By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

With only 12 rostered soccer players, East St. John Coach Jason Beber chooses to look at the silver lining in his Ladycats’ predicament.

“They’re getting a lot of time on the field to learn how to play together,” said Beber of his inexperienced team.

On Tuesday, the team’s improvement showed, but it wasn’t enough to topple district rival Destrehan, which captured a 3-0 win at Destrehan.

Destrehan defeated ESJ 6-0 in the first match between the teams.

The match was locked in a scoreless tie at halftime.

Destrehan scored three goals in the second half to lock up the win.

“I thought the girls played really well, especially considering they’re still largely learning the game,” Beber said. “We’ve been shifting our focus to the defensive side of the ball, and I think that gave us a chance on their field.”

Beber noted continued strong play by goalkeeper Terri Franklin, as well as by Tia Casadaban, who has made the switch from striker to defensive sweeper this season.

“I think (Tia) has made the biggest difference in our recent play,” said Beber. “She was one of the best strikers I’ve had here, but we needed her in a defensive role, and she’s been fantastic. Terri’s still doing an awesome job. Hopefully both will end up All-District.”

EAST ASCENSION 7, ESJ 0 — The Wildcats traveled to St. Amant last Friday night, where the Spartans controlled the action for a 7-0 victory.

“They just outran us,” said Beber. “They’ve got a really good program there. They’ve got a number of year round players, and 30 players overall. We got a decent number of shot attempts, but we couldn’t finish.”