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Next chapter, same verse Despite staying close again NCT drops fourth straight at Gulf, 2-1

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By MARTY MILLER, Hernando Today correspondent

Published: November 25, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - In soccer, the term 'Lumping it' is defined in an internet soccer glossary as, "When a team uses a system of just kicking the ball as far as they can with no regard to passing."

For Nature Coast Technical's soccer coach Phil Bennett, who graduated from a soccer coaching college in England, saying that a team is lumping it is not a very complimentary term.

Bennett, whose team lost its fourth straight match of the season at Des Little Stadium Monday night at Gulf High, 2-1, is trying to teach his troops what he says is the right way to play the game.

"At the end of the day, my job is to get these girls to college and playing that way isn't going to help them," insisted Bennett.

Bucs score early

Gulf High won the Class 4A, District 8 match behind a pair of first-half goals from Shelby Grafton and Devin Fellman.

NCT, whose record slipped to 4-4 overall, received a goal in the first half from junior Cassandra Freeman as the Buccaneers out shot the Sharks 22-6 in the game.

A good example of the kind of play Bennett is talking about came on the Buccaneers' initial goal. Defender Amanda Gardner took a ball at midfield and sent a long pass down the right side that Grafton outran the Sharks defense to. She then had a 1-on-1 chance against NCT goalie Sarah Berberian and beat her to the far post.

That goal came in the 14th minute of the first half and Gulf added another six minutes later.

Courtney Cohen took a corner kick that was stopped by a NCT defender right in front of the goal. But before the ball could be cleared, Gulf's Fellman pounced on the loose ball and scored to make it 2-0.

In the last minute of the half, Nature Coast got on the scoreboard after a free kick just outside the penalty box. Megan Jacobson took the kick and Freeman found herself alone in the penalty box. Her shot bounced off the right goal post and went into the net for a goal.

In the second half, Gulf had control of the ball most of the time and goalie Berberian had to make at least six saves in the half to keep the Sharks close.

"When it's 2-1, you're in the game," said Bennett. "We played better tonight. We played horrible our last three games (losses to Hudson 2-1, Pasco 3-2 and Springstead 3-1). But prior to that we had passed the ball very, very well."

But the one thing that Bennett wanted to make clear is that he believes his team is learning to play the game the way it was meant to be played.

"I teach my girls to avoid playing that kind of long ball," he said. "You know with college in mind, I want them to pass the ball. It's not good enough for these girls to just lump it anymore."

Bennett says that playing the style he does has its disadvantages, especially since most of the teams he faces tend to play the long ball a lot. "At the end of the day, my job is to get these girls to college and playing that way isn't going to help. So we've got to change our tactics this season and it's a transition period for us. Just lumping the ball isn't going to get them to college anymore; they have to learn how to pass the ball."

Also like most coaches early in their season, Bennett expects his team to be much better next year when districts roll around.

"Going into districts, talking a couple of months down the line, we'll be ready," he added. "And when the college scouts come looking, they'll see these girls are playing the right way."

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