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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 26, 2005 North Medford�s Shauna Spano, left, and Irene Kendig celebrate a goal during the Black Tornado�s 3-1 girls soccer triumph over rival South Medford on Tuesday at Spiegelberg Stadium. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Tornado sweeps up title North Medford girls complete clean sweep of SOC with 3-1 victory over South Medford By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune The Southern Oregon Conference girls soccer title once again came down to an all-Medford affair Tuesday at Spiegelberg Stadium. And, for the second straight season, it was North Medford that got the better of cross-town rival South Medford as the regular season came to an end. Caitlin Engle scored a pair of goals and Irene Kendig added another as the fifth-ranked Black Tornado clinched its eighth SOC crown in 10 seasons with a 3-1 victory. North (14-0) wrapped up its first unbeaten league campaign since 2001 and became the first SOC team to run the table since the league adapted a 14-game, round-robin schedule last season. The Black Tornado will host the No. 4 team from either the Portland Interscholastic League or Mount Hood Conference on Nov. 5 in a first-round state-playoff game. The Panthers (12-2) take the SOC’s No. 2 seed on the road against the second seed from the Three Rivers League on Nov. 5. Advertisement The Black Tornado returned only four seniors and was picked to finish in a second-place tie in a preseason SOC coaches poll. But Engle and the rest of her teammates never bought in to the predictions. "This feels really good," she said. "Everyone thought that our team was too young, but we knew we could do it. We just stuck it out." North Medford coach Dick Darcy expressed similar sentiments. "The girls just matured over the course of the season," said the 10th-year coach. "Skill-wise, I’ve had better teams. But heart-wise, I’ve never had a team that played with more heart than this bunch. "This team just doesn’t give up." Engle made sure of that in the first half. The junior defender lined up a direct kick from about 30 yards out and punched a left-footed blast over goalkeeper Bre Reordan’s head for a 1-0 lead at the half. "Finally," Engle said. "I’ve been taking DKs all year and that was the first one I’ve made." North pushed the lead to 2-0 in the 55th minute when senior midfielder Shauna Spano maneuvered into the left corner and crossed into the zone for Kendig, who deposited the timely pass into the open right corner of the net. Engle’s second direct kick in the 66th again found open net for a 3-0 lead. The shot, which came against a strong head wind, appeared to fool Reordan into thinking the attempt was sailing high and wide but instead slowed in the breeze and dropped into the upper right corner. South Medford senior Hali Fyre broke up the shutout with a goal in the final minute. The outcome, however, was sealed with the third North Medford score. "I think in some areas, North Medford is just better," said Panther senior defender Carly Miller-Werben. "They got that last goal at the end and we fell apart. "We just have to get over this game and put our focus on the playoffs." South Medford wasn’t without opportunities. The Black Tornado held a 14-12 edge in shots on goal, but the Panthers had three point-blank shots go awry. South attempted to score the equalizer in the 20th minute when sophomore forward Damiann Compher was fouled in the goal box. Courtney Jung lined up for the ensuing penalty kick and appeared to have North keeper Megan Ross leaning to her right. Jung’s shot, though, sailed wide right of the net to keep the Panthers scoreless. Jessica Janes and Kendall Gallop had open, one-on-one attempts in the second half that also missed wide for South. "The thing is, we definitely had some opportunities," said first-year South Medford coach Terry Fretz, "but we couldn’t finish our opportunities and North did. That’s how the game is sometimes." South Medford played without senior midfielder Samantha Matthews, who is out for the remainder of the season after injuring her right knee in a victory over Crater on Saturday. The Panthers got another scare Tuesday when forward Chelsie O’Neill went down holding her right leg. The junior, who had already missed the majority of the season while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her left knee, was helped off the field, but the injury didn’t appear to be serious, said Fretz. "(Matthews) was an integral part of our team," Fretz said. "Even without her, we did a good job in the middle. "I thought North Medford defensively was very good, especially their back four." "It wasn’t so much we were outplayed," he added. "It’s just that they scored when they had the chance and we didn’t. "Now we start the big part of the season." Darcy felt the grueling SOC campaign will only help once the postseason begins. "This (win) is a great way for us to close out," Darcy said. "We had a number of close games in conference that will only make us better suited for the playoffs." Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail Tornado sweeps up title ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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