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SUNNY Temp: 41 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Monday, October 14, 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 September 29, 2002 South Medford�s Spencer Hunter, left, works the ball against Ashland�s Rick Ferguson in Saturday�s game at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman South wins battle of SOC titans In a match that could well determine the conference champion, the Panthers prevail over the Grizzlies By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune A little more quickness, a bit better composure, a smidgen more desire, a tad better execution and one more goal. It was the little things that made all the difference for the South Medford boys soccer team Saturday, as the Panthers beat Ashland, 2-1, at Fichtner- Mainwaring Park. Daniel Hathaway’s goal in the 41st minute — the opening minute of the second half — gave South a 2-0 lead at the time and proved to be the game-winner. "It all started with Dave Lane, who worked and won the ball down the (left) flank," said Hathaway, a senior central midfielder. "Then he made a quick pass to Corey (O’Neill). Corey usually has had a habit of taking the ball and trying to force it toward goal, but he hesitated to compose himself, turned and saw me. I saw an opening around the far post, and I just curved my run and he passed it in." The one-time, left-instep volley that smoked past Grizzlies junior goalkeeper Tony Laughlin marked Hathaway’s fifth goal of the season. "I ran from probably about midfield," said Hathaway, who estimated he was 10-12 yards out when he finished the cross. "I made a couple of those runs, and finally, one came to me." The match was billed as a clash of the Southern Oregon Conference’s titans, and the two teams delivered in front of a sideline full of sun-baked spectators. The result marked the third straight year the Panthers (7-1-1 overall, 2-0 SOC) have emerged with a one-goal victory over their southern rivals. "It was everything I expected it to be," said South head coach Dave Potter, whose team is ranked seventh in the Class 4A poll and was a slim favorite over Ashland (4-1, 1-1) in the preseason SOC coaches poll. "You live for these games. This is what high school soccer should be as often as possible. And it was fun." The Panthers’ game plan was to limit service to and touches for Grizzlies playmaker Matt Sharp, and they were largely successful, minus a few early breakdowns, on both attempts. Sharp, who started as a withdrawn central forward before pulling back to the central midfield, had defenders on his back and roaming the passing lanes in front of him throughout the match. "That was frustrating," said Sharp, a first-team all-SOC selection last fall. "It’s part of the game, though — the better teams are gonna do that. ... South is a smart team. They know how to beat other teams, how to isolate their opponents’ weaknesses and take advantage of it." Potter used a squadron of defenders on Sharp, including central midfielders Daniel Potter and Josh Williams and marking fullbacks Jason Matthews, Eric Rubey and Carson Sheaffer. Protecting a one-goal lead the last 20 minutes, the fifth-year head coach had senior co-captain Ryan Wallenberg, who played most of the way at forward, shadow Sharp. "You don’t stop Matt Sharp," Dave Potter said. "You don’t shut him down. But you have to negate some of the impact he’s gonna have on a game. ... His job is to control passing lanes from his position. And there were times when I couldn’t find Matt as the ball was being delivered because Matt was behind Daniel and right behind Matt was a fullback. It was very effective." The younger Potter, who excels as the defensive-minded portion of a Panthers’ 3-5-2 system that features three central midfielders, roamed from sideline-to-sideline to deter service to Sharp. "My job was just to cut off the pass to him," said Daniel Potter, one of 11 South seniors. "We played with a lot of passion. We had a lot of heart. It just seemed like we wanted it so much." Ashland started off with the better play, getting two good chances on crosses to junior forward Rick Ferguson and then a rocket shot from senior left fullback Luis Paredes Alvardo on which Panthers sophomore goalkeeper Mike Belzberg was perfectly positioned and snared. But South responded by controlling the final 20 minutes of the first half. Senior right midfielder Jon Klenke’s high one-timer off an O’Neill pass, and junior Joel Connors’ one-on-one shot saved by Laughlin preceded the match’s first goal. In the 35th minute, junior sweeper Spencer Hunter drove a pass that ricocheted off a couple players and ended up with senior left midfielder Kelly King on the left side. King lofted a cross over Grizzly central defenders Brook Golling and Alex Christlieb, and Wallenberg redirected the ball past Laughlin into the left corner of the net. "I’ve been practicing the right shin shot," Wallenberg joked of his third goal of the fall to go with four assists. "Kelly put it over the guy’s head perfect, and I went up for it." One minute into the second half, the Panthers made it 2-0 on Hathaway’s finish, which many of the Ashland players felt should have been negated by an offside whistle. "We all thought their second goal was kind of controversial, but we can’t blame (the loss) on that, obviously," Sharp said. The Grizzlies staged a spirited comeback, pulling within one on Christlieb’s well-placed poke past Belzberg in the 58th minute. Christlieb slipped forward from his usual stopper spot, accepted a fine pass from sophomore right midfielder Roberto Ramos and pushed a right-footed shot into the right side of the net for his sixth score of the year. Ashland dominated possession throughout the remaining 22 minutes, but South played compact defense and allowed only one more shot, Christlieb’s left-footed try that Belzberg slid to save, to survive the charge. "It’s a little difficult on this field," said Christlieb, also a first-team all-conference choice last year, of the bumpy Fichtner- Mainwaring conditions. "But obviously, they pressured us really well. They came in ready to play, and they were just a little bit sharper today." The Panthers, who received a steady, composed performance from Hunter at the back of the defense, finished with a 13-8 edge in shots, requiring five Laughlin saves to Belzberg’s three. South committed 22 fouls to the Grizzlies’ 12, and both sides earned three corner kicks. As the statistics indicate, Ashland’s Eisa Tiaa Tutu said the Panthers competed with more aggressiveness and urgency. "They worked their buns off, and I think they knew full well that if we beat them, the conference would be ours," the fifth-year head coach said. "And if they beat us, the conference would be theirs. They were hungrier than we were." And it all amounted to a colossal victory for South, the eight-time and current king of the SOC. 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