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Phoenix girls put stamp on 4-0 state win By KRIS HENRY TALENT -- Look for the Phoenix girls soccer team to inquire about postal opportunities any day now. With wind gusts making it difficult to simply stand up and the threat of rain hovering over Hagler-James Park, the Pirates delivered in a big way by thumping Pleasant Hill, 4-0, Tuesday in the second round of the Class 3A/2A/1A state playoffs. Phoenix (12-1-2) cut through the windy conditions for a first-half goal, then rode the whipping air for three goals in the second half in advancing to face Philomath in Saturday's quarterfinals. Philomath edged La Salle 2-1 on Tuesday. "It was kind of hard because you couldn't judge where the ball would go," Phoenix co-captain Jennifer Bones said of the wind. "You didn't know when to run, and you couldn't really anticipate anything. It was crazy out there." What wasn't crazy was the way the Pirates performed despite the adverse weather. Phoenix kept its poise throughout the contest -- a fact that wasn't lost on coach Dan Sporrer. "The focus and intensity of our team was outstanding from the beginning to the end," said Sporrer. "They come to play, and they work hard for 80 minutes. I thought we were working as hard in the last few minutes as we were in the beginning of the ballgame." The Pirates missed a scoring chance early in the match, then withstood constant pressure by Pleasant Hill (9-5-1) until sophomore Helen Shorland broke the ice with a goal in the ninth minute. Bones sent a crossing pass to Shorland that got caught in the head wind but still found its way to Shorland, who redirected the ball into the top right corner of the net. "I think that first-half goal was a testament to their focus and persistence," Sporrer said. "They didn't get into kickball, they kept it on the ground with a nice combination play. They didn't give up on what got them here." Shorland's effort helped steady the Pirates' spirit throughout the first half as the wind hampered any other scoring effort by Phoenix and forced the Pirates to play defense for most of the opening 40 minutes. Undaunted by the constant Billies' attack, senior co-captain Tara Curtis denied shot after shot while teammates Chelsi Clark, Amber Fry, Jessica Prisbrey and Jessica Montgomery also helped shut down Pleasant Hill's scoring threats. "Our back four and our keeper did a tremendous job right from the get-go," said Sporrer. "(Pleasant Hill's) not an easy team to defend. They've got some big girls, and girls who can score goals." Bones got things going for Phoenix in the second half, scoring in the 70th minute off an assist by senior Courtney Lucas. Bones used her head to knock down Lucas' pass, then settled and wheeled a right-footed shot past Billies goalie Jamie Sogge. The goal came less than a minute after Bones barely missed a one-on-one scoring opportunity against Sogge. "After that last one, I really wanted to get one in, so I was really going for it," the senior said. The Billies tried to answer moments later, only to have Curtis deny Shana Hanson on another one-on-one. The Pirates then scored in the 74th minute and 80th minute off corner kicks by Annie Kulig. Kulig sent a perfect crossing shot from the right side to senior Hayley Young for a header to gain the first goal, then dropped in a shot of her own from the left side to cap the scoring. The Billies, meanwhile, faced especially tough odds considering Curtis was on her game from the opening kickoff. She either hauled in or punched out anything Pleasant Hill sent at her. "She's just so consistent for us," Sporrer said. "She comes off the line, covers a large area and her hands in the air are the best around. She's just smooth." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.