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Ted Sheedy, Fox Chapel / Kaylin Chain, Mount Pleasant

Ted Sheedy, Fox Chapel / Kaylin Chain, Mount Pleasant

TED SHEEDY

SCHOOL: Fox Chapel

WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior goalkeeper for the undefeated Fox Chapel boys' soccer team.

THE PAST WEEK: Sheedy had two shutouts in victories against Quaker Valley (1-0) and Woodland Hills (4-0).

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ZERO TOLERANCE: Fox Chapel is 18-0 and 14 of the Foxes' wins have been shutouts. Butler, Franklin Regional, Penn Hills and Gateway all scored one goal against Sheedy.

"I think a shutout is kind of expected at this point," Sheedy said. "When we give up a goal, it's a big deal."

Fox Chapel coach Mark Perry said, "He's one of the top, if not the top, goalie in the WPIAL. He doesn't get a ton of shots against him every game because we have a strong defense. But there have been some games where it's 0-0 or we're only up one goal, and he makes some big saves until we get going."

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Sheedy became Fox Chapel's starting goalkeeper last season.

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"He was on our JV in ninth and 10th grade, and I really didn't think he'd turn out the way he has," Perry said. "We have a goalkeeper coach [Dave Fortun] who deserves a lot of credit. He's really helped make Ted into the goalkeeper that he is."

NO MORE FOOTBALL: Sheedy also used to be the kicker for Fox Chapel's football team. This season, he had three field goals, including a 39-yarder. But he quit the football team a few weeks ago.

"It's kind of a messy situation, my relationship with the football team," he said. "It's kind of a long story and a sensitive situation that I don't need to get into. I had fun in football for the time that I did it. But it just came down to my commitment to soccer overwhelmed my commitment to football."

THE FUTURE: Sheedy would like to play college soccer, and a few small colleges are showing interest in him. In the spring he will play for Fox Chapel's rugby team. Rugby is a club sport at Fox Chapel.


KAYLIN CHAIN

SCHOOL: Mount Pleasant.

WHO IS SHE? A 5-foot-8 freshman who kicks for the football team and is a midfielder in soccer.

THE PAST WEEK: Chain's 30-yard field goal in the second quarter Friday broke a 14-14 tie and ultimately proved to be the difference in a 17-14 victory at Belle Vernon. That triumph put the Vikings (4-3, 3-1) in second place in the Class AAA Keystone Conference. She also helped the girls' soccer team make the playoffs in Class AAA Section 1.

SEASON: A right-footed, soccer-style kicker, Chain has converted 13 extra points and one field goal. "I think she missed her first extra point, but has been pretty consistent since," football coach Mark Lyons said. Chain kicks for the varsity and junior varsity and has seven goals in soccer.

SOMETHING NEW: Football was foreign to Chain until she went to a picnic this summer. She watched Justin Farrell, the Connellsville kicker and a family friend, practice. "His dad asked if I'd like to try it, and showed me a few steps," Chain said. "I didn't do badly the first time. I started kicking with Justin five days a week, just for fun." Lyons needed a kicker, though. "Word was she was thinking about trying out," he said. "I was wondering how serious she was. But she came through camp, worked hard and got the job."

TRANSITION GAME: Kicking mechanics and donning so much equipment weren't the only adjustments Chain had to make for football. "It was really different, going from playing with all girls to being on an all-guys team," she said. "At camp, a lot of guys were watching me because I was a girl, maybe thinking I couldn't do it. But they all seemed to be nice, and I've had a lot of funny experiences with the team."

CHAIN'S LINK TO SUCCESS: Lyons is most impressed by Chain's demeanor. "The one thing that separates her from other freshmen is her mental makeup. She is calm, always on an even keel." That mind-set serves her well in a sport in which she gives up a lot of pounds to hard-charging opponents. "When I'm kicking, I don't really see them, don't pay attention to them," Chain said. "I figure I'll have to tackle someone eventually, but I'm not afraid of it happening."

OTHER SPORTS: An honor student, Chain may play basketball and will compete in track in the high jump, long jump and 1,600-meter relay.

-- By Rick Shrum

First Published: October 16, 2003, 4:00 a.m.

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