A FOR ALLEN, SPALDING

Senior scores twice as Cavaliers pass key IAAM A girls soccer test against McDonogh

Ashley Newman prepares to strike for Spalding's girls' soccer team. The Cavaliers extended their unbeaten streak to 53 games with a shutout of McDonogh Thursday afternoon.

by Derek Toney

Archbishop Spalding High School girls' soccer coach Bob Dieterle said Chelsea Allen's responsibility is simple.

"Her normal role is get wide, get the ball and attack," said Dieterle, "and you know she'll come back on defense."

The senior midfielder performed her duties almost to perfection Thursday afternoon at McDonogh School. Her two goals were the difference as the Cavaliers defeated McDonogh, 2-0, in a key IAAM A Conference contest.

In extending its unbeaten streak to 36 games, Spalding (14-0-1, 7-0-1) kept pace with first-place John Carroll as the teams are set to collide Tuesday afternoon in Bel Air, with the winner likely securing the No. 1 seed for the upcoming postseason tournament. John Carroll claimed the 2005 A Conference title over Spalding on penalty kicks.

Allen gave the defending champion Spalding all it would need in the early moments of the second half knocking in a pass from Erica Page off a corner kick. In the 11th minute, Allen converted a corner kick from Teresa Doyle, placing the ball in the left corner of the net. The pair of scores advanced her season total to five, which is third overall for the Cavaliers behind Christine Nairn (23 goals, 9 assists) and Erica Page (16 and 10).

"We've been expecting things like this out of Chelsea," said Dieterle, whose team is ranked No 5 nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and No. 7 by StudentSports.com. "She's had a great season. This is the first game she's been back full speed."

"I'm really excited we got the win and I contributed," said Allen. "It's a pleasure to play with all these talented girls. We've been working hard and this is one of the tough games we've been looking forward."

Dieterle said Allen has been recovering from an injury sustained the Cavaliers' tie with St. Vincent Pallotti several weeks ago. Dieterle also said his team was "a little beaten up," coming into Thursday's pivotal match after many of his players had a long weekend playing in club tournaments. But the Severn school was able to answer the challenge from McDonogh (11-4-3), which was looking for revenge for last year's 1-0 regular season decision. Senior goalie Karen Blocker posted her 52nd career shutout for Spalding.

"It was a typical Spalding-McDonogh game, a lot of action, real fast pace and the ball moves around a lot," said Dieterle. "If you look at the speed of the game, we were playing very past and we thought that was going to be the key. We wanted McDonogh to work, we wanted to pressure them."

"McDonogh came out on top in the first 20 minutes of the game, and we just held our ground," said Nairn, a senior forward. "To come out with this win is amazing, and there's nothing more you can ask."

Especially from Allen, who gives the talent-laden Cavaliers a tough edge. In the 18th minute of the second half, she was given a yellow card, only to respond minutes later with a goal.

"She's the total team player. There's so much to say about her, but you can't put it into words," said Nairn. "If she continues to do that, I think we'll continue being successful."

Allen has given a verbal commitment to play soccer at Wake Forest University. She said soccer wasn't the lone selling point of the Atlantic Coast Conference program to her.

"I didn't want to go to a huge school," said Allen, a four-year varsity performer. "All the girls on the team stay really connected, and it has everything I want. North Carolina is a big state, and I'm ready to get out of Maryland."

Before Allen starts a new chapter in her life, she wants to close another with a second consecutive IAAM A crown. The Cavaliers will be on the road the remainder of the regular season including matches with Frederick County powers Thomas Johnson (Monday evening) and Tuscarora before starting its title defense.

"She's very skilled, fast and aggressive to the goal," said Dieterle. "She was in the right place at the right time, I don't buy the luck aspect. Good players seemed to be in the right place at the right time."