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Crew edges Fury for U-19 crown photo by Bob Pennell By Kris Henry Schools were closed Monday but that doesn�t necessarily mean class wasn�t in session. Finding a practical use for physics, members of the Rogue Valley Soccer Club�s U-19 Crew team showed what can happen when constant force is applied to an obstacle. The Crew, a premiere U-19 soccer team comprised of the top talents in Medford, leaned its mighty attack on the Fury from Reno, Nev., in Monday�s championship final in the Rogue Valley Cup. That force finally caught up to the Fury with 12 minutes to play as Scott Jolly earned a penalty kick for the Crew and Josh Neville deftly slipped a shot into the left corner of the goal to help his team claim a 1-0 victory at North Medford High. "We dominated the whole game but we just couldn�t finish today," said Neville. "We didn�t play our best but I guess it was enough." Neville�s shot at playing the game�s hero was set up by Jolly, who had his legs swept out from under him in the penalty box by the Fury�s Dan Dooley while jostling to get off a shot of his own. Jolly injured his shoulder on the play, leaving Neville to step up and take the penalty kick in his place. With a run at the ball suggesting his target was the right corner, Neville crossed up Fury goalkeeper Tim Dooley by driving a low shot inside the left corner for the game�s lone goal. "The credit goes toward (Jolly)," Neville said of the game-winner. "He worked his ass off to set that up." The only person working harder than the Crew forwards and midfielders on Monday was probably Fury goalkeeper Tim Dooley. He was peppered with shots and Crew rushes from the opening whistle and never flinched. "I kind of felt like we were dodging bullets there for a while," said Fury coach John Dooley, the older brother of Dan and Tim. "They had a lot of shots on goal. Tim really likes taking the shots but he doesn�t get a workout like that too often." Thanks to the midfield play of Neville and Corey Parks and the backline defense of Craig Tomlins, Cody George and Peter Staver, there wasn�t much pressure on Crew goalkeeper Kyle Hadley. "I haven�t had much to do all weekend," said Hadley, who allowed only one goal in the Crew�s five tournament wins. "I just let my defense do all the work." Hadley did thwart a couple of potential Fury attempts, but never had a shot on goal to test his mettle. He was able to help set up a handful of Crew attacks with booming drop-kicks from his own goal box. "I think Kyle had more assists in the tournament than shots on goal," said Tomlins. "He�s had two or three assists and that�s about as many shots on goal as we allowed this tournament." Crew forwards Tell Nelson, Jolly, Alex Casey, Babak Asgharian and Andrew Huycke provided the brunt of the pressure on Fury goalkeeper Tim Dooley, breaking down the defense for attack after attack but with no happy ending. Although a bit frustrated by the failed scoring efforts, the Crew players still managed to push forward knowing their time would eventually come. "It was just a matter of time before we scored," said Tomlins. "From the first minute we were knocking on their door, so we were ready to go the whole game. It was just a matter of time before we got a break." Helping thwart the Crew was a goal box full of Fury players as the Reno team dropped deep into its own zone. "They jammed the box full of people the whole game so we had no room to maneuver around in the middle," said Hadley. That room was finally created by Jolly, who didn�t even get to enjoy the moment due to his injury. He was led off the field and was at the trainers before Neville stepped into the spotlight. For the Fury, the trip up to Medford ended on a sour note but certainly didn�t diminish what the Reno team had accomplished at the Cup. The Fury won all four of its games heading into Monday�s final. "To lose it on a PK is frustrating but it happens," said Fury coach John Dooley. "I don�t want to take anything from (the Crew) though. They�re outstanding. "With a hometown crowd and that much support, that�s just awesome and a lot to stack up against. We had a good time up here (in Medford)." Next up for the Crew will be the Regional Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. on June 24-30. Although the competition will be much greater in New Mexico, Tomlins said his team got what it wanted out of the Cup. "This was a good tournament for us," he said. "Probably the best part was it got us five full games in three days. That got us conditioned for the Regionals." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.