By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
At the start of the season, local soccer fans and coaches around the area must have thought Pam Pack Coach Jimmy Kozuch was out of his mind. They must have thought, “this guys gone nuts.”
Back in March, Kozuch did the unthinkable. He took Blaine Prescott, the 2007 Coastal 8 Conference Player of the Year and leading goal scorer, and made her the center defenseman.
Heck, even Prescott admits she thought her soccer coach had gone cuckoo when he first approached her with the idea.
To outsiders, Kozuch may have looked as though he’d fallen out of the rocker, but the move paid off with resounding success.
Whether she was out-racing girls to balls, sliding to knock the ball away from attackers, or drilling the ball 50 yards down field, Prescott did the dirty work on the defensive end, like she’d been playing the primary sweeper position all her life.
While she served as Washington’s ace defenseman, Kozuch also let her fool around on the offensive end of the field when the games got out of hand. Playing on offense in only 12 games, Prescott still managed to net 20 goals.
For her accomplishments and unselfishness, Prescott has been selected as the Washington Daily News’ 2008 Female Soccer Player of the Year.
Prescott might not want to get too comfortable with her role as defensive star though. Earlier this season, Prescott accepted a scholarship from Division II Lees-McRea University, where she’ll play forward and midfielder for the Bobcats.
Nevertheless, Prescott’s got four more years to play the game she can’t walk away from.
Well Blaine, mission accomplished. At least at this level.