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Quintet called to Madison Hall

11/25/2012, 1:08pm CST
By ERIC ANDERSON

Five men who have had a massive impact on soccer in the area over the past two decades make up the fourth class of inductees for the Madison Area Soccer Hall of Fame.

The group features Middleton's Ken Burghy and Waunakee's Jesus Torres, two of the state's top high school coaches; John Mitby and Mike Van Sicklen, the two men who were the driving force behind the creation of Reddan Soccer Park; and Dean Duerst, who starred at Madison Memorial High School and the University of Wisconsin, became the first Madison player to sign a professional contract and then became the winningest coach in UW women's history.

They'll be honored at a gathering Dec. 2 at Claddagh Irish Pub in Middleton, starting at 6 p.m. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

The Hall of Fame's Board focused on individuals from the 1990s for this year's class, and started with a record 20 candidates. Plaques detailing the inductees' accomplishments will be added to those already on display at Reddan, bringing the total number of Hall of Famers to 25.

For the first time, the Hall also selected four individuals to receive Distinguished Service Awards. The inaugural recipients are Albert and Nico BrouwerHoward Martin andJohn Huttenhoff, all of whom made great contributions to the sport as officials.

Albert Brouwer, a native of The Netherlands who passed away last year, was a referee in the area in the 1960s and '70s. His son Nico played for the UW club team – prior to the school adding a varsity program – and for Madison SC and Madison United SC before following in his father's footsteps as an official. His career as a referee stretched from the 1980s to 2011.

Martin founded Oregon SC in 1978 and was the club's president until 1985, was involved in the Stoughton Area Youth Association from 2003 to '06 and was the Madison Area Youth Soccer Association president from 1981 to '83. He also was a WIAA official from 1978 to '96. Huttenhoff was the State Director for Referee Assessement from 1998 to 2006, and like Martin officiated in several WIAA state tournament matches.

Here's a look at the five newest members of the Madison Area Soccer Hall of Fame:

Ken Burghy, coach

Burghy closed out his legendary career at Middleton High School last month, finishing with a 515-139-49 record in 29 years as boys coach and a 224-118-40 mark in 21 seasons as girls coach. According to National Soccer Coaches Association of America records, his win total ranks second in state history for boys coaches, behind only former Milwaukee Marquette coach Bob Spielmann (532-73-40). Burghy led the Cardinals boys side to the 2004 WIAA Division 1 state title, a state runner-up finish in 2000, 10 other state tournament appearances and 18 conference championships. Burghy had two stints as the Middleton girls coach, leading the Cardinals to the Division 1 state championship in 2006 and two other state berths.

Dean Duerst, player and coach

Few individuals can rival Duerst's resume, with success on several levels as both a player and coach. Following his standout prep career at Memorial from 1975 to '79, he was an All-Mideast Region midfielder and captain for the Badgers in 1982 and '83 after transferring from Westmont (Calif.), and his 20 career goals are eighth in UW history. He played professional indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave (1985-86) and the Fort Wayne Flames (1986-87), and was an integral player as the Madison 56ers won the U.S. Soccer Federation National Amateur Cup in 1992. Duerst was an assistant under Greg Ryan with the UW women's team for seven years before taking over as head coach in 1994. He compiled a 151-105-31 record in 13 seasons at the helm, leading the Badgers to eight NCAA tournament appearances, and was named the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 1996. Duerst also has coached in the U.S. women's national team program, working with the Under-17, Under-18, Under-20 and Under-23 teams, and was the U.S. Youth Region Region II Olympic Development Program coach for 10 years. A 2010 inductee into the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame, he is the second member of his family inducted into the Madison Hall – his sister-in-law, Debra Treichel Duerst, was enshrined last year. Duerst recently completed his fifth season as the associate head coach under Ryan at Michigan.

John Mitby, builder

Mitby and Van Sicklen worked together with MAYSA to find land, raise funds, secure resources and develop Reddan Soccer Park in Verona. The complex on Cross Country Rd. opened in 1997 as a 40-acre park, with land leased from Dane County Parks, and plays host to more than 1,200 league matches, 700 practices, eight major tournaments and approximately 225,000 visitors each year. The park, which grew to 60 acres in 2002, is now in the middle of a $3 million renovation project.

Jesus Torres, coach

A native of Venezuela, Torres started coaching in the Madison area in 1985 and has great success with club and high school girls teams. He's coached at Elvehjem SC, Capital City United, Madison 56ers, Madison Rumba and has been at Waunakee Area SC since 2000. Torres has a 400-84-34 record in 19 seasons as a high school coach, starting at Monona Grove and with Waunakee since 2000. The Warriors have won or shared all 11 Northern Badger Conference titles and are 59-1-0 all-time in conference play. Torres also has a stint as the Venezuelan women's national team coach.

Mike Van Sicklen, builder

It's fitting he is being inducted along with Mitby, as the two were both crucial to the development of Reddan Soccer Park. Van Sicklen also was a youth coach for 15 years and has been a USSF-licensed referee for more than 30 years.

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