Girls soccer: New mind-set suits Chargers

By BRYAN BURNS
Published January 23, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - To say the years before Neal Wolfrath's arrival as head coach for the Shorecrest girls soccer team were lean would be a bit of an understatement.

Seventeen seasons: No playoff appearances, no district championships, nada.

After taking over in 2000-01, Wolfrath guided Shorecrest to its first playoff appearance the following season. In 2006, the school captured its first district championship.

Thursday, Shorecrest (14-4-1) will make its fifth straight region playoff appearance after winning its third district title Friday. The Chargers are hoping to make it back to the state final four for the third year in a row.

"There wasn't really much to the program when I got here," Wolfrath said. "There was a mind-set that needed to be changed; soccer used to be more of a social thing here. I wanted to introduce more of a competitive edge while still having fun."

What's most impressive about the tradition Wolfrath has built is the consistency from one year to the next. With just four seniors this season, it was unclear if the inexperienced Chargers could reload.

"He's laid that foundation and got those kids ready to go," Shorecrest athletic director Phil Hayford said. "When kids graduate, he's got somebody there ready to step in and take over. It's a great thing when you have a program that's got that continuity and that kind of consistency."

Case in point: Shorecrest star forward Jenn Casey, a freshman who leads the county in goals (28) and scoring (65 points).

"The way that the younger players have stepped in and filled the spots that we needed has definitely made a huge impact on our team," said midfielder Rachel Ware, one of those four graduating seniors.

All of which makes a third straight trip to Fort Lauderdale a realistic possibility.

"I think every year with the talent that we've got now, and waiting in the wings, we should be competing for a state final four appearance," Wolfrath said. "It's becoming a situation where it's our goal every year."

Region matchups

All games 7 p.m.

Class 6A

Countryside (11-6-1) at Sarasota (14-9-5)

Class 5A

Plant (14-1-4) at Palm Harbor U. (16-1-2)

East Lake (14-5) at Hillsborough (12-6-1)

Manatee (12-4-5) at Seminole (16-2-1)

Lakewood (8-9-1) at Lakewood Ranch (17-2-1)

Class 3A

Cardinal Mooney (10-8-1) at Clearwater Central Catholic (14-5-5)

Class 2A

Indian Rocks Chr. (11-9) at Tampa Prep (21-1-1)

Cambridge (15-7) at Shorecrest Prep (14-4-1)

[Last modified January 22, 2008, 23:55:19]