Wooster living up to season-long expectations in OCC soccer
When the Ohio Cardinal Conference coaches got together on the eve of the 2011 season, the Wooster High girls soccer team was voted to be the top team in the conference.
After a double-win season a year ago and the graduation of only one starter, it was obvious the expectations were going to be high for the Generals. So far, those expectations have been met as Wooster is off to a 6-1-2 start and is on top of the OCC with a 3-0-1 mark after knocking off state-ranked and previously unbeaten Clear Fork 3-0 to gain the upper hand in the conference.
“We are definitely in a good place,” said sixth-year Wooster coach Les Wudarzewski. “We control our destiny and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game with Lexington. I think if the girls truly believe they will win it, they will. It’s in their hands. We have a good team and our team is going in the right direction.”
The Generals’ lone loss was a 1-0 setback to Brunswick, that coming with only 97 seconds to play as the team started 1-1-1. Wooster opened with a 3-2 win over Cloverleaf and managed a scoreless tie with Medina Highland.
Since then, the Generals have been on a roll, including a 2-1 victory over state-ranked River View. The lone blemish in that span was a 1-1 tie with Mansfield Madison, but that came on the back end of three games in four days.
“Tying Madison put us in a loop,” said Wudarzewski of the tie to the Rams. “But then watching how we played against Clear Fork, I can see why people thought we should be number one. I think after our game against Lexington, we will have a better picture of who we are and how we are playing. It’s too early to say our expectations are met; we still have work to do.”
The Generals emerged from the Lexington game with a 2-1 victory to strengthen the Generals’ grip on the regular season standings. While leading scorer Jenn Philippon broke the 1-1 tie with a header off a cross by classmate Beth Courson two minutes after Lady Lex had tied the score, the Generals’ balance has been critical in their success this season.
“I don’t have (one) pleasant surprise,” said Wudarzewski. “Everyone across the board is doing a decent job. No one has stood out in every game -- everyone is playing solid. Jenn is carrying the team and is our leading scorer. She is the weapon we utilize in every game. It is difficult to utilize a good player like her sometimes because everyone keys on her and tries to shut her down. But, Jenn is very unselfish and she distributes the ball to other players who help create other opportunities.
“Overall I’m very happy. This is definitely the best record to start a season in a long time. Could it be better? Yes, but I cannot complain. The stakes are higher for us. That’s why everyone is looking at us and thinking we can do better … but I’m happy.”
Those stakes are something the Generals have lived with for a year and there is little doubt the team is being measured by “wins and losses.”
“We are good and have a good team,” said Wudarzewski. “We’re a little underappreciated how good we are, even by me. We set these big goals for the season. The bottom line is we should enjoy every win and every effort on the field … and take one game at a time. The effort is there. I cannot complain as coach.
“If we are going to continue to improve game by game, the end of the season looks promising. One game at a time, one touch, one pass and one defensive play at a time. We can take nothing for granted.”
After a double-win season a year ago and the graduation of only one starter, it was obvious the expectations were going to be high for the Generals. So far, those expectations have been met as Wooster is off to a 6-1-2 start and is on top of the OCC with a 3-0-1 mark after knocking off state-ranked and previously unbeaten Clear Fork 3-0 to gain the upper hand in the conference.
“We are definitely in a good place,” said sixth-year Wooster coach Les Wudarzewski. “We control our destiny and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game with Lexington. I think if the girls truly believe they will win it, they will. It’s in their hands. We have a good team and our team is going in the right direction.”
The Generals’ lone loss was a 1-0 setback to Brunswick, that coming with only 97 seconds to play as the team started 1-1-1. Wooster opened with a 3-2 win over Cloverleaf and managed a scoreless tie with Medina Highland.
Since then, the Generals have been on a roll, including a 2-1 victory over state-ranked River View. The lone blemish in that span was a 1-1 tie with Mansfield Madison, but that came on the back end of three games in four days.
“Tying Madison put us in a loop,” said Wudarzewski of the tie to the Rams. “But then watching how we played against Clear Fork, I can see why people thought we should be number one. I think after our game against Lexington, we will have a better picture of who we are and how we are playing. It’s too early to say our expectations are met; we still have work to do.”
The Generals emerged from the Lexington game with a 2-1 victory to strengthen the Generals’ grip on the regular season standings. While leading scorer Jenn Philippon broke the 1-1 tie with a header off a cross by classmate Beth Courson two minutes after Lady Lex had tied the score, the Generals’ balance has been critical in their success this season.
“I don’t have (one) pleasant surprise,” said Wudarzewski. “Everyone across the board is doing a decent job. No one has stood out in every game -- everyone is playing solid. Jenn is carrying the team and is our leading scorer. She is the weapon we utilize in every game. It is difficult to utilize a good player like her sometimes because everyone keys on her and tries to shut her down. But, Jenn is very unselfish and she distributes the ball to other players who help create other opportunities.
“Overall I’m very happy. This is definitely the best record to start a season in a long time. Could it be better? Yes, but I cannot complain. The stakes are higher for us. That’s why everyone is looking at us and thinking we can do better … but I’m happy.”
Those stakes are something the Generals have lived with for a year and there is little doubt the team is being measured by “wins and losses.”
“We are good and have a good team,” said Wudarzewski. “We’re a little underappreciated how good we are, even by me. We set these big goals for the season. The bottom line is we should enjoy every win and every effort on the field … and take one game at a time. The effort is there. I cannot complain as coach.
“If we are going to continue to improve game by game, the end of the season looks promising. One game at a time, one touch, one pass and one defensive play at a time. We can take nothing for granted.”
Published: September 22, 2011
