Chemistry keeps Green Devils rolling

St. Petersburg may not be as experienced as in past years, but it's still successful no matter the lineup.

By CHRIS GIRANDOLA
Published December 11, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Better than last year?

Even without seven senior starters?

Hard to believe, but St. Petersburg coach Rui Farias feels this year's version of his girls soccer team has the potential to achieve more than last year's squad, the most successful in school history after making it to the Class 5A region finals.

"While we had a lot of strong, talented players (in 2004), this group as a whole is a more cohesive unit," said Farias, who is in his eighth year at St. Petersburg. "It's been a combination of effort. It's like they feel they have something to prove."

But the philosophy remains the same - don't let the other team score.

After shutting out their last 12 regular-season opponents last season, the Green Devils opened this season by shutting out their first six. The regular-season shutout streak reached 18 games before it ended, one of the longest in county history (a new streak started the next game, an 8-0 win). That's roughly 1,500 minutes, or enough time to watch every episode from the last three seasons of Friends.

St. Petersburg, which beat Seminole 1-0 to open the season, has proven that while it lost four first-team all-county players, it is still a team to be reckoned with, especially in the south county.

"(The win over Seminole) was probably one of our best, if not the best, games we've played in the last two years," Farias said.

Because of classification realignment, St. Petersburg will not face PHU in the regular season, the last team to beat the Green Devils (2-1 in last year's region championship).

But with the south berth in the Pinellas County Athletic Championship all but wrapped up, there is a good chance the two teams, arguably the best in the county, will meet before the playoffs.

St. Petersburg's success this season has come from the equal distribution of talent. Farias used a different starting lineup in each of the first six games, typically consisting of an equal balance of seniors and freshmen.

"Last year, the starters stayed pretty much the whole game," Farias said. "We knew, from the quality of talent coming in along with the returning players we would have something to work with."

The key to their success remains a defensive philosophy that relies on responsibility and communication. Farias usually employs a 4-4-2 alignment that puts most of the backline leadership in the hands of senior sweeper Meggie Ford.

"She's very calm back there. In addition, she's very talented, tremendous skill-wise," said Farias, whose defensive leader last year, goalkeeper Rachel Howard, started as a freshman this year at Division I-A North Florida.

Ford is in charge of defense, utilizing the skills she picked up playing with the departed seniors last year as well as her club team.

"I've done a little more talking (during games), as far as marking goes and staying focused and intense," said Ford, who usually has sophomore Erin MacMath and junior Sarah Crawford alongside her along with juniors Kristin Derfusher and Alisa Tripolino at stopper and goalie, respectively.

"Our chemistry, though, has come together a lot quicker than I thought it would."

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]