HOLLOWAY BREAKING OUT POSITION SWITCH HELPS HER KEY COC'S DEFENSE.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer VALENCIA - Kelly Holloway felt like she'd hit the big time as she listened to the national anthem anthem [ultimately from antiphon], short nonliturgical choral composition used in Protestant services, usually accompanied and having an English text. The term is used in a broader sense for "national anthems" and for the Latin motets still used occasionally in being played before the game, as she saw hundreds of fans in the stands for the College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. women's soccer home opener. Holloway was excited to play in front of a crowd that large. She was even more excited about seeing so many familiar faces in that crowd. Among those in attendance were her former high school teammates, including one who returned from college in Arizona to see the game. They joined Holloway's soccer-crazy family and other friends who have become regulars on the Cougars' sideline sideline See on the sidelines. , providing Holloway with the team's largest cheering section. ``The team, they joke about it,'' Holloway said. ``They say I bring all the fans.'' But Holloway brings more to the Canyons soccer team than just a large fan base. The freshman has gone from being a part-time player last season at Valencia High to being the anchor of the Cougars' defense. She is the starting sweeper for a program that is known for its strong defensive tradition and routinely contends for Western State Conference titles. ``She's been awesome so far,'' Canyons coach Phil Marcellin said. ``She's extremely consistent, she's very patient, she rarely makes bad decisions about diving diving Sport of plunging into water, usually headfirst and often following the execution of one or more acrobatic maneuvers. It emerged as a competitive sport in the late 19th century and became part of the Olympic Games in 1904. in early or anything else. She's rock solid. She directs traffic well. She's a classic center back.'' Using an all-freshman defense, the Cougars (2-2) posted their second shutout Not to be confused with Shootout. In team sports, in American English, a shutout (a clean sheet in soccer) refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. of the season Tuesday in a 1-0 victory over Mission College. They enter today's game against Ventura having allowed three goals in four games. Holloway, 18, has played soccer for as long as she can remember, but this is her first experience as a sweeper. She credits the switch for helping elevate el·e·vate tr.v. ele·vat·ed, ele·vat·ing, ele·vates 1. To move (something) to a higher place or position from a lower one; lift. 2. To increase the amplitude, intensity, or volume of. 3. her game a notch notch (noch) incisure; an indentation on the edge of a bone or other organ. aortic notch dicrotic n. cardiac notch 1. . ``As 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). , if the ball got past me there was still the defenders behind me,'' she said. ``So it wasn't like do-or-die. If the ball gets past me now, it's only me and the goalie. I can't let it get by me. I think I've learned to contain better. I'm the last person, so I've got to do whatever it takes to keep them from getting by.'' She thrives on the added pressure. ``I actually do,'' Holloway said. ``I thought I'd be afraid to mess up, but it just pumps me up more. I love the adrenaline adrenaline (ədrĕn`əlĭn, –lēn): see epinephrine. rush.'' The position change occurred this summer when Holloway was asked to fill on defense during practice and did well enough that the Cougars opted to keep her there. At Valencia, Holloway was primarily a defensive midfielder. She also was part of a Vikings team that went 20-4-1 and reached the Southern Section Div. II final last season. As one of eight seniors, she was surrounded sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. by standouts such as Shari Summers, Jaisa Creps and Melanie Ervin. Junior colleges were the only ones to express interest in Holloway as a soccer player. Holloway would love to play at a four-year college, but for now she's content. ``I couldn't ask for more,'' she said Canyons seems to feel the same way about her. ``She was sort of an overlooked part of that (Valencia) team,'' Marcellin said. ``It's just another case of a kid who does a good job on a great team. They get sort of lost in the mix. They come here and they start to come out a little bit.'' Heather Gripp, (818) 713-3607 heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Kelly Holloway, a part-time player on Valencia High's team last season, is a key component to COC's defense this season. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion