Preps: Heaberlin's absence doesn't faze Berkeley girls

TAMPA – For some teams , losing a U.S. Under-17 International at what may be the most critical position on the field would be a devastating blow.

But Berkeley Prep’s girls soccer team is undaunted by the absence of Bryane Heaberlin, who is in Miami to train with the national team, because in back-up Morgan Orobello they feel they have a goalkeeper who is more than up to the task of helping them get to the state final four.

“Morgan was with us last year, and played five games for us,” Buccaneers coach Ken Roberts said. “And four of them were ranked teams. This year, she played three matches, and it was St. Pete Catholic, a 1-0 win, and Tampa Prep the first time around, a 1-0 win, so Morgan has the ability to keep us in a game just as much as Bryane does.”

The Buccaneers open the Class 3A-Region 3 tournament tonight against Frostproof at 7 p.m., and while Orobello said she was a little nervous after Wednesday’s practice, she believes she can get the job done for the side.

“I feel like (my teammates) think I can do it,” Orobello said. “I feel like I know I can do it.”

Of course, having players like sweeper N.D. Ubezonu, and defenders Taylor Richardson, Anne Kelly and Brooke Banning in front of her won’t hurt, Roberts adding that the side wouldn’t change anything as far as their approach to the game.

“We still expect to play the ball back to (Orobello’s) feet, she’s strong with her feet,” Roberts said. “We’ll keep everything status quo. We’re more worried in going into the playoff games about us, about how we play and playing our style than we are about what our opponents are going to do. If anybody thinks they’re going to get an opportunity on her, they’ve got to get by the whole team before they get to her.

“It’s a team game. It’s a team game on defense just like it’s a team game on offense. One kid doesn’t do it all, and one kid can’t do it all once you get to this point in the season.”

Preps: Buccaneers get boost from weekend road-trip

The first time Berkeley Prep’s soccer teams took a weekend away, all of the current players were not yet born. But in its 26th year, according to girl’s coach Ken Roberts, the Buccaneers girls had a good weekend in Boca Raton, earning a 1-1 draw against Plantation American Heritage and a 4-0 win against Boca Raton St. Andrew’s.

Both Berkeley squads took the trip south, defeating St. Andrew’s 5-1 and falling to American Heritage 2-0, but Roberts believes the results are not the most important thing on the trip, but more the increased chemistry and camaraderie that comes from the weekend the teams spend together.

“It’s a boost for the teams as far as it increases team chemistry a lot quicker than just showing up for games and practices,” Roberts said. “They basically live together for the weekend, but also starting back with (Dave) Zimmerman and I, we always treated it as a program, not a girls team and a guys team, they become supporters of each other, and this trip starts to emphasize that, especially early in the season the kids are voluntarily showing up to the other games when they’re not schedule to play, and that builds up a lot of camaraderie and school pride, and that pays off later.”

Roberts estimates the value of the trip is equitable to playing 10 games at home in terms of the development. The trip allows younger players to become better assimilated into their new squad, and gives them a chance to experience the sort of road-trips that can be commonplace when the region playoffs come at the end of the season.

“It helps prepare the kids to know how to travel,” Roberts said. “We get some of the young kids into the program this way, and to recognize that the trip is about having fun, but it’s also about the business of the team, and that gives the opportunity to give them that experience before it means everything at the end of the year.”

Preps: Heaberlin headed to Argentina

Berkeley Prep standout goalkeeper Bryane Heaberlin has been called up for a U.S. Women’s under-17 team training camp to be held in Argentina in early December.

Heaberlin will likely miss a pair of games for the Buccaneers according to Coach Ken Roberts, a district game against St. Petersburg Catholic on Dec. 4 and a game against Melbourne Central Catholic on Dec.11, but should return before the Buccaneers compete in the Sarasota High Holiday Tournament which begins on Dec. 18.