Girls regional soccer tournaments begin on Tuesday

January 23, 2012 9:24 PM

PAT MCCANN / News Herald Executive Sports Editor

For Mosley, this is a journey into familiar territory without one of its familiar faces. In Arnold’s case, also well-trod ground and against a recognizable opponent.

Bay is the lone county school that must travel Tuesday evening as girls soccer region tournaments begin. The Tornadoes, 14-7-1, will play at Wakulla in the Region 1-2A tournament while Mosley hosts Pace in the 1-4A draw at Tommy Oliver Stadium and Arnold entertains Pensacola in 1-3A at Mike Gavlak.

All games start at 7 p.m. local time. In addition, a young program at Franklin County hosts its first regional game in school history against Hamilton County.

Mosley, 15-4-0, had to adjust to the loss of leading scorer Emily Vogler while winning the district tournament in Tallahassee. Vogler was lost for the season in the first half of the semifinal, and despite the gravity of her absence Coach Marek Betkowski said the Dolphins reacted as any coach would hope they would.

“They were very determined,” Betkowski said. “They sometimes were comfortable with Emily there (and her team-leading 23 goals). Nothing can replace Emily Vogler, but now they know they need to do it.

“They can’t just count on Emily anymore, and they played with more determination.”

The Dolphins didn’t meet Pace this season, and Betkowski admitted he knows little about the Patriots. It was his desire that whichever opponent Mosley meets has to adjust to the Dolphins’ style rather than the Dolphins adjusting.

Freshman Rachel Bates and senior Ellie Buttram should become more prominent in the attack in Vogler’s absence, and freshman Elizabeth Vickers also could be a major component.

Another key figure is keeper Emily Grammer, who not only has 50 career shutouts but can use her experience to help initiate offensive attacks.

“She will be much more busier and no doubt have more opportunities to help out her team,” Betkowski said. “Distributing the ball to help the offense. She has long throws … other teams are going to be aware we’re missing our strongest offensive player.”

Arnold defeated Pensacola 6-1 in a match that Marlins coach James Gardner stressed was very early in the season.

“We won, but it was not real pretty. I don’t think you can gauge anything from it,” he said.

Gardner instead would prefer a carryover from Arnold’s stirring 4-3 win in the district final against Choctawhatchee, The Marlins’ boys were set to host their district semifinals Tuesday, but those matches have been shifted to Wednesday to accommodate the girls region opener at Mike Gavlak Sports Complex.

“I sure do, we always need that,” Gardner said of any momentum from the comeback win from a 3-1 deficit. “We’ve had trouble with consistency in my opinion. We can look really good, then really bad. We always seem to be that way, but we finish strong.”

The Marlins are led by senior Kirsten Crowley and junior Sarah Nohmer, both with more than 20 goals. Gardner also thinks that ending the regular-season schedule against larger schools Mosley, Navarre and Niceville helped make his squad tournament tough.

Arnold has made the regional in nine consecutive years. The Marlins have yet to play in a region final, however.

“I thought last year might be the year, but we don’t really talk about that much,” Gardner said. “It’s just not a subject that comes up with the girls. We’re more one game at a time.”

Bay also is meeting a team it conquered during the regular season, having downed Wakulla 4-2 two weeks ago. Coach Blythe Carpenter is concerned with the Tornadoes playing cohesively for 80 minutes.

Like Gardner, she said the earlier victory can be misleading.

“It can be construed either way,” Carpenter said. “On the one hand we know we can do it, but then it might make Wakulla more determined. I just want us to meet the challenge.”

Carpenter was unsure Monday on the availability of leading scorer Jessica Harris, who missed most of the district championship game with a nagging hamstring injury.

The Tornadoes’ game starts at 6 p.m. CST.

Also at that time, a Franklin County program that has been in existence only four years begins its quest in 1-1A when it hosts Hamilton County.