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3/19/08

Bearcats star makes winning a family affair
http://pd.thestate.com/sp?eId=17&ecI...y%2F350225.html
Akilah Imani Nelson, The State

3/20/08

http://www.hometown-news.com/sports
Joel FitzPatrick, The Greer Citizen

When scsoccer.com released its most recent rankings, there was something unusual about the list of the state�s top 3-A girls teams.

For the first time in the program�s history, the Blue Ridge Lady Tigers are ranked among the best teams in the state, entering the week at number 15.

A major reason for the success of the Lady Tigers has been the play of sophomore Marissa Sumwalt. The speedy forward has made a habit of finding the back of the net, including a pair of three-goal efforts last week in games against Chapman and Broome.

Because of her performance, Sumwalt has been named the First National Bank-The Greer Citizen Player of the Week.
"We feel like more of a family this season," Sumwalt said.

"Our success isn't based on one person. Everyone is contributing, and the good coaching is helping too."

The Lady Tigers are playing for a first-year coach, but it is one Sumwalt is quite familiar with, her father.

"It is interesting having him as my coach, but I like it because I can be myself," Sumwalt said.

Blue Ridge will be tested often in region play as Riverside, Eastside, and J.L. Mann are also ranked. Although Sumwalt admits that she is looking forward to seeing how the Lady Tigers stack up against the state�s best, she added that the team isn�t looking past anyone.

"We are looking forward to playing those teams, but our only focus is on the next game," Sumwalt said.
Sumwalt is proud to be part of the school�s first-ever ranked team, but doesn�t expect the Lady Tigers to be content with the ranking.

"I feel like we can go all the way," Sumwalt said. "As long as we are serious and work hard in practice, I believe we can make the playoffs and see what happens from there."

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...UPSTATESPORTS02

Published: March 21, 2008
Raiders top Lions to take lead in Western AAA

By J. Bennett Harris
STAFF WRITER
[email protected]

Oh, the difference a week made for the Greenville High girls soccer team.

After suffering a three-goal defeat to Daniel High at the Mauldin Cup last weekend, the Red Raiders bounced back with a 3-1 win over the Lions Thursday night in regular season action at Sirrine Stadium.

Three players scored goals for the Red Raiders (7-2, 6-0), who now sit alone atop the Western AAA standings.

"The girls were extremely motivated because we played them Saturday and had an almost embarrassing performance," said Greenville coach Raimond Hartmann. "We had to come out and redeem ourselves and show that we were better than what we showed on Saturday."

The Red Raiders needed less than four minutes to take the lead. Senior forward Reed Few collected a loose ball in front of the Lions' net and managed to tap in a goal from five yards out despite colliding with Daniel goalkeeper Ashley Robinson.

Greenville extended its lead three minutes later when midfielder Jacquelyn Muse sent a searching cross into the Daniel penalty box. The ball took one bounce before freshman Sydney Robinson nodded a header into the net.

"They outworked us everywhere," Daniel coach John Borycki said. "This was the first team that has really pressed us in the region."

Daniel's Rebekah Boyer pulled a goal back five minutes into the second half after scoring on a breakaway with a shot to the bottom-left corner.

But Greenville's Ali Lewis provided the knockout blow with just under 10 minutes remaining. She received the ball at midfield, sped past her defender down the left wing and tucked a low shot into the goal past the oncoming keeper.

"The biggest difference is that our defense was much better coordinated than last week," said Hartmann. "They are our main competitor in this region. It was one of our goals to beat this team tonight."

Greenville got 11 shots on target, while Daniel (7-3, 5-1) managed just five.

"Player for player we're as good if not better. We just need to show that," Borycki said. "We've had a pretty easy walk the last couple of years and they took it to us tonight. I commend them for that."

Byrnes Kinney has scorer's mentality

Byrnes' Kinney has scorer's mentality

Soccer standout has a knack for finding the back of the net
By Jason Gilmer

Published: Monday, March 24, 2008

DUNCAN � When Liz Kinney thinks about how she does what she does, it can get confusing. She�s a goal scorer � the best ever at Byrnes � and has plenty on her mind as she continues to improve her school records.

Here are the things she looks for when trying to score:

�Space. Opportunity. Can I get it from someone else? Can I take it myself? Do I have an open shot from where I am?� Kinney said.

�Now that I think about it, it sounds kind of difficult. I don�t know how I process all that information.�

She processes the information quickly, sometimes right in front of the goal, and then she nets the ball.

As a freshman she scored 12 goals and was on the team when Alicia Nederostek broke the school record for career goals and graduated with 35.

That was a reachable goal in Kinney�s mind. She broke it last season and had 48 goals coming into her senior season.

She signed a letter of intent to Wingate and began her final season to try and break her own records of goals (21) and assists (17) in a season and to improve on the career records in both categories (56 goals and 32 assists).

�She brings an uncanny ability to score goals,� coach Kingsley Emerson said. �She�s one of the best pure goal scorers that I�ve ever coached and ever been around. It takes a special type of player to score goals and there aren�t many pure goal scorers in the state and she�s one that can.�

The record could be higher. Easily.

But Emerson has pulled Kinney back from her natural position of forward to be a midfielder.

On a few occasions (not enough for Kinney) she has moved to forward.

�I don�t get mad. It gets frustrating sometimes because I just really want to go up and not have to run back and forth all the time, I�d rather just go forward,� she said. �I�m getting used to the fact that he�s never going to play me at forward. I�ve given up. I just get excited when he tells me I�m going to play there.�

It�s not that Emerson is trying to keep Kinney from extending her record, but he needs her elsewhere.

It really hasn�t stopped her from scoring anyway, as she led the area last week with eight goals.

�I hold her in the midfield to make her distribute balls and work harder to score goals just because on this team we don�t need a lot of goals but we need leadership in the midfield to defend,� Emerson said. �On occasion, push her to the top when we need that goal and she�s produced in the games where we need that one goal.�

Said Kinney: �I hope somebody does break (the records) because that would mean there is still talent coming through here.�

WANT TO GO?
GIRLS SOCCER
No. 3 Dorman (7-1-1 overall, 4-0-0 Region II-4A) vs. No. 4 Byrnes (8-1-0, 3-0-0)
Where: Dorman High School
When: 7:30 p.m. today
At stake: First place in Region II-4A

Byrnes senior Liz Kinney has scored 56 goals and dished out 32 assists in her career.

Kinney through the years
Year Class Goals Assists
2005 - Fr. 12, 6
2006 - So. 15, 8
2007 - Jr. 21, 17
2008 - Sr. 8, 1

3/26/08

Many nations come together on the field for Brookland-Cayce
Akilah Nelson, The State - MidlandsPreps.com

The face of Brookland-Cayce soccer is an international one.

�We have maybe eight kids on our roster that you probably think of as the typical American soccer player, but then we�ve also got this very diverse group,� coach Kevin Heise said.

The Bearcats roster boasts four foreign exchange students this year.

Tyll Weyer and Christoph Holzwarth are from Germany. Miljan Kaludjerovic is from Montenegro. Eduardo Adam is from Brazil. All four have started for the Bearcats (5-1).

�We usually get four or five transfer students at the Brookland-Cayce every year, but this year they just happened to be four guys and all of them wanted to play soccer,� Heise said. �It�s never happened like that before that I can remember.�

Heise wasn�t worried about the exchange students forming a team within the team. The Bearcats were already a diverse group, with junior Kwabena Nkansah-Amankra, from Ghana, and another athlete from South America.

�I knew our guys would make these players feel comfortable,� he said. �They�ve just kind of fit right in.�

Adam said the Bearcats have been family to the exchange students and that all the athletes have eagerly shared their various cultures.

Having the common ground of soccer to start on made relating to one another much easier, he said. Then, the young men quickly found out they shared other interests.

�I�ve always liked hip hop, and a lot of my teammates listen to hip hop, too,� Adam said.

3/26/08

Shooting Stars
http://www.thestate.com/preps/story/356460.html
The State

Kistler Ulmer, Dreher
Senior scored two goals in 4-0 victory against Chester on March 17.

Chris Duzan, Brookland-Cayce
Sophomore posted shutouts against Swansea and Blythewood last week.

Casi Jones, Airport
Junior scored three goals in win against Gilbert on March 17.

3/26/08

Expensive Victory
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&...I4mGgKtxcKfTC1A
David Cloninger, Rock Hill Herald

The Blue Ridge High girls soccer team won six games during the 2007 season. Nine games into the 2008 season, the Tigers have matched last season's win total and broken into the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association rankings at the No. 15. Read more at Blue Ridge Girls Make the Ranks - GreenvilleOnline.com, by David Hearne.

Woodruff stumbles
CHRIST CHURCH Knocks off Wolverines 4-2 in penalty kicks

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080327/NEWS/906554/1018/SPORTS

Airport, B-C set goal to be in control

THERE MAY BE bigger matchups in South Carolina girls soccer this year, but when Airport and Brookland-Cayce tangle tonight at B-C, there won�t be a bigger one around here.

http://www.thestate.com/preps/story/357290.html