I got so caught up in working the great game photos we had of the Red Wings last week that I neglected to mention how well the U4 Alligators played. We only had four players with Sam E., Cooper, Elizabeth and Jackson all being on vacation but our remaining team of Luke, Sam, Ella and Eileen played the whole game with great energy and a lot of goal scoring for Sam and Luke. Well done.
But this week, of course, we had the team back at full strength and man were they ready to play. Sam E. was, as usual, on fire to get to the goal and he did repeatedly. Cooper was also very strong, taking some hits and spills but popping back up to drive to the goal. He had a beautiful shot from long range that found its way in. Jackson was showing some amazing soccer IQ for a three year old, really playing in position smartly and getting set up for shots. Luke had another great game, taking over in the last quarter. Elizabeth and Ella were all over the place trying to take charge of the ball. And Eileen had her first real run toward the goal, which might have been successful if she hadn't paused by the glass to pose for photos. She's a hoot!
The Red Wings were strong again against a tough opponent, light blue, a team that plays very tight defense and keeps the box full of defenders all the time. We had Will back and he was great. He and Conner were doing their field switching dance again and I'm surprised it didn't result in any goals. But they kept on trying. Maia was very aggressive in the field and in goal again. Cody was also very strong this week, especially on defense. Thanks to Cody and his mom for the snack this week.
Our two goals were from Owen who suddenly is showing amazing patience in his ball handling. He had a few incredible moves out there. I apologize if I left out any other highlights. I wasn't taking very good notes this week. Great game. See you at practice.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Victory!
After a very long drought the U10 Red Devils got a win! The team we were facing was playing its second game of the day and showed some signs of fatigue early on. The Devils took advantage of that and from the start mounted an overwhelming offense that paid off early with three goals in the first half, two from Luis and one from Bryce. Luis was really showing some amazing ball handling skill today and was able to work in to take all of his shots from very close range. Bryce was also handling the ball with great confidence and the goal he had in the second half was a blistering left footer off of a perfect cross from Luis. These guys can be a dangerous combination.
We had excellent work in keeper from Gabriel during the first half (we will be working on his punting skills, though). He made a lot of very good stops and showed some great composure several times by collecting the ball outside the box and bringing it back in to pick-up. The real highlight of our defense in the first half was the emergence of Samantha as a very strong center fullback. Samantha played very aggressively, stepping up into the open space to get to balls before the other team could gather themselves and as a result she had a string of amazing clearing kicks, blasting the ball out of our end and just completely denying the other team any scoring opportunities. She had great help from Keegan and Chase both of whom played aggressively and smartly.
This was a really fun game to coach as I saw each player, without exception, begin to step-up their game and play better than perhaps they even thought they could. Payton came in for Luis in the first half and showed great patience in moving the ball forward and had some good chances. Blayr discovered her inner midfielder and played with real soccer IQ, anticipating where she needed to be and getting into the right position repeatedly. Blayr and Helen made a fine team in mid and we'll probably use that line-up again. Easten also was solid in midfield in the first half, frequently getting involved in the offense and then streaking back to cover on defense but in the second half, playing up, he showed speed I didn't know he had, relentlessly driving the ball around the corner to make one good crossing pass after another. Easten's partners during this barrage were Chase and Keegan who were also relentless and consistently in position to take shots. It was thrilling to see the energy that the three of them had in the closing minutes of the game. Like sharks smelling blood in the water they just knew there was a goal opportunity there for them and they kept pounding the goal box till the buzzer sounded.
Erin and Sam showed up late (my fault) but played beautifully the entire second half. Erin worked hard in midfield keeping the ball in the other team's side and Sam was our strong fullback in that half, sweeping everything out of the box. Our second half keeper, Payton, was only challenged a few times. Jake had something to do with that too as he played very aggressively in fullback for most of the half. He doesn't always look like he's paying attention but then when the ball comes into his end he dashes into the fray fearlessly and stubbornly pushes the ball away from the goal. I hope all this energy will carry over to practice and to our remaining games. Great work Red Devils!
We had excellent work in keeper from Gabriel during the first half (we will be working on his punting skills, though). He made a lot of very good stops and showed some great composure several times by collecting the ball outside the box and bringing it back in to pick-up. The real highlight of our defense in the first half was the emergence of Samantha as a very strong center fullback. Samantha played very aggressively, stepping up into the open space to get to balls before the other team could gather themselves and as a result she had a string of amazing clearing kicks, blasting the ball out of our end and just completely denying the other team any scoring opportunities. She had great help from Keegan and Chase both of whom played aggressively and smartly.
This was a really fun game to coach as I saw each player, without exception, begin to step-up their game and play better than perhaps they even thought they could. Payton came in for Luis in the first half and showed great patience in moving the ball forward and had some good chances. Blayr discovered her inner midfielder and played with real soccer IQ, anticipating where she needed to be and getting into the right position repeatedly. Blayr and Helen made a fine team in mid and we'll probably use that line-up again. Easten also was solid in midfield in the first half, frequently getting involved in the offense and then streaking back to cover on defense but in the second half, playing up, he showed speed I didn't know he had, relentlessly driving the ball around the corner to make one good crossing pass after another. Easten's partners during this barrage were Chase and Keegan who were also relentless and consistently in position to take shots. It was thrilling to see the energy that the three of them had in the closing minutes of the game. Like sharks smelling blood in the water they just knew there was a goal opportunity there for them and they kept pounding the goal box till the buzzer sounded.
Erin and Sam showed up late (my fault) but played beautifully the entire second half. Erin worked hard in midfield keeping the ball in the other team's side and Sam was our strong fullback in that half, sweeping everything out of the box. Our second half keeper, Payton, was only challenged a few times. Jake had something to do with that too as he played very aggressively in fullback for most of the half. He doesn't always look like he's paying attention but then when the ball comes into his end he dashes into the fray fearlessly and stubbornly pushes the ball away from the goal. I hope all this energy will carry over to practice and to our remaining games. Great work Red Devils!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 17th, Hat Trick + 1
I'm happy this week to be able to post some photos of the Red Wings in action thanks to Nikki Petty, aunt of Conner and Maia and aspiring professional photographer. The Red Wings managed another dominant performance featuring excellent goal keeping, solid defense and a beautiful hat-trick + 1 of goals for Owen. We had excellent work in keeper from Maia, Kaitlyn and Conner. Ethan was strong in defense again for us as was Cody.
This is a great group of kids and every week they show improvement and play more cohesively as a team. McKenzie Koch is getting the snack for next week. See you Saturday.
This is a great group of kids and every week they show improvement and play more cohesively as a team. McKenzie Koch is getting the snack for next week. See you Saturday.
Monday, April 12, 2010
U10 Red Devils; Strong despite being shorthanded.
The Red Devils played tough all-around for most of the game this week though their offense was a bit anemic during the first half. With only two subs available and one of our strongest defenders out for spring break the Devils were under a lot of pressure to keep the other team's shooters out of our goal. Four shots did get by but overall our defensive performance was good. I especially want to acknowledge Chase and Easton who put in a lot of minutes for us and did great work clearing the ball out. Helen, Bryce and Keegan were great for us, falling back into defense a lot in the second half and probably saving some goals by doing so. Gabriel did a great job in as keeper in the first half, making some very tough stops.
Samantha was solid in keeper the second half making some very smart outlet passes that got our offense rolling. Stacking our offense late in the game with Helen, Bryce, Keegan, Gabriel and Luis all playing up led to Luis finally getting freed up to take some shots. Luis delivered a spectacular hat-trick of goals that brought us within one goal of a tie. Helen had a nice assist on one of those goals but the other two were solo efforts. I would also credit Gabriel with playing so energetically on offense during the second half that he put the other team's defense off balance thus opening the door for Luis.
Everyone played with a lot of energy and while there is a lot to work on in practice I'm seeing great improvement and teamwork from everyone. Good game Devils!
My apologies for the schedule I posted being inaccurate. I've corrected that now. Next week is our double header week with games at 2:40 and 4:20. See everybody at practice.
Samantha was solid in keeper the second half making some very smart outlet passes that got our offense rolling. Stacking our offense late in the game with Helen, Bryce, Keegan, Gabriel and Luis all playing up led to Luis finally getting freed up to take some shots. Luis delivered a spectacular hat-trick of goals that brought us within one goal of a tie. Helen had a nice assist on one of those goals but the other two were solo efforts. I would also credit Gabriel with playing so energetically on offense during the second half that he put the other team's defense off balance thus opening the door for Luis.
Everyone played with a lot of energy and while there is a lot to work on in practice I'm seeing great improvement and teamwork from everyone. Good game Devils!
My apologies for the schedule I posted being inaccurate. I've corrected that now. Next week is our double header week with games at 2:40 and 4:20. See everybody at practice.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
April 10th, Game Two
The U6 Red Wings had the early game this week and they came out shooting. With Five total goals it was an impressive performance. We had strong play in keeper from Kaitlyn with a few good stops, Shai with two stops, Owen with three stops and Maya, who unfortunately didn't get tested even once while she was in. Maya did however make some great plays while she was in as fullback. Our other strong fullback was Ethan again who did a great job keeping the other team's best shooter off the goal. McKenzie, Kendall and Braden were all in the mix the entire game, playing with great energy. Our offense was lead by Cody, Will, Kaitlyn, Conner and Owen. Kaitlyn had our first goal on a very clean break away that took her head-on into the goal. Conner had a great goal on a clean-up after one of Will's shots bounced off the keeper. Owen had a hat trick of goals today. Two were unassisted beauties that he dribbled gracefully right up to the keeper before shooting. But the best goal was one that came off a perfect pass from Will, similar to the pass Conner shot to Will last week.
Thanks to Will and Braden's folks for the snack. Conner and Maya's folks will get it next week.
The U4 Alligators had a great game with a more balanced offense this week. Sam E. managed to get his usual handful of goals (four this week I think) including a beautiful little touch on a ball that was just about to get a away from him. We also had two goals from Elizabeth, two from Lucas and one from Cooper. Sam A. and Eileen were in the thick of it the whole game and Ella was great in her first game. I expect Ella will be taking the ball to the goal soon. Thanks to Lucas' parents for the snack this week. I need a volunteer for next week.
Thanks to Will and Braden's folks for the snack. Conner and Maya's folks will get it next week.
The U4 Alligators had a great game with a more balanced offense this week. Sam E. managed to get his usual handful of goals (four this week I think) including a beautiful little touch on a ball that was just about to get a away from him. We also had two goals from Elizabeth, two from Lucas and one from Cooper. Sam A. and Eileen were in the thick of it the whole game and Ella was great in her first game. I expect Ella will be taking the ball to the goal soon. Thanks to Lucas' parents for the snack this week. I need a volunteer for next week.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sunday April 3rd, U4 and U6 First Kick
The U4 team have named themselves The Alligators and they started the session off in impressive fashion. Our leaders on the field are returning players Sam (Eppley) and Lucas. Sam was showing his amazing speed and determination, taking the ball to the goal repeatedly. And as usual Lucas was using his head and staying ahead of the action, heading for the opposing goal to take a shot or running back to our goal to cover on defense. My new players, Cooper, Jackson, Sam (Atkins) and Elizabeth were all completely engaged in the game. I believe Jackson had a goal. I'm accustomed to having one or two kids on every team who are more interested in rolling around on the turf than in playing soccer but it looks like this time we've got a team of real players. All of the kids have very strong kicks too (especially Elizabeth! Man she can bring it!) and so practices should be very productive going forward. I have to note that I was especially happy to see my own Eileen getting so involved in the game. She's my youngest and a real fireball.
Thanks to the Eppleys for picking up the snack this week. The Meaghers will be handling snack duty next Saturday. The game is at 10:00 AM on field B.
The U6 team got off to a very strong start too. Kaitlyn was very strong in goal for us in her first game ever! She has a bit of a height advantage over the other kids so she is probably going to get a lot of time in goal. But the real surprise in goal for us was Maya. She was as alert and aggressive a keeper as you could want and she's only four. And Maya had great help from Cody on defense.
McKenzie also took a nice turn in goal and also played in the field with a lot of energy. Ethan was our solid rock in defense. He's got a strong kick and doesn't let the other team past him easily. Braden started out helping Ethan in defense but seemed to come alive when he moved up into a sort of midfield position. Cody, Will and Conner led our offensive attack early on and they were strong in the first half. But the game highlight was a play that Will and Conner teamed up for in the second half. Before we kicked off in the third quarter I explained to the boys that they should always stay on opposite sides of the field from each other so that the one with the ball would be able to pass to the other. That usually takes a while for young players to get but they took to it like ducks to water. Especially Conner, who was actually switching sides whenever Will was forced to follow the ball across field. That was impressive. But the big payoff was when Conner made a perfect pass from in heavy traffic straight across the front of the goal to Will who was waiting in perfect position. Will drilled the ball right past the keeper for a beautiful goal. It was sweet.
Our game next week is at 9:00 AM on field A. Will Blackburn's parents will be getting a snack for after the game. See you at practice Monday night, 6:00 PM.
Thanks to the Eppleys for picking up the snack this week. The Meaghers will be handling snack duty next Saturday. The game is at 10:00 AM on field B.
The U6 team got off to a very strong start too. Kaitlyn was very strong in goal for us in her first game ever! She has a bit of a height advantage over the other kids so she is probably going to get a lot of time in goal. But the real surprise in goal for us was Maya. She was as alert and aggressive a keeper as you could want and she's only four. And Maya had great help from Cody on defense.
McKenzie also took a nice turn in goal and also played in the field with a lot of energy. Ethan was our solid rock in defense. He's got a strong kick and doesn't let the other team past him easily. Braden started out helping Ethan in defense but seemed to come alive when he moved up into a sort of midfield position. Cody, Will and Conner led our offensive attack early on and they were strong in the first half. But the game highlight was a play that Will and Conner teamed up for in the second half. Before we kicked off in the third quarter I explained to the boys that they should always stay on opposite sides of the field from each other so that the one with the ball would be able to pass to the other. That usually takes a while for young players to get but they took to it like ducks to water. Especially Conner, who was actually switching sides whenever Will was forced to follow the ball across field. That was impressive. But the big payoff was when Conner made a perfect pass from in heavy traffic straight across the front of the goal to Will who was waiting in perfect position. Will drilled the ball right past the keeper for a beautiful goal. It was sweet.
Our game next week is at 9:00 AM on field A. Will Blackburn's parents will be getting a snack for after the game. See you at practice Monday night, 6:00 PM.
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