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CLOUDY Temp: 40 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, December 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 20, 2002 Tornado’s Munyon lives up to expectations By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune Tabbed the probable player of the year before the Southern Oregon Conference girls soccer season began, Lisa Munyon did nothing to weaken her case. Rather, the North Medford senior central midfielder only strengthened her hold on MVP dibs by leading the young, banged-up Black Tornado to a share of the conference championship. Munyon scored 12 goals in addition to her distributive and defensive contributions, helping North go 6-1 in SOC action and finish 9-4-3 overall. The 5-foot-4 dynamo also came through with the play of the conference season, knocking home a left-footed shot inside a crowded penalty box with less than a minute remaining to beat South Medford, 2-1, on the last day of the regular season. The goal gave the Tornado a three-way tie with South and Klamath Union for the SOC title. "That’s about as good as it gets," says Munyon, who, remarkably, was unanimously voted to the all-SOC first team as a sophomore, junior and senior. "When I shot the ball, I wasn’t thinking, ‘This could be it, this could be the winner.’ ... After the shot went in, it was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’" Joining Munyon on the all-conference first team are: junior sweeper Whitney Major and sophomore goalkeeper Caitlin Seeley of North Medford; senior defensive central midfielder Heidi Meador, junior sweeper Courtney Quinowski, senior central midfielder Emily Smith and junior forward Amber Stevens of South Medford; junior forward Sarah LaFontaine, junior forward Kasidy Reina and senior fullback Stacey Shaw of Crater; junior midfielder Alissa Goslin of Eagle Point; junior midfielder Kelli Briggs and junior fullback Chesney McHan of Grants Pass; and senior forward Brianne Hackett and Jenna Fay of Klamath Union. Quinowski and Hackett were, like Munyon, unanimous selections. Klamath Union’s Gerrin DeGroot is the SOC coach of the year for the second straight season. The biggest change in Munyon’s game this fall was her scoring, as she moved into an attacking role after two years as North’s defensive stalwart in the midfield. But her offensive production wasn’t a surprise to Tornado head coach Dick Darcy. "It was just a matter of her having a chance," says Darcy, who had Munyon on his varsity team for four years. "She just slid forward. ... And she had played the position for (club) teams, so it wasn’t a brand-new experience for her." Munyon, who will play for a Rogue Valley Soccer Club U-19 team this winter, acknowledges she had played an offensive role in club ball before but says she had never scored at the rate she did this fall. "Over the summer, I tried to work on my shot, knowing I would be in that position," says Munyon, who scored four times in SOC play and added a fifth in North’s 3-2, shootout loss to South in a postseason seeding match. Munyon, one of only two seniors on the Tornado roster this fall, admits she did feel the glare of the spotlight heading into her final prep campaign. "I felt a ton of pressure at the beginning of the year," she says. "Everybody kind of expected it all to happen. But expecting it and doing it are two different things." The fact that North earned a share of the SOC title despite injuries and inexperience is something Munyon will remember with pride. "It meant a ton," she says. "We could have just packed it in, especially after the KU loss (3-2 on Oct. 8). But we kept fighting." A 4.0 student who is considering a future in the health industry, Munyon harbors hopes of playing collegiate soccer but hasn’t been heavily recruited. Darcy, just off the completion of his seventh season in charge of the Tornado, is confident Munyon will be successful wherever she ends up. "She’s just one of a kind, and we’re gonna miss her," Darcy says. "As a coach, you’re fortunate enough to get one like her maybe once or twice in your career." First Team Player School Pos Yr Kelli Briggs Grants Pass MF Jr Jenna Fay Klamath D Jr Alissa Goslin Eagle Point MF Jr Brianne Hackett* Klamath F Sr Sarah LaFontaine Crater F Jr Whitney Major North Med. D Jr Chesney McHan Grants Pass D Jr Heidi Meador South Med. MF Sr Lisa Munyon* North Med. MF Sr Courtney Quinowski*South Med. D Jr Kasidy Reina Crater F Jr Caitlin Seeley North Med. GK So Stacey Shaw Crater D Sr Emily Smith South Med. MF Sr Amber Stevens South Med. F Jr * — denotes unanimous selection Player of the year — Lisa Munyon, North Medford. Coach of the year — Gerrin DeGroot, Klamath Union. Second Team Player School Pos Yr Brandy Bocchi Klamath MF Sr Marri Coen Roseburg MF Sr Kadi Driver North Med. MF Jr Claire Edwards Klamath F So Carli Godard Roseburg F So Vali Groshong Roseburg D So Emily Hanson North Med. D So Lindsay Huey South Med. D Sr Emma McConnell South Med. MF So Laura Newton Ashland D So Jennifer Standifer North Med. D So Patina Taylor Grants Pass MF Jr Tawnie Taylor Klamath GK So Nicole Vilarino North Med. F Jr Honorable Mention Kali Caleb, Klamath Union, D, Sr; Katie Lamont, Grants Pass, MF, Jr; Cassondra McDonnell, Klamath Union, D, So; Liz Meyerding, South Medford, MF, Sr; Jakki Pilcher, Grants Pass, F, Jr; Danya Rose-Merkle, Ashland, F, Jr; Amanda Steiger, South Medford, GK, Jr; Jessica Stoner, Crater, D, Jr; Christine Tacha, North Medford, MF, So; Katelyn VanBrunt, Grants Pass, D, So. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S