kepdawg
04-11-2007, 09:04 PM
The Colony girls are exceeding expectations
The Colony hoping to silence critics in first trip to UIL state tournament
12:53 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
By DAVID HINOJOSA / The Dallas Morning News
dhinojosa@dallasnews.com
THE COLONY – The Colony girls soccer team has a motto printed on the sleeves of the players' T-shirts:
"SBD: Silent But Deadly."
The "silent" refers to the team's belief it has gone unrecognized this season.
The "deadly" refers to the team's accomplishments: a 21-win season; a second-place finish in District 14-4A and playoff wins over McKinney (the 2005 4A champion) and Highland Park (a 4A runner-up the last two seasons).
As a result, the school will be making its first trip to the UIL state soccer tournament that begins Thursday at Round Rock ISD Stadium.
"We could do it for the people that have been behind us, or we could do it in spite of the people that didn't think we could do it at all," senior defender Sarah Gregory said.
Sophomore Melodie Johnson added: "We wanted to show everyone that we are better than you thought."
It has been easy to overlook The Colony.
The girls soccer team is only the second from the school to advance to a state tournament in any sport.
The school opened in 1986 and has enjoyed moderate success in sports like football, basketball and soccer. The 2001 boys basketball team with future NBA players Deron Williams and Bracey Wright advanced to the state tournament, losing in the 5A semifinals.
"This is a great accomplishment," Lewisville ISD athletic director Neal Wilson said. "Sometimes, success breeds success. Hopefully we got it kick-started and we can keep going."
The Colony has a new coach and system. The team struggled mightily the last two seasons competing in a 5A district with powerhouses like Flower Mound Marcus and Plano West. Both schools are 5A state tournament qualifiers this season.
In the previous two seasons, The Colony was 6-22, had been shut out 17 times and scored 12 goals – only three last season. The Colony was realigned to Class 4A this year.
"It's brought us more confidence because we had to get through those struggles," senior forward Chelsea Ross said.
Nicole Jund, the team's first-year coach who was previously at Pflugerville, spent the first part of the year teaching the team how to win, while implementing her system. In the end, playing tough competition has readied her team for its lengthy playoff run.
"Are they used to getting hammered and not quitting? Yeah," Jund said. "That came from that district. They should have the confidence to do what they do."
The team needed some convincing it could perform well this season. Senior goalkeeper Haley Corbell was selected as an all-district MVP last season mainly because of her ability to play at a high level despite getting peppered with shots.
Jund changed the formation, taking away one defender and adding an attacker. The best part was The Colony generated more offense (47 goals in district), while taking nothing away from the defense (seven goals allowed, seven shutouts). Corbell had 42 saves in district this season compared to 193 last season.
"We move the ball really well," Corbell said. "It even caught me off guard."
The Colony began slowly, opening district with losses to Richardson Pearce and Highland Park. Then it gradually built its confidence with a five-match winning streak. Jund realized around that time her team had a good chance to make the playoffs, but she didn't envision a lengthy playoff run.
"I wasn't totally confident that we'd have the staying power," Jund said. "I thought we were too young as far as playoff experience is concerned.
"Everyone told me that I had a phenomenal group of talent. We could really go far in 4A with these girls. They've answered everything I've asked them to do."
The Colony hoping to silence critics in first trip to UIL state tournament
12:53 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
By DAVID HINOJOSA / The Dallas Morning News
dhinojosa@dallasnews.com
THE COLONY – The Colony girls soccer team has a motto printed on the sleeves of the players' T-shirts:
"SBD: Silent But Deadly."
The "silent" refers to the team's belief it has gone unrecognized this season.
The "deadly" refers to the team's accomplishments: a 21-win season; a second-place finish in District 14-4A and playoff wins over McKinney (the 2005 4A champion) and Highland Park (a 4A runner-up the last two seasons).
As a result, the school will be making its first trip to the UIL state soccer tournament that begins Thursday at Round Rock ISD Stadium.
"We could do it for the people that have been behind us, or we could do it in spite of the people that didn't think we could do it at all," senior defender Sarah Gregory said.
Sophomore Melodie Johnson added: "We wanted to show everyone that we are better than you thought."
It has been easy to overlook The Colony.
The girls soccer team is only the second from the school to advance to a state tournament in any sport.
The school opened in 1986 and has enjoyed moderate success in sports like football, basketball and soccer. The 2001 boys basketball team with future NBA players Deron Williams and Bracey Wright advanced to the state tournament, losing in the 5A semifinals.
"This is a great accomplishment," Lewisville ISD athletic director Neal Wilson said. "Sometimes, success breeds success. Hopefully we got it kick-started and we can keep going."
The Colony has a new coach and system. The team struggled mightily the last two seasons competing in a 5A district with powerhouses like Flower Mound Marcus and Plano West. Both schools are 5A state tournament qualifiers this season.
In the previous two seasons, The Colony was 6-22, had been shut out 17 times and scored 12 goals – only three last season. The Colony was realigned to Class 4A this year.
"It's brought us more confidence because we had to get through those struggles," senior forward Chelsea Ross said.
Nicole Jund, the team's first-year coach who was previously at Pflugerville, spent the first part of the year teaching the team how to win, while implementing her system. In the end, playing tough competition has readied her team for its lengthy playoff run.
"Are they used to getting hammered and not quitting? Yeah," Jund said. "That came from that district. They should have the confidence to do what they do."
The team needed some convincing it could perform well this season. Senior goalkeeper Haley Corbell was selected as an all-district MVP last season mainly because of her ability to play at a high level despite getting peppered with shots.
Jund changed the formation, taking away one defender and adding an attacker. The best part was The Colony generated more offense (47 goals in district), while taking nothing away from the defense (seven goals allowed, seven shutouts). Corbell had 42 saves in district this season compared to 193 last season.
"We move the ball really well," Corbell said. "It even caught me off guard."
The Colony began slowly, opening district with losses to Richardson Pearce and Highland Park. Then it gradually built its confidence with a five-match winning streak. Jund realized around that time her team had a good chance to make the playoffs, but she didn't envision a lengthy playoff run.
"I wasn't totally confident that we'd have the staying power," Jund said. "I thought we were too young as far as playoff experience is concerned.
"Everyone told me that I had a phenomenal group of talent. We could really go far in 4A with these girls. They've answered everything I've asked them to do."