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November 17, 2008

No. 2 seed Lady Dawgs take best team yet to nationals

By Shawn Edwards The Corsicana Daily Sun Mon Nov 17, 2008, 11:09 PM CST

It isn’t by chance that the Navarro Lady Dawgs soccer team has become one of the best programs in the nation.

In her six seasons with Navarro, coach Debbie Bonner has built the team into a perennial contender that now may have its best chance to capture its first national championship.

The No. 2-seeded Lady Dawgs begin their quest for a national title against North Idaho at 2 p.m. Thursday at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Ariz.

Navarro has now won five consecutive Region XIV titles, four District E championships and will be going to the NJCAA national tournament for the fourth time.

Bonner, the 2008 National Soccer Coaches Association of America South Region Coach of the Year, and the Lady Dawgs finished in eighth place at the tournament last year after tough losses to CCBC-Catonsville and Monroe.

This year, however, appears to be different.

Navarro has its highest ranking ever — No. 2 behind Darton College (Ga.) — as well as its first undefeated season with a 16-0-1 record.

A team that Bonner admits is the best she has ever had appears to continue the record-setting trend. But they can’t take an opponent lightly, and they have to be prepared to win the first match, and then the next, and then the next.

“If we keep our focus one game at a time, we’ll be OK,” Bonner said. “What our team does understand at this point is if you lose one you’re done. You can’t come out of the bottom of the bracket.”

The key to Bonner’s success has come down to her ability to recruit top talent from all over the world. Two of this team’s top performers are international players — Venicia Reid of Jamaica and Toni Smith of England.

Reid is currently seventh in the nation in total points with 77 (32 goals, 13 assists in 17 games) while Smith has added eight goals and 12 assists.

Bonner has done just as well getting Texas players with goalkeeper Erika Taylor of Midland and forward Sarah Lawrence of Pflugerville.

Lawrence is the second leading scorer for the Lady Dawgs with 11 goals and Taylor has been stingy in the net, allowing just 13 goals with 86 saves.

All of Navarro’s top players will be tested in the tournament, especially Reid, who Bonner said can expect two or three opposing players to be marking her to take her out of the match.

“If we can keep her open, that will help,” Bonner said. “We expect every team to come down on her, having someone on her. And you look at teams like Lewis and Clark, they have two Venicia’s.”

Bonner expects low-scoring matches — Navarro was a goal-scoring machine during the regular season — but that’s OK because she has tons of faith in her back line and Taylor.

“I consider our goalkeeper to be one of the best in nation,” Bonner said. “And out back line is all sophomores, so they’ve been there and done it. They shouldn’t get nervous back there.”

And with the focus on Reid, Bonners knows that the set plays — the corner kicks and penalty kicks — will be important.

“We’ve practiced those again and again,” Bonner said. “Especially on defense in our defensive third.”

—————

Shawn Edwards may be contacted via e-mail at edwards@corsicanadailysun.com and Todd Wills at twills@corsicanadailysun.com.

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