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NICK ALLMAN, Newburyport, Sr., Goalie Newburyport did not have a banner year, but the Clippers' outstanding goalie Nick Allman did after moving back from North Carolina last year. He never allowed more than three goals in a game despite the fact the team only won two all season. Allman may have given up 23 goals in 16 games, a respectable 1.4 goals a game average, but coach Dave Greenblott said that for the first time in his coaching career, he felt the Clippers could win every game because Allman was his goal keeper. The one truly amazing stat Allman produced was three saves out of attempted penalty kicks. Only 12 yards away, the penalty shot is generally thought of as a "gimme" goal for the shooter. His abilities clearly got the attention of the coaches league-wide; Allman received more votes than any other goalie (ninth player overall) with the exception of CAL player of the year Vinny Papageorgio of Wilmington. Allman was the lone Clipper to earn All-CAL standing. Molding his game after perhaps the world's top goalie Gianluigi Buffon (the Italian and Juventus star), Allman says he will most likely take his talents to Endicott College next season.

Throw out the current Massachusetts high school tournament structure, a system based solely on winning percentage for the way teams qualify for and are seeded in the state tournament.

The idea behind seeding teams is to reward the best teams with the easiest draw so that fans can see the best matchups at the end of each sectional.

The game of soccer has come full circle for Rockport senior star Derek Osmond.

It wasn't too long ago that he was that little kid watching the game from the sidelines and racing onto the field at half-time to shoot on the goals. In fact, some of the most cherished times from his childhood were spent watching his older brother Ryan play for Rockport.

North Andover midfielder Drew Pickul, a three-year starter, was named to the 14-player All-Cape Ann League boys soccer team.

He's joined on the first team by junior goalie Evan Weagle, who has enabled Georgetown to more than double its 2006 win total, Pentucket's talented junior forward Jake Buzzell, and North Reading senior tri-captain Josh Rocco, who was a CAL All-Star last fall.

Bill Tarbox's recent 58th birthday dinner involved more soccer talk than pizza consumption.

Among all the analysis and strategy, the group found time to take bites. But not many.

"My mom (Gail) and my wife (Ruth) have to put up with a lot," said Fred Tarbox, Bill's son. "All we talk about is soccer. It's constant."

Ahh, the glory of October high school soccer. Now that the shadows are creeping out much earlier in the day, each goal seems to matter that much more. And with only a week and a half remaining before the end of the season, the time to figure out which teams will be making their post season appearances is upon us.

So what does a 16-year-old think when the diagnosis he hears is Osteosarcoma | bone cancer | at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Gary Iudice Jr. learned he had a tumor in his right leg. A total knee replacement was in order. There was three months of chemotherapy ahead following a 6<1/2> hour surgery, then more chemo after that.

Al Magnusson calls it "telepathic" and it's safe to say the rest of Sanborn's foes may just call it a major pain in the neck.

What is it? It's the unspoken communication that comes when two of the best scoring threats in the area not only share the same team jersey for three years, but the same address for a lifetime.

PLAISTOW, N.H. | It was the last order of business after another long, hot practice under the watchful eye of Timberlane boys soccer coach Bill Mealey | an intra-squad shirts and skins scrimmage.

Tim Lira was a skin and this time he had no trepidation about taking his shirt off.

Ibreham Oyewole is at least 5-foot-11, a slim 175 pounds and gets teased all the time about his physical makeover.

"He was pretty chubby (198 lbs.) last year. We get on him about it all the time," said Salem High soccer teammate Lorjan Koragjozi.