Formation shift powering Vandy soccer hopes

Vandebilt Catholic’s girls’ soccer team is hoping a change in philosophy will help the program clear the last remaining hurdle in its quest for a state championship.

In each of the last six seasons, the Lady Terriers have advanced to the Division II State Championship Game, winning two state titles in that span. But in each of the past four seasons, the program has fallen one game short of a championship and has had to settle for a runner-up finish.

Not long after their last trip to the State finals, Lady Terriers coach Philip Amedee decided it was time for a change in philosophy. So in the off-season, Amedee and Vandebilt switched from an offensive-minded approach to a more defensive-minded set.

“We went from a 4-4-2 (set) to playing a 4-2-3-1,” says Amedee. “That’s a formation that really helps you defend a little more and puts a little more emphasis on (defense).”

A 4-4-2 set consists of four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. With a 4-2-3-1 set, the number of defenders remain the same, only with five midfielders total – two defensively and three offensively – and one forward.

Amedee said Vandebilt’s players have adjusted well to the new approach.

“They’re very positive and they’ve done really well with it,” he said. “It’s a little frustrating at times because it was new to a lot of them and a lot of girls were playing in totally different formations, but all of these young girls are good soccer players with what I call a high soccer IQ. They were able to adjust and learn to play their positions.”

The timing for the change in schemes worked out well after Vandebilt graduated nine senior players – namely lead scorers Makelle Pena and Kimberly Grasso – from last year’s team, which lost the State Championship to No. 3-seeded Ben Franklin.

The subtraction of several key players from last year’s team wasn’t the only reason for the change in schemes.

“I just like this formation,” Amedee said. “I was focusing on playing a little more solid defense, then implementing the offense as we go. That has a lot to do with it. The girls I graduated last year had counted for 150 goals in the last three years.”

From a player’s perspective, Vandebilt senior Chi Chi Callejas said the new formation has benefited the team well.

“We really know how to work and communicate with each other now,” Callejas said. “At first, we just played our own position and didn’t really work together as a team, but we’re really clicking now. We play more of a back four. They feed the ball through to the offense to where it’s more back and forth than usual.”

So far, the changes appear to be working.

Despite a recent loss in an overtime game against rival E.D. White Catholic last week, Vandebilt entered this week at 14-6-3 overall and 5-1 in District play.

They’ve also managed to impress voters, as the Lady Terriers were unofficially ranked No. 2 overall in the state in District II in power rankings projections last week.

They may be a younger team with less experience this year, but the Lady Terriers could once again factor into the State Championship race later this year.

That’s the hope of current Vandebilt players, who weren’t around the program the last time the school took home a championship.

“We’ve been playing pretty well and are doing things that we’ve never done in the past,” Callejas said. “Our goal is to get back there and win.”

For that to happen, the Terriers know they need a combination of good play and a little luck.

“We’ve been to six (straight) title games,” said Amedee. “This year, there’s one team at the top of our division in Ben Franklin. The rest of the top teams, there’s a lot of parity. It’s just a matter of getting hot in the playoffs and being a better team that night.

“It’s not out of the question that we could do it this year. We’re definitely not the favorite, but if we play good soccer and play our best, anything can happen.”

Whether Vandebilt can go on another deep playoff run this year remains to be seen, but the future looks as bright as ever for program going forward.

Given its history, the elusive state title may only be a matter of when – not if.

“The next couple of years, these girls will just get better and better and more comfortable,” Amedee said. “We ought to continue to find ourselves in the thick of things.”