| Lady Terriers moving to next level!!!! April 11, 2008 Kelly McElroy Sports Editor-The Courier HOUMA -- The success of girls’ high school soccer in the region has again led college coaches into the area to help bolster their programs. Recently, five more area female senior players either signed or verbally committed to play soccer at state colleges. Vandebilt Catholic, which won the Division II state title this season, produced four of them in all-state players Kacey Amedee, Alana Dehart, Whitney Dubois and Jordan Picou. They were the only four seniors on Vandebilt’s team this season. Amedee (verbally committed), Dehart (signed) and Dubois (verbally committed) are headed to Nicholls State and Picou, the Division II MVP this season, has signed with McNeese State. Once Amedee, Damen, Dehart and Dubois reach Nicholls they will join Terrebonne High products Allison Flynn, Kandice Champagne and Gillian McCarter and E.D. White product Caitlyn Donegan as local soccer players at Nicholls. Damen said many of the athletes have played together and had lots of success on club teams, mainly the Strkyers. "It’s going to be like a Strykers reunion," Damen said. "Knowing how they all play is going to help a lot. It will be fun to play with them again." The players headed to Nicholls said being close to home was important. "It’s close to home and it’s not a big school, so I think I can make a good transition," Dehart said. "We have been playing together for a long time." The area players going to Nicholls also said they hope to help the program win more matches. Nicholls was 2-17-1 overall last season and 1-8 in the Southland Conference. "We want to bring our drive to the team," Dubois said. "We want to show them that (winning) is possible. I think all the new people coming in will help a lot." Another factor that helped some of the area players decide on Nicholls was the familiarity with Colonels coach Cindy Piper, who works closely with area club teams in the summer. "Some of us have been training with the coach for a long time," Amedee said. "We know how she is and how she wants us to play. We expect to see more talent, and we know the game is going to be a lot faster, but I think we can make a good transition." Picou will be going up against her former youth, club and high school teammates when she suits up for McNeese, one of Nicholls’ rivals in the Southland Conference. The Cowgirls were 12-5-4 overall and co-Southland Conference champions last season with a 7-1-1 conference mark. "I had some opportunities to go other places, but McNeese was closer to home, and they have a really good program and my major (chemical engineering)," Picou said. "We are all going to be friends before and after the game, but when you step on the field, it’s a job now. When we’re on the field, I’m playing the game." _________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 3, ST. MICHAELS 0 LADY TERRIERS WIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!! Matt LeBlanc Staff Writer GONZALES – Over the past 11 games, Vandebilt Catholic’s defense hasn’t just been dominating. It’s been perfect. And perfection didn’t change in the Division II state championship match against St. Michael at Spartan Stadium Friday night. For the 12th consecutive match, the Lady Terriers shut out their opponent, winning 3- 0. This shutout, though, ended with the school’s first state championship in girls soccer. “It feels really good to bring one back,” Vandebilt coach Philip Amedee said. “I’ve taken a little bit of a ribbing from (Vandebilt boys’ coach) Doug (Hamilton) about finally bringing a ring back. But this is a class that’s deserving. They’ve worked hard. The outcome was evident. They were not going to be denied.” Amedee referred to Hamilton, whose boys’ team plays in the Division II state championship against Teurlings Catholic at 4 p.m. today in Lafayette. On this night, though, it was about the Lady Terriers. “It’s indescribable,” senior stopper Alana Dehart said of the championship. “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever felt.” At the stopper position, Dehart was the last line of midfield and first line of defense that stifled St. Michael’s attack. “We’re talking about goals, goals, goals,” Amedee said. “But defensive effort, we come out and shut down teams time and time again. It’s due to our mentality. We all play defense.” Vandebilt (21-7) only allowed the Lady Warriors (14-11-3) two shots on goal. “This game was going to be decided in the midfield,” St. Michael coach Anthony Neeson said. “It was. (Vandebilt) showed a lot of heart in the midfield. They stepped up and won most of the first touches.” Because of that, Vandy’s midfield was able to consistently feed passes to its attackers, resulting in 28 shots on goal. But it wasn’t until the 38th minute the Lady Terriers found the net. Lindsey Warren sent a pass into the penalty box that Kayla Chatman received in a crowd of defenders. Chatman battled for the ball, beating St. Michael’s goalie Liz Buss, and scoring on an uncontested shot from 2 yards out. “At first I thought I was going to fall, but then I decided ‘no.’ I kept my balance, and I got to the ball quicker than the goalie did,” Chatman said. “She was in the middle of a dive, but I beat her to it. I was just in the right place at the right time.” With the goal coming two minutes before halftime, the Lady Terriers rode momentum into the final 40 minutes. “That was critical,” Amedee said. “Scoring right there at the end. (St. Michael) was playing some good defense. We had a couple quality opportunities we didn’t finish, but the goal at the end kind of set the tone for the second half. When the girls came out … they felt that they were in control of it.” After three solid chances for Vandebilt, Alyssa Voisin put in the Lady Terriers’ second goal. Voisin ran on to a pass, creating a one-on-one with Buss. Buss deflected Voisin’ s first shot, but Voisin followed it and scored on the rebound, making it 2-0 at the 56th minute. In the 76th minute, with Vandebilt controlling the possession, Kacey Amedee looped in a shot from the left sideline into the upper-left corner of the goal, for the 3-0 score. “It’s something we’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of the season,” Chatman said of the championship. “It’s a really good feeling. It’s good to work as one team. We’ve become really close.” Entering the game, St. Michael’s defense had also impressed, of late. The Lady Warriors had only given up three goals in their last 11 games. But according Dehart, the better team left the field with the championship. “I think we were the better team,” she said. “St. Michael is really good, but the better team won.” ____________________________________________ Lady Terriers Eyeing State Championship February 14, 2008 Brent St. Germain Sports Editor-The Courier HOUMA – The Vandebilt Catholic girls’ soccer team has been on a mission throughout the 2007-08 season. The Lady Terriers’ goal was to win the school’s first state title in girls’ soccer. Friday night, the team gets the opportunity to accomplish its goal in the Division II state finals against St. Michael. The match will be played at 6 p.m. at East Ascension High School in Gonzales. “We’re wanting it this year more than ever,” Vandebilt senior Whitney Dubois said. “We’ve worked hard, and this is our year. This is our opportunity and we will not let it slip away.” For Dubois and the other Vandebilt seniors – Alana Dehart, Jordan Picou and Casey Amedee – they have some unfinished business to take care of in Friday’s championship match. In 2006, the Lady Terriers fell to St. Thomas More 3-1 in the Division II finals. Dehart said losing in the 2006 finals as a sophomore is something she and this season’s seniors have not forgotten. “It was disappointing. I was really mad because I wanted it that year,” she said. “I knew we could do it for my senior year because we were determined to make it happen.” Friday’s match marks the Lady Terriers’ third trip to the state finals. Vandebilt lost in its previous trips to the finals. Vandebilt coach Philip Amedee said the girls are focused on bringing home the state title. “The girls are very determined,” he said. “They’ve been to the big dance and they’ve finished second. They are determined that they will get some different results. “The girls are saying that they want to be part of history. They want to bring the girls’ first state championship to Vandebilt.” The Lady Terriers (20-7 overall) appear to be peaking at the right time. They have posted 11 straight shutouts and have outscored their opponents 22-0 in the playoffs. Amedee said the team’s playoff run could be attributed to overall team defense. “We haven’t given up a goal in quite some time, and it’s due to the mentality that everybody plays defense,” he said. “(Goalie) Mariah Boyd has really stepped up her play in the second half of the season. But you have to give a lot of credit to the rest of the team. The defenders in front of her – stoppers, sweepers and fullbacks – have been playing really good. It’s been a total team effort.” Picou said the team has worked hard on their defensive play throughout the season. “We’ve done our research on what teams like to do,” she said. “I think we will be ready for (St. Michael). A strong defense is great to have when have someone behind you that you can count on.” Offensively, Amedee said the Lady Terriers have had a balanced scoring attack throughout the season. The team’s top goal scorers have been Kayla Chatman and Allison Voisin. Amedee said he expects a good challenge from the St. Michael Lady Warriors (14-10-3), the District 5-II champions. They have won all three playoff matches 1-0. “They’re a very scrappy team and play very hard,” he said. “They will come out and play with a lot of intensity. They have good players at key positions, and they create a lot of opportunities.” Casey Amedee said Friday’s championship match will be special because the Lady Terriers will get an opportunity to set the tone for the weekend. On Saturday, Vandebilt’s boys’ team will get by vying for their fourth straight Division II soccer title. “It’s going to be one memory that I’ll never forget because we’ve been working together as a team,” she said. “Like our shirts say, ‘Play as one. Win as one.’ All year that’s what we’ve been doing and that’s what we’re looking forward to do Friday.” ___________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 4, DERIDDER 0 February 9, 2008 Lady Terriers advance to the State Championship Game. Justin Neil Sports Correspondent-The Courier HOUMA --The Vandebilt Catholic Lady Terriers defeated the DeRidder Lady Dragons 4-0 Saturday afternoon in the Division III Semifinals, earning its first trip to the state championship game since 2006. Vandebilt faces the winner of Parkway and St. Michael, on Friday night. “The way we are playing right now is good,” Vandebilt coach Phllip Amedee said. “We are really peaking at the right time. If we continue to play the way we are playing right now we’ve got a good chance to win the finals.” Vandebilt got on the scoreboard in the 22nd minute on a goal by Jordan Picou, giving the Lady Terriers a 1- 0 lead. Cayla Chatman increased Vandebilt’s advantage to 2-0 in the 35th minute, when she scored her first of two goals on the night. “We had a very strong defensive effort tonight,” Amedee said. “A lot is made by the amount of goals that we score, but we played well defensively. Mariah made some good saves and our defenders stepped up. We had to match DeRidder’s intensity. We had to settle down and play a little better.” Two minutes after Picou scored, Candace Alexander added another goal to put Vandebilt ahead 3-0 at halftime. “We didn’t play up to our level today,” DeRidder coach Shane Wilber said. “We are a better team than we showed out there. We fought hard for 80 minutes and we never quit.” In the 68th minute, Chatman scored her second goal, putting Vandebilt ahead by the winning margin, 4-0. Vandebilt outshot the Lady Dragons 19-6. _____________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 9, PEARL RIVER 0 February 02. 2008 Justin Neil Sports Correspondent-The Courier HOUMA – The Vandebilt Catholic Lady Terriers punched their ticket to the Division II state soccer semifinals Friday night. The Lady Terriers exploded for six first-half goals in a 9-0 win over the Pearl River Lady Rebels in the state quarterfinals. “We came out and played really well,” Vandebilt Catholic coach Phillip Amedee said. “We had good passing and good crossing. We finished well (Friday night). I like the way the ladies are playing. It looks like we’re gelling at the right time.” Pearl River ended its season at 8-9. Allyson Voisin scored the first goal of the match in the eighth minute to give the Lady Terriers (19-7) a 1-0 lead. Five minutes later, Jordan Picou scored to extend Vandebilt’s lead to 2-0. Lindsey Warren scored goals in the 22nd and 25th minutes for a 4-0 lead. Voisin was credited with an assist on Warren’s second goal. Vandebilt Catholic closed out the first half on goals by Andrea Vice and Voisin in the 30th and 31st minute respectfully for a 6-0 lead. “I think we played a lot of determination,” Pearl River coach Jeanie Beaushaw said. “We’ve had a great season, the best season ever for our school. We’ve got plans for the future.” The Lady Terriers extended their lead to 7-0 on Picou’s second goal of the night in the 58th minute. A few minutes later, Warren completed her hat trick when she scored off a rebound for a 8-0 lead. Marissa Ledet concluded the Lady Terriers’ scoring with a goal in the 77th minute. Vandebilt outshot Pearl River 35-3. The Lady Terriers will face the winner of the Neville/DeRidder match in the Division III semifinals. ________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 9, TARA HIGH SCHOOL 0 Derek Breaux Sports Correspondent-The Courier January 30, 2008 HOUMA -- The Vandebilt Catholic Lady Terriers opened the Division II state soccer playoffs in impressive fashion on Wednesday. The Lady Terriers advanced to the state quarterfinals with a 9-0 win over Tara in the bi-district round at Buddy Marcello Stadium. "We came out and played hard with intensity," Vandebilt coach Philip Amedee said. "We moved the ball around well. Good passing, good crossing, good defense, and the girls just put out a good effort all the way around." Vandebilt’s Kayla Chatman scored five goals and four coming in the first half. Chatman scored the first goal of four minutes into the match. At the 29-minute mark, Kandace Alexander gave the Lady Terriers a 2-0 lead when she beat the Tara goalie for the ball. Jordan Picou scored minutes later to give the Lady Terriers (18-6 overall) a 3-0 lead. Chatman then scored three goals in 10 minutes. The first of those came with 19 minutes left in the first half. The Tara goalie again left the net to chase down a loose ball. But, Chatman didn’t quit and booted it into the open net. The next goal came four minutes later off a corner kick. The ball bounced around, but Chatman finally got a handle on it and kicked it in. Chatman’s final goal of the first half came on another open net. Tara’s goalie left the goal for a loose ball, but Chatman got to it and scored for a 6-0 halftime lead. The Lady Terriers, champions of District 6-II, came out in the second half and kept the pressure up. Kacey Amedee scored with 15 minutes left in the second half. Chatman added her final goal two minutes later for an 8-0 lead. Andrea Vice scored the final goal for a 9-0 lead. The Lady Terriers’ defense prevented Tara from getting a shot on goal. Vandebilt took 28 shots on the Lady Trojans’ goal. __________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 11, ELLENDER MEMORIAL 0 January 25, 2008 The Lady Terriers wrapped up their district season by going 8-0 in league play. Vandebilt improved to 17-8 overall. "We played well. We executed well, and we possessed the ball well," Vandebilt coach Phillip Amedee said. "We had good runs, good crosses, and we played with intensity." The Lady Terriers jumped out to a 6-0 halftime lead with Cayla Chatman (two goals), Allyson Voison (two goals), Jordan Picou and Casey Price all scoring. With a big lead entering the second half, the Lady Terriers took a little while to get things going, but after Price’s second goal of the night the lady Terriers scored three consecutive goals in a matter of minutes. Chatman, Picou, and Alana Dehart scored during the span. Jessica Clark booted in a last second shot to give the Lady Terriers the 11-0 win. Vanderbilt took 27 shots, and didn’t allow a shot on goal. On Tuesday, the Lady Terriers will find out who their first-round playoff opponent will be. The Lady Patriots fell to 3-9 overall and 2-5 in district. _______________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 14, HELEN COX 0 January 22, 2008 At Hoss Memstas Stadium in Harvey, the Lady Terriers improved to 16-8 overall and 7-0 in District 6-II with the victory. Vandebilt led 9-0 at halftime, and Mariah Boyd got the victory in goal. _______________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 4, MORGAN CITY 0 January 15, 2008 Lady Terriers District 6-II District Champions!!! Steve Holley Sports Correspondent-The Courier HOUMA – Tuesday was a good day for the Vandebilt Catholic girls soccer team at Buddy Marcello Stadium. With dark clouds overhead and heavy rains threatening, Vandebilt’s girls’ soccer team clinched the District 6-II championship by blanking Morgan City 4-0. Juniors Cayla Chatman and Allyson Voisin each scored two goals to lead the Lady Terriers (15-7, 6-0). Vandebilt jumped out to a 3-0 lead at halftime. “Another good win,” Vandebilt coach Phillip Amedee said. “My girls played well. We played really hard the first 10 minutes. We let down a little bit when we get ahead, but that’s kind of natural when you get a lead. But we played well in the second half, possessed the ball well, and for the most part, we did what we needed to do.” It was the second meeting of the season between the two schools. Each resulted in shutout victories for the Lady Terriers, who won the first meeting 10-0. Morgan City coach Trevor Patterson said he was proud of his team’s effort and with some of the improvements they’ve made since that first meeting with Vandebilt. Afterward, Patterson rewarded the Lady Tigers (9-4-1) with a day off Wednesday. “I’m very proud of my girls,” Patterson said. “The last time we played Vandebilt, it was our first district game and they were still nervous. Even at 4-0, it was better (than the first meeting. Unfortunately, not having the speed up front hurt us, but we had some cracks on the goal.” ___________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 5, BELLE CHASSE 0 January 11, 2008 At Belle Chasse, Allison Voisin scored four goals to lead the Lady Terriers (14-7, 5-0) to a district victory. Vandebilt’s Kayla Chatman scored the first goal in the 16 minute on a cross from Kandice Alexander. Lady Terriers goalkeeper Mariah Boyd had one save against Belle Chasse. ____________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 9, ELLENDER 0 January 8, 2008 At Bourg, the Vandebilt Lady Terriers earned a 9-0 win over the Ellender Lady Patriots in District 6-II action. “We played alright tonight, our first string played really good, and I thought the second string came in and played alright.” Vandebilt coach Philip Amedee said. “We’re just getting ready for hopefully a run in the playoffs.” Whitney Dubois scored the first goal of the game for the Lady Terriers (13-7, 4-0 district) inside of five minutes to give them the 1-0 lead. Jordan Picou then scored at the 12-minute mark, but an Ellender defender helped her. Picou scored her second goal in the 15th minute after Ellender goalie Katie Belanger tipped the ball in to give Vandebilt the 3-0 lead. Dubois scored her second goal in the sixteenth minute, and Allyson Voison scored at the end of the first half to give the Lady Terriers a 5-0 lead. Cayla Chatman scored in the opening minutes of the second half to put the Lady Terriers up six. Voison put in another goal midway throw the second half, and Chatman headed in another goal for Vandebilt to give them an 8-0 lead. ______________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 7, E.D. WHITE CATHOLIC 2 January 5, 2008 At Vandebilt, after opening the game with a goal by Cayla Chatman for an early 1-0 Lady Terriers’ lead, EDW’s Mindi Giroir responded with a goal of her own to tie the score at 1. From that point on, it was all Vandebilt as Chatman added two more goals along with two goals each from Allyson Voisin and Jordan Picou. Giroir added her second goal for the Lady Cardinals in the second period. With the win the Terriers improved to 12-7. The Lady Cardinals dropped to 5-6-1 with the loss. ________________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 12, HELEN COX 0 January 4, 2008 At Vandebilt, The Lady Terriers improved to 11-7 overall and 3-0 in District 6-II in Friday’s match against Helen Cox. __________________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 5, ARCHBISHOP CHAPPELLE 1 December 28, 2007 At New Orleans, the Lady Terriers scored early and often, which led to an easy nondistrict victory. Vandebilt’s Jordan Picou, who had two goals in the match, scored her first in the 11th minute. The Lady Terriers (10-7) went ahead 3-1 when a cross from Kandace Alexander led to a header goal from Casey Price in the 25th minute. Vandebilt’s Allyson Voisin and Kayla Chatman also added goals for the Lady Terriers in the second half. Goal keeper Mariah Boyd led Vandebilt with three saves. __________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 10, MORGAN CITY 0 December 18, 2007 At Morgan City, the Lady Terriers got four goals from Allison Voisin, and two goals from Kacey Amedee in moving to 2-0 in District 6-II play. Also adding a goal each for Vandebilt (9-7, 2-0) were Jordan Picou, Casey Price, Alaina Dehart and Breanna Hicks. Mariah Boyd got the victory in goal for the Lady Terriers. _______________________________________ VANDEBILT SOCCER TEAMS DROP GAMES IN SECOND DAY OF TOURNAMENT December 15, 2007 At Freedom Ridge Park, Miss., the boys and girls Vandebilt soccer teams both lost to Tupelo (Miss.) in games at the Ridgeland High School Showcase. Both teams lost 1-0 in their second games of the tournament. After the first games, Saturday morning, the tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather. ______________________________________ CLINTON (MISS.) 2, VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 0 December 14, 2007 At Freedom Ridge Park, Miss., the lady Terriers dropped the opening game of the Ridgeland High School Showcase. Vandebilt (8-6 overall) resumes play with two games today. __________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 8, BELLE CHASE 0 The Lady Terriers got the District 6-II win over Belle Chase, 8-0. "We played a little sloppy," Vandebilt coach Phillip Amedee said. "We came out without much intensity." Vandebilt got out to an early lead when Jordan Picou scored her first of three goals to give the Lady Terriers a 1-0 advantage. Vandebilt added four other goals in the first half, for a 5-0 halftime lead. Scoring those goals were Cayla Chatman, Jessica Clark, Kandace Alexander, and Alana Dehart. In the second half, Picou scored two more goals for the Lady Terriers, giving them a 7-0 lead. Late in the match Clark scored her second goal of the night to clinch the shut out of the Lady Cardinals. ___________________________________________ ST. THOMAS MORE 4, VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 1 The Courier December 9, 2007 Vandebilt’s Cayla Chatman found the net at the 5-minute mark of the opening half to give the Lady Terriers (6-5) the lead. St. Thomas More (10-0-2) answered 20 minutes later off of the foot of Keelie Murphy, which tied the score going into intermission. "They were beating us to the ball initially," St. Thomas More coach John Cox said. "We talked at halftime, and came back and picked up our intensity. We were able to string some passes together, and finish." Lady Cougars’ Danielle Murphy took over in the second half. She accounted for all of the remaining goals, finding the net in the 12th, 28th, and 34th minutes. Before Murphy made her second shot, Lady Terriers goalie Mariah Boyd (five saves) had the ball in her hands at the bottom of a pile. After several seconds, it squired out and was off of the forward’s foot for the score. "They (the officials) are supposed to protect the goalie," Vandebilt coach Phil Amedee said. "Three of the goals were results of calls." The Lady Cougars got off eight shots on goal while goalie Adele Perrodin managed five saves. Chatman’s shot was one of 7 for Vandebilt. "We played well," Amedee said. "I am still proud of our effort." _________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC GIRLS ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS At St. Martin’s Tournament, Vandebilt Catholic won three games Saturday to advance to today’s 9 a.m. semifinal match against E.D. White. The Lady Terriers beat Ben Franklin (4-0), Archbishop Chapelle (5-0) and St. Martin’s (4-0), with quality play from their defense and goalie Mariah Boyd. Four Vandebilt players scored against Ben Franklin -- Jessica Wooley, Lindsey Warren, Alana Dehart and Cayla Chatman. Against Chapelle, Chatman scored three goals and Kandace Alexander added two goals. In the win over St. Martin’s, Casey Price scored twice, while Alexander and Jordan Picou each added a goal. |
| Vandebilt Catholic High School Lady Terrier SOCCER |
| 2007-2008 Season Record 21 Wins - 8 Losses District Record 8 Wins - 0 Losses Congratulations Lady Terriers - State Champions!! |
| Vandebilt's Cayla Chatman tries to get a shot past St. Thomas More's Anna Robicheaux during Saturday's match in Houma. (Emily Schwarze-The Courier |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s Cayla Chatman (17) protects the ball from Morgan City’ s Andre Comeaux during the first half of Tuesday’s District 6-II match at Buddy Marcello Stadium in Houma. (Jim Cenac/The Courier) |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s Allyson Voison (12) and Ellender Memorial’s Courtney Chiasson battle for control of the ball during Thursday’s District 6-II soccer match in Houma. (Emily Schwarze/The Courier) |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s Lindsey Warren (bottom) and DeRidder’s Abigail Lorain battle to control the ball during the second half the Division II semifinal match in Houma. The Lady Terriers won, 4-0. Matt Stamey/The Courier |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s Alana Dehart (30) is one of four seniors looking to end their high school soccer career with a Division II state championship Friday night against St. Michael in Gonzales. Jim Cenac/The Courier |