European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 22, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday March 22 2007 stars and stripes Page 27 Home team a weekly look at local Sporis trojans taking strides Young Zama girls soccer team wants to contend now by Dave Ornauer stars and stripes ordinarily any team that starts with a Ros Ter dominated by underclassmen and a new coach and then sees last years leading scorer Transfer right before the Start of the season could pack it in and look toward next year not the Zama american girls soccer team to paraphrase an old movie title the kids Are All right coach Vanessa Littles team has won half of its four matches and even scored two goals on last years class a runner up american school in Japan last saturday at Camp Zama despite being so Young six freshman five sophomores and just two returning Start ers Little and her players say they Arent Content to wait for Success they feel their time could be now were determined to learn and develop quickly everybody is just wanting to play said freshman Transfer Whitney Mcwherter a midfielder who has five goals and two assists this year during tryouts i realized How inexperienced everyone was said fellow freshman Transfer Aubrey Ashliman seven goals two a Forward i didst know How Well we would play together but were starting to learn How each other plays and getting to know our positions better coach Little agreed there getting better Treyve gotten bet Ter since the first Day of tryouts she said not bad for a team of almost entirely new faces from the one that went 6115 last year and finished last in the 12team class a tournament on Okinawa they even lost last sea sons leading scorer Sophomore Rachel rave to 22 who left for South Carolina this month were not worrying about last year Mcwherter said were coming Back playing better than anybody thought everybody will know Treyve been in a game when they play Zama the teams makeover began with the arrival of Little who coached last season at Kef la Vik Iceland and the previous four seasons in Florida after graduating from West Virgin i Wesleyan a first glance at Zamas tryout prospects and i figured it was going to be one of those rebuilding years Little said plus with me being new i knew that going Over new drills and formations and things it was going to be Courtesy of r Slade Walters Zama american freshman midfielder Whitney Mcwherter who has five goals and two assists in four matches has helped Pace the trojans to a 22 record entering tuesdays match against defending kanto and Dodd Japan league Champion Nile c Kinnick rebuilding regardless whether we had fresh men and sophomores or not defense surfaced As an Issue As the season got started two weeks ago Little said our defense int used to playing together some of them Haven played defense so there having to get used to that she said but that might have been a Small hurdle compared with Kef Lavik where Little said most of her players haunt played before at All i thought i was going to have to Start from Square one but the girls had some Back athletes of the week ground already she said they knew How to play and they knew their positions key to the teams Early fortunes is the Tan dem of Mcwherter and Ashliman they each lived in Nevada from birth until the Sec Ond Grade then their families both moved to Virginia Beach they each attended private schools and played for the same travelling team in Virginia Shes Midfield in Forward we each know where each other is going to be where Shes going to pass the Ball and in there Ashlin Man said we bring experience so we can help the other players improve adding to the teams surprising Success is the fact that the players get along Well on and off the Field players and coach say i was actually surprised Little said Usu ally you have to Deal with some drama but the seniors and juniors see How Good the fresh men Are and How there an asset to the team honestly this is the first team where i Haven had any drama Between the girls no arguing no fighting Knock on Wood so far Zamas Early Success Hast gone unnoticed by opponents there a Good team Edgren coach Larry Allen said i thought they were very Well disciplined Well coached and i definitely could Tell that they were Young Only by their Ros Ter so just How far can this Young Bunch take their Early Success entering tuesdays match at Dodd Japan and kanto Plain association of secondary schools Champion Nile c Kin Nick players and coaches feel that much still needs to be done not just one specific area Mcwherter said the team As a whole needs to improve but Overall everybody improving As a whole everybody learning their positions and getting better every practice every game is a Dodd Japan or kanto Plain title per haps placing High in the class a tournament May 2125 at Yokota out of the question i think we can definitely Mcwherter said weve improved so quickly we Hung with Asir i think we can step up and become even better and contend at far East this year Little says Shes taking a cautiously optimistic approach were building toward far East but we need to focus on each game As it comes she said were not looking too far ahead email Dave Ornauer at Ricardo Rodriguez soccer Matthew c Perry Japan last week scored two goals and recorded an assist As the Samurai 252 equalled their entire Victory total of the 2006 season by tying Marist Brothers International and beat ing Hiroshima International on saturday the biggest contributions from Rodriguez a freshman did not show up on statistics sheets coach Mark Lange said play making and helping set up goals for his older brother Julio helped the Samurai tie Marist 33 and shut out Hiroshima 80 both players have been instrumental in making the Samu Rai More competitive this season and work Well together up front As the brother strike Force goal scoring tandem Lange said Ricardo Rodriguez has three goals and two assists this season Julio has scored six selected by stars and stripes staff Jen Abel soccer Kadena Okinawa last week scored three goals in consecutive games As the three time defending class a Champion panthers thought to be rebuilding after losing seven starters improved to 40 with two victories on saturday Abel a senior and Pacific record Holder for goals in a sea son 70 in scored three times in the panthers 60 Home shutout of Nago a japanese team then scored three More As Kadena blanked Nakanishi 40 on the Road Abel has nine goals and five assists this season she is the main reason Kadena has begun the season 40 with 16 goals in four games coach Hoa Nguyen said she leads the new and younger players to play hard and pick up a notch she is the Leader and player coach on and off the Field selected by stars and stripes staff this weeks schedule Okinawa boys soccer Friday March 23 Kubasak is Kadena at Mcdonald stadium Risner fitness sports Complex Kadena air base 7 pm saturday March 24 Urasoe at Kadena 1 pm girls soccer Friday March 23 Kubasak is Kadena at Mcdonald stadium Risner fitness sports Complex Kadena air base 5 pm saturday March 24 Kubasak is Naha Nishi at upper Field Kadena is Kadena air base 9 am Kadena is Naha Nishi at upper Field Kadena is 10 am Kubasak is Yumei at lower Field Kadena is 9 am Yomei at Kadena 10 am baseball saturday March 24 Kubasak is Kadena at Chibana recreation area 1 pm wednesday March 28 Chatan is Kubasak at Field 9 Foster athletics Complex 6 pm girls softball saturday March 24 Kubasak is Kadena at Chibana recreation area am track and Field thursday March 22 Zion Christian Academy and Kadena at Kubasak 3 pm Japan boys soccer Friday March 23 my Perry at Zama 5 pm Caj is Edgren at Bonk Field Yokota is Yoko to air base pm islands club at Vej King pm saturday March 24 islands club at Vej King 10 am my Perry at Zama 10 am Edgren at Yoko to 10 am tuesday March 27 Kinnick is Zama at Reid memorial stadium Katsugi naval air facility 5 pm girls soccer Friday March 23 my Perry at Zama 4 pm Edgren at Zama pm saturday March 24 my Perry is Edgren at trojans Field Zama american is Camp Zama 9 am Edgren at Zama am tuesday March 27 Yokota is Kinnick at Ike go Heights naval housing facility pm baseball Friday March 23 Edgren is Kinnick 2 at Berkey Field Yokosuka naval base 1 pm saturday March 24 Edgren is Kinnick 2 at Berkey Field Yokosuka naval base 10 am Zama is Yokota 2 at Yokota Park Yokota air base 10 am girls softball Friday March 23 Edgren is Kinnick 2 at Berkey Field Yokosuka naval base 5 pm Vej King is Zama 2 at rambler Field Camp Zama pm saturday March 24 Vej King is Edgren 2 at rambler Field Camp Zama 9 am tuesday March 27 Kinnick at Yokota pm track and Field saturday March 23 Caj Zama and Kinnick at Yokota 3 pm game of the week track and Field Zion Christian Academy and Kadena at Kubasak when 3 pm thursday where Mike Petty stadium Kubasak High school Camp Foster Okinawa what second of three regular season Okinawa activities Council meetings in the sunup to the 5th Mike Petty memorial meet scheduled for april 67 athletes to watch the latest in mar Quee boys 100meter dash matchup Kadenas Jeff Morton and Kub Sakis Charles Vinson or split their first two head Ohead matchup Morton edged Vinson 1151167 on March 10 then Vin son nipped Morton 11181125 on March 15 Kubasak distance specialist Julie Monti has swept All five meets of Dis Tances of 800 meters or More so far Kub Sakis throwing tandem of Lawrence and lakes Mcclain Are favored in the shot put and discus As is Kadenas Maneul Duran in the 400 Long jump and relays and Kub Sakis Kyera Tennyson in the High jump Kadenas an Thony Tillman figures to Challenge far East Cross country Champion Matt Coon of Kubasak in the 1600 and 3200