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SUNNY Temp: 64 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, October 5, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection 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 Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 28, 2003 Crater's Jessica Wasniewski, center, goes all out to deny North Medford's Emily Hanson the ball at Hoffbuhr Field. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Head over heels Nicole Vilarino’s header helps lift North past Crater in key SOC contest By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune With depth like this, who needs a superstar? Not the North Medford girls soccer team, which posted its second straight impressive victory to open the Southern Oregon Conference season Saturday afternoon at Hoffbuhr Field. Armed with what eighth-year head coach Dick Darcy calls the deepest roster he’s had, the Black Tornado came at Crater in waves and kept high-scoring Comet stars Sarah LaFontaine and Kasidy Reina contained. The result was a 3-0 win that lifts North (6-2-1) to 2-0 in the SOC and drops Crater (6-2) to 0-2. Advertisement "I’m proud of the girls," said Darcy, who has missed earning at least a share of the league championship just once during his Tornado tenure. "They were a little nervous early because I changed up the formation a little bit and they weren’t in their comfort zone. But once they saw how it would work, they settled down and played well." North focused two defenders on surrounding LaFontaine, with one constantly on the Comets’ senior forward/midfielder and another always waiting nearby in support. Reina, a senior forward, was closely marked by a single defender. "We changed the formation around to compensate for Sarah’s ability," said Darcy, who relied on senior Karen Thiebes and juniors Amber Wihtol, Emily Hanson and Christine Tacha to make the defensive adjustments work. Offensively, the Tornado did all its damage on set pieces. Midway through the first half, sophomore outside midfielder Emily Gross and senior forward Nicole Vilarino made a connection that is becoming commonplace. After combining for two similar goals in Tuesday’s 6-1 win at Klamath Union, Gross’ perfectly placed corner kick lofted over Crater senior goalkeeper Somer Adams to Vilarino, who headed it home and followed the ball into the net. "Dick tells us to not let it touch the ground, and that’s what I try to do," said Vilarino, who, despite her 5-foot-2 stature, now has three header goals in two matches. "(Gross) and I, we’ve got a sequence going." Darcy said Vilarino, one of nine seniors on his 19-girl roster, has learned the virtues of using her head. "In practice, when she has to head the ball, she whines and complains," Darcy said. "But get her in the game, and she does it. I asked her after the goal, ‘Now, did that hurt?’ And she said, ‘No.’" North extended to a 2-0 edge just before halftime. A Comets foul about 35 yards from their goal set up a direct kick for the Tornado. Wihtol stepped up and took Darcy’s advice, drilling a right-footed shot that may have surprised Adams, who was at the near post in anticipation of a probable cross. From the right side of the goal, Wihtol’s drive found the net over a backpedaling Adams. "My coach told me, ‘Go for it,’ so I did," said Wihtol, who is listed as a forward but played primarily defense in shadowing LaFontaine on Saturday. "I was so excited. It was nice, and it put us up 2-0, which is always much better than 1-0." North completed its scoring midway through the second half, and Wihtol was again instrumental. A Crater foul on the Tornado’s left sideline preceded Wihtol’s 40-yard drive that was misplayed by Adams at the near post. Freshman central midfielder Justine Lawson crashed in on the rebound and muscled the ball across the goal line. The Comets controlled the majority of possession the rest of the way but were still shut out for the second straight match. When the match was still scoreless in the early going, Reina, a returning first-team all-conference performer, struck a right-footed laser that zipped just above the cross bar. She had accepted a pass from LaFontaine, playing in the midfield at the time, on the play. Reina unloaded two other shots in the match, but both left-footed attempts — one in the first half, one in the second — rolled weakly to Caitlin Seeley, North’s junior goalkeeper. LaFontaine, who is considered by most the best player in the SOC, was limited to a deep chip that sailed over the goal late in the first half and a bending free kick that Seeley saved at the near post late in the second. "(LaFontaine) played a lot of midfield to try to get the ball," said Terry Fretz, Crater’s fifth-year head coach. "They paid a lot of attention to her. No one player can slow her down. They did it as a team." Outshot 13-8 and on the short end of a 5-1 corner-kick tally, the Comets did give Fretz something to build on with their ability to keep possession. "The set plays, they executed real well, and that killed us," Fretz said. "But if you look at the actual soccer played, we outplayed them. ... Where we lost it was that last pass." 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 Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times