European edition, Sunday, April 29, 2007

VILSECK, Germany — Vilseck took the lead in the first minute of a girls soccer match against previously unbeaten Mannheim on Saturday and didn’t look back in a 4-0 victory.

Striker Chikobi Murry scored the opening goal off an assist from Shamyra Coleman.

About 18 minutes into the second half, Nicole Lewis scored to make it 2-0 and open the floodgates. Coleman scored five minutes later and Leah Beilhart about four minutes after that.

Vilseck goalie Becky Linka was not under a lot of pressure during the game but made several good saves, including one from a penalty given after Mannheim striker Tia Rosenstein collided with Vilseck defender Angie Odom just outside the goal box.

Coleman, in her second year of soccer, has six goals. She credits her speed to cross-country training and her improved skills to playing with striker Tamara Hollis.

“We have clicked ever since we started playing with each other,” Coleman said.

As a team, Vilseck (2-1-1 in Division II-South, 2-1-2 overall) has shown steady progress. Two years ago it failed to win a game and last year won just once.

Linka said the victory was satisfying given that Vilseck forfeited its first match against Mannheim (3-1, 3-1-1). The team forfeited because many of its players missed practice sessions after the death of a varsity boys player on the first day of practice. Players who attended fewer than 10 sessions were ineligible for the opener.