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SUNNY Temp: 41 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 28, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend October 6, 2002 South Medford goalkeeper Geordan Neville, center, blocks a shot attempt by Klamath Union�s Ricardo Guerrero, left, as South Medford defender Carson Sheaffer comes in to assist. Guerrero was held scoreless by the Panthers. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Panthers KO Klamath Union South Medford holds off another conference powerhouse to stay perfect in the SOC By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune Attractive soccer took a back seat to effective soccer Saturday at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park. Despite fits of sloppiness, the South Medford boys warded off Klamath Union, 2-1, to secure first place outright in the Southern Oregon Conference. Spencer Hunter’s 36th-minute strike off a David Lane dead-ball assist proved the match-winner as the Panthers (8-1-1 overall) jumped to 3-0 in the SOC. After junior forward Corey O’Neill drew a foul near the top of the Pelicans’ penalty box, Lane, a senior left midfielder, and Hunter, a junior sweeper, converged on the ball. Lane slipped a quick pass to the right, and Hunter fired a low, hard, right-footed skimmer past KU’s wall. Pelicans junior goalkeeper Jose Ortega didn’t have much of a chance diving to his right, and the shot nestled into the far-post netting. "(Free kicks) are really the only time I get a chance to go forward," said Hunter, who now has four goals this fall as South’s lone returning defensive starter from a year ago. "We have different set plays for different situations. It depends on what the defense looks like. Right away, we saw that the wall was taking too much time to set up." The Panthers’ first goal was also off a set play, a 22nd-minute corner kick. Senior defensive central midfielder Daniel Potter sent the corner to the backside, where senior midfielder Ray Chirgwin won the header, sending the ball back across the goal mouth. In keeping with his reputation, senior forward Ryan Wallenberg had himself in the right place at the right time, and his header beat Ortega to the keeper’s right. "They’re big in the air," said second-year KU head coach Marty Ledgerwood, whose team is now 7-3 overall and 2-1 in the SOC after losing 10 seniors from last year’s conference champion and state runner-up team. "And I’ve found through the years that the team that wins the air battle usually wins the match." The Pelicans, who suffered a 5-2 non-conference loss to South in Klamath Falls on Sept. 10, had generated a 1-0 edge in the 15th minute. After star senior forward Ricardo Guerrero earned a corner kick with good work down the right side, KU was able to re-enter the ball following an initial corner clearance. Freshman forward Seth Hughes flicked a header to the left edge of the penalty box, and senior central midfielder Tyler Casey blasted a left-foot shot past Panthers junior goalkeeper Geordan Neville from about 18 yards out. The score marked the culmination of a promising start for the Pelicans. "We definitely had the upper hand in the first 20 minutes," said Casey, who is one of just three starters back from KU’s 2001 team. For Ledgerwood, a 1993 KU graduate, the early Pelican goal and South response were all too familiar. "That’s been the story of this whole rivalry," Ledgerwood said. "Every time we play South, it seems like we get the lead, then they come back." KU did have chances to tie in the second half, particularly in the opening minutes. Senior central midfielder Zach Tucker snuck through the Panther defense when Hughes chested down a long Pelican goal kick, but Tucker’s one-on-one with Neville was punched wide by the South keeper. A few minutes later, senior sweeper Jon Fay drove a free kick into the Panther box, and Tucker’s flick was deflected by Neville before Guerrero’s close-range shot whistled over the crossbar. "The opportunities were there," Ledgerwood said. South controlled much of the rest of the half, but it couldn’t complete any of a number of golden scoring chances. "It wasn’t as pretty as I was hoping it would be, but when we needed a goal, we got it," said Panthers head coach Dave Potter, who appears headed for a third conference title in his five seasons guiding South. "We had moments of really, really good play, but it came and went." In holding Guerrero scoreless, the Panthers accomplished something no other KU opponent has this season. The 5-foot-8, 145-pounder entered the match with 16 goals, and left the field — albeit 15 minutes early because of a shin injury — with the same total. "(Senior fullback) Jason Matthews was my marker of choice on Guerrero, and he’s been up to the task all year," said Potter, whose squad did a similar standout job in shutting down Ashland playmaker Matt Sharp last week. "And Daniel Potter and Josh Williams were in front of Guerrero, cutting off balls from the midfield. (Guerrero) had to go out and work a lot harder to get the ball than he’s used to. To his credit, he did it, but we were able to contain him, for the most part." The Panthers posted a 17-8 edge in shots, including 12-3 in the second half. Four South opportunities required saves, while KU forced three Neville rescues. The Pelicans committed 17 fouls to the Panthers’ eight, and South earned four corner kicks to KU’s three. "I don’t think we played that well," Hunter said. "But we did play well enough to win." Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S