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Corbin's goal is all South needs to get past gritty South Eugene by KRIS HENRY of the Mail Tribune Like any freshman, Kelsey Corbin is still learning her way around South Medford High. Unfamiliar hallways and classrooms have a way of making the youngest at a school feel slightly out of place. Outside that environment, however, Corbin is more than at home for the South Medford girls soccer team. Playing in only her third varsity game, Corbin made the most of her time Friday afternoon in helping lead the Panthers to a 1-0 victory over a gritty South Eugene squad at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park. After a scoreless first half, the Panthers (2-0-1) broke loose two minutes into the second half as Liz Meyerding slipped a through ball past the South Eugene (1-1) defense. With senior goalkeeper Amy Johnson bearing down on the loose ball, Corbin took charge. Deftly tapping the ball to the right, Corbin hurdled Johnson, took another step and curled a right-footed shot just inside the near post for the game's only score. "I kind of tripped over the goalie, but I kept my balance and luckily it went in," Corbin said of the game-winner. "I was just really thankful that I made the shot. I think everybody would have been pretty mad if I had missed that one. That was pretty cool." Not nearly as cool as Corbin on the play, according to South Medford's Katie Casebeer. "That was amazing," said the senior. "She showed great composure right there, especially for a freshman." The win marked the first time in Casebeer's four years at South that her squad came out on the winning side against the Axemen. The game also indicated the Panthers are getting closer to their comfort zone on the field. "I was really proud of our effort today," said Casebeer. "We really stepped it up and played a lot more physical. Our last game kind of scared me because we weren't playing so hot, but we played real well today. We're still working it all out, but I like the way things are shaping up." South Medford coach Buzz Thielemann has made it a point to move players in and out of the lineup, testing each position to find the right mix. On Friday, several players showed Thielemann what he needed to see as the Panthers prepare for their conference schedule. "We flirted with our potential today," he said. "We lost some very significant playmakers from last year, and I think we found some today." The exciting thing for Thielemann is the new group of playmakers comes in all ages and positions. "Kelsey Corbin is a freshman, but she has the composure under pressure of a senior player," he said. "We just had a lot of fantastic individual efforts today." Whitney Grant dominated at her midfield spot on the left side, while Krista Lane controlled the defense from her stopper spot. Sisters Brittany and Courtney Quinowski also made their presence felt on the defensive side, with Brittany doing an admirable job in slowing down South Eugene's top offensive threat, Kim Weaver. "Brittany played on the defensive side of the ball last year, but we wanted to see what she could do at the other positions," Thielemann said of the senior's role in the first half. "But when we moved her back to defense, she really showed she was at home there. She played really well." One inadvertent move by Thielemann's crew, however, left a slight asterisk on Friday's outcome. Although it went unseen by the game's referee and South Eugene coach Mahlon Findtner, South Medford played the opening few minutes of the second half with 12 players - one more than allowed. It was in that time that Corbin broke free for her goal. Findtner questioned the referee following the game on whether there were 12 players on the field for the Panthers. The referee didn't see the infraction and said the Panthers were legal. "It's not an issue," said Findtner. "It's fair and square. They scored a goal, and we couldn't get ours in." The way the game opened, South Eugene had the look of a team destined to put a handful of shots in the net. The Axemen displayed excellent touch with their passes, and Weaver routinely used a circling left-footed shot to test Panther goalkeeper Sarah Bryan. "It was a good lesson for us to be in a game like this," said Findtner. "(South Medford) played very well. They kept us out of the goal initially by doing a good job defensively and then took advantage of their opportunities, and we didn't. It was a classic 1-0 game." South Medford outshot South Eugene, 18-12, with nine of the Axemen's attempts coming in the first half. Through it all, Bryan more than held her own. "She made no mistakes, that's the thing I saw," Thielemann said. "When she had to be there, she was there." That summary could go for all the Panthers, who don't count on one player but instead expect a different player to step up each game. "We have a lot of really talented people," said Corbin. "I'm just glad I could help out today." Now if only something could be done about those hallways. 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.