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Lucas gets a kick out of award Eagle Point star named top player in SOC girls soccer By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN She was a record-setting scorer in four seasons for the Eagle Point Eagles, and senior forward Stephanie Lucas left her imprint as a prolific producer once again after concluding her four-year prep soccer career a few weeks ago. Lucas won her second consecutive Southern Oregon Conference scoring title in 1999, helping her secure a second straight selection as SOC player of the year. "I feel really good about how I played this year," says Lucas, who scored 98 career goals and is a three-time first-team SOC pick. "My job here was to score, and I knew I had to do that for us to have a chance to win since we didn't have a lot of experienced players." Lucas scored 37 goals to go with her 32 as a junior in 1998, giving her a two-year run of 69. Despite carrying the scoring load for the Eagles (7-6-1, 2-5 SOC), Lucas also had 26 career assists, displaying solid team-play qualities as well. "She's a fabulous soccer player, and I'm going to miss her a lot," says Eagle Point coach Tim Sweeney. "It won't be the same around here without her, but I'm still planning to come back and coach again even though she will be gone. "It's going to be very tough replacing her. In fact, it can't be done, really, but we'll do the best we can." Grants Pass coach Hector Cruz, named SOC coach of the year, says Lucas is one of the best female high school players he has seen. "I'm a coach who believes being a senior has nothing to do with who gets Most Valuable Player of a league," says Cruz. "I voted for Stephanie when she was a freshman because I liked how she played and how much she meant to her team. "Four years later, I feel the same way about her. She's an inspiration to her team and to opponents. She's a tenacious, great player. "She can be selfish when her team needs her to be, or a generous teammate at other times." Lucas set conference and school records for goals in a match when she slammed home six in a 10-1 win over Del Norte of Crescent City, Calif., earlier this season. "It was one of those games when the ball was coming to me in the right places," says Lucas, who was able to capitalize on her quickness and ability to ram in hard shots with either leg. "I guess that game was the highlight for me." Another highlight came during Eagle Point's 2-1 SOC win over Grants Pass. The Cavers peppered the Eagles with shot after shot, but Lucas got off two of her team's three shots in an effort to counter. Fortunately for Eagle Point, they both went in to pave the way for a rare SOC win for the newest of the league's programs. "It was our biggest win," says Lucas. "I wanted that win so badly I went back and played defense during the last 12 minutes. They weren't going to get anything past me at that point." Lucas will take her talents to Oregon State next fall after recently signing a letter of intent to play for the Beavers. "I'm looking forward to playing for (the Beavers) and getting a chance to do more than just score," says Lucas. "I'd like to do more." Four members of North Medford's SOC co-champion team were named to the first team. They were forward Tennille Bennett, midfielder Katie Grace, midfielder Katie Longan and defender Jamie MacLauchlan. Named to the first team from South Medford's co-champion squad were midfielder Marissa Gillingham and sweeper Kathleen Narus. Other first-team selections in balloting by the SOC coaches were junior goalkeeper Alicia Pilcher of Grants Pass; junior midfielder Sara Schaaf of Klamath Union; junior forward Rachel Stribling of Roseburg; junior defender Jeannelle Thompson of Grants Pass; and senior defender Valerie VanBuren of Klamath Union. FIRST TEAM Tennille Bennett, North Medford, forward, Sr.; Marissa Gillingham, South Medford, midfielder, Sr.; Katie Grace, North Medford, midfielder, Sr.; Heather Johnson, North Medford, forward, Sr.; Katie Longan, North Medford, midfielder, Sr.; Stephanie Lucas, Eagle Point, forward, Sr.; Jamie MacLauchlan, North Medford, defender, Sr.; Kathleen Narus, South Medford, defender, Sr.; Alicia Pilcher, Grants Pass, goalkeeper, Jr.; Sara Schaaf, Klamath Union, Jr.; Rachel Stribling, Roseburg, forward, Jr.; Jeannelle Thompson, Grants Pass, defender, Sr.; Valerie VanBuren, Klamath Union, defender, Sr. SECOND TEAM Bethanie Bryant, North Medford, defender, Sr.; Jessica Bullen, Ashland, midfielder, Jr.; Sarah Davison, Klamath Union, midfielder, Jr.; Becky Dorshier, Crater, midfielder, Jr.; Stacie Feetham, Grants Pass, So.; Abby Fowler, South Medford, defender, Jr.; Hedda Gardsjord, Roseburg, forward, Sr.; Sam Gilbert, Klamath Union, forward, Jr.; Erin Goodell, Roseburg, midfielder, Jr.; Shasta Hartman, Roseburg, defender, Sr.; Tiffany Mason, South Medford, forward, Sr.; Kirsten McNaught, Ashland, forward, Sr.; Hawley Puett, North Medford, goalkeeper, Sr.; Noel Reed, South Medford, defender, Jr. HONORABLE MENTION Tiffany Cherry, Eagle Point, goalkeeper, Jr.; Natasha Crook, Grants Pass, forward, So.; Morgan Downie, Roseburg, midfielder, So.; Heather Fossen, South Medford, goalkeeper, Jr.; Lindsay Huyett, Ashland, forward, Jr.; Alison Klingel, Grants Pass, midfielder, So.; Dylan St. Clair-Bates, Ashland, defender; Kathy Thiebes, North Medford, defender, Sr.; Becky Wolf, Grants Pass, defender, Sr. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.