Girls' Soccer

Seniors Spark Success for Cubs
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; E10

Four days after a 3-1 loss to Potomac School last month, Georgetown Visitation held second-ranked St. John's (D.C.) to a 1-1 tie through 70 minutes before the Cadets poured in two goals to escape with a 3-1 win.

It was during that Sept. 22 loss to St. John's (14-1-2) that Visitation Coach Zeff Yusof watched his seniors "get their vibe back," he said. "It's their last chance at this, and that's the difference between a senior and a sophomore."

Since then, forward Julianne Bausch (six goals, eight assists), defender Pam Andross and midfielder Kelsey MacDonald, all seniors, have propelled Georgetown Visitation (9-2-1, 5-1 Independent School League) through a five-game stretch in which it has outscored its opponents 14-4, posted a 4-0-1 record and upset two of The Post's top 10 teams.

The Cubs notched a 2-0 win over then-No. 10 National Cathedral (8-1) last Tuesday and forced a 1-1 tie with then-No. 5 Bishop O'Connell (10-3-3) on Friday. Last night's 2-0 win over Holy Child helped the Cubs get one step closer to their first ISL regular season title since 1996.

"The seniors are setting the right tone and helping the younger players put things in perspective," Yusof said. "Sometimes it means a lot more for a kid to say the right thing to a kid because they expect the coaches to say it."

-- B.J. Koubaroulis