THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080083
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: Vicki L. Friedman
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
THIS COULD BE the year for the Cox girls soccer team.
To win state? Well, maybe, given that the Falcons have had a stronghold on the top position in Hampton Roads since the beginning of the season in The Virginian-Pilot coaches' poll.
But first, this could be the year that Cox earns a victory over a Norfolk Academy soccer team with Angela Hucles on the roster. The Falcons get their last shot at the Parade All-American senior this afternoon at 4:45 at Lake Taylor High.
``Maybe it's our turn,'' said Cox coach Terri Sawyer. ``Her game seems to elevate against us every time.''
Sawyer says this year's Falcons can score from any position and are more balanced than the teams led by two-time All-Tidewater forward Kirsty Hale. Cox has dominated the Beach District and everybody else locally. Its only losses have been to St. Rose of New Jersey and Woodson from Washington.
``We still need to practice a few things to get ready for the postseason - penalty kicks to break ties, that sort of thing,'' she says. ``Fitness-wise I think we're ready this year. In the long run, a lot of the teams are equally matched, and the team in better shape has an edge.''
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have struggled, losing to a handful of North Carolina's best teams and taking a 2-0 loss to Kempsville. Norfolk Academy has also been bruised by injuries and lineup changes. Among the injured are Eric Blachman and Carrie Evans.
Could this be the Falcons' year?
``They're very balanced,'' Academy coach Kevin Sims says. ``I think they're the team to be reckoned with.''
One area where Norfolk Academy hasn't struggled is the TCIS, and it looks like Sims will depart Norfolk Academy without a loss in the league. Sims is moving to Chattanooga, Tenn., this summer to be closer to family and his hometown, Atlanta. He will coach soccer there at the McCallie School, an all-boys high school.
Norfolk Academy is 144-0-1 in the TCIS since Sims took over the program 15 years ago. The lone tie was back in 1983 against Catholic, and ironically, Sims served as an official during the game. Sims recalls it being Sports Festival Day at Academy, with every team having a home game scheduled. Soccer was moved to earlier in the afternoon to accommodate some of the other games, and no official was available. By gentlemen's agreement, Sims took the field.
``I wasn't allowed to have any contact with the girls on my team,'' he said. ``And back then I had no assistants.''
The final score on penalty kicks: 2-2.
Last Friday night's Princess Anne/Kempsville game was a case of Rafal and Rafal versus Rafal. Jessica and Lauren Rafal play for Kempsville; their dad, Jerry, coaches Princess Anne.
``They wouldn't talk to me before the game,'' said Jerry Rafal. ``Luckily I knew their style.''
Lauren is Kempsville's leading scorer, and Jessica is one of three freshmen on the varsity squad.
``He marked me really tight; I couldn't do much,'' Lauren said. ``He knows how me and my sister play, and we know how he coaches.''
Neither Rafal managed to score against dad's team, but Kempsville still won the game 3-1, and Jerry Rafal said he never secretly rooted for either of his daughters. ``I figured we needed the game more than Kempsville,'' he said.
Afterward, both girls gave their dad hugs. ``Nice game,'' Lauren told him.
Cox pounded Maury last week 8-1, but Commodores coach Bob Mayer will assure you that Cox is not seven goals better than his third-ranked team. Maury gave up a couple of goals early on flukey plays, Mayer said, including a defender heading in her own ball for a goal, and was never able to rebound.
``We fell apart mentally and physically, more mentally,'' Mayer said.
Maury quickly regrouped to hand Great Bridge its second loss of the season on Saturday 2-1.
Mayer has moved Katie Roman back to stopper from the midfield. Roman prefers stopper but previously had changed positions to give Maury another scoring threat. Amy Mayer and Shwante Snead lead the Commodores in scoring, but Snead also runs track and has missed a few games.
``Katie at midfield worked fine for a couple of games,'' Mayer said. ``But now we need more strength in the backfield. Katie's very vocal. She talks a lot back there, and she also helps our sweeper out.''
Biff Andrews is back coaching the Churchland girls again after missing three games because of an exchange trip to Russia. In his absence, the Truckers went 3-0 under assistant Peggy Powers.
But should Churchland make the district final on May 16, Andrews will be without five of his 24 players - including goalkeeper Courtney Hundley - who are going to Florida as part of the school's chorus.
Great Bridge clinched the Southeastern District last Friday with a win over Churchland, but the Wildcats are hurting without leading scorer Jennifer Hilborn, who has eight goals and nine assists this spring. Hilborn is out for the season after a muscle tear she suffered May 1 against Oscar Smith.
Regular-season champ Great Bridge already knows its regional fate. The Wildcats will play the Peninsula's second seed, expected to be Lafayette, in the quarterfinals May 20 at Salem. ILLUSTRATION: HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Staff photo by HUY NGUYEN
Norfolk Academy and its Parade All-American, Angela Hucles, meet Cox
today at 4:45 at Lake Taylor High.
by CNB