Boca Jrs 90, Jennie Marshall - The Bee's 2007 Girls Soccer Player of the Year

Two weeks into the soccer season, Beyer High had already lost twice and it looked as if the Patriots were vulnerable following the loss of a strong senior class.

"A lot of good players graduated and about half our team was up from the JV," said forward Jennie Marshall, who just completed her junior season. "That confidence we had last year, it wasn't there because we were young."

It didn't take long for the Patriots to regain their mettle, as Marshall led them on a streak that didn't end until the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals.

During that 10-week span, Beyer went 15-0-1, outscored foes 47-8 and won the Modesto Metro Conference title. It wasn't until a 4-3 loss to St. Mary's — a game decided by penalty kicks after 100 minutes of play — that Beyer suffered its third and final defeat.

Marshall, one of two captains, carried the burden of molding a cohesive unit of newcomers and veterans. Given her success, it's only fitting Marshall be recognized by being named The Bee's 2007 Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

"When I was a freshman, there were older players helping me," said Marshall, a three-year starter at forward. "I remember what it was like, being the new player.

"It was important to realize if we were going to be successful, everyone had to come together."

Marshall's performance made it easier for the Patriots to mature, as she provided the scoring and set the tempo for her less experienced teammates to follow.

The 5-foot-7-inch, 145-pounder scored 24 goals and — even more crucial to Beyer's success — had 16 assists. Those not only led to goals by teammates, but kept opponents from focusing too much of their attention on Marshall.

"It would have been easy to not pass the ball to someone because they didn't get a goal last time, but I made some of the same mistakes when I was younger," said Marshall, who has 53 goals and 29 assists in 72 career matches.

Nine Patriots had at least three goals and five had four or more assists, which explains why Beyer was still 4-0-1 in MMC matches where Marshall didn't score.

When Beyer needed its aggressive leader to step up, however, she was always up to the task. After a hat trick in a conference-closing win over Davis, Marshall scored two goals in each of Beyer's three playoff matches.

"It's fun to see someone take your pass and score a goal, but I really love scoring," she said. "I feel confident going one-on-one with the goalie, because I'm fast and I'm aggressive. I don't get intimidated when they come out."

Bee staff writer Richard T. Estrada can be reached at restrada@modbee.com or 578-2300.