Girls middle school soccer wraps up season

The girls middle school soccer team finished a successful season with an overall record of 7-4-7.

Twenty-seven teams made up the league, including several teams that players will face in high school: Elmira, Junction City, Marist, Sweet Home, Redmond and Bend.

At the start of the season, Coach Rob Corrigan had hoped his team would face opponents that were a little more skilled, so each game would be close and offer his players a challenge to develop their skills and solidify as a team. Corrigan got precisely what he'd hoped for.

For all but a few minutes of the entire season the score was either tied or Sisters was one point ahead or behind their opponents.

"Every game was played at high intensity for its full duration," said Corrigan. "We could not have asked for a better-matched league."

The Outlaws team consisted of three eighth-graders, seven seventh-graders, four sixth-graders and one fifth-grader, while most of the teams that Sisters played were primarily eighth-graders.

Over the course of the season the Outlaws continued to improve on both their individual skills and their team play. By the end of the season, Sisters had qualified for the second-highest bracket of the playoffs.

After two upset wins the last weekend in October, the Outlaws found themselves in the championship game against Junction City (JC).

The undefeated JC team had about a year of age and four inches over the Outlaws. To make the situation even more difficult, the game was played on a turf field, which is a difficult adjustment from the natural grass fields of Central Oregon.

In the championship game, Molly Boyle scored off a header in the first half to give the Outlaws a 1-0 lead. JC came back to tie it up 1-1 midway through the second half. As the referee prepared to blow the final whistle, JC scored off a hard kick from the outside that landed in the upper corner of the net.

"Although we lost that game, it was our best-played game of the year," said Corrigan. "It was characterized by excellent performance and sportsmanship on both sides. Every player had cause to be proud of her own contributions, and of our team's second-place finish for the season."

Seven different players scored for the Outlaws during the course of the season, but most of the goals came from forwards Molly Boyle (five goals) and Michaela Miller (four goals). Trinity Chick and Maddi Boettner each scored two goals.

The team's youngest player, fifth-grader Nika Chick did a great job playing with and against girls that were three years older than she was, and she scored the tying goal in what turned out to be a come-from-behind victory against the Oregon Rush club team late in the season.

As a team, the Outlaws stood apart from other teams for their steady defense. Of the 18 games played, Sisters only allowed 15 goals, including seven shutouts. Keeper Taylor Schneider and defenders Anna Ortega and Danielle Sparling did an amazing job for the Outlaws.

"Taylor was a real factor in the net," said Corrigan. "Over the summer and during the season Taylor worked diligently to develop her technical skills as keeper. Over the season, Taylor made a handful of dramatically brave saves which few athletes her age would have attempted."

Corrigan noted that both Ortega and Sparling were masters of the teams "bend, don't break" philosophy on defense.

"These girls are deceptively tough athletes. They are patient and respectful of their opponents, but absolutely unwilling to be beaten on defense. We hardly subbed either out of a single game all season," said Corrigan.

Two stand-out eighth-graders, Emily Corrigan and Claire Hensen, led the team from the midfield.

"Both these girls have superlative defensive skills, strong kicks, great passing and excellent ball control, and were capable of quickly turning a defensive situation into an offensive opportunity," said Corrigan. "These two were instrumental in shutting down our opponents and setting up many scoring opportunities. Both are clearly ready to move on to high school play."

Corrigan also noted that seventh-grader Trinity Chick added depth and intensity to the midfield, and will be a major part of next year's team.