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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:12 EST |
Young keeper a rising star
By Howard Ulman
[Associated Press]
FOXBORO, Mass. -- When the first WUSA championship game
begins Saturday, LaKeysia Beene will stand in front of her net
while her role model, Briana Scurry, guards the other.
Beene, with the Bay Area CyberRays, is excited about her steady
improvement that gives her a chance to face Scurry and the Atlanta
Beat.
"To be in this situation where I'm regarded as her peer is a
pretty cool experience," Beene said before Friday's practice.
Scurry, who turns 30 next month, was a star long before the
first-year league started. Beene, 23, can thrive in it as she
emerges as the heir apparent to Scurry as the United States' best
goalkeeper.
"I always knew Keesha would be a great keeper. I've seen her
play for years," Scurry said. "I've always felt she'd be the one
to replace me on the national team."
Scurry was the goalkeeper on the 1996 gold medal-winning U.S.
Olympic team. Her profile rose dramatically in the 1999 World Cup,
when her save on a penalty kick allowed Brandi Chastain to score
the championship-winning kick against China.
Beene was a two-time All-American at Notre Dame who had done
some training with Scurry and other goalies.
But Beene got off to a mediocre start this season before the
CyberRays lost just two of their last 16 games. Beene led the
league with eight shutouts to Scurry's seven, while Scurry was
first in goals against average at 0.82, edging Beene's 0.97.
And the award for top goalkeeper? That went to Beene.
"It's definitely shocking," she said. "I didn't think at the
beginning of the season that I would be anywhere close to where I
am now."
Scurry isn't surprised.
"It was a matter of time that she would come to this level,"
Scurry said. "She and I play very similar styles."
Atlanta was 2-0-1 against Bay Area during the regular season,
but the CyberRays used their regular team only in the first
meeting. Both teams had a league-high 37 points as Atlanta finished
first with a 10-4-7 record while Bay Area was second at 11-6-4.
Thanks to the goalies and strong defenders, they allowed the
fewest goals _ 21 against the Beat and 23 against the CyberRays.
Scurry said she's friends with Beene and doesn't see Saturday's
match as a personal challenge to outplay the younger goalkeeper.
Both will be too busy trying to stop their opponents from scoring.
Cindy Parlow, who scored two goals in Atlanta's 3-2 overtime win
over Philadelphia in the semifinals, sees Saturday's game as
another step in the growth of women's soccer in the United States.
"If we wanted to continue to compete internationally, we had to
have a top-rate league," she said. "We got that and that gives
more and more players out there the opportunity to play
professional soccer."
Julie Murray led the CyberRays into the championship game with
two goals in a 3-2 semifinal victory over New York. The Australian
national team member sees the WUSA as a magnet for top foreign
players, although each of the eight teams is allowed to have just
four.
"We're all in this for not just ourselves and not just the club
but for the future of the league," Murray said. "It's not just a
passion anymore, it's also a job, and that pumps you up another
level."
She may need that to score against Scurry.
"I'm going to certainly try my best to get one, two, three past
her," Murray said.
And Scurry and Beene will try their best to keep shots out of
the nets.
"She's finally getting her due and I'm very happy for her,"
Scurry said. "Hopefully she doesn't have too good a game."
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