B y RYAN ARENA

Sports Editolr

St. Charles has won three games this season. Yet, the Comets most recent loss might be the most telling of what the team is capable of this season.

The Comets fell 1-0 to Vandebilt Catholic on Tuesday in the semifinals of the Central Lafourche tournament, but stretched the defending Division II state champions to the limit in the process.

Vandebilt (7-0) scored on a penalty kick with five minutes left in the game to lock down the win. SCC (3-2-1) was called for a handball violation on a Terrier corner kick to set up the game-winner.

“She was trying to get out of the way, and it just caught her hand. It was a heartbreaker,” said St. Charles Coach Don Peyton. “The girls were dejected. But at the same time, I had to tell them, “Look how far you’ve come.”

Vandebilt defeated St. Charles 3-0 in the Comets’ season opener last week. In that game, SCC was without the services of senior Reyna Lubin, the team’s leading scorer.

The Terriers would go on to win the tourney championship over Chapelle in the final game, 4-2.

This time, when the dust settled, Peyton said everyone knew they’d been in a battle.

“I think the people in the stands got their money’s worth,” he said. “Both of us (coaches) agreed that this was the type of game you usually don’t see until late in the season, when the playoffs are around the corner. It was fast-paced, physical, and both teams were in great shape.”

Peyton praised his team’s defensive effort for keeping the potent Terrier offense under wraps.

“I know if our defense can hold these teams to one or no goals, then I’ve got a chance with Reyna up top,” said Peyton, who moved Lubin to mid-fielder in order to further clamp down on the Vandebilt attack.

“Their top two players had a hard time getting around her,” he said.

To get to the semifinals, St. Charles defeated H.L. Bourgeois (0-2) 6-1.

Lubin scored four goals in the game — the fourth the 100th of her prep career.

“She’s a great athlete with a lot of pride,” said Peyton. “It’s never ‘I’can’t do’ or ‘I can’t achieve’ with her. It’s just who she is. She’s someone for the younger players to look up to.”

Ricki Bratcher and Emily Bourgeois, last season’s defensive MVP in District 7-III, each scored a goal in the win.

“We’re ahead of where we were last season,” Peyton said. “There’s just a different chemistry, a different everything about them. When you come into the season, you don’t know what you have, and sometimes the kids focus on who they’re losing. I just say, ‘Look at who we’re brought back.’ We’ve got a strong senior class, and we’ll go as far as they bring us.”