CMC75 Moments: 1968 Men's Soccer Has Undefeated Regular Season in Inaugural Year
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
Men's Soccer Goes Unbeaten in First 22 SCIAC Games (1968-70)
Usually there's a waiting period before a team experiences success as a startup program, but Claremont-Mudd men's soccer didn't feel like waiting. In their inaugural season, the Stags went 11-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in SCIAC to take home the league title. The first ever game for the Stags was a 3-0 win over Redlands, and after a 2-1 win over Occidental, they closed out with a dominant 7-0 win over Pomona-Pitzer in a winner-take-all battle for the league title.
After an undefeated regular season, Claremont-Mudd earned an NAIA bid, defeating Biola 3-1 to improve to 11-0 before finally suffering its first loss of the year in the NAIA Regional finals to Westmont. John Elliott and Tom Lundy were team captains and All-SCIAC and All-District selections, along with Mike Tanzig and Greg Mello. Lundy also doubled as the placekicker on the Claremont-Mudd football team in 1968 and 1969.
Claremont-Mudd added a second straight undefeated SCIAC season in 1969, finishing 8-0-2, and placing 7 of the 11 players on the first-team All-SCIAC team (Lundy, Elliott, Mello, Armado Araujo, Joe Twitchell, Ola Gibbs and Art Ho). The SCIAC unbeaten streak to start the program would stretch to 22 games (20-0-2), before a 2-1 defeat to Occidental late in the 1970 season, although the Stags held on to win their third SCIAC Championship in its first three years.
Steve Davis, Head Coach, 1969-1997:
I naturally know many of the guys on the 1968 team because I coached them in 1969. They were a competitive group. John Elliott was so energized by the 1968 playoff loss to Westmont that he kept in this room the whole next year a blown-up picture of that game as a motivator for 1969.
1968 Men's Soccer Roster
Head Coach: Deter Dammeier
Armando Araujo (Inside, CMC)
Chuck Bittenbender (Fullback, CMC)
Mike Bruce (Fullback, CMC)
Richard Champion (Halfback, CMC)
Scott Chapman (Fullback, CMC)
Chuck Curtis (Fullback, CMC)
Frank Dawley (Halfback, CMC)
Eric Delius (Wing, HMC)
Wylie Drummond (Wing, CMC)
John Elliott (Halfback, CMC)
John Frazzao (Halfback, HMC)
Jeff Furnish (Back, CMC)
Bob Harney (Goalie, HMC)
Art Ho (Fullback, CMC)
Gary Hunt (Fullback, CMC)
Richard Kiss (Fullback, CMC)
Robert Kumler (Inside, HMC)
Don Long (Halfback, CMC)
Tom Lundy (Inside, HMC)
Greg Mello (Fullback, HMC)
Joe Moore (Goalie, CMC)
Dave Oleson (Inside, CMC)
Blake Rambach (Wing, CMC)
Denis Robinson (Halfback, CMC)
Mike Tauzig (Wing, HMC)
Mark Tune (Halfback, CMC)
Joe Twitchell (Halfback, CMC)
1969 Men's Soccer Roster
Head Coach: Steve Davis
Stephen Anderson (Inside, CMC)
Armando Araujo (Inside, CMC)
Chuck Bittenbender (Fullback, CMC)
Scott Chapman (Fullback, CMC)
Danny Chung (Wing, HMC)
Scott Chapman (Fullback, CMC)
Chuck Curtis (Fullback, CMC)
Frank Dawley (Halfback, CMC)
Eric Delius (Wing, HMC)
Wylie Drummond (Wing, CMC)
John Elliott (Halfback, CMC)
Ola Gibbs (Fullback, CMC)
Bob Harney (Goalie, HMC)
David Harris (Fullback, HMC)
Art Ho (Fullback, CMC)
Richard Howland (Fullback, CMC)
Richard Kiss (Fullback, CMC)
Craig Larimer (Inside, CMC)
Jerry Laselle (Wing, CMC)
Tom Lundy (Inside, HMC)
Charles McNeilly (Goalie, CMC)
Greg Mello (Fullback, HMC)
Elwood Riggs (Wing, CMC)
George Thompson (Fullback, CMC)
Mark Tune (Halfback, CMC)
Joe Twitchell (Halfback, CMC)
Rob Williams (Halfback, CMC)