Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Sports

Newsome girls meet lofty goal: region soccer champs

A lineup shift gave the Wolves the edge against Freedom and cleared their way to state.

By ROD GIPSON
Published February 18, 2005

LITHIA - The Newsome girls soccer lineup is full of players with offensive skills. But a defensive move may have helped the Wolves reach the state tournament this week in Fort Lauderdale.

Applying a strategy that it used occasionally during the regular season, Newsome pulled a lineup switch in the Class 4A, Region 3 final against budding rival Freedom. The move resulted in stifling defensive play and a huge offensive output.

With the win, Newsome solidified itself as a Hillsborough County power, improved an already impressive resume and sent the Wolves to their first state tournament. Just two years old, the Newsome girls team won two district championships before capturing a regional crown last Friday with an impressive 4-1 win against Freedom.

"It's been a lot of fun," Newsome coach Kathy Dodd said.

"This is a great group of girls, and they have really played well this season."

Freedom wouldn't argue that point. No team has suffered at the feet of the Wolves more than the Patriots.

Winners in three of the team's four games this season, Newsome took the district championship from Freedom with penalty kicks Jan. 28. But Dodd knew that the last win against the Patriots would be the toughest. Hence, the lineup shift involving Danielle Joyce, Tara McClusky and Lisa Heise.

"We changed some things up," Joyce said after the Freedom win. "We expected a really tough game. We knew they were a strong team, but the changes we made really helped us."

The shift moved Joyce to midfield and with the speedier McClusky and Heise up front, Newsome took advantage of Freedom's defense and created more plays in the second half. The result was goals from Hallie Barrett, Angela Murphy, Megan Foley and Jill Shriner.

"We wanted to fortify the middle," Dodd said. "We put Joyce in the middle and wanted to use our speed up front. It seemed to work."

As much as the offense benefited, so did the Wolves' defense. Newsome stifled Freedom's offense throughout the first half of the game. Newsome limited Freedom to just two shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes, keeping the Patriots from penetrating the middle of the field.

Freedom managed seven more shots in the second half but only scored when Vanessa Rangel was awarded a penalty kick after being tripped in Newsome's box.

"It's hard to tell if it's a rivalry yet," Dodd said, "but we've played some pretty good games with them. They're a good team. We've just been a little bit better."

The Wolves have been just a little bit better all season.

"This is amazing," Shriner said of the region championship. "This is my last year of high school soccer and I've been dreaming of this for four years. To make it to state, it's just unbelievable."

[Last modified February 17, 2005, 10:51:04]