The Mary Washington College soccer season began with a bang, ended with another, and the result was a season of firsts for the MWC Blue Tide team. Their 9-7-1 record was the first winning season in six years of MWC soccer.
Throughout the season, the team was ranked in the Mid Atlantic region for the first time. And their selection to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament and eventual second place finish meant success in their first postseason opportunity. MWC opened the campaign with a 4-2 victory at the University of Richmond, a Division I opponent, to initiate a season in which the Blue Tide would defeat two of three Division I competitors.
However, the win was an expensive one, 1981's leading scorer, Bill Lohr (Alexandria, VA) was lost for the season with a broken leg. Although the team won only three consecutive games all season long, they defeated four opponents for the first time and reached as high as sixth in the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America (ISAA) Mid Atlantic region's weekly ranking. MWC completed the season in tenth place.
A wealth of freshmen and sophomore scorers and defenders, two returning All Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Association (VISA) players, and Bill Lohr's return keep the MWC soccer horizon bright. Sophomore Scott Bienacker (Sterling, VA) led MWC's highest scoring team with seven goals, plus one assist, to bring his goal total to 14, one short of the career mark set by Lohr in his freshman season. Most valuable player Don Eckenrode (Rockville, MD), a freshman, tallied five goals and six assists to capture the team lead in points.
Another freshman Chris Hamil (Alexandria, VA) converted four of four penalty kick opportunities and added another goal plus two assists for 12 offensive points, all while earning an All VISA East position at halfback. Shawn Carson (Woodbridge, VA), still another freshman, and junior Rob Wood (Annandale, VA) knocked in four goals apiece. Freshman All VISA East midfielder Chris Trizna (Burke, VA) and converted fullback John Reeb (Alexandria, VA) both added three goals.
On defense, freshman goalkeeper Dennis Laughlin (Centreville, VA) allowed 28 goals in 14 games, a 2.0 average. Returning to anchor the defense, Laughlin will be joined by 1982 and 1983 team captain Jeff Miller (Sterling, VA), sophomore sweeper Tom Fiorelli (Trenton, NJ), Hamil, and Reeb. Only three starters, captain Elden LeGaux (Virginia Beach, VA) and Peter Kerrigan (Virginia Beach, VA), both senior midfielders, and senior defender Karl Grotos leave the team in 1982.