Vaudreuil

A flurry of moves yesterday put the remaining pieces of the Spirit puzzle in place for at least the start of the season.The club signed veteran defender Mike Stankovic, then sold Jeff Rogers back to the Kansas City Attack. With what vice president Drew Forrester called the "five figure" proceeds from the Rogers sale, the Spirit signed defender David Vaudreuil, a free agent who spent the past three years with the Milwaukee Wave.The Spirit will open its fourth National Professional Soccer League season two weeks from tonight against the Harrisburg Heat.

The timing was sheer coincidence, but the Blast hopes it's also perfect. Trying to get up from a five-game fall, the Blast announced two signings yesterday to potentially provide short-term and long-term lifts. Veteran defender-midfielder David Vaudreuil, a 13-year veteran of indoor and outdoor pro soccer, returns to Baltimore expecting to make an immediate impact with the Blast (16-12), currently struggling in third place in the NPSL's American Conference - 1 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia KiXX.

The team doctors said it would take 12 to 16 months for Blast midfielder David Vaudreuil to recover from reconstructive surgery to his left knee.Eight months later, Vaudreuil is making a standout impression in the Blast preseason, and he isn't even wearing a knee brace."

HERNDON, Va. -- He was a little late, but David Vaudreuil finally is caught up in a good thing.Vaudreuil was signed by Major League Soccer last fall and was on loan to the Spirit for the National Professional Soccer League winter indoor season. By the time the Spirit was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, Vaudreuil had missed the entire preseason of the MLS team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Galaxy."The L.A. roster was set, so they put me on waivers," Vaudreuil said.At last the call came, in mid-May from D.C. United.

Blast midfielder David Vaudreuil looks at tonight's game with the Dallas Sidekicks as a mirror image of his own situation."Playing Dallas is an opportunity we can't afford to miss," said Vaudreuil. "Just like I can't afford not to take advantage of my opportunity to play."During a meeting yesterday, Blast coach Kenny Cooper made it clear to his third-place team that it can't afford to lose any of its six remaining home games, beginning tonight against Dallas.As for Vaudreuil, he will be seeing more playing time because of an injury to Tim Wittman, who will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday.

HERNDON, Va. -- He was a little late, but David Vaudreuil finally is caught up in a good thing.Vaudreuil was signed by Major League Soccer last fall and was on loan to the Spirit for the National Professional Soccer League winter indoor season. By the time the Spirit was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, Vaudreuil had missed the entire preseason of the MLS team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Galaxy."The L.A. roster was set, so they put me on waivers," Vaudreuil said.At last the call came, in mid-May from D.C. United.

If the Spirit's Dave Vaudreuil felt inclined, which he doesn't, he could be a world-class name-dropper.Did you know he is a good friend of actress Brooke Shields, and that they were members of the same eating club for two years when they were at Princeton?Did you know that another Princeton friend, football player Dean Cain, who dated Shields for a while, now plays Superman on TV?Did you know that two of the hockey players he competed against as a youth, Brian Leetch and Craig Janney, are now with the NHL's New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks, respectively?

CLEVELAND -- The Spirit took a different tack last night in coming away with a 19-11 victory over the Cleveland Crunch in a National Professional Soccer League game before 5,971 at the Convocation Center.The Spirit overcame a sluggish first half to move to 4-1 for the season. It also removed Cleveland as the lone unbeaten team in the league after six wins."We sacrificed ourselves to night a lot, especially on restarts. And we got a lot of blocks," said Spirit goalie Joe Mallia, who improved to 4-0.Said coach Dave MacWilliams: "We had a game plan and stuck to it. Discipline, goalkeeping and defense are what we will need to become a good team."

The timing was sheer coincidence, but the Blast hopes it's also perfect. Trying to get up from a five-game fall, the Blast announced two signings yesterday to potentially provide short-term and long-term lifts. Veteran defender-midfielder David Vaudreuil, a 13-year veteran of indoor and outdoor pro soccer, returns to Baltimore expecting to make an immediate impact with the Blast (16-12), currently struggling in third place in the NPSL's American Conference - 1 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia KiXX.

YORK, Pa. -- The Baltimore Spirit concluded its preseason last night, defeating the Harrisburg Heat, 30-13.The Spirit used a 13-0 third-quarter run, led by rookie free agent Ronnie Simmons, who scored three three-point goals. Baltimore's Franklin McIntosh added three first-half goals and one assist, and newcomer David Vaudreuil added four assists.The Spirit will open the regular season against the Heat next Saturday at the Baltimore Arena.

With just over 2: 30 left in the game and the Spirit trailing 13-12, Dave Vaudreuil hammered a shot at the goal that had fifth and deciding game written all over it.Cleveland Crunch goalie Otto Orf, who had been making spectacular saves all evening, had one more left. He deflected the ball high over his head but behind him. Without hesitation, he turned and dived back and, with two hands, batted the ball back onto the playing field.That was the final: Cleveland 13, Spirit 12. But it was a lot closer than that, believe.

The Spirit tried to put a positive spin on its snowbound week, and to a small degree succeeded.Coach Dave MacWilliams was able to conduct only one practice in preparation for tonight's game against the Buffalo Blizzard at the Baltimore Arena. The Spirit's Du Burns Arena practice facility was shut down for three days, and on Wednesday, when the Spirit would have liked to have practiced at the Baltimore Arena, the surface was ice for that night's Bandits game.The good news is that the Spirit's injured -- notably, Bobby Joe Esposito (hip)

Never let it be said that professional soccer's major leagues don't work in harmony.Two of them, the National Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer, which will begin its inaugural season this spring, will share players under a contractual agreement. When the NPSL indoor season ends in April, some players will join MLS outdoor teams."With the launching of MLS, fans can watch soccer at the highest level year-round," said NPSL commissioner Steve Paxos.More than 50 NPSL players, with the league's blessing, have been invited to an MLS scouting combine this week in Irvine, Calif.

CLEVELAND -- The Spirit took a different tack last night in coming away with a 19-11 victory over the Cleveland Crunch in a National Professional Soccer League game before 5,971 at the Convocation Center.The Spirit overcame a sluggish first half to move to 4-1 for the season. It also removed Cleveland as the lone unbeaten team in the league after six wins."We sacrificed ourselves to night a lot, especially on restarts. And we got a lot of blocks," said Spirit goalie Joe Mallia, who improved to 4-0.Said coach Dave MacWilliams: "We had a game plan and stuck to it. Discipline, goalkeeping and defense are what we will need to become a good team."

If the Spirit's Dave Vaudreuil felt inclined, which he doesn't, he could be a world-class name-dropper.Did you know he is a good friend of actress Brooke Shields, and that they were members of the same eating club for two years when they were at Princeton?Did you know that another Princeton friend, football player Dean Cain, who dated Shields for a while, now plays Superman on TV?Did you know that two of the hockey players he competed against as a youth, Brian Leetch and Craig Janney, are now with the NHL's New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks, respectively?

YORK, Pa. -- The Baltimore Spirit concluded its preseason last night, defeating the Harrisburg Heat, 30-13.The Spirit used a 13-0 third-quarter run, led by rookie free agent Ronnie Simmons, who scored three three-point goals. Baltimore's Franklin McIntosh added three first-half goals and one assist, and newcomer David Vaudreuil added four assists.The Spirit will open the regular season against the Heat next Saturday at the Baltimore Arena.

Meet players from the Baltimore Blast at the following times and locations. (Players scheduled to appear on these dates may be changed without notice). For more information, call Jodi Reichmister at 327-2100.June 1*Noon to 2 p.m.: Strawberry Festival at the Sykesville Fire Hall in Carroll County. Players: Angelo Panzetta and David Vaudreuil.*5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Kidney Foundations' Volleyball Marathon at Rash Field (next to Harborplace). Players: Richard Chinapoo, Billy Ronson, Rusty Troy, Chris Simon and Dale Mitchell.

Injured Baltimore Blast defender Angelo Panzetta will require major reconstructive knee surgery and extended rehabilitation that may keep him out of action seven to 12 months, Blast trainer Marty McGinty said yesterday.Panzetta, a starter in his second year with the Blast, injured his left knee in Sunday's 9-6 victory over the Wichita Wings, suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral meniscus.He will undergo surgery Monday. At best, Panzetta could return for the start of next season, McGinty said.

A flurry of moves yesterday put the remaining pieces of the Spirit puzzle in place for at least the start of the season.The club signed veteran defender Mike Stankovic, then sold Jeff Rogers back to the Kansas City Attack. With what vice president Drew Forrester called the "five figure" proceeds from the Rogers sale, the Spirit signed defender David Vaudreuil, a free agent who spent the past three years with the Milwaukee Wave.The Spirit will open its fourth National Professional Soccer League season two weeks from tonight against the Harrisburg Heat.

The on-again, off-again Jean Harbor tryout with the Baltimore Blast ended unceremoniously yesterday at William Myers Pavilion.Harbor didn't show up for a 10:30 a.m. practice session, prompting Blast coach Kenny Cooper to end the soap opera-like developments of the past 12 days involving the standout from the Maryland Bays."