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Friday, October 16, 2009
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Smith figures girls' soccer team surprised even themselves WARRIORS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Sports Editor With a coaching change following the graduation of many top players, opponents may have thought the Brainerd Warrior girls' soccer team was headed for a down year.
Sara Rojas took over as head coach. Kelly Rosenthal, the leading scorer in program history, and other top players graduated.
Despite the personnel changes the Warriors haven't missed a beat this fall. They won their sixth Central Lakes Conference title since 2004 and earned the top seed in the Section 8-2A tournament.
Tri-captain Madison Smith has helped the Warriors finish the regular season 10-1-0 in CLC play, 11-4-2 overall. The senior leads the team in scoring with 13 points and 72 shots on net.
"I think we definitely surprised some people, I think we even surprised ourselves the most," Smith said of this season's record. "I didn't think we could do it as a team. We've come a long way from the beginning of the year. We're a completely different team than we were the first two games (4-0, 7-0 losses to Stillwater and Wayzata). I think we have just as much chance as anyone else to make it to state."
Smith started the season on defense since the Warriors were inexperienced back there. She has since moved to an outside midfield spot.
"I played defense all summer in a summer league," Smith said, "then, usually for school, I go back up to midfield. We just didn't have a set defense at the beginning. When Sara took over, whoever had the most experience was put back on defense.
Madison Smith
Sport: Soccer
Position: Forward/midfield
Year: Senior
Age: 17
Height: 5-7
Weight: 130 pounds
Other sports: Gymnastics, track and field
Career highlight: Competing in state track meet as sophomore
Grade-point average: 4.028
Favorite class: Math
Favorite food: Raspberries
Favorite movie: Sweet Home Alabama
Favorite TV show: Fresh Prince of Belair
Favorite Web site: Facebook
Hobbies: Playing sports, socializing with friends
Future plans: Attend college, major in business, run track
Favorite athlete: Former teammate Jess Bye
Parents: P.J. and Kelly Smith
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"I'm more of an aggressive player, so I'm better at forward where you're up more on the field."
Rojas agreed that Smith's best position is midfield.
"At the beginning of the year she was starting on defense," Rojas said. "We moved her because she needed to move more. If she has too much waiting time she gets frustrated. She needs to be able to move up and down the field, so midfield is a better fit for her.
"Once we got our defense worked out we put Brianna Olson at sweeper, Tori Sundholm as stopper. When I felt confident in our defense we were able to move Madison to a midfield position. She has the speed to run down the line, she's able to set up forwards with some good shots. She has a good foot to cross the ball. If I put her in a forward position I know we can consistently get some good shots out of her."
Smith attributes her scoring totals to teammates like forward Stacy Tetreault and inside midfielder Kellie Barnaby.
"Stacy and Kellie are a huge part of that," she said. "We're moving the ball around pretty good. I usually have balls fed to me. Kellie feeds me good balls to the corner, and I usually work with Stacy to somehow get them in."
Smith is one of the team's inspirational leaders, along with fellow captains Kaitlin Anderholm and Barnaby.
"Mainly, I just try to get everyone pumped up and ready for games," Smith said. "Kate and Kellie have been good to work with. Being captains we try to work together, get everyone thinking we have a chance. It takes a lot of hard work."
Rojas said Smith has "come into her own as a leader."
"She knows when she needs to push," Rojas added, "and she's able to encourage when she needs to encourage. It's a hard balance to find, especially as a high school athlete, but she's taking that on and she's growing into that each time I see her."
Other notable efforts:
• Cami Andersen, girls soccer, shut out Sartell, her sixth of the season.
• Reid Mimmack, football, rushed for 120 yards and three TDs and passed for 116 yards and one TD against Alexandria and passed for 138 yards and three more scores against Fergus Falls.
• Riley Nelsen and Rebecca Yeh, cross country, won titles at the C-I Invite.
• Siri Smith, swimming, won two events against Willmar and two more against Alexandria and was on two winning relays.
• Katy Etterman, diving, won at Willmar and at Alexandria, her seventh and eighth wins in eight dual meets.
• Taylor Headlee-Zoe Houle, tennis, combined to win the North Subsection 8-2A doubles title.
MIKE BIALKA may be reached at mike.bialka@brainerddispatch.com or at 855-5861.
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