Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Chants look to clinch Big South

CONWAY -- After defeating rival Winthrop Tuesday, Coastal Carolina's men's soccer team will have a chance to win the Big South regular season championship this weekend.

The Chanticleers (7-2-6, 4-0-3 Big South) have won three straight games and haven't lost in their last 11. The win moved them into first place in the standings, but High Point had a chance to retake the league lead with a win over Liberty Wednesday.

Still, the Chants host Radford at 7 p.m. Saturday, needing a win to clinch their second Big South regular-season title in the last three years. That's important, but coach Shaun Docking has his eye on the bigger prize a week later.

"We're just trying to get ready for the [Big South] tournament," Docking said. "I think Radford is, too. I'm assuming both teams want to win the game, but the main importance is being ready for next Thursday. You've got to make sure that you're at full strength, you're playing well, you're confident and prepared going into that game next Thursday.

"This game doesn't matter in a sense, so we're honing in on next week."

Docking and Co. know that a regular-season championship won't see them return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005. The Big South will only receive one tournament bid, and the Chants desperately want to be the recipient after losing in heartbreaking fashion in last season's Big South tourney final.

"It's always nice to finish first in the regular season, but it's not the most important thing," Docking said. "The most important thing is going to the NCAA tournament."

Docking said his team is fairly healthy, although forward Sean McCormick and junior defender Robbie McRight are still nursing injuries. McCormick is expected to return next week.

Adding pieces

Less than a week before the early signing period opens, Coastal's women's basketball team has gained commitments from two more players.

The Chants, who already had two commitments, have attained the services of Kayla Cook, a 5-foot-10 guard from Jeannette (Pa.), according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. She averaged more than 20 points per game as a junior and has scored more than 1,200 in her career.

"She's the best player I've coached," Jeannette coach Janine Vertacnik told the paper. "The pressure is off her, so she can enjoy her senior season and not worry about her performance or injuries. She can concentrate on her game. They gave her a good deal."

Coastal also recently gained a commitment from 6-foot-2 Ashland (Ky.) forward/center Katelyn Connor. She averaged 14 points per game last season and was chosen as her age group's MVP at Kentucky's post position camp this summer.

The Chants already had commitments from Brebeuf Jesuit Prep (Ind.) forward Alexx Puckett and Fishers (Ind.) forward Shanika Maddox, who both picked Coastal earlier this fall.

Coastal loses five seniors and did not use one scholarship this year, meaning coach Alan LeForce will likely sign two more players, though that may not happen until next spring's signing period.

The early signing period opens Nov. 11 and runs through Nov. 18. Coastal is expected to gain National Letters of Intent from several men's and women's basketball players and most of the players committed to play baseball for coach Gary Gilmore.

To view Hoke's CCU sports blog, "The Roost," go to TheSunNews.com.