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North girls pick prime time to top Axemen By DAVE DAUGHERTY for the Mail TribuneFor some reason, South Eugene has been a mountain the North Medford girls soccer team just couldn't quite climb. But on Saturday the Black Tornado finally got over the hump, beating the Axemen 3-1 at District Field in Class 4A state playoff action. The victory earns North, the No. 1 seed from the Southern Oregon Conference, another home playoff game -- a date with Intermountain Conference foe Redmond Tuesday at 2 p.m. at District Field. "It was a relief to get by this team (South Eugene)," said North Medford coach Dick Darcy, whose club improved to 14-2-1 on the year. "We hadn't gotten by this team the past two years. This was our fourth attempt and we're happy to get out of it." Earlier this season, North watched a victory slip through its grasp when South Eugene scored a late goal to earn a 3-3 non-league tie. But Saturday was another story as forwards Tennille Bennett and Lu Crenshaw continued to work their scoring magic. The opportunistic Crenshaw ignited a tentative North first-half attack, picking up a loose ball that South Eugene keeper Tilden Keller misplayed after a slight collision with a North player. Crenshaw deposited the ball into the top-right corner of the net for her 14th goal of the year and a 1-0 lead. South Eugene (9-4-2) answered back quickly, tying the score when defender Erica Kilbourne gathered a corner kick and booted it by Tornado keeper Holly Lilly for the equalizer. The two teams traded physical play on the soggy field for the balance of the first half until Bennett took a cross from Crenshaw, spun to her right and beat Keller to the left corner of the goal for a 2-1 lead with seconds remaining in the half. "We started playing well with about 5-10 minutes left in the half," said Darcy. "We put things together in the second half and went back into our regular formations after we mixed things up." Clinging to its one-goal lead in the second half, North watched in horror when Crenshaw went down with a recurring ankle injury that forced her to miss the rest of the match. "It scares the hell out of you," said Darcy of watching Crenshaw writhe in pain on the turf. "I had a sickening feeling because something like that can be such an emotional thing." But just when things could have turned sour for North, the Tornado girls dropped the axe on South Eugene. Emily Schuler chipped a left-footed shot from just outside the right corner of the penalty area that freshman McKenzie Weiler appeared to redirect into the net for the decisive third goal. "When you're only one goal up anything can happen," said Bennett. "But when we got that third goal it was a good feeling because I really had to step up my play when Lu went out of the game." After Crenshaw was carried off the field, it was Bennett and midfielder Heather Johnson who controlled play, keeping the ball in the South Eugene half of the field for most of the second half. Bennett barely missed her second goal of the day when Keller made a solid save from point-blank range, while Johnson had a header sail wide left. "It was hard for us to pass through and penetrate," South Eugene coach Mahlon Findtner said. "We had our opportunities, but not the best of opportunities. The breaks just didn't go our way." Part of the reason for the Axemen's woes was a stingy North defense led by Lilly, who has been pressed into service due to the absence of starting keeper Hawley Puett. Lilly didn't have to make many tough saves, but her steady play in the goal mouth and in the penalty area lent a steadying influence. "She (Lilly) has had to step in under pressure and she's done a great job," said Darcy. "She's still learning, but she'll be all right. She sorted things out and did the job." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,