GIRLS' SOCCER NOTEBOOK: VALENCIA KNOWS ADVERSITY.Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer Valencia High's defensive game plan went haywire when standout senior girls' soccer sweeper Leah Shelton was lost for the season with a knee injury just weeks before the season began. The Vikings played admirably ad·mi·ra·ble adj. Deserving admiration. ad  mi·ra·ble·ness n.ad in the back without Shelton and a primary goalkeeper. But they were the two spots at which Valencia experimented with all season. The Vikings hope they've found the right combination in time for the Southern Section Division II playoffs, which open Friday when they host Highland of Palmdale. Neither seniors Courtney Morgan nor Jaisa Creps are playing where they're most comfortable. But in the final few Foothill League matches, Morgan, usually a midfielder
In association football, a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders (highlighted in blue on the diagram). , was in Shelton's sweeper position. Creps, who has played goalkeeper in the past, along with forward and fullback, took over as the starting keeper. ``We had to overcome that,'' Creps said of Shelton's injury. ``She's the one that takes all of our (free and) penalty kicks. We needed to find somebody who can play in the back so I can play goalie.'' Enter Morgan, a senior accustomed to playing in the middle of the field. Two weeks ago, when the Vikings played Canyon, which had won the previous five meetings, coach Tony Scalercio shifted Creps to goalie and put Morgan into Shelton's old spot. Morgan has the club and youth soccer background that made the transition easier. ``I've played for so long that you see other people do it,'' she said. ``And then when I'm playing sweeper, I concentrate even more. You can't mess up. You have to do this in this situation. I think it helps me out. ``When you're the central midfielder, what you need to do is distribute to the other players. As a sweeper, the mentality is get the ball out of the box. Do what you have to do to get it out of there.'' She'll have plenty of chances to protect Creps against a Highland team that has three scoring forwards. Shelton would have been the logical choice to neutralize neutralize to render neutral. the Bulldogs. Instead, it'll be Morgan. ``She does a very good job in the back. And she brings confidence to the back,'' Scalercio said. ``We finally found "Finally Found" was the debut single from the Honeyz. This was their most successful single in the UK and worldwide, securing a number 4 position in the UK singles chart and achieved platinum status in Australia [1] Tracklisting # Title Length that missing piece,'' Creps added. ``She's one of those people who can play anywhere.'' Here's a look at other Division II first-round matches on Friday: --Thousand Oaks at Canyon: The Cowboys cowboys, in American history. 1 Tory marauders, adherents to the British cause in the American Revolution, who fought in the contested area of Westchester co., N.Y. had an eventful e·vent·ful adj. 1. Full of events: an eventful week. 2. Important; momentous: an eventful decision. finish to the end of the season. First came their second consecutive Foothill League championship. In the ensuing en·sue intr.v. en·sued, en·su·ing, en·sues 1. To follow as a consequence or result. See Synonyms at follow. 2. To take place subsequently. game, Canyon's perfect season was lost 2-1 to Hart. In between, the Cowboys lost the full-time services of co-head coach Jeremy Cook, whose regular job as a youth pastor demanded more time. He initially decided not to return but changed his mind. He'll be on the sideline sideline See on the sidelines. for the Cowboys' playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. matches, but co-head coach Lubna Bakoo is running most practices on her own. ``I've been committed to those girls for four years, going back to when I was the JV coach,'' said Cook, who in his first varsity season - in 2001-02 - guided Canyon to a league title and Division II semifinal appearance. ``It still looks like I'm quitting and I don't want to leave that as my legacy. ``I just want to help this team accomplish the goals that we've set.'' --Saugus at Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. : Given that a .500 Hart team was awarded a Division II at-large berth, Saugus probably was guaranteed a postseason bid despite the odd way it backed into the Foothill League's third spot. A 2-0 loss to Valencia last week was enough when Hart's upset loss at last-place Burbank gave the Centurions third place. Either way, Saugus found a way into the postseason and can redeem its bruised bruise v. bruised, bruis·ing, bruis·es v.tr. 1. a. To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. b. psyche Psyche (sī`kē), in Greek mythology, personification of the human soul. She was so lovely that Eros (Cupid), the god of love, fell in love with her. . Touted as a league-title hopeful, Saugus limped to a 5-5 league record after a difficult winter of injuries, player departures and scoring lulls. In four matches against Canyon and second-place Valencia, the Centurions didn't score a goal. ``We all wanted to beat Valencia. For all the seniors, I don't think we've beaten Valencia since we've been here,'' defender Rachel Gillis said. ``I feel it is a second chance. I think we're all going to take it to heart and play hard in the playoffs. We all want to go there.'' Saugus coach Mike Koons gave his team the weekend off and had three days to prepare for a Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta team the Centurions beat in a preseason scrimmage. The Falcons have their own injury woes, losing midfielder Jordan Stanley for the season with a concussion concussion Period of nervous-function impairment that results from relatively mild brain injury, often with no bleeding in the cerebral cortex. It causes brief unconsciousness, followed by mental confusion and physical difficulties. . CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Saugus' Jennifer Dalley and the Centurions visit Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta on Friday in a Southern Section Division II first-round game. Saugus finished third in the Foothill League this season with a 5-5 record. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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