Loyola goalie Zach Thornton was selected by the Spirit in the territorial phase of the National Professional Soccer League draft yesterday.
Thornton (John Carroll) had 10 shutouts last season and was named to the All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference first team.
In the regular phase, the Spirit, drafting last because it had the best 1993-94 regular-season record, chose midfielder Rob Smith of the University of South Carolina, defender Ian Saward of Dartmouth and forward Chad Carithers of the College of Charleston.
"All four guys are still in school, so we drafted them with an eye toward next season," Spirit vice president Drew Forrester said, noting that Thornton, Smith and Saward are in the Olympic pool of 28 players under consideration for the 1996 U.S. team. "We hope they'll be able to come in during the holidays and kick the ball around."
The only other local player drafted was Malcolm Gillian of the University of Maryland, selected in the second round by the Cleveland Crunch. The NCAA tournament career record of 29 points tied by Virginia's A. J. Wood last weekend was held exclusively by none other than Spirit coach Dave MacWilliams. MacWilliams set the mark when he was playing for Philadelphia Textile.
Wood, a striker from Rockville, tied the record with the only goal in the championship-game win over Indiana that gave Virginia its fourth straight title.
It's Rob, not Hector
This time it was Rob Marinaro, not his brother Hector, who was chosen NPSL Player of the Week.
Rob, the Buffalo Blizzard's No. 2 goalie, came on in relief of injured Pat Harrington in the first quarter and had 11 saves and allowed only eight points in completing Saturday's 30-14 rout of the Spirit. On Sunday, in another road game, he had 11 saves in an 18-10 victory over the Milwaukee Wave.
Until then, as one press box wag put it, "Rob is not to defense what Hector is to offense." The Crunch's Hector Marinaro, the 1993 NPSL scoring champion, is second in the league in points behind the Dayton Dynamo's Dennis Brose, despite missing six games with an injury.
Tyma lighting it up
Long known for his defensive play, Cleveland's Tim Tyma suddenly has displayed an offensive touch, with a point in five straight games and a goal in the past four, including the game-winner against the Chicago Power.
An 11-year veteran, Tyma holds NPSL records for most games (369), blocks (884) and penalty minutes (305).
The strong get stronger
Goalie Jamie Swanner, acquired from the Blizzard, has turned a weakness into a strong point for the defending National Division champion St. Louis Ambush.
Swanner, the NPSL's all-time wins leader (197), has led St. Louis to seven straight wins and a 3 1/2 -game lead in the National Division. He is the league's top-rated goalie with a 9.8 goals-against average on a team scoring at an 18.1 clip. St. Louis will entertain defending NPSL champion Cleveland on Saturday in a rematch of last season's championship series.
Miscellaneous
Knee injuries have sidelined two of the NPSL's top playmakers -- Cleveland's Zoran Karic, the league's No. 3 scorer, and Pato Margetic, Detroit's leading scorer. . . . The next goal by the Detroit Rockers' Dan O'Keefe will be his NPSL-record 350th. . . . MacWilliams and goalie Cris Vaccaro will launch "The Spirit of Christmas Tour" tomorrow at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Players and coaches will visit 10 local hospitals in a five-day period. . . . The first 2,000 fans who enter the Baltimore Arena for the Spirit's next home game Dec. 28 against the Milwaukee Wave will receive rally towels. . . . The Spirit Reserves, a farm team, will face Arsenal tomorrow at 9 p.m. in the Men's Unlimited Premier League at Du Burns Arena. . . . . The Spirit is 5-0 against National Division teams, 4-5 against its American Division brethren.