These Pointers are Stormin' when it comes to soccer

CENTER POINT - Rich Plante and Todd Mitchell finally got their wish seven years ago after quite a bit of lobbying. That's when Center Point-Urbana High School decided to create a girls' soccer program, and those two are the coaches.

“We'd been begging for years to get it started,” Plante said.

Wise, wise choice. The Stormin' Pointers qualified for the state tournament last season for the first time and are even better this season.

A 4-2 record includes losses to a pair of ranked Class 2A clubs, including one in double-overtime to perennial power Union Community. CP-U is rated No. 9 in 1A.

“You couldn't ask for a more wonderful group of kids,” said Plante, whose daughter, Jordan, is a junior starter. “I think we've played just outstanding so far. We lost two seniors from last year's team, but returned everybody else. That's been huge. This is a tight group of girls. All they talked about is getting back to state.”

Plante said the majority of the team has played club soccer and indoor soccer during the winter to improve their respective individual skills. Offense has been the strength. CP-U has 34 goals, an average of not quite six a game.

Junior forward Jessica Wooldridge has a whopping 16 goals, at least one in each game. She scored five times in a 10-0 win over Western Dubuque and four in a 9-0 victory over Vinton-Shellsburg.

“She is absolutely dynamic,” Plante said. “She has been the player getting all the goals, but there are two or three girls who are setting her up. She's all over the place, a very dynamic player.”

Junior Morgan Croell has added seven goals for the Stormin' Pointers and sophomore Madeline Kroseke four. Of the 27 girls on the varsity roster, seven are seniors. That includes goalkeeper Kaylee Weems.

CP-U doesn't have a junior varsity program, so Plante and Mitchell rotate as many players as they can into games. That gives everyone experience and rests the regulars for the rest of the schedule.

Center Point-Urbana plays fellow 2011 state tourney qualifier Independence on Friday night.

“I'd say our offense is 10 times better than what it was last year,” Plante said. “They are shooting with confidence, playing with confidence. ... Last year, we moved girls around as we needed to. This year, we really didn't have to do that. It was like ‘OK, this is what we're changing our offense to, this is what we're changing our defense to.' They've stayed in the same positions.”