Team Spotlight: Norfolk Academy girls soccer defensive about a three-peat

By JOHN STREIT 

Special to 757teamz.com

Like most teams chock full of young players, Norfolk Academy’s girls soccer team found itself in an identity crisis at the start of the 2008 season.

Would the team continue its rampage through the Tidewater Conference schedule with a prolific offensive attack as it did in each of its past two state championship seasons?

Could senior tri-captains Megan Arias, Joanie Bilms and Erinn Claffy fill the void leadership void left by the team’s graduated seniors?

And as it struggled to produce offensively in a tough early-season, non-conference stretch that featured four ties, these questions seemed more appropriate to ask than they do now.

When it came time for TCIS play, these Bulldogs were up to the same tricks, going 9-0 to win the league’s regular season crown.

But this Norfolk Academy team did it with new team identity based on stifling defensive play and an opportunistic offense rather than an oppressive one.

Crisis averted; and now NA is sitting pretty as the top seed in the Division-I state playoffs after defeating Bishop Sullivan in the TCIS tournament finals on Saturday.

“These guys, as younger players, have followed their leaders,” Peccie said. “Now this is their chance… This group really committed to defending, even though it’s a new group of back in those positions. That commitment is stronger this year than in any of my 12 years here. It’s gotten us to where we are now.”

Led by the play of defender Mary Meredith, the 2007 state private school player of the year; All-State goalkeeper Kendall Bourdon and the offensive spark of Brittany Morris, the Bulldogs (16-0-4) won 11 of their 14 victories via shutouts.

“We thought it was going to be a big rebuilding year,” Bilms said. “But we had a lot of people step up, especially in the backfield and up through the forwards.”

Bilms added that the team’s early season struggles were the result of a new, largely rookie backfield getting adjusted to the game at the varsity level.

“We had trouble scoring at first, it was frustrating,” Bilms said. “But our defense was always right there.”

Added Arias: “It took awhile for our forwards (two out of three are freshmen) to get into the groove.”

Peccie said the offense’s turning point was a 2-2 tie with Richmond Collegiate, in which NA rallied from a 2-0 first half deficit to force the draw. From there, the Bulldogs have generated enough offense to lay down their opponents.

“In past years, we’ve had designated scorers, people who were out go-to players,” Claffy said. “But this year it seems like more people have stepped and we’re playing more like a team. Now opponents don’t have just one person to shut down.

“We really like to use our flank midfield,” Claffy added. “Our center midfield (Meredith and Bilms) is really strong and can get it to the outsides, where we’ve our forwards have been able to finish it.”

Even through their early season struggles – Peccie said he likes to schedule challenging game between top private school and public school programs for early season tests – Norfolk Academy escaped bent, but not broken, with an unbeaten record.

“These guys have done an effective job of getting the younger players to feel like they’re a part of the team and a part of the program,” Peccie said. “It’s been an enjoyable run.”

Inside the Bulldogs:

757teamz.com: Coming off of two years as state champions as underclassmen, what does it mean to you to establish your own legacy as seniors? Bilms: “It would mean a lot to win in all in our senior year. We want a three-peat rally bad.”

Claffy: “I think I speak for all of the seniors when I say that we’re really excited about pursuing our third state title.”

757teamz.com: How have you guys been able to build team chemistry on a club that’s fairly young? Claffy: “We’ve done a lot of team bonding, and I think that’s helped with us being more team-like, but not just on the field, but off the field as well.”

Bilms: “(We had) team sleepovers, some of us went out to dinner.”

Arias: “We had team breakfasts for almost every game so far. We’ve had team potluck dinners after games.”