Published Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:29 PM
Updated Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:30 PM

 

Fort girls are in the mix

The Fort Dorchester varsity soccer teams picked up big wins last week, including three shutouts.

The Fort girls now need only a single win in their final three games to clinch a playoff spot. With a 7-0 mark in region play, Summerville is the front runner for the region crown, but the Lady Patriots are still mathematically in the running, as is West Ashley, which like the Fort holds a 5-2 record in region play. Unless there are some major upsets this week, the Pats and Wildcats will fight for the No. 2 spot in the region, which is accompanied by home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Fort shutout Beaufort and Colleton County last week. On Friday, Cassie Simmons had two goals while Karleen Paulin and Mallory O’Brien also scored in a 4-0 win over Beaufort. Sydni Pope got the shutout in goal. The team downed Colleton 10-0 April 15.

Fort Coach Bill Schaufler says things are definitely looking up for the team this season.

“This could be the teams' year to go farther in the playoffs than years past,” he said. “I do think we need to improve overall in order to compete with the top teams in the state, but anything is possible.”

The Pats began the season by competing in the Cardinal Newman Invitational. Schaufler says the weekend led to some team bonding and gave his coaching staff the opportunity to try different players in different positions. The team placed second and would have had the chance to challenge for first place if a team hadn’t forfeited to the Fort. Still, it was something the team could build upon.

In all, the team has five shutouts this season. It has outscored its opponents 50 goals to 13. Two of the team’s losses were by a single goal as James Island and Stratford both earned a 1-0 victory over the Pats. The other two losses were to Summerville (4-1) and West Ashley (3-0).

“The team is playing together more than years before,” Schaufler said. “We do have standouts at each position, but the rest of the team also knows the importance of doing their job the best they can.”

Pope has been the Fort’s starting goalkeeper for three years and has been vital to the Patriots’ success this season. She has been solid in goal, but has also contributed at forward. So far, Pope has scored six goals.

Simmons and Paulin are formidable forwards who often put the Pats on the scoreboard and Jenny Pineiro is a highly skilled center-mid who can feed the ball from anywhere on the field.

However, one of the team’s strengths is its host of players who can adapt to different positions. Simmons and Paulin join Pope in pulling double duty. Other key players often called on to do the same include Julia Rogers, Mallory O'Brien, Heather Culbreth, Aubrey Carson and Hollie Smith.

“These players have accepted the challenge of multiple positions without hesitation and it has made a big difference,” Schaufler said. “We have had eight girls score this season. I think that shows how well they work together.”

The team hosts Battery Creek Friday for Senior Night. There will be a special ceremony to honor Cassidy Pendley, a former Fort soccer standout who along with six other college students lost her life in a beach house fire in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. last fall.

The Fort boys improved their region status with a 3-2 win over Beaufort Friday and a 9-0 shutout over Colleton April 15. West Ashley entered this week with a 6-1 mark in the region, making it the leader. The Fort and Beaufort were knotted at 4-2 in region play after Friday’s games and Summerville dropped to fourth place in the region (4-3) after suffering two losses last week. Battery Creek and Colleton are mathematically out of the hunt for the region crown.

The Fort boys have outscored their opponents 61-9 this season. They are currently ranked 17th in the state and are the No. 8 ranked Class AAAA team.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.