Sandje Ivanchukov

Sandje Saranovich Ivanchukov
	Sandje Ivanchukov in 1979
Personal information
Full name	Sandje S. Ivanchukov
Date of birth	July 23, 1960
Place of birth	Neptune Township, New Jersey, United States
Date of death	August 29, 2007 (aged 47)
Place of death	Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1975–1977	Howell High School
Senior career*
Years	Team
1978–1980	Tampa Bay Rowdies
1979–1980	Tampa Bay Rowdies (indoor)
1980	San Jose Earthquakes
1981	New England Sharks
1981–1982	Philadelphia Fever (indoor)
1982	Pennsylvania Stoners
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sandje Ivanchukov (Russian: Санджи Саранович Иванчуков, Oirat: Иванчукан Санҗ, romanized: İvançukan Sanc, July 23, 1960 – August 29, 2007) was an American soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.

Youth

Ethnically Kalmyk Mongol, Ivanchukov's father, Saran Ivanchukov, immigrated to the United States from Bulgaria where he had played on the Bulgarian national team. Born in Neptune Township, New Jersey, Ivanchukov grew up in Howell Township and graduated from Howell High School.^[1] He was a 1977 Second Team NSCAA High School All American soccer player.^[2]

In 1978, the Tampa Bay Rowdies drafted Ivanchukov out of high school. He signed on an amateur contract in order to maintain his eligibility for the Olympic team. He played two and a half outdoor and one indoor season with Tampa Bay. In June 1980, the Rowdies traded Ivanchukov to the San Jose Earthquakes.^[3] The Earthquakes released him at the end of the season. In 1981, he played for the New England Sharks of the American Soccer League.^[4] In the fall of 1981, he joined the Philadelphia Fever of the Major Indoor Soccer League and spent the 1982 season with the Pennsylvania Stoners of the American Soccer League.

Ivanchukov played for the national youth teams. In 1979, he was a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1979 Pan American Games.^[5]

Ivanchukov later gained his degree from DeVry Technical Institute in computer robotics.

^ O'Hearn, Frank. "Ex-Howell star Ivanchukov enjoys starting in NASL', Asbury Park Press, April 23, 1980. Accessed February 3, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "An injury and a North American Soccer League rule which requires three North American players on the field at all times gave former Howell High School soccer star Sandje Ivanchukov his first NASL starting berth Sunday."
^ 1977 High School All Americans
^ Ivanchukov's Troubles
^ N.E. SHARKS SIGN EX-TEA MAN REID Boston Globe - Friday, April 24, 1981
^ 1979 Pan American Games: Argentina vs. USA