Thunder rallying around defense

A stalwart defense has carried the Rocklin High girls soccer team to an undefeated Sierra Foothill League record entering this week's action.Ashley White, a senior scored both goals in the Thunder's 2-0 win over Woodland on April 5 and freshman goalkeeper Lauren Coiner had five saves.Woodland is one of the bottom-end teams in the SFL, and Head Coach Chuck Barr recognizes that."We had a lot of opportunities we didn't finish on," Barr said. "We need to finish every scoring opportunity and make sure we take every match seriously."Friday's scheduled game against Del Oro (3-1) was rained out and was rescheduled for Monday.According to Barr, Thursday's match 7 p.m. match at Woodcreek will be a crucial one."The first time around it was a really competitive game that could have gone either way," Barr said. "We know it's going to be a battle. Woodcreek is a force to be reckoned with," Coiner has shined at goalkeeper this year, recording 10 consecutive shutouts to start the season and allowing just only two goals all season. "Lauren took the starting position over a senior; it speaks volumes," Barr said.According to Barr, junior Marissa Sherman has come on strong on defensively at mid-field and junior Heather Sinclair has finally gotten back to All-League form after struggling through injuries early in the season.White leads Rocklin with 13 goals, while freshman forward Leah Crawford is the Thunder's second leading scorer with six goals. Crawford scored two goals in Rocklin's recent win over Roseville."We need to stay intense and consistent," Barr said. "We like where we are and we have a lot of pride in it."