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North girls continue playoff march " Photo by Jim Craven North Medford's Kathy Thiebes (10) and Redmond's Rebecca O'Connell collide during their soccer state playoff match Tuesday. Win 4-0; next up is No. 1 Jesuit By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN With injured senior forward Lu Crenshaw grounded, North Medford High's girls soccer team needed an emotional lift. It took awhile, but junior forward Tennille Bennett finally delivered the spark the Black Tornado needed to defeat Redmond, 4-0, in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs Tuesday at District Field. Bennett kicked in two goals and junior midfielder Heather Johnson dished out two assists to lead North. Crenshaw didn't play after re-injuring her right ankle last Saturday in a first-round triumph over South Eugene. With Tuesday's win, North advances to the quarterfinals on Saturday against top-rated Jesuit at Tualatin Hills Sports Complex in Beaverton. Crenshaw is expected to return for that game, said Tornado coach Dick Darcy. "We've played and won without Lu (Crenshaw) before, and we knew we could do it again," said Bennett, who opened the scoring for North with a rebound goal after the ball caromed off Redmond goalkeeper Pam Long. Johnson delivered the assist on a cross from the right side of the field. Long bobbled the ball, giving Bennett just enough time to step in and finish off the shot midway through the first half. "Heather kicked it in pretty high, and it went off their goalkeeper (Long) and bounced to the ground," said Bennett. "It came right at me, and I followed it." The Black Tornado took a 2-0 lead in the last minute of the half on a goal by Bethanie Bryant. Freshman Julia Clark took the ball up the right sideline and crossed a pass to Bennett at the far post. Bennett then crossed the ball to Bryant, who kicked it into the net from 15 yards out. Leading 2-0 at halftime, the Black Tornado surged to a commanding 3-0 lead when Julia Clark scored on an assist by Johnson. "I told Julia, `You're going to get one (a goal)' about two minutes before," said Johnson. "I wanted her to get a goal. I could feel it coming." Johnson also wasn't surprised to see Bennett, North's leading scorer, score off her assist. Bennett scored the final goal 23 minutes, 41 seconds into the second half. "Tennille has always been there for us," said Johnson. "You can count on her, but we have confidence in all our forwards. "That's why we weren't that worried when we knew Lu wasn't going to play today." Crenshaw says she plans to put a brace on her injured ankle and play against Jesuit. The Tornado lost to the Crusaders, 5-1, earlier in the season. "It's my senior year," said Crenshaw. "I'll put a brace on it and tape it up. I know I'll have to play in a lot of pain, but it's worth it." Darcy says Crenshaw couldn't stand missing out on a chance to knock off the No. 1 team in the state in the quarterfinals. "She knows we need her," he said. "Pain won't stop her." Against Redmond, North had 22 shots on goal to two for Redmond. Denali Tice of the Tornado lost what appeared to be a sure goal in the second half when Long dove to her left to make a one-handed save. Tice kicked the ball hard from approximately 15 yards out. Long was credited with nine saves as North peppered the goal area with shots all day. Darcy praised the play of North defender Jamie MacLauchlan and Bryant, a fullback. "Jamie is so consistent," said Darcy. "Defenders don't usually get the credit that scorers do, but she deserves it. She's a heck of a defender. Not much gets past her. "Bethanie is a little mite (5-foot-5), but she's so good on her tackling, it's amazing. She's tough. She tackles as well as anybody I've had." Darcy also was pleased with the play of fullback Kathy Thiebes. "She had a very good game," he said. "She covered her position, and did her job of not letting people get past her." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,