RACHEL — While things aren’t close to finished, both the North Marion and West Fairmont girls’ soccer teams can sit back, take a deep breath and look at all they’ve accomplished thus far.
Yes, the Huskies’ regular season ended with a loss, 3-1, to the visiting Polar Bears Thursday night, but the team managed to post a 9-3-3 mark and crack the top 20 of the wvsoccer.net state rankings.
West, which closes the regular season with a home match Saturday morning against Robert C. Byrd, has been even more impressive. The Polar Bears are 13-0-4 , ranked first in the state in Class AAA and have rattled off eight shutouts.
Not that either is content. Coach Debbie Cattafesta hopes to get West’s passing game going in preparation for next week’s North Central Athletic Conference tournament. The veteran coach thinks a brief break in the team’s hectic schedule could be the perfect remedy.
“(North’s) field is a little challenging to play on; it’s harder to maneuver,” Cattafesta said. “We just weren’t making the connections and couldn’t get the passing game going.
“But we’ve been playing three games a week. Their legs are a little tired. Their dream has always been to go all the way, and they don’t want that dream to die. They’re ready to get started (for the playoffs).”
Still, the Polar Bears did more than enough to add another notch in the win column.
They finished with 22 shots on goals, held a 10-5 edge after halftime and kept the Huskies’ chances to a minimum.
North netted its lone score with two minutes left, as Tiffany Nicholson knocked in a penalty kick.
“We didn’t want to get shut out and, thankfully, we didn’t,” North coach Josh Barker said. “Tiffany did a good job knocking in the penalty kick. We’ll take that and try to build on it.”
West got a solid offensive effort out of seniors Tai Cattafesta and Laura Dalton.
Cattafesta had the Polar Bears’ first two goals, the latter with an assist from Lauren Retton, on a close-range shot to help cap the opening half. Dalton, meanwhile had an assist and added a goal that caught the far left corner of the net at the 24-minute mark of the second half.
In the boys’ contest, West and North battled to a 0-0 deadlock. The Polar Bears had a 9-3 advantage in shots in the first half. No further details were available when the Times West Virginian went to press.
“We wanted to have a winning season and get in the top bracket in the NCAC tournament,” Barker, who coaches both the boys’ and girls’ squads, said. “We’re feeling positive going into the playoffs and think both teams have got what it takes it make a run.”
North recognized 16 (nine girls, seven boys) senior soccer players prior to the start of Thursday’s nightcap.
E-mail Nick Cammuso at ncammuso@timeswv.com.
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PHOTOS BY TAMMY SHRIVER
October 10, 2008
Finishing strong
West girls stay unbeaten; boys fight to tie
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Christmas fireworks
Fairmont Senior’s boys’ basketball team put on its greatest offensive display in years Tuesday against the visiting Brooke Bruins.
- Conference’s best Fairmont Senior ruled the North Central Athletic Conference in 2009, going through its league schedule unbeaten en route to a 9-1 regular season.
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Future Falcons
Kaitlyn Antolock, Kelsi Wright and Jessica Parsons each had visions of continuing their basketball careers at the collegiate level. The North Marion trio, though, never gave much thought to playing together.
- Hays: Huskies turned the corner in ’09 Daran Hays thinks of himself as a perfectionist. So while part of the North Marion football coach is pleased with his team’s play in 2009, the other half views his first year in the eyes of a skeptic, always wanting a little more.
- Twelve county players named all-NCAC soccer Fairmont Senior’s boys’ soccer team won the North Central Athletic Conference and advanced to the state tournament in 2009.
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Getting revenge
East Fairmont’s volleyball team got a little revenge on Robert C. Byrd when it counted the most.
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