Let me tell you about Billy Rebstock …
February 22, 2017
Lady Tarpons duo still united, even when apart
February 22, 2017
The already-full trophy case at Vandebilt Catholic High School will get an addition this week from the school’s girls’ soccer team.
The only question that remains is if the team will earn a silver runner-up trophy or the gold, shiny one they earned last season – the prize for winning the Division III State Championship.
For the second-straight season, the Vandebilt girls’ soccer team is heading to the state title game – an honor the Lady Terriers earned on Friday when they blanked E.D. White 2-0 on a wet, sloppy field at Buddy Marcello Stadium.
With the win, Vandebilt advanced to take on Loyola Prep in the title match at Tad Gormley Stadium on Wednesday night.
Coach Phil Amedee said he thinks his team is ready for what lies ahead.
He conceded that the Lady Terriers will have a bulls-eye on their chests in the game, but he said he doesn’t think it will bother the team, because they face similar situations and circumstances throughout the year.”
“I wish I could take credit for a lot of the successes of this group, but truthfully, the kids find a lot of their motivation and their drive from within – they feed off one another,” Amedee said. “Part of building a program is trying to find a way of doing things that works with any group and in every season so that you’re not just that team who has one good season, then fades away a little bit. For us, we work hard, dedicate ourselves and put in a lot of time. … Our plan in the last game is to play Vandebilt soccer, and to compete as hard as we can against a very good opponent. We expect our kids to play well.”
The Lady Terriers are dominant because they’re good at literally every phase of the game.
Against E.D. White, the Lady Terriers offense shined early, controlling the ball and creating opportunities, despite a slick field.
The Lady Terriers scored just seconds into the match when Grace Champagne got fouled in the box, then successfully slammed home a penalty kick to give the team a 1-0 lead.
That advantage doubled to 2-0 later in the first half when Molly Thompson penetrated through the defense and found the back of the net for an insurance goal.
“We knew we had to get off to a good start. We said before the match that would be a really big key for us,” Amedee said. “We got it done. From the opening whistle, we played well and with energy. We got the first goal, then got another one on top of that, and it really just set the tone for us for the whole rest of the game.”
Defensively, the Lady Terriers were near-flawless, as well.
With the early goals, Vandebilt smothered the Lady Cardinals’ comeback attempts, keeping the ball out of trouble areas and getting key saves on the team’s shots on goal.
The win marked the third-straight time this season that Vandebilt shut out E.D. White. The Lady Terriers also beat their rivals 2-0, then 3-0 in the regular season.
Friday’s match was 21st shutout for Vandebilt on the season.
“It was a total team effort,” Amedee said. “We’re very, very proud of the ladies for how they played.”
But there’s still one match left to go.
With the win, the Lady Terriers are now on to the championship round where they will take on a familiar foe – a team they have developed a lot of history with over the past few seasons.
Vandebilt knocked Loyola out of the playoffs in the semifinals last year – a 2-0 victory that Amedee said was one of the Lady Terriers better performances of the entire title-winning campaign.
Earlier this season, the teams met again, and the result was the exact same – a 2-0 victory for the Lady Terriers over their competition.
Amedee lauded Loyola’s program, saying that they’re one of the top teams in Louisiana.
He said that Vandebilt can’t get too focused on previous history in the championship match, because he knows Loyola will make adjustments and be ready to play.
In the semifinals, Loyola beat Teurlings Catholic 2-1.
“We have a great respect for their team, their program, their players and their coaches,” Amedee said. “We know they’re a really good opponent and they’re going to be ready to play. We expect them to give us a really, really strong effort.”
But Amedee expects the same from his team, too.
The Lady Terriers have a large senior class, and all of those girls have been in this position before.
The coach said he expects his upperclassmen to step up and do everything they can to make sure their career ends with a bang.
“We were a younger group last year, and we have a lot of the contributors from last year’s team back, and that, obviously makes us excited,” Amedee said. “Those kids have worked hard throughout their careers, and we’d really love for it to end in a special way.”
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