Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Kamiakin soccer's Skorpik brave, determined

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

The locker room Saturday at Lampson Stadium following the Kamiakin girls' 2-1 overtime win over Moses Lake was a virtual who's who of Kamiakin girls soccer standouts.

There was former CBL 3A MVP Brittany Sparks, plus three-time all-league selections Lyndsey Martin and Whitney Brannan -- a trio which helped turn Eastern Washington University into a surprise Big Sky Conference contender this season. Kamiakin assistant Heather Davis was a standout goalkeeper who led the Braves to a Big Nine championship in 2004.

Then there was Jori Skorpik, a senior who will one day claim a spot alongside the former Kamiakin greats. But for now, the speedy 5-foot-2 forward has some more work to do.

Skorpik, the CBBN co-MVP along with West Valley forward Haley Curtis, will lead Kamiakin (17-1-1) into the state quarterfinals against Lewis & Clark (15-4-1) at 7 p.m. tonight at Lampson Stadium. It won't be the first time Skorpik has been a part of a deep playoff run -- she was on the 2006 Braves squad that reached the Final Four in Lakewood, finishing fourth.

But because of an ACL tear in her left knee, she could not participate.

"I wish I could have played," Skorpik said. "It was heart-pumping, nerve-wracking. It was really cool."

In fact, that wasn't the first time Skorpik has torn an ACL. She tore the ACL in her right knee four games into the 2008-09 basketball season, forcing her to sit out her second campaign in three years.

But, thanks to the miracle of modern medicine and Skorpik's iron will, the three-sport star was back in time for her the 2009 soccer season.

"My doctor put an extra pin in my knees and double-binded them so they're very strong," she said. "He told me I had probably the most bionic knees he's ever done surgery on."

As a point guard on the Kamiakin basketball team, Skorpik was a big part of the team's 4A state playoff run in 2008 that resulted in a seventh-place finish.

But even after the injury to her right ACL cut short her junior year, Skorpik stuck it out to the end, attending every practice and game.

"You don't find that in too many athletes. She's very faithful, very loyal," said Braves hoops coach Tammy Hutchison, who underwent similar surgery on her right knee when she played at Whitworth College. "I know mentally it can be very tough, because you'll favor one leg. But when she came out last season she was playing all out."

So far this season, Skorpik hasn't been a bit concerned about the possibility of re-injuring either knee.

"It doesn't cross my mind," said Skorpik, who plans to run the 400, 800 and the mile for the Braves track team in the spring. "I've done some pretty risky things on my knees, and they totally held."

That confidence, combined with her passion for the game, has allowed her to record 20 goals (third in CBBN) and eight assists (tied for seventh) this season, giving her 48 goals and 21 assists for her career.

But numbers aren't what drives her on the pitch.

"She's one of the most determined soccer players come game-time I've ever had," said Kamiakin coach Chris Erikson. "She's a take-on artist. The whole concept of beating people is fun to her. I think it's a gift that needs to be protected."

Erikson enjoys the memory of one of Skorpik's first forays onto the varsity stage, an early-season game during her freshman year against West Valley.

"The coach was screaming, 'Get her! Get her!' " said Erikson, laughing. "It was just the way he marked her up. He targeted her right off the bat. She was getting stuff done.

"The last game we played against them (a 3-2 Kamiakin win, including two Skorpik goals), everybody was chasing her all over the field. The coach yelled, 'Everybody doesn't need to mark her!' "

But Skorpik has proven she doensn't have to score to make a difference.

"As long as I'm helping and contributing," she said. "Now I'm more of a target forward getting marked. I'm getting corners and crosses instead of finishing, which is fine, because I know we have other forwards and midfielders who can come in and score."

It's that kind of attitude -- along with a quick smile and strong sense of humor -- that has made her popular among her teammates, among which are eight seniors that have been playing together since they were five years old.

"An injury doesn't stop her. She just comes back harder," said Brianna Brannan, a senior defender. "She's the hardest worker, and she never gives up.

"She's got a special place in my heart."