Stone Bridge Soccer Reloads

By Paul Tenorio

Saturday, March 21, 2009

When Stone Bridge took the soccer field this season for the first time, the team bore little resemblance to the one that took the Northern Region championship last season.

Gone were seven starters, including All-Met forward Ronnie Shaban and center midfielder Eric Skogerboe. In their place were a freshman and several sophomores who stepped into the lineup.

Yet despite the turnover, the Bulldogs are again expected to be at the top of the region and state this season, a product of a strong core of players through the middle of the field.

For Stone Bridge Coach Randy May, opening the season with a target on the back is nothing new.

As head coach at West Springfield, May won three state titles in four years, from 2001-04.

Those experiences have been relayed to the team this year, players said, with the coach telling them they cannot become complacent because of last year's success.

May introduced the mantra of looking to chase other teams instead of believing Stone Bridge is the one being chased. And players expressed a desire to avoid falling into any sort of comfort zone.

"All the games we are going to play this year are not going to be easy," senior defender Chris Kamara said. "Even though we were the Northern Region champions, we have to go out there like we haven't won anything yet. We're still hungry for a championship."

With the return of goalkeeper Matt Miscione, defenders Abdul Shaban and Kamara and forward Mike Herndon, as well as the reintroduction of senior center midfielder Zach Miller, Stone Bridge has experience in the middle at each level of the field - something May said provides a buffer zone as his younger lineup looks to connect with each other.

"Right up the middle, that's a nice core to work with," May said. "Now the question is: Do we have the pieces to make it work as well as last year? We'll have to wait and see."

Kamara, Abdul Shaban and Miscione give the Bulldogs one of the most experienced and talented back lines in the region, a vital part to winning in the region. But it is the infusion of Miller back into the Stone Bridge lineup that might be the most important addition to the Bulldogs team entering this season.

Miller played for Stone Bridge his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to North Carolina. He returned to Ashburn last spring, but the Virginia High School League ruled he was ineligible because he had played for his high school team in North Carolina in the fall - a blow to a team that was forced to move Ronnie Shaban up top to find some more offensive production.

Although he couldn't play last season, Miller stayed around the team and is familiar with the program. And this season, the senior has added a savvy, skillful touch to a youthful midfield and has been integral to the development of the younger players around him.

"As a freshman, we had several father-son chats about what the responsibilities and expectations of being in the program were," May said. "And he really gets it now, and he's a quality kid and he's a leader."

Stone Bridge opened the season with three wins, allowing just one goal in the process, and several coaches in the area have pointed to the Bulldogs as the team to beat this year - along with perennial powers Westfield and Robinson.

May shook off the talk of his team as a major power player early this season and emphasized that he had a young team and that he expected to have some lapses as they "gel."

Still, despite those growing pains, the expectations remain for the Bulldogs to be among the best of the state.

And May said that respect comes with a price.

"We have a reputation now; we've established ourselves as a team that's recognized and respected," he said. "And now you've got the responsibility of living up to those expectations."

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks