A Fast Start Spells Victory For Sabers Girls Soccer
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usNot surprisingly, the Campbell girls soccer team’s prevailing theme throughout the 2007-08 season has been to start fast.
The Sabers, who finished third in the Oahu Interscholastic Association tournament recently, are well aware that they hold a 10-0 record this year in games in which they scored first.
“When we put the first one in, it’s easier on them,” said coach Mike Whitfield, whose team will play in the Meadow Gold/HHSAA Girls Soccer State Championships this week. “We begin to move the ball better on offense (as a result) and hold our own. The defense will kick it up a notch, too.”
This week’s state tournament means new life for teams like the Sabers, who had hoped for a second consecutive OIA title until a 1-0 loss to Roosevelt in the semi-finals altered those plans. While Campbell rebounded to win the third-place game (1-0) over Kaimuki, the loss to the Rough Riders lingered for a time, according to Whitfield.
“They weren’t really excited to play the game against Kaimuki,” he said.“Now, they’re back at practice and getting back to their normal selves again. We think we’ll do well there. Anything can happen. This is what the seniors have worked four years for. They want to show that they’re as good, if not better, than Waialua and Roosevelt. We didn’t win the OIA, but we can still win the state tournament.”
The loss to Roosevelt in the OIA semifinals was just the second all season for the Sabers. The other loss came against Waialua (1-0) on Dec. 8, while the Sabers also played to a scoreless tie with the Bulldogs in the second meeting between the teams Jan. 8. Campbell enters the state tournament having compiled a 22-4-3 record dating back to the beginning of last year’s season.
For all their prowess on defense, Campbell’s fate this week could be tied to its offensive performance. They outscored their opponents 33-5 this winter, led by Christiana Alcosiba, who tallied a team-best 11 goals. In the OIA tourney, Campbell scored just twice in a pair of 1-0 wins over Kaimuki and Farrington, so offense was a point of emphasis for them in practice last week.
“We’ve been practicing mainly on our movement of the ball,” he said.“We want to get our offensive players more into the open and take better shots.”
Whitfield was to learn of Campbell’s first-round opponent early in the week, making it more difficult to gather information as he prepares his team. Unlike last season, when the Sabers had a first-round bye, they will need to win four games in four days to win the state tournament this time around.
“We’ll be going in blind as far as how they play, but it will be the same for them. We don’t have a bye, so we’ll just have to work our way through and play every day. We have to take it one game at a time and do the best we can. I think we’ll do well.”
The future is bright for the Sabers, whose JV team recently won the OIA title. Several of those players will likely move up to the varsity next fall.
“We’re supposed to move up to the Red (Division I) next year, which is something to look forward to,” he added.
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