Local talent will help fledgling Trinity soccer team

This article appeared in the St. Petersburg Times on Aug. 21, 2003.

By STEVE LEE

NEW PORT RICHEY - The most prolific scorer to play soccer for Gulf and Saint Leo and Gulf's top scorer last season will join forces on a fledgling college team.

Gulf boys coach Sam Koleduk, who scored 76 goals for the Buccaneers and 77 at Saint Leo, where he was a two-time all-American, will pull double-duty as Trinity College's men's coach. The first-year club team will include Drew Roberts, a 2003 Gulf graduate who scored 22 as a senior and was named Sunshine Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

"I've always wanted to be a head coach in college," Koleduk said. "It's actually kind of neat because I'll be able to do both jobs."

Kit Broadbelt, the supervisor of athletics who has worked in the Pasco school system for 30 years, said no one has coached a high school and college team in the county in the same season.

Actually, Koleduk will have three roles this season. He and Trinity assistant Brian Dorkowski, who coaches Wesley Chapel's boys team, will be player-coaches.

Trinity will play one season in the Suncoast Adult League. Koleduk is hopeful the school, which does not offer any other sport, will join the National Christian College Athletic Association next season.

"We should be pretty competitive right away," Koleduk said, adding he expects to handle both jobs since college soccer is played in the fall and high school in the winter.

Al Depoutot, vice president for student development at Trinity, welcomed Koleduk's plan for a soccer team, adding he does not envision any problems with the Bible school becoming part of the NCCAA next season.

"The timing was perfect because I was thinking about doing something anyway," said Depoutot, noting that several students have played indoor pickup games the past two years.

More than 200 students attend Trinity, which offers a four-year degree in education. One of those students, Roberts, rejected a $20,000 athletic scholarship from Saint Leo to pay $4,000 to play for Trinity, which does not have a nickname yet.

"It wasn't for me," Roberts said of his brief stay at Saint Leo, that included three practice sessions with the soccer team. "I have a real outgoing personality, and I was just staying in my (dorm) room. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.

"(Sam) told me, "You can play for me,"' said Roberts, adding that Koleduk called earlier this month to check on his former players' progress. "I'm just real excited I can come back and play; just having something to go to."

Like Roberts, Koleduk feels there is ample talent from Pasco and Hernando counties to fill Trinity's roster.

"There's so many players from this area that do not go away (to play college soccer)," Koleduk said. "This will give them a chance to stay."

Pasco-Hernando Community College does not offer men's soccer, so Saint Leo, Tampa and South Florida are the closest programs. Saint Leo and Tampa play Division II, and South Florida is Division I.

"Those are tough programs," said Dorkowski, who last year in his first season coached the Wildcats to a school-record 10 wins and region semifinals, the best showing in the team's four seasons.

"There are good players who want to stay local," Dorkowski said. "Maybe they'll come to Trinity to play soccer."