Although scoring was a problem at times during the Rolla High School girls’ soccer team’s 2009 campaign, defense never was.

As a result record-setting Lady Bulldog goal-keeper Adrian Pogue received yet another award.
Pogue, a junior during the ‘09 season, has been selected to the Missouri State High School Coaches Association Class 3 All-State Third Team, it was announced this week.

“I really wasn’t expecting anything,” Pogue said of the all-state honor. “I worked pretty hard and our defense played well. Our offense played well too, but I thought we played really well as a team on the defensive end and it showed in our record.”

Also named to the all-region, all-district and all-conference teams, Pogue helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 16-7-3 overall record this past spring.

All seven RHS losses came by one goal, and 18 of the Lady Bulldog games were determined by one goal or less. RHS advanced to the district tournament championship game but lost 1-0 to Jefferson City in the finals.

It was one of the finest team defensive performances in Mike Howard’s tenure as RHS girls’ soccer head coach. And Pogue was a big part of it.

Despite being just a junior Pogue already has established the RHS girls’ soccer career shutout record. She finished the 2009 season with 34.5 career shutouts, clipping the old mark of 34 and with a full season left to build on the total.

In 2009 Pogue allowed just 17 goals and had a 0.65 goals-against average with 14 shutouts. She missed tying the single-season Lady Bulldog shutout record by one.

“When Adrian was a freshman she had a hard time playing with the varsity; I think she was a little intimidated,” said RHS head coach Mike Howard. “But she has turned into a fantastic keeper.

“Adrian has good instincts, which you need to play with, and also is very courageous. She’s not afraid to go at someone’s feet and take the ball off a foot. She only gave up 17 goals against a pretty tough schedule.”

With the bulk of the varsity squad returning the Pogue-led Lady Bulldogs expect to be even better in 2010.

Pogue plans on working throughout the off-season to improve her game.

“I’m not going to play basketball next year and try to play soccer year-round,” she said. “And I’m going to a keeper camp in Fulton this summer.”

“I’m the first to admit I’m not the best goal-keeper coach in the world,” Howard said. “Everything she’s done she’s pretty much done on her own. I think she can get better. She has a great attitude and works hard. If she can get someone who can work on her technique in the off-season it will really help her.”

Pogue hopes to eventually play collegiate soccer. “I haven’t thought about it much but I would like to play somewhere, at a smaller college,” she said.