HIDDEN GEM BRUEGGEMAN TAKES CHARGE FOR MASTER'S.

NEWHALL - Somehow, Anthon Brueggeman slipped through the fingers of Division I college soccer coaches across the nation.

``I knew he was special when I was recruiting him,'' The Master's College coach Jim Rickard said. ``And I was hoping nobody else would figure it out.''

The NAIA's Mustangs gladly plucked the little-recruited Brueggeman from his United States Youth Soccer Association national-championship club team in the Phoenix area.

Four years later, Brueggeman is a senior forward sure to be remembered among the school's soccer greats. He leads the No. 3-ranked team in the NAIA Top 25 into today's Golden State Athletic Conference opener at No. 10 Westmont.

Rickard thought Brueggeman was underrated in his hometown of Glendale, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb. ``Which was fine with me,'' the coach said.

Brueggeman's club team, the Cisco Flames, was a powerhouse and advanced to the 1998 USYSA 19-under national championships.

Surrounded by some of Arizona's top talent but in a state lacking NCAA Division I programs, Brueggeman already had committed to The Master's when only local NAIA college Grand Canyon showed any serious interest.

Assisting in the decision was club teammate Rusty Brooke, then a Master's freshman.

``I was never really the star of any team I played on growing up,'' Brueggeman said. ``I actually went through a down spurt for a while where I was the last guy off the bench. My junior year I was starting again on my club team.''

Rickard watched Brueggeman help his club team win the national-championship match on ESPN.

``They flashed his name (on the screen),'' Rickard said. ``They're showing `This kid's going to Duke, this guy's going to Maryland. SMU.' And then I see The Master's.

``In a way you almost stumble on them. You don't always know. I had high hopes for him and envisioned what I wanted him to be.''

Brooke, who played soccer with Brueggeman on Glendale club teams since they were 10 years old, encouraged his buddy to consider The Master's.

Attending a small, Christian college made for an easy decision. Brueggeman is most satisfied that soccer isn't the most important part of his collegiate experience of glorifying God.

``It's been an awesome experience,'' he said.

Having played with Brooke, Brueggeman knew he could compete at the college level, even one for one of the West Coast's best NAIA programs.

As a freshman, he led the Mustangs with 11 goals and bounced back from what was for him a subpar sophomore season (six goals, nine assists) to score 16 last year.

``I had a lot of confidence coming in,'' said Brueggeman, who already has 10 goals for the 8-0 Mustangs. ``Winning the national championship the summer before I got here was huge.

``What I really wanted to do was try to get better every year. I'd like to forget that (sophomore year). I just wanted to grow as a player.''

The way he's beating goalkeepers in the first part of his senior year, Brueggeman will reach his maximum potential.

Rickard paused and reflected when asked to assess Brueggeman's impact on the program.

Rickard includes him with the school's most decorated alumni - Chris Palm, Ezequiel Bongarra and Bryan Lee. Brueggeman's 43 career goals ranks sixth on the career list.

``He has the whole package for me. He's tough, has great ball skills, a great attitude, he's a finisher, a leader,'' Rickard said. ``He doesn't really get discouraged. He's just kind of that coach's dream.''

Brueggeman doesn't shout as much as other team leaders, letting midfielder Curtis Lewis and goalkeeper Eric Pattison direct the attack.

``Leading by example is even better sometimes than leading by being vocal,'' Pattison said. ``If you don't have the example then people aren't going to follow you anyway.''

Brueggeman's first name isn't a condensed version of Anthony. One of his aunt's brothers is named Anthon. His whole life, most everyone he's met first calls out Anthony or Anton.

But every soccer team on The Master's schedule is well aware of the guy with the funny first name but a serious game.

``He's the first word (other coaches) say,'' Rickard said. ``When it's `Give me a scouting report on The Master's'. It's ``Look out for Anthon. No. 8.'

``When he was a freshman, coaches would come up to me and say `Where did you get that kid? He's unbelievable.' ''

THE MASTER'S vs. WESTMONT

Game time: 1 p.m., at Westmont College in Santa Barbara

Matchup: The Mustangs' first-ever Golden State Athletic Conference match is against an old rival. The teams met in last year's Region II semifinals, with Westmont upsetting the second-seeded Mustangs 2-0 in Newhall.

Westmont lost 1-0 to Division I opponent and crosstown foe UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday. Senior MF Ben Bingham is a three-year starter. The Mustangs counter with high-scoring F Anthon Brueggeman (10 goals) and an experienced defense led by senior GK Eric Pattison.

-Chris Cocoles

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Senior forward Anthon Brueggeman, right, has blossomed into a star for The Master's College soccer team.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News

Box: The Master's vs. Westmont (see text)