Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009

Stein, Suns shut out Falcons

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

Ingrid Stein had to grow up a lot faster than she expected this season.

The Southridge sophomore goalkeeper was thrust into a starting role in early September, when the Suns learned all-CBBN keeper Courtney Hancock would not play this season.

That put a lot of pressure on Stein to produce under some pretty heavy circumstances.

"I was nervous what my team was going to say and how they might treat me," said Stein, who plays for U-16 Three Rivers Velocity in club ball.

But produce she has.

Stein made impressive saves on a pair of first-half Hanford breakaways to preserve South-ridge's 3-0 win over the Falcons on Tuesday in Kennewick. She stopped a point-blank drive from Taylor Kain-Godoy in the sixth minute and then dropped down for a kick save when Kie Johnson broke free for an open shot in the 28th minute.

One minute later, Jenna Wallace broke the scoreless tie with her fifth goal of the season, and Southridge was on its way to its sixth straight win.

Stein made three saves for her sixth shutout this season. She has allowed just six goals in 850 minutes -- and average of 0.56 goals a game.

"She's been doing that for us all year. She's been very steady," said Suns coach Greg Sambrano, who got goals from three different players -- Wallace, Brooke Benecke and Heather Johnson.

"This year's team is starting to peak," Sambrano continued. "We changed some things around and we seem to be responding."