being a leader on the field, Görres made an impact in the classroom as a student leader. He was named to the 2003-2004 Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll.

He commented on being able to be a student-athlete for the Braves. He said a big difference was that they had no college sports, just club sports.

“It is different from Germany. College gives us an opportunity to have both academics and athletics together,” Görres added. “This is what I enjoy here. That’s why I came here and why I want to graduate from here.”

Playing for the second year in a row in the NCAA men’s soccer tournament, Görres feels that the 2004 team had many great opportunities during the season.

“We had a good team last year. We lost one important game in overtime during the regular season, one in overtime in the Peach Belt Tournament and one in overtime in the NCAA first round,” he said. “We fight harder than last year and this year we played more as a team.”

He also attributed the success to having the luck more on their side.

That luck can also be traced back to having a skillful group that refuses to lose. Whether it was the 57 goals, 51 assists and 164 points on offense or the 52 saves and eight shutouts by freshman keeper Richard Sallin, the team unity has been there.

Mike Schaeffer, UNCP men’s head soccer coach, said that Görres is a tremendous player. He commented how it was important to get Görres more involved in the game.

“When we got the ball to him a lot, we played well. When we didn’t get him involved in the game, we hurt ourselves badly. He scored very key goals for us,” Schaeffer said. “What a lot of people don’t realize about him too – not only is he a great offensive player, but he is a tremendous defender.”

Görres, one of five seniors, scored on a one-versus-one chance against the Central Arkansas goalkeeper helping the Braves to a 1-0 win in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

That offensive aspect of the game is something that Görres said he would change about the game. He would like to see more scoring opportunities added to the game.

“The game would then be more attractive and more people would go to see the game,” added Görres.

The former club table tennis and track and field athlete, Görres started playing soccer when he was five years old. He also played badminton, volleyball and a number of other sports while in Germany. He played club soccer for 14 years and there he played on a club team with now UNCP men’s assistant soccer coach Marco Genée. That is how he learned about UNCP.

Görres said he thought coming to school here would be a good chance to improve his English and visit a new location.

Schaeffer also commented on the student-athlete and the importance of academics in general at the collegiate level.

“Soccer is definitely a thinking man’s game. Players have to be able to assess situations on the field constantly and make decisions for the team. The coaches roll in the game of soccer on a game day is very limited unlike a lot of sports (where there are time-outs and stoppages in the game),” Schaeffer said. “I think that good players are generally intelligent people and so it is not surprising that we have quite a few of our players who are quite successful in the classroom.”

No. 22 – Jamie Clarke

Clarke, a Jacksonville NC native, is the daughter of James and Janet Clarke. Playing center-midfield for the Lady Braves has been a transition that Clarke almost didn’t make from high school. She said she debated about whether or not to play college soccer. The decision was made in a 24-hour time frame for the former all-region, all-state high school standout.

“Out of the blue one day during the summer I talked to coach (Lars) Andersson and decided to come here,” said Clarke. “I didn’t really want to play college soccer. He just made me realize that I should.”

It ended up being a happy mix for both her and UNCP. All Clarke has done since enrolling at Pembroke has been to take over the starting center-midfield spot, be named the PBC Freshman of the Year, named to the All-PBC team in her first two seasons, and named to the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) All-Region Second Team. Not to mention, she has tallied 15 goals, five assists, 35 points, and four game-winning goals for the Lady Braves.

Andersson echoes the success found in the statistics for Clarke as he said, “Jamie is very deserving of any of the awards that she is receiving. She is a very talented player and she works very hard at her game.”

“Obviously playing the center-midfield role takes attention and understanding of the game. She reads the game very well and she dominates that part of the game in most situations.”

In addition to her on the field statistics, Clarke was also named to the 2003-2003 All-PBC Presidential Honor Roll for her academic prowess.

The 2004 season was a frustrating one for Clarke and the Lady Braves. Injuries left many starters sidelined and left the team searching for answers in reaching the NCAA Tournament. The team had five injuries that left key players watching the game from the sidelines. One injury came to starting goalkeeper Hillary Helms, an All-PBC member in 2003-2004. Helms had played just over 1386 minutes, garnering 74 saves and 11 shutouts, while allowing just seven goals in 17 games.

“I think that we would have made it to the NCAA Tournament had injuries not occurred at such a critical time of the season,” she said. “Overall though, I was pleased with the season. We did what we could.”

She added that she would like to see more credit given to the sport of soccer. Clarke commented how the soccer teams at UNCP have some of the best output in their seasons.

“I don’t think that we get as much credit – like the boys now going to the (NCAA) Final Four. Soccer should get more publicity,” she added.

Clarke has had a chance to see this first hand, as she began playing soccer when she was 10 years old. Her sister played and she also wanted to play. She also experienced the club soccer scene as many current Lady Braves grew up playing together alongside her near the coast of North Carolina. She said that is what has made the past two seasons so much fun.

When it comes to balancing school and sports, the task can be a daunting one, according to Clarke.

“It is really hard juggling a sport and school at the same time. You have to have good time management,” she said. “There is time to study on the bus, but sometimes there are three games in a span of five days. It is tough, but we manage.”

Andersson also commented on Clarke being a student who has learned the right way to balance the on-the-field, off-the-field demands.

“Jamie is a great example of a student-athlete who has found the proper balance in athletics and academics. She understands the importance of being successful, not only on the field, but also off the field. She also has learned three important points – go to class, pay attention, and do the work that is asked of you.”

No. 23 – Sascha Görres

2004 Statistics : 8 goals, 9 assists, 25 points

Best subject : Math, computer science

Toughest subject : English (here), German (in Germany)

Most memorable game : NCAA Quarterfinals against Central Arkansas (with the large crowd)

Toughest opponent : Central Arkansas

Thoughts on being All-PBC : “I appreciate it, but soccer is a team sport. It is always the forwards and midfield that get recognized. The defense doesn’t get any recognition or our goalkeeper with all of his shutouts.”

Advice to other student-athletes : “Keep practicing. Live for the sport – you can’t play the sport three or four times a week and forget about it.

No. 22 – Jamie Clarke

2004 Statistics : 7 goals, 2 assists, 16 points

Best subject : Math (one of her two majors – the other being Bio Med)

Most memorable game : “When we played Francis Marion. I have never seen our team play as well as a whole. We were on fire, but we got unlucky and didn’t win the game. It was also very memorable because it was our very first senior night for (UNCP) women’s soccer.”

Toughest opponent : “2003 Division II Women’s Soccer National Champion Kennesaw State University (now Division I). They are just awesome to watch and to play against.”