Test Pilots

Photo courtesy KwikGoal

GOAL! The men’s soccer team fieldtested a new high-speed camera from Broadcast Sports, which provides remote camera systems to the sports industry.

Coach Eric Lambinus ’94, standing, center, is surrounded by players Ryan Wilkins ’05, Jim Feimster ’05, Jeff Aponik ’05, Ryan Fick ’05, Nick Tarquinio ’05, Ryan Walker ’06, and Kyle Keller ’07. Partially hidden between Jeff and Ryan Fick is Brian Tarulli ’07. Don Wetmore ’87 of KwikGoal, a Quakertown-based supplier of soccer equipment, is in the black vest. The other two men are from Broadcast Sports.

Members of the Moravian men’s soccer team were asked to field-test a new high-speed camera designed to facilitate split-second decisions at the goal lines of soccer and ice hockey playing areas.

On March 15, the team went to Iron Lakes Sports Club in Allentown to try out the camera, which was developed by Broadcast Sports of Odenton, Maryland, the North American leader in remote camera systems for the sports industry. Broadcast Sports has put cameras inside the race cars of NASCAR and in the goal markers for the 2005 Super Bowl.

The invitation came from Don Wetmore ’87 and Chris Goodrich ’97 of KwikGoal, a Quakertownbased supplier of soccer equipment.

Coach Eric Lambinus ’94 duly took eight members of the team to propel great numbers of soccer balls toward goalie Ryan Walker ’06. Two cameras were set up between the goalposts to record every nanosecond of the flight of the balls—those that got past Ryan.

The team played for a few hours to simulate game conditions and make sure the cameras could keep up with the speed of play.

Reps for both companies were “so pleased with the ability of our players,” says Eric, “that they will be using the footage with our guys to sell the product to major soccer organizations.”

These include Major League Soccer, the U.S. Soccer Federation, and British teams such as Manchester United and Liverpool Football Clubs.