August 1, 1997
Cal Soccer Standouts at Snickers Youth National Championships
The Cal men's soccer team will be well represented at this weekend's Snickers Youth National Championships to be held in Phoenix, AZ, beginning on Friday, August 1 and running through Sunday, August 3.
Seven players from Cal's 1997 roster are playing in the tournament on different "select" club teams. The club teams compete within their own state with the top teams advancing to regionals. This weekend's national tournament features four regional finalists.
Five of Cal's players will represent the Valley United Blast team, which is based in southern California. Those players are returnees Chris Sawicki (sweeper), John MacDonald (forward), along with Derrick Dyslin (a transfer from Univ. of Richmond/defender), Kendall Simmonds (forward/midfielder), Gene Lee (defender).
Dyslin is a major addition to the Cal team as he was a prep All-American and was voted the nation's top defender as a high school senior in 1995.
Cal sophomore Tim Castillo is representing Vardar of Michigan. He's is a starting defender for the Vardar team. Cal incoming freshman recruit Ramiro Arrendondo, one of the top young players in the country, is also representing a Northern California club team.
Cal opens its official college pre-season camp on August 14 in Livermore, CA where head coach Mark Mallon will welcome back 16 lettermen along with one of the strongest classes of newcomers in the country. The Bears rose as high as No. 2 in the country last season and figure to enter the 1997 season ranked in the Top 10 in the pre-season poll.
