Sweet Home struggling
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sweet Home junior Lauren Prentice, right, tries to dribble past Iroquois junior Molly Cunningham during the Lady Panthers' 5-0 home loss last Thursday. Photo by Amy Krakowiak Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

It's been a rough season so far for Sweet Home girls soccer.

The team is 1-8 with its only win coming against Amherst, 2-1, on Sept. 11. Lightning forced officials to call the game with four minutes remaining.

Other scores have not been as kind. Last week, Sweet Home lost to Williamsville East, 4-0, on Monday, Sept. 17, Iroquois, 5-0, on Wednesday, Sept. 19, Lake Shore, 2-1, on Friday and Kenmore West, 5-1, on Saturday. They also lost 4-0 against Williamsville South on Friday, Sept. 14 and 3-0 versus Williamsville North on Saturday, Sept. 15. Sweet Home opened the season with defeats to Tonawanda, 4-0, and Depew, 5-2, in the Tonawanda Tournament on Thursday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 8.

"We've been struggling," said coach Josh Hicks. "We're playing on a lot of reaction instead of anticipation. In the last couple of games, we've started to have a couple more scoring opportunities. At times, thought, we're not getting the ball out

Hicks said his team has to do a lot on the field better to have success.

"We need to gel as a unit, get better touches on the ball; just do everything better," he said. "The effort is there, though."

Midfielder Becca White and forward Mariah Mergler (Laura Nerber) scored against Amherst. Mergler (Sarah Williams) tallied versus Lake Shore. Forward Emily Victor (Nerber, Victoria Mc- Queen) scored versus Kenmore West. Williams, a midfielder, scored on a direct kick against Depew as did midfielder Lauren Prentice (Williams).

Hicks lauded the play the entire season of sophomore goalie Julie Goetz. Their All-WNY goalie, Angela Williamson, is no longer with the team.

Sweet Home played West Seneca on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They play at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday against Hamburg.

Sacred Heart

The Sharks picked up two huge league victories last week, knocking off Holy Angels, 2-0, on Tuesday, Sept. 18 and Nardin, 1-0, last Thursday.

The Nardin contest was big, not only because of the rivalry that exists between both schools, but because both teams had similar 2-1 records.

"It was huge," said Sharks coach Kelly Damon. "There are a group of teams behind Nichols (first place in Monsignor Martin Association league) including us who had a 2-1 record. That game put us at 3-1 and separated us into second place."

Junior forward Katherine Bougard scored the lone goal against Nardin. Damon said Bougard managed to get her foot on a throw-in that was bouncing around in the box. The ball went off the Nardin goalkeeper's fingertips and into the net.

Damon lauded the marking work by the defense, led by junior sweeper Natalie Coppola and sophomore outside back Erica Comisso.

Bougard and her partner up top at forward, junior Christine Loftus constantly put pressure on Nardin's defense and created more opportunities for the rest of the team, said Damon.

"They ran almost a full 80 minutes," she said.

Junior central midfielder Alycia Pontello had a couple of nice free kicks and plugged up the middle of the field, Damon said.

Junior Susan O'Rourke made 12 saves, including six in the final five minutes, to record the shutout.

Bougard scored unassisted 10 minutes into the first half and Pontello tallied on a penalty kick with 10 minutes remaining in the second half to lift the Sharks over Holy Angels. Bougard has four goals on the season, three in league games. O'Rourke made seven saves.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com