6
The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011
enjoy it, and I feel like I've been learning
way more.”
W ith their spirits high, the second half
began with Clackamas playing as loose as
ever. The shrill, encouraging cheers from the
girls in white drowned out the frustrated yells
from the away team as the Cougars pushed
closer to their 4th win of the season.
In the 63rd minute, Clark had their first
real chance at an equalizer; freshman mid
fielder Brittany Wilson launched a shot from
the left side o f the field toward the center of
the crossbar, forcing Clackamas goalkeeper
Tori Wilkinson to leap into the air after the
ball, tipping it strait up and catching it on its
way back down.
By John William Howard
Sports Editor
Soccer is an odd sport. Its a game in
which a close contest can end up in a 4-0
blowout and when a certain win can end in
a 3-3 tie. You can never be comfortable^ no
matter how large your lead and you’re never
out of the game, until it’s over. All that mat
ters is the end result that goes into the record
book.
Fortunately for the Clackamas Cougars
(4-3-U, 12 points Southern Region), three
whistles sounded last Wednesday with the
women holding a 1-0 lead over the Penguins
of Clark College (2-6-0, 6 points, Southern
Region) after 90 minutes at Pioneer Stadium
in lower Oregon City.
As soon as the teams kicked off, it became
clear that they were two very different squads
on two very different levels. From body
language, to skill, to the way they talked to
one another, Clackamas looked far more
confident and unified. First year Head Coach
Janine Szpara taught as much as she coached,
showing trust in her ability to instruct off the
field. The Cougars responded quickly, wait
ing patiently for an opportunity to open and
feeding the ball forward on the attack.
In the 31st minute, their hard work
and diligence paid off. Sophomore forward
Jasmin Garcia boomed a shot from 30 yards
out, arcing the ball across the pitch and into
the far corner of the net past Clark goalkeeper
Marissa Tyler to put the Cougars up 1-0.
While the sparse fanbase and elated
Clackamas players cheered, the scattered and
aimless Penguins grumbled. Ever since kick
off, Clark Head Coach Stan Rodrigues had
been screaming at his players, telling them
exacdy where not to stand, where not to run,
and how they’d been doing it wrong all along.
At one point, Rodrigues pulled sopho
more midfielder Samantha Peppers from
the game after shouting an earful of colorful
instructions at her from the nearby sideline.
Once she was off the field, Rodrigues grilled
her so badly about not playing soccer the way
he wanted it done that she was reduced to
reaST^elSnS^R^opposingTSencjfc- “"“- ~
After the goal by Garcia, Clark played with
more fervor but eventually fell back into their
slower rhythm: decent back line play, but
helpless on the attack against the Clackamas
defense. The second half ended with two
more shots by the Cougars, with freshman
Courtney Johnson going high over the goal
in the 39th minute, and Tyler tipping a shot
from distance in the 42nd minute.
Halftime continued the disparity between
the two teams. While Rodrigues and his
Penguins stood still and quiet, the home team,
sat cross-legged in a circle around Szpara,
drinking in her knowledge of the sport and
enjoying one another’s company.
“She knows exactly what to do,” said fresh
man midfielder Sandra Tinoco of Szpara.
“She’s been coaching for a long time. I just
Sports
sportsed @ clackamas.edu
u
We’re really push
ing each other to
he a better team
a n d striving fo r
th at g o a l which is
to get the W.
Jasmin Garcia
Forward
Clackamas’ Sophomore Forward, Jasmin Garcia, makes a play with the ball during
last Wednesday’s game against Clark College at. Pioneer Stadium.
O n the counterattack, the Clackamas
offense lead the Penguin keeper in a scram
ble play away from the center of the goal,
leaving forward Sadie Tegtmeier wide open
for a shot on the far side. However, her shot
missed high, keeping the lead at just one
goal for the Cougars.
Tegtmeier’s mishap was one o f many
for the home team, with many shots going
wide or high, and countless crosses and
feeds from the midfielders being lost to the
defense, leading Szpara to point to shooting
and composure inside the 18 yard box as a
weak spot in their game.
“I think we could be’a little bit more
posed around the goal,” said Szpara. “[We
need to] get out bodies organized earlier so.
that when the ball comes in, it’s just a little
bit easier to redirect it and [score].”
Szpara’s criticisms were few. She men
tioned that the team was improving as a
whole every time they played, adding new
techniques and ideas t(T their collective
game.
“I think we’re developing, and in the
process were learning how to work together
harder,” said Garcia, who played in the
championship game with Clackamas a year
ago. “We’re really pushing each other to
be a better team and striving for that goal
which is to get the W.”