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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels October 6, 2004 Grizz girls take another loss By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings If it's tough to suffer a lopsided loss the first time around, but the 6-1 beating the Ashland girls' soccer team got from Grants Pass on Tuesday was just bitter. Ashland's Ellen Crouch (right) attempts to steal the ball away from a Grants Pass player, Tuesday at North Mountain Park. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings The Cavers bounced the Grizzlies by five goals in their early-season meeting in Grants Pass, but Ashland thought it could keep pace with GP at North Mountain Park. The Grizzlies were right, through the first half of play, that is. The squads stayed locked in a zero-zero tie, though each side had some healthy looks at the goal. Then the second stanza came around and, though Ashland mustered up one score courtesy junior striker Jamie Roupp, Grants Pass connected for a shocking six goals to once again throttle the Grizzlies. "I think we're all pretty disappointed and frustrated right now," said Ashland coach Eric Wolff, who's team fell to 2-7 in Southern Oregon Conference play. "I feel like we have a good strong team, there are just a lot of little things that pull us down, but I can't blame it all on bad luck." Now tied for sixth with Eagle Point, the Grizzlies have all but been erased from the playoff picture for another year. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Grants Pass improved to 6-3. "Unfortunately I feel like these girls are strong enough to be a playoff team, but we haven't been," Wolff said. "From that standpoint, no I'm not that happy." When it went bad Life would have been a lot better for the Grizzlies had Caver forward Megan Franko kept her antics to herself. The junior completed a hat trick in the second half, scoring two goals unassisted one minute apart, just after Abbey Klingel cracked the scoreless tie off an Ashley Gil assist. Roupp broke up the Grants Pass assault on the Grizz goal when she scored off an assist from sophomore forward Hannah Sohl, but it wouldn't be enough for Ashland. Even at 3-1, Ashland could have gotten back into it, but the Grizzlies had started to lose focus after the second GP goal and just couldn't find a way to keep their heads in the game. "[It was] a few little mental errors and not doing what we're supposed to be doing ," Wolff said. "It's hard to pinpoint exactly." Franko completed her three-goal rampage in the 72nd minute and the Cavers also got scores from Gil and Megan Cardiff to round out the 6-1 pounding. "[We made] a lot of little mistakes and we paid the price and lost badly because of that," Wolff said. "We all have to step up and do what needs to be done." Roupp to the rescue Roupp had a game and a half against Grants Pass, starring in the goalie box through the first half before taking the field as a striker, her usual position. Playing keeper has become a frequent calling for Roupp. She has filled in for junior Aly Yant in the box for the first 45 minutes of Ashland's last two games. "Jamie's a good goalie and Aly had been a little nervous a little unsure but now she's performing better," Wolff said. Although Yant gave up a heartbreaking six goals on Tuesday, Wolff was pleased with her effort and his decision to put Roupp back on the offensive for the second half. "She [Yant] was doing OK, too," Wolff said. "It wasn't really her fault. Our midfield wasn't really helping out on defense." The Grizzlies had to go without senior midfielder Sylvia VanAusdal, a normal strength in the team's lineup, and the vacancy became evident as the clock ticked down. "It was like our two attackers were working alone out there," Wolff said. "We just needed more support on the middle." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams