Chad Garman Named First Team Soccer All-American

By: Randy Sarvis

Chad Garman came to Wilmington College in 2003 not expecting to play much his freshman year. A season later, he has been recognized by opposing coaches as one of the best collegiate soccer players in the country.

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) named the WC sophomore a First Team NCAA Division III All-American. The 2004 All-American teams were announced at this weekend's Division I Final Four Tournament at Home Depot Stadium in Los Angeles.

Garman learned about the honor last week when coach Bud Lewis escorted him to the soccer field. As they walked along the fence featuring plaques of 24 previous WC All-Americans, Lewis pulled out a plaque emblazoned with Garman's name and asked, "How do you think this looks on the All-American fence?"

"I had no clue it was coming," said Garman, the Ohio Athletic Conference's midfielder-of-the-year who scored 13 goals - six of them game-winning - and had seven assists from the central midfield position." It was jaw-dropping - I had to read it twice before I believed it."

Lewis said the NSCAA selection process relies heavily on a
game-by-game analysis and assessment by opposing coaches.

"They all recognized the impact Chad had in games against them," he said. "For them to recognize him as such a key player so early in his college career is a great tribute to him."
Lewis praised Garman's commitment and leadership as attributes that led him to naming the sophomore a team tri-captain this summer.

"His maturity was evident his freshman year - he showed a real sense of compassion and caring for his teammates," he said, noting Garman also possesses a "charisma and personality" that draws people to him. In addition, his high work rate and impressive style of play inspires others
to elevate their games.

"His play makes us play better," said WC teammate Alex Van der Sluijs, a Wright State University transfer with 10 goals and 10 assists who has played with Garman on the Club Dayton team since eighth grade.

"He brings leadership in the way he plays. Usually it's quiet
leadership, but it's effective," he added. "Chad's a clutch player. When we needed a score or someone to make a big play, we were confident he could make it."

Lewis is impressed with Garman's sure-footed, ball handling and excellent soccer vision, not to mention his scoring prowess.

"Chad's great strength is his movement off the ball, his sense of timing of where to be and when to be there," Lewis said. "Chad reads movement of play very well and his speed and quickness are at times surprising."

Garman, a 2003 Chaminade-Julienne High School graduate from Dayton, is Wilmington's first All-American since Bjorn Lidman in 2001, Jonas Svensson in 2000 and Andy Szucs in 1999. He will be honored Jan. 15 in Baltimore at the All-American Luncheon at the NSCAA's Annual Meeting.

For Garman and the team, his All-American selection caps a year in which Wilmington returned to national prominence with a 17-3-2 record, 12-game winning streak, national ranking as high as seventh and Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and Tournament championships.

The Quakers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III
Tournament. They had a first round bye and defeated highly touted Wheaton College (Ill.) 2-0 before advancing to the "Sweet 16" round, where they fell 1-0 to Wartburg College (Iowa). Messiah College (Pa.) advanced from the Sectional Tournament hosted by WC to win its third national championship in the past five years.

The season-ending loss was disappointing yet, at the same time, the tournament proved to Garman how close Wilmington's program is to its perennial goal of a national championship. Had WC connected on any of a host of scoring opportunities in the Wartburg match, the team might now be sized for national championship rings.

"I felt Wheaton was the best team we'd seen all year and, after we beat them, I felt like we were going to take it and run with it to the championship," Garman said. "I felt like everybody believed we were good enough to win it all."
When Garman shares the stage with the other All-Americans in January, it will be a milestone in a soccer career that began only 10 years ago when, as a fourth grader, his best friend encouraged him to try the game.

"I felt I was halfway decent and have been playing ever since," he said.

People might be surprised to learn Garman was a defender for most of his years in the sport. In fact, he never played central midfield before coming to Wilmington.

Actively recruited by WC, his performance as a high school senior in the Division II Miami Valley All-Star Game cemented him as one of the team's most sought after recruits. He scored two goals and had three assists. WC's assistant coach Andy Brinkman recalls that game and Garman's
other high school and club matches he witnessed.

"Not many people were looking at Chad because of his size, but we were pretty active in recruiting him," Brinkman said. "What caught my eye was his work rate and that he never backed away from anybody. I saw a determination and courage, his willingness to lay it on the line for success."

It was obvious Wilmington wanted Garman as part of its program, and it wasn't long before Garman felt WC would be a good match.

"I wasn't really looking at many other schools," he said. "I came here for a visit and I got a good vibe from the team, plus I liked the lighted field. Really, once I came for the visit, I knew I was going to come here - it was pretty much a done deal."