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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17,1995 SPORTS PRESS-REPUBLICAN PAGE 17 NAC foe brings new twist to state semis By STEVE OUELLETTE Staff Writer I BUFFALO - What does a soccer team have for dinner on the eve of its first final four appearance? '.[ Beef? Chicken? Perhaps some pasta, for carbo- lbading? For the Northern Adirondack boys soccer tjeam, the choice most certainly was not sushi. \ The same, however, can't be said for the Bobcats opponents, Keio Academy. '. \I think this game is going to be a contrast of styles,\ understated Northern Adirondack coach Don Moulton. ; In more ways than dining preferences. ; Keio, a 350-student school in Westchester Coun- ty, is a private institution for Asian students. ., While schools in the North Country will get the occasional foreign exchange student who comes in f£r a semester or two and shows off soccer skills learned from infancy, Keio is virtually all foreign exchange students. ^ And while Japan is not considered a world power in international soccer, the predominantly Japa- nese players on the Keio team are well-drilled and highly-skilled. '• \From what I hear, they're a ball control team,\ said Moulton. \Their players are very skilled. Our players aren't quite as skilled, but hopefully they're a little faster. We'd like to get the ball on the out- side and use the wings.\ Keio conquered the Lower Hudson Athletic Con- ference this year with a 21-1 record, winning its final 20 games. The Unicorns trounced West Lake, 3-0, in the Section I final and did the same to Burke Catholic in the regionals, 3-0. In the quarterfinals with Mattituck, they were forced to the penalty kick shootout before earning the victo- ry- Keio, like NAC, is playing in the semifinals for the first time, though it has had a successful pro- gram in the past. In 1992, the Unicorns won the sectional crown — but had it taken away for un- wittingly using a player who was too old. Keio's top player, and probably the best player in all of Section I, is forward Wataru Osada, who scored 26 goals and added 15 assists this season. Goalie Ichi Ishikawa is an outstanding clutch performer. In the win against Mattituck, he stop- ped three penalty kicks in the shootout. Yuga Suzuki, Keio's top midfielder, has missed most of the season with a knee injury, but he may be back for today's tilt with the Bobcats. NAC's formula for victory is easily said, perhaps not as easily carried out. First, the Bobcats have to control Osada, the focus of the Keio offense and the Unicorns' only true finisher. Second, Northern Adirondack's halfbacks, Nick Chase, Bruce Shutts and Trent Curry, have to play their skilled counterparts to at least a draw, bogging down the Keio passing game at midfield. Third, the Bobcat forwards Steve Chilton, Jason Seguin and Tyler Murtha have to use their speed to put pressure on the Keio defense. Finally, the Bobcats need a flawless performance from Eric Owen in net. Today's eight boys semifinal games, previously scheduled for the Lewiston-Porter sports complex, will all be held at Canisius College in Buffalo in- stead, due to Tuesday's snowstorm which left the Lewiston fields unusable. The first game will begin at 8 a.m., with start times following every two hours through 10 p.m. (in Buffalo in mid-November?), barring any over- times. NAC and Keio are scheduled for a noon start. Luck of draw may be with Saranac in semis By JOHN CORYER Staff Writer HORNELL - Only time will tell, but the Saranac girls soccer team may have received a favor- able draw in today's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C Girls Soccer Tournament semifinals. The Chiefs (15-4-4) tangle with Section VI's Portville (15-3-3) in one semifinal at Hornell High School, beginning at 9:45 a.m., while Syracuse-Westhill (21-1) plays Mattituck (19-1) at 8 a.m., also at Hornell. \Syracuse-Westhill has been in the tournament the last three years I believe,\ Saranac coach Mary LoTemplio said. \And Mat- tituck is from a very tough region. \On'paper the semifinal mat- ch-up appears to be a good one for us. The bottom line, however, is that every team is good when you get this far.\ Portville is led in scoring by forward Abbey Hadzicki, who has 27 goals on the season, including three in the playoffs. Brooke Schoonover has added eight goals. Katie? Hamed is next with five, while sister Sara Hamed, only an eighth-grader, has four. HOME... Continued from Page 16 else to do and there isn't enough time in the day,\ Mason said. \We've gotten off to a good start, but you have to make sure you cover all the •bases: recruiting, scouting, player development and com- munity relations. \I'm finding that I'm bor- rowing from all my past coaches, and, with that, I'm developing my own philosophy. I've been very fortunate that the people I've been associated with over the years have been quality people. I wouldn't be where I am now without the support they've given to me. The Portville team, which lost a career 100-goal scorer from a year ago, struggled early but is getting it done now. Veteran coach Bob George will be taking his first team to the Final Four. Portville owns a win over Holland in sectional semifinal play. Holland was a Final Four participant last season. \We've been there before and we know what to expect,\ LoTemplio said. \Playing last year in the Final Four definitely helped us. We shouldn't be in awe like we were last season. \We did the best we could last year at the Final Four, and it was a great experience for us. We have confidence now, and that will help. But we still need to play a great game. \We played well in our last win over Middleburgh (a 2-0 win), despite the weather conditions. We came out strong and we want to see more of that in this game.\ This year's Saranac team, despite some problems in the regular season, actually matches up pretty well with last year's group. This year's team has scored more goals, but given up more as well. \Our goal differential was a Right at the top of that list is my family, my father Ernie, my mother Sally and my younger brother Fred.\ That green-clad family will be among the most vocal Mason's supporters tonight. After all, isn't that what home is all about. CLASSIC NOTES: Tonight will be Poster Night with everyone attending receiving a free Cardinal basketball poster with the season schedule ... Plattsburgh Mayor Clyde Rabideau will be the Cardinals' honorary coach for the season- opening tournament. plus-34 last year, and it's at a plus-33 this year,\ LoTemplio said. \We knew the big trouble would be getting out of the sec- tion because of the respect I have for Northeastern Clinton. I felt the team that won Section VII could play with anyone.\ Injuries hurt the Chiefs for a while this season, but everyone is back and healthy. \We were really struggling at the beginning of the season, and then started to figure things out,\ LoTemplio said. \But then we go and get three players hurt, and it messed us up again. \Players like Anika Pellerin stepped in when Sarah Paquette got hurt, and Anika scored a big goal for us in the sectionals. Now Paquette is back, and she is scoring some big goals at the right time for us. \We kind of figured out things. Everybody knows their role on the team, and things are clicking. It did take a while, however.\ Paquette's return has helped take some of the scoring load off Amber Cringle, who leads the Chiefs with 20 goals. Cringle was a marked player by league foes throughout the season, expecially with Paquette's absence. \Our goaltender, Jessie Strack, has really stepped us big for us,\ LoTemplio said. \And Kelly Schoffstall has stepped up her play as well. Jill Kanaly, who didn't play that much for us last season, plays all the time now and is doing a great job. \When players like Paquette and Rhonda Miner went down with injuries, other players had to step in and do the job. That has worked out well for us because it gave some of our other players the experience.\ Ready for season Staff Photo/Mike Dowd Demi Pellerin (left) and Ali Pellerin are gearing up for the 35th-annual Beartown Ski Swap Shop to be held Sunday, from 1-5 p.m. at Plattsburgh State's Sibley Hall on Rugar Street. Items such as skis, boots, poles, cross-country, ice skates, rollerblades and ski clothing wjll be accepted for sale Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to noon. Saranac Lake on move since opening-day defeat By TIM REYNOLDS Staff Writer SARANAC LAKE - This football season has been nothing but one continuous progression for the Saranac Lake Redskins. And John Raymond hopes it can last for nine more days — all the way to next Sunday's state championship at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. \We kept getting better and better,\ Raymond, Saranac Lake's head football coach, said. \There wasn't a time where we didn't play better every single week.\ A season-opening 22-15 loss at Peru has been followed by nine consecutive victories, vaulting Saranac Lake to the No. 8 spot in the state high school rankings. And that steady climb has taken the Redskins to Saturday afternoon's state Class C football semifi- nals at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, where Saranac Lake (9-1) meets Section IX's Highland (9-1). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. \We knew this would be a reach,\ Raymond said. \But the kids kept working hard and kept devel- oping. It looked like bare bottom early, but you know, tradition is a great thing — and we've got it.\ Quarterbacks are also a great thing. And al- though Jarred Amell's numbers aren't eye-popping — he's thrown for 713 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games — one has to realize he's averaging a mere eight pass attempts per game. \This is a big-play team and there's no question Amell's the trigger man,\ Raymond said. \He's the key. Period.\ Amell transferred to Saranac Lake from Section VI's Randolph last year, after quarterbacking Ran- dolph to a sectional championship. But his team couldn't advance to the state tournament, because of some innovation called the Harbin Points System. Basically, teams in Section VI accrue points during the season and a postseason delegate is crowned after sectional play concludes. And Ran- dolph was left out last year — and ironically, again this year. Randolph is ranked No. 7 in the state polls, just ahead of Saranac Lake. \To be honest with you,\ Amell said, \this time of year is why I came to Saranac Lake.\ In years past, the offensive line has been para- mount in Saranac Lake's offense, and this year has been no exception. The difference this year is Saranac Lake's front six have lifted weights and gotten bigger throughout the season, a slight change from the norm. \We're really pleased with the way the line's coming along,\ Raymond said. Left guard Jeremy Fletcher is a junior, and left tackle John Warchol is the line's lone senior. From there, center Josh Dann, 251-pound right tackle Dustin Plumadore, right guard Scott Garrish and tight end Doug Cochran are all sophomores. \Our sophomores have played 10 games,\ Ray- mond said. \They're not sophomores anymore.\ The line has done its job. It's kept Amell on his feet (Saranac Lake has given up just four sacks all season — just one in the last eight games), and has opened holes for a rushing attack that has gained 1,957 yards and scored 29 touchdowns. Jason Rabideau (564 yards, eight touchdowns), Neil Fortier (500 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Ryan Ratelle (420 yards, seven touchdowns) give the Saranac Lake backfield a look Redskins fans are accustomed to — deep and quick. \This is a team with a lot of weapons,\ Raymond said. \We have a lot of different ways to score and in high school the most-difficult thing to do is score.\ Defensively, Saranac Lake has been stingy, allowing just 97 points all season — 27 to Cam- bridge last Saturday in the state quarterfinals. The Redskins have racked up an area-best 21 sacks this season, and has allowed just three of its 10 opponents more than 200 total yards of offense. Against the run, Saranac Lake yields a mere 117 yards per contest, and teams have averaged just 38 passing yards against the Redskins. Feature #1 1951 FordFI Pick-Up $12.95 with purchase of WK Filters Feature #2 1940 Ford Modified Coupe with towing trailer (oddffional mail-in offer) In the good old days you'd see a lot of 1951 Ford Fl Pick-Ups at drive-in movies. Now you can own your own 1725 scale, limited edition, die-cast metal model for a special low price with the purchase of WK filters. Then if you really want to go back in time, you can order this '40 Ford Modified Race Coupe with trailer for just $19.25 (plus shipping and handling) and four WIX filters proofs of purchase. Hurry...Quantities Limited WIX*FILTERS Plattsburgh Motor Service 83M<l»ist.5«-2700 Molont 48*0470 Soronoc lot. S«l-3030 & 2WCmSiaSt.S61.4M0 MMMM76945M R6UM.PI 197411a Purchase Your ife Whiteface & Empire Card Gets You: 1 FREE day of Skiing, AND Discounted Skiing Sunday Through Friday, Non Holiday. 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