BY Bruce BourquinStaff Writer

To say the least, it has been a season of struggle for the SanDiego State (4-15, 2-5 at home) men’s soccer team — which translatesinto last place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Clegg said his program will remain competitive despite only beingable to hand out four scholarships.

“We’re looking for that one legitimate goal-scorer that can keepus competitive in every game,” he said. “We feel that four is enoughto challenge. Schools can go out with four and get 10 wins or more.”

The team is looking for stability, with seven freshmen and sixjuniors having received playing time this year.

“We weren’t at full strength the whole year,” said Clegg. “We lost(Brett) Lasby to an ankle injury. (Milton) Economy was out for threegames with an injury.

“We need one or two goal scorers from somewhere in the country.Everyone wants to recruit natural centers, so it’s tough for us toland goal-scorers.”

SDSU Athletics Director Rick Bay said the department gives out$110,000 to men’s soccer and $330,000 to women’s soccer, includingcoaches’ salaries and scholarships.

The men’s money is split between the four athletes, usually payingfor tuition.

Clegg said the previous athletic administration gave out only onescholarship.

“That really hurt us,” Clegg said. “There was an NCAA rule in 1995requiring schools meeting Division I status to give out a minimum of3.5 scholarships, so that’s what we decided to accomplish.”

In Clegg’s first year as a SDSU soccer teams’ coach, the women’ssquad had four scholarships. This year they had 12.

“A lot of men’s programs have been limited to a certain percentageof scholarships,” he said. “Some are cut, but we’ve stuck to ourgoals of winning.”

Bay said that men’s soccer has one of the smallest budgets inmen’s athletics, but he expects the team to stay competitive over theupcoming seasons.

The athletic department plans to keep the operating budget thesame in the next two years, meaning the scholarship amount will stayat four, Bay said.

“I personally think gender equity goes too far if you’ve satisfiedwomen’s opportunities,” Bay said, “and there’s still a law that saysto be in compliance you have to reduce the men’s opportunities, too.We’re dealing with a mathematical formula that has nothing to do withhuman interest or common sense.

“It’s wrong to drop the men over the years. But that’s the law.It’s equally wrong to keep women’s programs down, so I have to workwithin state laws for NCAA Division I college athletics.”

However Bay did agree with the basic principles of the law.

“Women have been denied for a long time, we’ve stopped that hereat SDSU,” he said.

Economy had ideas on the strength of the team to compete despitenot having as much money as other schools.

“We could use a lot more financially,” Economy said. “We’ve lostplayers to other schools. We haven’t had much money to spread around,but this is San Diego.”

Darren Parker is one of the four scholarship players. He felt theschool offers enough scholarships to compete, but added it’s tough torecruit when you have to compete with other schools.

“We’re competing with schools with 11 scholarships. It’s limitedfor us to recruit the best players,” he said.

Regarding the amount of scholarships given to the women’s team,Parker said they deserve to take as many scholarships as given.

“I say more power to them,” he said.

Freshman walk-on Kirk Fonseca is one of many players coming backnext year. He likes the team’s chances for next year, and also thinksthe four scholarships are enough to compete.

“It should be enough,” Fonseca said. “Our underclassmen are verystrong in talent, we only need a few more players. I don’t see it asa big problem.”

Clegg is not offering any pity for the program. In 1987, his teamreached the final four with only two scholarships available.

“It can be done with a certain amount of scholarships given out,”Clegg said. “We just work with what our department gives us. When youcoach somewhere, you accept the parameters given to you. They’venever promised me 100 percent scholarships, only an opportunity tocoach in one of the best places in the United States.”

He did add that an increased amount of scholarships could make adifference.

“I’ll tell you, if we had 9 or 10 every year, we’d probably have anational championship,” Clegg said. “We’ve been in the round ofeight, and No. 1 three years. With a lot more scholarships we’d beright there.”

Assistant coach Lev Kirshner thinks the scholarship issue is aserious topic in the near future.

“It takes scholarship money,” he said. “We’ve been competitive thewhole year. We just need to prove we can win on a consistent basis.We need a goal scorer before we can make some noise on a nationalscene.”

Bay pointed out that the team hung tough against Top 25 opponentslike UCLA and Gonzaga.

“I know those programs are funded better, and I am proud we’vebeen there with them,” Bay said. “We have a bright future in thissport, we hope to improve a little.”

Clegg had a forecast for his players and the new head coach nextyear.

“We have enough tools necessary to win,” he said. “We have somestability, and we look to do well. In 2000 we’ll do very well.”