By Ross Johnson

Sports Writer

The LaGrange High soccer team’s offense will receive plenty of attention from Eagle’s Landing in today’s second-round playoff game at Callaway Stadium, but the Granger defense has been just as dominating of late.

The unit, led by junior goalkeeper Donnie Palmer, shut out Westover 6-0 in last week’s first-round win and hasgotten better as the season has progressed, according to LaGrange head coach Keita Placide.

While the Grangers’ relentless pressuring offensive strategy will still be executed in today’s game, Palmer and the defense won’t be playing any less intense.

“I think the defense has gotten a lot better over the last couple of weeks,” said Palmer, who is in his second year on the varsity squad. “For instance, last week (against Westover) it was good to see that once the offense took over, the defense became the offense.”

The offense was nearly unstoppable against Westover, with senior forward Charlie Vitale scoring three goals and Paul Hutton adding two.

Vitale has a team-high 15 goals on the season, and senior Peter Fonte has scored 10.

Today’s game against Eagle’s Landing doesn’t figure to be as easy as the shutout win over Westover.

Placide said the team has to come out with intensity, or else Eagle’s Landing will take advantage.

“We need physicality. We must be aggressive,” Placide told his team during Tuesday’s practice. “If we do our job, then it’s game over. We need to make a statement.”

Palmer has also worked on being more aggressive in the box, and said this season he’s made plenty of strides become a force inside the net.

“I’ve gotten better at coming out at the ball,” Palmer said. “I don’t think being too aggressive is a weakness at all. It’s becoming my strong point.”

The defense is also becoming a strong point for an offensive-charged team, and hasn’t allowed a goal since the 2-1 setback to Northside March 31, which was the Grangers’ only region blemish of the season.

Palmer said the loss to Northside was a wake-up call, and has led the defense to play lights-out ever since.

“Weere more confident as a team since that loss,” Palmer said. “Northside woke us up, and made us realize that if we don’t come out ready to play, we will get upset.”

The second-round match up against Eagle’s Landing will bring out the best in the team, according to Palmer.

All the Grangers have to do is come out with the same mindset as when they beat Region 2-AAA foe Columbus 3-1 on March 25.

“We have to bring the same mindset, which is that we have to win,” Palmer said. “Everything is riding on this game, and we’ll pull it out if we play strong as strong as we did then.”