Redlands Locals Getting it Done in the Big West
by Caesar Contreras, Redlands Daily Facts
November 1, 2005 You couldn't miss them on the field in Sunday's battle between the Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State women's soccer teams Dana Farquhar and Erin Shelton on opposite teams vying for soccer supremacy.
Farquhar was the rookie, a 2005 Arrowhead Christian Academy graduate who led the Lady Eagles to a CIF title early this year and has become a starter in her first season at Long Beach State.
Shelton was the veteran, a 2002 Redlands High School graduate who was named Citrus Belt League Most Valuable Player in her senior season and has been a four-year player at Fullerton.
Both players crossed paths Sunday afternoon and it was the veteran that pulled through. Shelton's Titans took a 3-0 victory over the 49ers to win the Big West championship for the second year in a row. But unlike last season, when the Titans shared the title with UC Santa Barbara, this year's title is all their own.
"It's so much better to just have it for ourselves," Shelton said.
But don't feel bad for Farquhar, who has been one instrumental part in a remarkable turnaround at Long Beach State.
In 2004, the 49ers finished 1-6-2 in their conference and were two points away from a last-place finish. Fast forward to Sunday, the 49ers stood 3-2-1 in conference and were still in the race for the Big West title in the final week of the season. When you throw in the fact that Long Beach State achieved its first-ever national ranking this season, first winning season in two decades and first-ever appearance in the Big West Championships, it don't take a genius to figure out that something special is going on.
And Farquhar is smack-dab in the middle of it.
She played 85 minutes Sunday and has played in all 19 games this season. When the 49ers knocked off 20th-ranked Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Oct. 7, Farquhar scored two goals and was named to the Soccerbuzz.com and Soccer America's National Teams of the Week also a first for the Long Beach State women's soccer program.
"It's unbelievable, really," Farquhar said. "It hasn't really set in."
Before the season began, the 49ers boasted a Top 15 recruiting class and four nationally ranked recruits. Farquhar wasn't one of those recruits, but her play has shown that sometimes recruiting lists miss the mark.
"She's turned out to be just as good as those kids," Long Beach State head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. "She's just been a force out there. She came in and worked very hard and was very fit. She's did a great job for us this whole year."
Farquhar is fifth in the team in points with eight and is one of six freshman that starts, perhaps meaning that all the school firsts that the team is achieving now could be a distant memory when Farquhar and company hang up their jerseys.
"We're just starting," Farquhar said. "We're just really excited to be going to the conference tournament."
Shelton, though, will be hanging up her jersey soon. But not before her Titans host the Big West Championships this weekend and compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Fifth-year Fullerton head coach Ali Khosroshahin said Shelton's ability to come off the bench this season has been crucial to the team's success.
"She's been a huge part of our team," said Khosroshahin, who uses Shelton at midfield and on defense. "She comes off the bench and just challenges people. She's a good player, a very good player. It's very nice to bring a player of Erin's caliber from the bench, it's a treat. Not many programs have that opportunity, and we do."
Shelton, who will graduate in next year with a degree in Psychology, says the college experience has been a welcomed one.
"It's totally different from high school and club (soccer)," she said. "I've learned so much with my coaches here, and the experience that I've had in college has been amazing."
In sharp contrast, Farquhar, who is still just over two months into the process of being a student-athlete, is still adjusting.
"It's different. You got so much stuff to do," she said. "You have to stay on top of school, you're traveling all the time and the games are every weekend."
So that's the life a student-athlete.
Sounds like fun.
|
