Girls' Soccer

Players-Only Meeting Brings Wootton Together
Wednesday, October 10, 2007; E07
The Washington Post

Forward Katie Duncan decided it was time for her and 10 other Wootton seniors to put their egos in check.

The team captain, who has scholarship offers from UNC Wilmington, Drexel and Stony Brook, has scored four goals on 10 shots and two assists to help Wootton (8-1, 5-0 Montgomery 4A East) climb to the top of the division standings.

Duncan is among a large group of seniors who has seen its role reduced by a strong crop of underclassmen, which has strained team chemistry and led Duncan to call a players-only meeting last week.

"I couldn't even tell you what was said," Coach Chris Thompson said. "The players handled everything. . . . By the time I got to practice, it was all done."

The dividends were evident in Monday's 2-0 win over Whitman (6-4, 2-2 Montgomery 4A West). Freshman Abbey Engelman scored both goals.

Wootton's mix includes sophomore Alison Yeager, who leads the team in scoring with six goals on a team-high 17 shots and three assists, and freshman goalkeeper Melissa Shumacher, who has been strong sharing time with senior Sarah Harper.

-- B.J. Koubaroulis