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Youth served in North triumph photo by Andrew Mariman By Greg Stiles They�re young, they make mistakes and they learn from them. With seven freshmen on the roster, North Medford�s girls soccer team hasn�t struck fear in opposing hearts this season. When the Black Tornado dropped its Southern Oregon Conference opener at Roseburg, the first loss to the Indians in 13 years, North�s stock fell further. But the Tornado was too young to let what could�ve been a mortal blow become more than a momentary setback. As intermittent sprinkles washed away the remnants of a warm fall Tuesday afternoon, the Tornado rose up and stuck a dagger in South Medford�s SOC title hopes with a 2-0 triumph on the North campus. North struck for a goal in the first four minutes and never allowed the preseason SOC favorite to find its stride as it improved to 3-1 in the SOC and 3-3-3 overall. It was also the Tornado�s fourth win in the past five meetings. South fell to 3-1 in conference and 5-5 overall. The teams are tied for second place with Grants Pass behind Klamath Union (4-0). "This was really a big deal for us, especially because we weren�t expected to win," said North junior sweeper Denali Tice, who repeatedly frustrated South�s offensive sorties. "Everybody thought this would be a struggle for us, so it�s been nice to turn things around. The second half was intense, but we were able to pull it out. This was a sweet victory." And a bitter pill for the Panthers, who also lost senior sweeper Kat Narus with a deep gash below her left knee that required a trip to the hospital for stitches. "Kat Narus is our emotional leader, and I think the highest-caliber sweeper in the conference," South coach Buzz Thielemann said. "I think it was more significant in how we played than the goal." If anyone figured the Panthers would run roughshod from the opening whistle, it didn�t take the Tornado long to dispel the notion. North had a half-dozen corner kicks but none was nearly as effective as the first launched by junior Julie Elbon. Her kick flew to the mouth of the goal and was knocked past a crowd to the far side, where freshman Kadi Driver knocked it the opposite direction. "I ran at it full speed and hit it with my body," Driver said. "The goalie went down for it, but it went to her left." Within 10 minutes, Narus had gone down and the Panthers� confidence ebbed quickly. "I don�t know how to say it," said Driver, "but it seemed like we caught them off guard. They said they were expecting to win 2-0, and I don�t know if they were ready for us." South had legitimate scoring opportunities, but a shot by Emily Perttu was corralled by North goalkeeper Holly Lilly, and second-half attempts by Lyndsey Hawk and Colleen Salisbury didn�t find the mark. "I think we dominated the second half," Thielemann said. "But the score didn�t reflect it. We had the opportunities, but we didn�t finish." The Tornado did as freshman twins Nicole and Kelly Vilarino combined for the final tally with 9� minutes remaining. Nicole Vilarino took the ball to the left corner, drove the end line and centered the ball as her sister came from the right side to tap the ball inside the near goal post. "I knew she was there," Nicole Vilarino said. "It�s something we try to do every game." As South desperately tried to find an opening, Tice consistently thwarted its efforts. North coach Dick Darcy was pleased by the effort and by his team�s poise. "Some of these girls have watched us play for years and finally got their chance," Darcy said. "It was amazing for them to play with the emotion they did." Darcy also praised juniors McKenzie Weiler and Lindsey Arkenburg and freshman Tiffany Blodgett for disrupting South�s offensive flow. And credit Darcy for imaginative motivation. Once, he offered to pierce his ear if the Tornado went unbeaten in conference play. The retired insurance man still wears the stud in his ear. After Tuesday�s win, Darcy will be polishing 17 sets of soccer shoes. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.