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Kicking off the season photo by Drew Fleming South girls want more of same with new coach By Greg Stiles New coach, new approach, same result. That�s what South Medford is banking on as Buzz Thielemann takes over a program that has been in the upper echelon of Southern Oregon Conference girls soccer for the past eight years, compiling a 75-9 league record while winning or sharing six championships. The Panthers have made eight straight trips to the Class 4A playoffs and their seven playoff wins top the SOC. Thielemann has coached for 17 years in Washington and in the Rogue Valley. Most of his experience has been as an assistant in the North Medford boys program. SOC Coaches� Poll 1. South Medford (6)...................47 2. North Medford........................36 3. Ashland (1).............................35 4. Klamath Union .......................32 5. Roseburg (1)...........................30 6. Grants Pass............................21 7. Crater......................................14 8. Eagle Point...............................9 Past SOC Champions 1985 � Klamath Union 1987 � Ashland (9-1) 1988 � Klamath Union (12-0) 1989 � Mazama (7-0-1) 1990 � Klamath Union (7-0) 1991 � North Medford (8-1), Mazama (8-1) 1992 � South Medford (11-1) 1993 � South Medford (14-0) 1994 � South Medford (12-2) 1995 � South Medford (12-2) 1996 � North Medford (8-0) 1997 � North Medford (8-0) 1998 � South Medford (6-1), North Medford (6-1) 1999 � South Medford (6-1), North Medford (6-1) 1999 Final Standings 1. South Medford (6-1) 2. North Medford (6-1) 3. Roseburg (5-2) 4. Grants Pass (4-3) 5. Klamath Union (3-4) 6. Ashland (2-5) 7. Eagle Point (2-5) 8. Crater (0-7) Noteworthy Klamath Union senior halfback Sara Schaaf, the Class 4A state 400-meter champion in track, is now splitting time between soccer and cross country. Ashland�s Iman Siadat is the lone new face in the SOC head-coaching ranks. Siadat is from Connecticut, where he played minor league soccer for the Connecticut Wolves of the A League. He also coached at Connecticut State. South Medford lost senior goalkeeper Heather Fossen to a knee injury during a summer basketball camp in Southern California The Crater Comets were winless in the SOC and 1-12-1 overall. However, Crater enters league play with a 5-1 record � best in the conference. SOC In 1999 Playoffs First round � Gresham defeated Grants Pass, 1-0. Second round � South Salem defeated South Medford, 1-0; North Medford defeated North Eugene, 3-1; Lakeridge defeated Roseburg, 2-0. Third round � Crescent Valley defeated North Medford, 3-2. So when Leslie Lang resigned after two seasons as South�s coach so she could further her education, Thielemann sought the post. "I wanted to run my own program and I�m not getting any younger," Thielemann says. "When Leslie moved on, it gave me an opportunity." Thielemann will have an opportunity to see what he can do with a team favored to win the SOC title beginning today when the Panthers start conference play. It�s a transitional season for Thielemann in more than one way. "I�ve never coached girls before," Thielemann says. He�s also introducing offensive and defensive schemes he learned working under North Medford�s Rich Garcia. "I stole everything I could from Rich," Thielemann says. "I�m changing the way they view offense and defense. When you do that, you�re going to have some sort of casualty during the learning curve." Indeed, the Panthers won just two of six games heading into league play. Nonetheless, when SOC coaches ranked the teams in predicted order of finish, South drew six first-place votes, with one cast for Ashland and one for Roseburg. North Medford narrowly edged Ashland for the No. 2 nod, while Klamath Union edged Roseburg for the No. 4 spot in the coaches� poll. "Their (coaches) expectations are very high," Thielemann says. "It�s the culmination of a lot of years playing and lot of experience. Those expectations are a big burden." The Panthers have a veteran nucleus and welcome back center halfback Emily Perttu, who missed last year as she rehabilitated from anterior cruciate ligament surgery on her knee. But they�ve lost standout goalie Heather Fossen, who blew out her knee during a summer basketball camp. Katie Casebeer, Abby Fowler, a second-team SOC all-star, and Perttu give the Panthers a solid center. Kat Narus is ensconced at sweeper, and Noelle Reed returns at fullback. Kacy Clark, Kelsey Jones, Brittany Quinowski, Colleen Salisbury and Erin Reno round out the Panthers� horde of returners. "These girls have played together, they have a rhythm," Thielemann says. "They know where each other is all the time. I don�t care if it�s football, hockey or whatever, that doesn�t happen overnight. What I want to bring is a whole lot of aggression toward the ball and create offensive pressure." While recent trends make it easy for coaches to go with South and North, it�s hard to overlook Ashland, which returns nine senior regulars. The Grizzlies (2-1-1) return second-team all-star midfielder Jessica Bullen and honorable-mention selection Lindsay Huyett at forward. The other returning senior regulars are midfielder Megan Cotton, midfielder Shey Yearsley, defender Liz Rhee, defender Jennifer Spears, defender Laura Walker, defender Sara Cropper, forward Lindsay Huyett and forward Hanna Seltzer. "I think it�s very realistic to be in contention for the conference championship," says first-year coach Iman Siadat. "We could go undefeated through the conference. We�re packed with seniors, and that�s what makes my job easy because they are so driven." After winning two SOC titles and sharing the past two crowns with South, North will look very young. But the Black Tornado (1-3-2) has plenty of talent, beginning with junior halfback McKenzie Weiler, whom coach Dick Darcy calls "one of the dominant players in the league" because of her ability to control the mid-field. "It�s a tough physical position, and she�s good for it," Darcy says. "She tackles hard and goes hard for the ball." Other top-line players are sophomore halfback Emily Schuler, sophomore halfback, Lisa Munyon and junior fullback Julia Clark. Freshman center fullback Whitney Majors has been a leader through the preseason. Roseburg (3-3-1) has advanced to the state playoffs three of the past four years, and eighth-year coach Bryce Martin�s Indians boast one of the SOC�s premier performers in senior Rachel Stribling, a first-team all-star. Roseburg also returns senior midfielder Erin Goodell, a second-teamer a year ago, and junior midfielder Morgan Downie. Klamath Union (3-3) won just three of six non-conference games, but the Pelicans showed they can play in the high-rent district last Saturday by beating South Eugene. Senior halfback Sara Schaaf is a returning first-team all-star. Senior midfielder Sara Davison was a second-team pick, as was forward Sam Gilbert. Grants Pass (2-1-2) returns first-team all-stars in goalkeeper Alicia Pilcher and senior defender Jeanelle Thompson. Second-team junior midfielder Stacie Feetham also returns, as does honorable mention selections in senior forward Natasha Crook and junior midfielder Alison Klingel. "We�re looking forward to playing South Medford right off the bat," says Grants Pass coach Hector Cruz. "It�s going to set the tone; a lot of teams are going to be looking at this game." Crater (5-1), winless in conference play last year and 1-12-1 overall, could be a playoff contender thanks to the arrival of freshmen midfielder Sarah LaFontaine and forward Kassidy Reina. "Those two have been putting the ball in the nets on a regular basis," says second-year coach Terry Fretz "The girls didn�t believe in themselves last year and this team does. We have the talent to make the playoffs. But it will be a matter of a lucky bounce here or there and (us) showing up. We�ll be in the mix. If we end up eighth, I�ll be surprised." Stopper senior Sara Martinch, sophomore midfielder Tessa Austermuehle, senior center midfielder Becki Doshier � a second-team all-star � and junior goalkeeper Jessi Foster return for the Comets. Eagle Point (3-2) returns eight starters, but gone to graduation is Stephanie Lucas, last year�s conference player of the year and the school�s all-time leading scorer. "We�re not looking for just one person to get it done," fifth-year coach Tim Sweeney says. "Stephanie was a wonderful player. But if you stopped Stephanie, you stopped Eagle Point." Fourth-year sweeper Michelle Morton, senior midfielder Keilah Kruis, sophomore midfielder Tera Jackson, sophomore midfielder Kadee McLoughlin, junior defender Jennifer Logan, junior defender Molly Haas, and sophomore forward Jenna Bilden are returning starters. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA