By Ross Flint, Martinsville Reporter-Times
8/14/2008
A year ago, the Martinsville High School girls soccer team lost its first game in the sectionals in heart-breaking fashion.
With one second remaining, Bloomington South’s Autumn Hawkins scored to give the Artesians a 3-2 loss, cutting short a season that saw Martinsville establish four school records.
“That was a punch in the gut,” coach Matt Vlasman said.
Before that game, the Artesians set school records for most wins (11), most goals scored (59), most assists (37) and lowest goals scored against average (1.7 per game). The Artesians also won its second consecutive Mid-State Conference championship by going undefeated in conference play.
The loss to Bloomington South has served as motivation for Vlasman and his team, which begins its season at Bedford North Lawrence at 5 p.m. Monday. He said the team is retooling, not reloading from last year. Everyone on the team must prove themselves and the lineup is yet to be determined, he said.
Three seniors who played key roles and last year’s coach, Jon Marion, are gone from that team, leaving big shoes to fill. Maj. Marion is an assistant operations officer and brigade fire support officer for the 76th Brigade and is being re-deployed to Iraq, forcing him to miss the season.
Marion’s departure has served as a source of inspiration for the team, especially the veterans who played for him for three years, Vlasman said. The team is wearing red and blue wristbands that read “Coach Marion, We Love You” this season. Once he returns in January, Marion will take over as coach for the 2009 season.
Among those who return are senior Abbie Goss and junior Anna Dow, both of whom were named to the all-Mid-State Conference team. Goss was also named the Most Valuable Player last season.
Vlasman said last year’s seniors, Kaylin Clow, Shawna Follis and Alaina Zloty, can’t be replaced, but he’s raising the bar of expectations for everyone this year. Right now, four or five girls have the ability to play collegiate soccer.
Despite increased expectations, the success of the season will be measured in the effort the team puts forth.
“The ball can bounce one way one day, then bounce differently the next,” he said.
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