TAMPA – A season after falling in a penalty shootout to Plant, Newsome gained a measure of revenge as it turned the tables on the Panthers, earning a 5-4 victory in a shootout that went to the seventh shooter after the two sides had played to a 2-2 tie in regulation in the final of the Lady Wildcat Invitational at Wharton High on Saturday afternoon.
After the Panthers had missed their shot in the seventh round, Kassandra Cobb gave the Wolves victory, driving a well-struck shot into the right side of the goal out of the reach of Plant goalkeeper Lauryn Bodden.
“I had a lot going through my head as I was walking up,” Cobb said. “I was so nervous, the game-winning goal, but I just did what I normally do, and it went in.”
Plant had appeared to have the upper hand early in the shootout as Bodden saved both of the Wolves first two kicks. But the Panthers were unable to capitalize on either shot after the Wolves misses, and Newsome’s Shea Rhoney made it 1-1 after the third round. The two sides then converted three straight shots apiece before Plant’s miss in the seventh round.
Newsome had taken the lead from the penalty spot with 10 minutes to go after Maria Cate was judged to have been brought down in the Panthers penalty area. Caroline Evers stepped up and coolly shot home low into the right corner. The Panthers tied the game with five minutes to go, though, as Caroline Bado’s crisp first-time finish into the right corner of the Wolves net capped a well-worked passing sequence.
Newsome coach Kelly Townsend was disappointed that her side wasn’t able to hold its lead, as it had also failed to do before defeating Clearwater Central Catholic in a shootout earlier in the week, but knew the Wolves wouldn’t let their heads drop.
“When we get up 2-1, 1-0, we’ve got to solidify that win for us than going into PK’s or settling for a tie,” Townsend said. “This year, we’re not going to win 8-0, 12-0, we’re going to have to go up in offense and hold onto that win, and not let team’s come back.”
Newsome opened far better than it had in its prior two games, disrupting Plant’s rhythm as it gave the Panthers little time to work the ball around. The Wolves took the lead in the 13th minute after Bodden was whistled for handling the ball outside her penalty area. Cate drove the ensuing free kick past the defensive wall into the bottom left corner of the net.
The Panthers answered seven minutes later, a brilliant cross from the left from Ellen Moore being flicked in at the near post by Molly Ganther. Panthers coach Steve McGill was happier with the way his side played in the second half, but was disappointed his side wasn’t able to take advantage after Bodden’s early efforts in the shootout.
“Lauryn gave us three chances to win in the shootout,” McGill said. “We didn’t put them in the back of the net, and that’s what happens. All-in-all, great game, (early) season, nothing to be ashamed of from our side, Newsome played well.”
The Wolves graduated nine starters from last season’s team, and in the shootout five of their seven shooters were underclassmen. None of them seemed daunted by the pressure though, as they earned a victory their more experienced counterparts a season ago couldn’t claim.
“Like Coach Townsend says, we don’t rebuild, we reload,” Cobb said. “We have a lot of shoes to fill from the girls that moved on, but we believe we can fill those shoes.”
Showing posts with label Lady Wildcat Invitational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lady Wildcat Invitational. Show all posts
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Preps: Panthers down Warhawks, reach Invitational final
TAMPA – Plant earned the right to defend its Lady Wildcat Invitational title as goals either side of halftime gave the Panthers a 2-0 victory against Seminole on Wednesday night at Wharton High.
“That is a good win,” Panthers coach Steve McGill said. “Seminole’s a strong, strong team, and they’ve always had a great program, so I’m very excited with that.”
The Panthers had opportunities to take the lead early, pressuring the Warhawks goal and twice hitting the post, but the breakthrough came on a slight piece of good fortune. Seven minutes before the break, Kelly Coker made a run down the right, and as she approached the byline looked to center the ball into the penalty area. Coker caught the ball with the outside of her right foot, though, and with Seminole’s goalkeeper cheating off her line in anticipation of the cross, the ball bent the other way, and snuck in at the near post.
The Panthers were able to double their lead more conventionally in the 52nd minute as Linzy Rakestraw scored to make the score 2-0, and Plant continued to play well and control the game following that. Then, with about 15 minutes to go, Seminole began to take hold, and Lauryn Bodden had to be sharp to deny excellent shots from Megan Lawrence and Sierra Lelii to maintain the Panthers’ two-goal advantage.
McGill said closing out games was something the Panthers needed to work on, after being eliminated from the region playoffs last season when facing a similar situation.
“When we played East Lake in the regions, and we had a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes to go,” McGill said. “We started to get sloppy, I don’t know it we were tired, or if it was ‘the game’s almost over, let’s just get the ball out,’ but we stopped control of possession and our time on the ball, and we’re allowing them to have more and generate more attacks.
“Same thing tonight, we’re working the ball, working the ball, working the ball, and then it started getting a little ping-pongy, started getting a little clear-happy instead of controlling it.”
The Panthers will get a rematch of last year’s final on Saturday afternoon as it faces Newsome. The Wolves advanced with a shootout victory against Clearwater Central Catholic on Tuesday night, and McGill is eager to face another tough squad.
“I’ve been excited about this whole tournament,” McGill said. “This is like the upper-echelon of Hillsborough, and when you throw in CCC and Seminole and you’ve got great talent right here. This is an awesome tournament to get a guage on where your season could go.”
“That is a good win,” Panthers coach Steve McGill said. “Seminole’s a strong, strong team, and they’ve always had a great program, so I’m very excited with that.”
The Panthers had opportunities to take the lead early, pressuring the Warhawks goal and twice hitting the post, but the breakthrough came on a slight piece of good fortune. Seven minutes before the break, Kelly Coker made a run down the right, and as she approached the byline looked to center the ball into the penalty area. Coker caught the ball with the outside of her right foot, though, and with Seminole’s goalkeeper cheating off her line in anticipation of the cross, the ball bent the other way, and snuck in at the near post.
The Panthers were able to double their lead more conventionally in the 52nd minute as Linzy Rakestraw scored to make the score 2-0, and Plant continued to play well and control the game following that. Then, with about 15 minutes to go, Seminole began to take hold, and Lauryn Bodden had to be sharp to deny excellent shots from Megan Lawrence and Sierra Lelii to maintain the Panthers’ two-goal advantage.
McGill said closing out games was something the Panthers needed to work on, after being eliminated from the region playoffs last season when facing a similar situation.
“When we played East Lake in the regions, and we had a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes to go,” McGill said. “We started to get sloppy, I don’t know it we were tired, or if it was ‘the game’s almost over, let’s just get the ball out,’ but we stopped control of possession and our time on the ball, and we’re allowing them to have more and generate more attacks.
“Same thing tonight, we’re working the ball, working the ball, working the ball, and then it started getting a little ping-pongy, started getting a little clear-happy instead of controlling it.”
The Panthers will get a rematch of last year’s final on Saturday afternoon as it faces Newsome. The Wolves advanced with a shootout victory against Clearwater Central Catholic on Tuesday night, and McGill is eager to face another tough squad.
“I’ve been excited about this whole tournament,” McGill said. “This is like the upper-echelon of Hillsborough, and when you throw in CCC and Seminole and you’ve got great talent right here. This is an awesome tournament to get a guage on where your season could go.”
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Preps: Wolves into final, Panthers, Warhawks to meet in second semi
TAMPA – Newsome goalkeeper Teena Fehling saved all three Clearwater Central Catholic shootout attempts, while Emily Jones, Shea Rhoney and Caroline Evers all converted from the spot to put the Wolves into the final of the Lady Wildcat Invitational on Saturday after the two teams had played to a 2-2 tie in regulation at Wharton High on Tuesday night.
“I look at their eyes before they shoot,” Fehling said. “Usually people try to trick you up before they shoot, so I go the opposite way of the way they look.”
CCC had opened the scoring in the 18th minute as a looping shot from distance by Kaitlin Parker found its way just under the crossbar, but the Wolves tied the game just before halftime as Rhoney’s free kick from the left was sent back into the center of the penalty area by Evers on the right, and Jackie Simpson directed a first-time shot into the left corner of the net.
Newsome came out sharply to start the second half, winning a lot of possession in midfield as they outworked the Marauders and started finding better passes to create scoring opportunities. That paid off in the 59th minute as Maria Cate slid a through-ball in for Evers, who was cutting in from the right. Evers timed her run well to stay onside, putting her in behind the CCC defense, and she then coolly finished into the bottom left corner of the net.
Ever's goal appeared it would be the game-winner as the Wolves remained in control, but in the final 10 minutes the game began to get ragged, and CCC took advantage with four minutes to go as Alex Alberdi made a run through the right channel, fought through a challenge by a Wolves defender, and fired a shot into the left corner of the net.
Newsome coach Kelly Townsend was disappointed with how her side opened, but thought they responded well after going a goal down.
“We definitely came out and took control in the second half, and that’s what we needed to do,” Townsend said. “The thing we need to work on the most, I think, is to do that from the very start of the game, rather than wait until the second half, because we play a hard schedule, and a lot of teams aren’t going to give us second chances.”
Newsome will face the winner of Wednesday night’s second semifinal between Plant and Seminole. Connor Zwetsch scored a hat trick as the Panthers defeated Freedom 3-0, the FSU commit being found by Kaitlyn Steckel as she made a late, unmarked run into the penalty area before shooting home her first in the 23rd minute.
Zwetsch added her second when she headed home from Molly Ganther’s corner kick, and finished off her hat trick after good work from Ellen Moore down the left provided a cross for a first-time finish.
Freedom didn’t play poorly, Jessica Baumann having a strong game, but Plant’s quality was too much for the Patriots. Panthers coach Steve McGill was happy with his side’s performance.
“I’m very happy,” McGill said. “I thought the effort from every single girl in every position was unbelievable, and I’m most happy that at 2-0, there was no letdown from our side. We kept fighting, kept putting the pressure on, it was too good of a team to let them back in. If we had started getting weak and lazy in the midfield and started losing the 50-50s, that team could have come back and really made it tough for us.”
Freedom coach Chris Hinkle was pleased with the way his side played in the first half, but was a little disappointed with its fitness as the Patriots didn’t quite have the same energy after halftime.
“I think we struggled with some fitness, which I was surprised by, I thought we were in better shape,” Hinkle said. “That’s good though, we played a good team who let us know in the first game how we’re going to match up for the rest of the season. Obviously Plant’s a good team, and it’s always tough to start out your season with that, but I’m OK with it.”
The Warhawks went behind in the first minute against Durant, but finished the game on cruise control in a 6-1 win as Sierra Lelii and Megan Lawrence each found the net twice.
Durant took the lead as Riley Andreu caught the Seminole defense napping, latching onto a ball over the top before finishing nicely into the right corner of the net. From then on, though, Seminole showed why they reached the Class 5A region final last season, scoring four before halftime as Lelii in particular was excellent going forward, adding a pair of assists to her goals.
“I look at their eyes before they shoot,” Fehling said. “Usually people try to trick you up before they shoot, so I go the opposite way of the way they look.”
CCC had opened the scoring in the 18th minute as a looping shot from distance by Kaitlin Parker found its way just under the crossbar, but the Wolves tied the game just before halftime as Rhoney’s free kick from the left was sent back into the center of the penalty area by Evers on the right, and Jackie Simpson directed a first-time shot into the left corner of the net.
Newsome came out sharply to start the second half, winning a lot of possession in midfield as they outworked the Marauders and started finding better passes to create scoring opportunities. That paid off in the 59th minute as Maria Cate slid a through-ball in for Evers, who was cutting in from the right. Evers timed her run well to stay onside, putting her in behind the CCC defense, and she then coolly finished into the bottom left corner of the net.
Ever's goal appeared it would be the game-winner as the Wolves remained in control, but in the final 10 minutes the game began to get ragged, and CCC took advantage with four minutes to go as Alex Alberdi made a run through the right channel, fought through a challenge by a Wolves defender, and fired a shot into the left corner of the net.
Newsome coach Kelly Townsend was disappointed with how her side opened, but thought they responded well after going a goal down.
“We definitely came out and took control in the second half, and that’s what we needed to do,” Townsend said. “The thing we need to work on the most, I think, is to do that from the very start of the game, rather than wait until the second half, because we play a hard schedule, and a lot of teams aren’t going to give us second chances.”
Newsome will face the winner of Wednesday night’s second semifinal between Plant and Seminole. Connor Zwetsch scored a hat trick as the Panthers defeated Freedom 3-0, the FSU commit being found by Kaitlyn Steckel as she made a late, unmarked run into the penalty area before shooting home her first in the 23rd minute.
Zwetsch added her second when she headed home from Molly Ganther’s corner kick, and finished off her hat trick after good work from Ellen Moore down the left provided a cross for a first-time finish.
Freedom didn’t play poorly, Jessica Baumann having a strong game, but Plant’s quality was too much for the Patriots. Panthers coach Steve McGill was happy with his side’s performance.
“I’m very happy,” McGill said. “I thought the effort from every single girl in every position was unbelievable, and I’m most happy that at 2-0, there was no letdown from our side. We kept fighting, kept putting the pressure on, it was too good of a team to let them back in. If we had started getting weak and lazy in the midfield and started losing the 50-50s, that team could have come back and really made it tough for us.”
Freedom coach Chris Hinkle was pleased with the way his side played in the first half, but was a little disappointed with its fitness as the Patriots didn’t quite have the same energy after halftime.
“I think we struggled with some fitness, which I was surprised by, I thought we were in better shape,” Hinkle said. “That’s good though, we played a good team who let us know in the first game how we’re going to match up for the rest of the season. Obviously Plant’s a good team, and it’s always tough to start out your season with that, but I’m OK with it.”
The Warhawks went behind in the first minute against Durant, but finished the game on cruise control in a 6-1 win as Sierra Lelii and Megan Lawrence each found the net twice.
Durant took the lead as Riley Andreu caught the Seminole defense napping, latching onto a ball over the top before finishing nicely into the right corner of the net. From then on, though, Seminole showed why they reached the Class 5A region final last season, scoring four before halftime as Lelii in particular was excellent going forward, adding a pair of assists to her goals.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Preps: Wolves, Marauders advance at Invitational
TAMPA – Newsome girls soccer coach Kelly Townsend wasn’t expecting a big drop-off in the expectations for the Wolves this season, even with the team having lost nine starters from a season ago.
After a tight first half against Alonso, the young Wolves team made big statement as they earned a 4-1 victory to open the Lady Wildcat Invitational at Wharton High on Monday night.
With the game tied 1-1 at halftime, Newsome taking the lead through Taylor Decaire, Alonso tying it through Jenna Murphy, the Wolves came out appearing a little more settled to start the second half. Liz Haumschild and Shea Rhoney each had opportunities to give the Wolves the lead, but they finally broke through in the 57th minute.
Karina Gutsche started the move, bringing the ball in from the right towards the center circle, and she sent a long, angled ball towards Rhoney, who was making a run down the left touchline. Rhoney controlled, beat her defender, drove into the penalty area and fired a low cross into the six-yard box that was tucked away by Haumschild.
The Wolves gave themselves a two-goal cushion eight minutes later after Haumschild had a shot turned around the right post. From the ensuing corner, Caroline Evers found Gutsche at the near post for a header, and a 3-1 lead. Gutsche then turned provider in the 71st minute, slipping a pass through to Scarlett Fox, who shot home from inside the penalty area.
Townsend said she was pleased with the way the team adjusted at halftime, and was able to overcome the nerves that come with the opening game of the season.
“When you start a freshman like this at a school like Newsome, I mean, they’re scared to death, so it takes them a half,” Townsend said. “Our first game here last year was against Sickles, and we tied them 1-1, and I had all veterans playing except one, so I think the first game, no matter what, they’re going to be nervous. They want to do well, we have a huge reputation to uphold, and no-one wants to be responsible for letting that go.”
The Wolves will face Clearwater Central Catholic in a semifinal Tuesday night after the Marauders rallied to defeat host Wharton 4-3 in the second game of the night.
The game came to life with three goals in five minutes late in the first half. CCC took the lead in the 28th minute, Alexandra Alberdi scoring after the Wharton defense was only able to half-clear a cross, but the Wildcats hit back a minute later as Shelby Million picked up Emily Belanger’s cross-field ball on the right, cut inside and curled a shot into the left corner of the net.
Million then gave Wharton the lead in the 33rd minute, scoring in a similar fashion after a quick give-and-go with Baylee Dozark.
CCC responded well in the second half, peppering the Wharton goal with shots as Lindsay Cooper had a strong game in midfield. Cooper set up the equalizer, sliding a pass through to Jolie Anniclianco for a first-time finish in the 57th minute before Cooper gave the Marauders the lead six minutes later as her shot from the left eluded Wharton’s goalkeeper and slipped over the goal line.
Kaitlin Parker then added the fourth in the 70th minute, firing a curling shot from 25 yards into the top-right corner of the goal to make it 4-2. That goal proved necessary three minutes from the end, as a misplayed through-ball behind the CCC defense gave Belanger an empty net to shoot into to cut the lead to a single goal, but the Wildcats were unable to find another to tie the game.
The Wolves and Marauders will play at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Preceding them will be the tournament's other two quarterfinals, with Seminole facing Durant at 5 p.m. and Plant facing Freedom at 6:30 p.m.
After a tight first half against Alonso, the young Wolves team made big statement as they earned a 4-1 victory to open the Lady Wildcat Invitational at Wharton High on Monday night.
With the game tied 1-1 at halftime, Newsome taking the lead through Taylor Decaire, Alonso tying it through Jenna Murphy, the Wolves came out appearing a little more settled to start the second half. Liz Haumschild and Shea Rhoney each had opportunities to give the Wolves the lead, but they finally broke through in the 57th minute.
Karina Gutsche started the move, bringing the ball in from the right towards the center circle, and she sent a long, angled ball towards Rhoney, who was making a run down the left touchline. Rhoney controlled, beat her defender, drove into the penalty area and fired a low cross into the six-yard box that was tucked away by Haumschild.
The Wolves gave themselves a two-goal cushion eight minutes later after Haumschild had a shot turned around the right post. From the ensuing corner, Caroline Evers found Gutsche at the near post for a header, and a 3-1 lead. Gutsche then turned provider in the 71st minute, slipping a pass through to Scarlett Fox, who shot home from inside the penalty area.
Townsend said she was pleased with the way the team adjusted at halftime, and was able to overcome the nerves that come with the opening game of the season.
“When you start a freshman like this at a school like Newsome, I mean, they’re scared to death, so it takes them a half,” Townsend said. “Our first game here last year was against Sickles, and we tied them 1-1, and I had all veterans playing except one, so I think the first game, no matter what, they’re going to be nervous. They want to do well, we have a huge reputation to uphold, and no-one wants to be responsible for letting that go.”
The Wolves will face Clearwater Central Catholic in a semifinal Tuesday night after the Marauders rallied to defeat host Wharton 4-3 in the second game of the night.
The game came to life with three goals in five minutes late in the first half. CCC took the lead in the 28th minute, Alexandra Alberdi scoring after the Wharton defense was only able to half-clear a cross, but the Wildcats hit back a minute later as Shelby Million picked up Emily Belanger’s cross-field ball on the right, cut inside and curled a shot into the left corner of the net.
Million then gave Wharton the lead in the 33rd minute, scoring in a similar fashion after a quick give-and-go with Baylee Dozark.
CCC responded well in the second half, peppering the Wharton goal with shots as Lindsay Cooper had a strong game in midfield. Cooper set up the equalizer, sliding a pass through to Jolie Anniclianco for a first-time finish in the 57th minute before Cooper gave the Marauders the lead six minutes later as her shot from the left eluded Wharton’s goalkeeper and slipped over the goal line.
Kaitlin Parker then added the fourth in the 70th minute, firing a curling shot from 25 yards into the top-right corner of the goal to make it 4-2. That goal proved necessary three minutes from the end, as a misplayed through-ball behind the CCC defense gave Belanger an empty net to shoot into to cut the lead to a single goal, but the Wildcats were unable to find another to tie the game.
The Wolves and Marauders will play at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Preceding them will be the tournament's other two quarterfinals, with Seminole facing Durant at 5 p.m. and Plant facing Freedom at 6:30 p.m.
Preps: Lady Wildcat Invitational raises curtain on fascinating season
TAMPA – Wharton High’s fifth Lady Wildcat Invitational kicks off tonight, raising the curtain on what could prove to be a fascinating season for girls soccer in the bay area.
The eight-team tournament may have the strongest field in its history, with all four of the tournament’s semifinalists returning from a season ago, and the inclusion of Freedom and Seminole, both of which return strong squads.
Plant is the defending champion, having defeated Newsome in a shootout in last year’s final. While the Panthers have lost players like Lexi Rakestraw, Megan Fate and Courtney Zwetsch, the Panthers may actually be a stronger squad than last season. Junior forward Connor Zwetsch has already committed to Florida State, while goalkeeper Lauren Bodden and center back Amy Werdine will lead what should be a strong defense.
Those players, and an increase in depth coming off the bench, have Panthers coach Steve McGill thinking big as the team starts the season.
“I expect us to contend for the (state) title” McGill said. “I expect us to be playing at the end of the season. I think we definitely have the team and the capability to do that.”
The Panthers should get a good test to open the season when they face Freedom on Tuesday evening. Patriots coach Chris Hinkle lost his best player from last season in forward Monique LaMotte, but returns the rest of his starting 11 from a season ago.
With a large freshman class having gained a lot of experience last season coupled with the experience of players like Olivia Bloemke, the Patriots have a strong chance to win their first district title this season.
“Last year, I had a handful of starters come back,” Hinkle said, “but I incorporated a lot of new freshmen into the line-up had to get them comfortable with playing 17-, 18-year-old girls when they were 14-, 15-year-olds themselves. Now I feel like as sophomores, they’re ready to play, and I’ve got a lot of options.”
A side that is facing a similar circumstance to Freedom last season is Newsome, which lost nine starters from last season, including standouts such as Ana Cate, Kendall Graham and Morgan Sammons. But Coach Kelly Townsend isn’t expecting a drop-off from her side, with the Wolves appearing to have a strong group of young players ready to step into the starting line-up.
“Nothing short of what we’ve accomplished in years past, if not further,” Townsend said when asked of expectations for this season. “I think our transition from last year to this year has been a really smooth one, I’ve had a lot of players improve over the last year, I’ve had a lot of players get stronger over the last year and I’m really excited about this.”
One team that appears to be ready to make move is host Wharton. After having squads made up primarily of underclassmen for the past few seasons, Coach Denis Vukorep now has a more balanced squad. He expects that to bring greater consistency to his side.
“I just think we’re a team that maybe people aren’t thinking about that we’re going to have a good season,” Vukorep said. “I think we’ve shown in the past that on any given day we can post a result, and I think this year we’re going to show we can be a little more consistent.”
The Wildcats open against Clearwater Central Catholic, one of two teams to come across the bay to compete in the tournament this year. The other is Seminole, which reached the Class 5A Region final last season before losing to eventual state champion Palm Harbor.
The Warhawks haven’t lost much from that squad, and return forward Megan Lawrence who had 27 goals last season. The Warhawks also return Lawrence’s strike partner Noel Forsman and junior Sierra Lelii, midfielders Melanie Benner and Gina Heyduke, defender Tara Delvin and goalkeeper Casey Merson. Seminole coach Steve Kuplicki is looking forward to seeing how his team performs this week.
“Playing in this Wharton tournament really does give us an idea of where we are early in the season,” Kuplicki said. “What coaches do is they’ll try to look for combinations and things that will work well, especially with a tournament like this early in the season. The competition is going to be good, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The eight-team tournament may have the strongest field in its history, with all four of the tournament’s semifinalists returning from a season ago, and the inclusion of Freedom and Seminole, both of which return strong squads.
Plant is the defending champion, having defeated Newsome in a shootout in last year’s final. While the Panthers have lost players like Lexi Rakestraw, Megan Fate and Courtney Zwetsch, the Panthers may actually be a stronger squad than last season. Junior forward Connor Zwetsch has already committed to Florida State, while goalkeeper Lauren Bodden and center back Amy Werdine will lead what should be a strong defense.
Those players, and an increase in depth coming off the bench, have Panthers coach Steve McGill thinking big as the team starts the season.
“I expect us to contend for the (state) title” McGill said. “I expect us to be playing at the end of the season. I think we definitely have the team and the capability to do that.”
The Panthers should get a good test to open the season when they face Freedom on Tuesday evening. Patriots coach Chris Hinkle lost his best player from last season in forward Monique LaMotte, but returns the rest of his starting 11 from a season ago.
With a large freshman class having gained a lot of experience last season coupled with the experience of players like Olivia Bloemke, the Patriots have a strong chance to win their first district title this season.
“Last year, I had a handful of starters come back,” Hinkle said, “but I incorporated a lot of new freshmen into the line-up had to get them comfortable with playing 17-, 18-year-old girls when they were 14-, 15-year-olds themselves. Now I feel like as sophomores, they’re ready to play, and I’ve got a lot of options.”
A side that is facing a similar circumstance to Freedom last season is Newsome, which lost nine starters from last season, including standouts such as Ana Cate, Kendall Graham and Morgan Sammons. But Coach Kelly Townsend isn’t expecting a drop-off from her side, with the Wolves appearing to have a strong group of young players ready to step into the starting line-up.
“Nothing short of what we’ve accomplished in years past, if not further,” Townsend said when asked of expectations for this season. “I think our transition from last year to this year has been a really smooth one, I’ve had a lot of players improve over the last year, I’ve had a lot of players get stronger over the last year and I’m really excited about this.”
One team that appears to be ready to make move is host Wharton. After having squads made up primarily of underclassmen for the past few seasons, Coach Denis Vukorep now has a more balanced squad. He expects that to bring greater consistency to his side.
“I just think we’re a team that maybe people aren’t thinking about that we’re going to have a good season,” Vukorep said. “I think we’ve shown in the past that on any given day we can post a result, and I think this year we’re going to show we can be a little more consistent.”
The Wildcats open against Clearwater Central Catholic, one of two teams to come across the bay to compete in the tournament this year. The other is Seminole, which reached the Class 5A Region final last season before losing to eventual state champion Palm Harbor.
The Warhawks haven’t lost much from that squad, and return forward Megan Lawrence who had 27 goals last season. The Warhawks also return Lawrence’s strike partner Noel Forsman and junior Sierra Lelii, midfielders Melanie Benner and Gina Heyduke, defender Tara Delvin and goalkeeper Casey Merson. Seminole coach Steve Kuplicki is looking forward to seeing how his team performs this week.
“Playing in this Wharton tournament really does give us an idea of where we are early in the season,” Kuplicki said. “What coaches do is they’ll try to look for combinations and things that will work well, especially with a tournament like this early in the season. The competition is going to be good, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Preps: Seminole replaces Sickles at Lady Wildcat Invitational
Seminole has been added to the Lady Wildcat Invitational hosted by Wharton after Sickles withdrew from the tournament.
The Warhawks will meet Durant on Tuesday in the opening round, with Clearwater Central Catholic now facing host Wharton on Monday evening. The other two first round games, Alonso vs. Newsome and Plant vs. Freedom, remain as previously scheduled.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 2
Game 1 – Alonso vs. Newsome, 5 p.m.
Game 2 – Wharton vs. Clearwater Central Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Game 3 – Seminole vs. Durant, 5 p.m.
Game 4 – Plant vs. Freedom, 6:30 p.m.
Game 5 – Alonso/Newsome winner vs. Wharton/CCC winner, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov.4
Game 6 – Alonso/Newsome loser vs. Wharton/CCC loser, 5 p.m.
Game 7 – Seminole/Durant loser vs. Plant/Freedom loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Seminole/Durant winner vs. Plant/Freedom winner, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Game 9 – Game 3 loser vs. Game 7 loser, 9 a.m.
Game 10 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10:30 a.m.
Game 11 – Game 5 loser vs. Game 8 loser, noon
Championship – Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 2 p.m.
The Warhawks will meet Durant on Tuesday in the opening round, with Clearwater Central Catholic now facing host Wharton on Monday evening. The other two first round games, Alonso vs. Newsome and Plant vs. Freedom, remain as previously scheduled.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 2
Game 1 – Alonso vs. Newsome, 5 p.m.
Game 2 – Wharton vs. Clearwater Central Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Game 3 – Seminole vs. Durant, 5 p.m.
Game 4 – Plant vs. Freedom, 6:30 p.m.
Game 5 – Alonso/Newsome winner vs. Wharton/CCC winner, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov.4
Game 6 – Alonso/Newsome loser vs. Wharton/CCC loser, 5 p.m.
Game 7 – Seminole/Durant loser vs. Plant/Freedom loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Seminole/Durant winner vs. Plant/Freedom winner, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Game 9 – Game 3 loser vs. Game 7 loser, 9 a.m.
Game 10 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10:30 a.m.
Game 11 – Game 5 loser vs. Game 8 loser, noon
Championship – Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 2 p.m.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)