Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
The Freeland girls soccer team won its third straight Tri-Valley Central and district championships last year and made it to regionals, where it fell to eventual state champion Powers Catholic. Fifth-year head coach Rodrigo “Ricco” Barassi hopes for another solid season in 2012.
“Our team is deep in talent and the bench great,” the coach said. “My problem is, who do I start? I am constantly moving and trying players in different positions in games. The reason is that I need to see what we can do as a team in the event of a career-ending injury, and who is best suited to step into that role.”
Back from last year’s team that went 20-2 are seniors Sarah Yancer (goalkeeper) and Kinsley Formsma (defense); juniors Tara Padgett (forward, nine goals to date), Darby McCraken (midfield), Tori Jankoska (forward, five goals to date), Jazmyne Jezowksi (midfield), and Abbye Wenzel (midfield); sophomores Victoria Herzberg (forward), Kelsey Ropp (midfield), Katie Klemish (midfield), and Macy Miller (defense).
New to the team are Taryn Taugher, Taylor Herring, Jamie Streng, Erica Crawford, Hannah Foy, Megan White, and Caleigh Stowe.
“As a team, we have a lot of talent,” Barassi said. “We are very young. Only two seniors and six freshmen. One would think that we are rebuilding, but on the contrary, we are retooling.”
The Falcons started the season 3-3 overall and 3-0 in the TVC, outscoring their league opponents 23-0.
Though the coach is confident that they will be able to win third-straight league and district titles, he knows that steeper challenges await.
“My biggest concern is the regional game,” he said. “We drew Flint Powers, they are a good team. I am sure we can play strong soccer against any team, and the losses that we have had are due to very tight games that we have controlled and lost on a lucky goal or a ball that we should have put in and did not. It has been good to lose three games so the girls know how to react, readjust their game under stress.”