Friday, May 15, 2004

Wins by McIntosh and Starr’s Mill girls gives fans a chance to see state championship in their own backyard

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

For McIntosh, Wednesday night’s game against Milton was a chance to avenge their only loss of the season. For Starr’s Mill, their semifinal match was a way to prove that their previous win against Newnan was no fluke and that they could still do it with several players missing.

Missions accomplished.

The McIntosh Lady Chiefs gave their coaches and fans a bit of a scare after Milton tied the game with nine minutes left, but emerged triumphant by a 2-1 score after a goal by Jesse Lenze with just over three minutes remaining. Starr’s Mill’s Lady Panthers took a 2-0 lead into the half and knocked in three more in the second half to give them a 5-1 win and a trip to the AAAAA state finals. The trip will not be a long one, as the game will take place at McIntosh Saturday.

McIntosh put most of the pressure on Milton from the get-go, but could not connect with the net. Milton stole a bit of the momentum halfway through the first half and would kick long balls and race forwards past McIntosh defenders trying to generate offense. Neither team could score in the first half though and went into the half deadlocked at 0-0.

The Lady Chiefs generated even more offensive pressure in the second half, which only accentuated the frustration when balls hit the goalpost, soared over the net or just missed the foot or head of oncoming players. McIntosh finally broke through with just over 16 minutes remaining, when Monica Hogan knocked in a goal on an assist from Lenze.

It appeared the floodgates would open as McIntosh kept up the pressure, but Milton pushed the ball into the Lady Chiefs half and shot a rocket that soared high into the air. Goalkeeper Jenna Sturgill couldn’t hang on to it when it came down and Milton buried it in the back of the net.

The game was not over, though, and McIntosh resumed pounding the ball into the Milton half. Lenze faked out a defender just outside the 18 with three minutes left and shot the ball into the upper portion of the net, giving McIntosh the win.

Starr’s Mill knew they would need their players to step up in a big way in their game against Newnan. Kelley O’Hara was still in California training with the U-16 National team and Shelley Wegryzn and Lucy Martin were both injured and out for the season.

Coach Greg Shifflett told Katie Jacobsen at practice that the team would need a big performance from her and her brother told her the same thing later that night. It worked, as Jacobsen had a hat trick and an assist in the win.

She scored the first goal on an assist from Viktoria Frost and Emily Stevens scored the second goal giving the Lady Panthers their 2-0 lead at the half. The Starr’s Mill defense played a solid game and fed the ball to the midfielders to maintain control and set the pace for much of the game. The defense made one brief slip up early in the second half when Newnan’s Christie McDonald found the back of the net. Starr’s Mill responded moments later with a goal from Beth Meadors and an assist from Tannah Castro.

The third goal from Starr’s Mill prompted frustration from Newnan to emerge in physical form, though it was in no way as severe as the previous night when Starr’s Mill’s boys defeated Newnan. Jessica Taylor got an assist on Jacobsen’s second goal at the 17-minute mark.

The Lady Cougars got two yellow cards within three minutes of Starr’s Mill’s third goal. With close to 14 minutes remaining, Newnan got a red card for a take down in the box and Jacobsen nailed a penalty kick for the fifth and final goal. Newnan would get another yellow and another red card awarded, as the referee was determined not to have a repeat of the physical play from the game the night before. When the game ended, fans stormed the field and set up an arc for players to run through, celebrating their win.

“I was worried about generating offense,” said Shifflett, who stated that the missing players amounted to close to 55 goals this season. “It is a team game though and this team really stepped up and played a great game.”

So, now, fans of soccer in Fayette County get an incredible treat as McIntosh plays host to Starr’s Mill for the AAAAA state soccer title. It will be the Lady Chiefs first championship appearance since 2001’s loss to Pope and Starr’s Mill’s first since tying Pope in 2002. McIntosh (18-1-1) defeated Starr’s Mill 3-0 on March 12, but it is anybody’s guess who will emerge as the champion Saturday. These two teams are incredibly familiar with each other, having played against each other before but also because numerous members of the teams play on club teams together. It will also be a sort of homecoming for Shifflett, who was an assistant coach several years ago at McIntosh and worked with a number of the girls who are now seniors on the team.

This game is also a statement to the rest of the soccer world in the state. When talk always seems to focus on teams north of Atlanta, it is nice to have the number one and two teams coming from the same county and region. Saturday’s game should be one for the ages and it should not be missed.

Game time at McIntosh is 11 a.m.

Class AAAAA girls state soccer championship

McIntosh vs. Starr’s Mill

McIntosh High School

Saturday, May 15, 11 a.m.