The snow on Saturday morning made for a strange situation. When I got up to head to the field at about 7:30 the roads were fine but then it started coming down hard. As game time approached it became obvious that the snow was going to make driving difficult in some areas. It was too late for me to officially cancel the games but I certainly wasn't surprised when so few people showed up. We'll add a game onto the end of the session to make up for the lost day.
Some players did show up though so we made the best of it. Most of the U4 team was there so after a long practice session we played a quick game against the few players that Coach Niemeyer had on hand. It was fun and the kids played well. Will Z. was showing some great skills and heads-up play. He always gives me a funny look when practicing, as though he's not sure that he's really interested in learning whatever skill I'm working with them on. But then in the games he always demonstrates so much skill and real touch on the ball. He made a couple of cut moves Saturday that were just amazingly sharp.
E.J. had a heck of a game too. He played with great energy straight through and was very determined to possess the ball. At one point I talked to him about trying to play with his arms down and to make himself "skinny" when trying to get through a crowd to the ball. He took me at my word and began to play with his arms and hands plastered to his side!
The Bats had just enough players this week due to the snow but they made the best of it and no one complained about not getting a rest. Ashley was at it again, possessing the ball and making run after run at the goal. She had lots of help this week from Haley too, who was getting into good position repeatedly. Despite their efforts I don't think we managed a goal. The highlight of the game was really the defense the team played as a whole against a very strong opponent. Coach Durik's team is very disciplined at possessing the ball and using their skills so they were pounding shots at us all game. But the Bats held them off, only giving up three but rejecting more that twice that many.
Abby had a fantastic game in at keeper taking two quarters for us. At one point she got a bit flustered as she tried to throw the ball out to Ashley while the other team was marking Ashley very closely. I took a moment to point out to Abby that the other kids were running to get in front of Ashley because they could see where Abby's eyes were looking, "so you've got to try to trick them with your eyes" I said. The next chance she got she did just that. She looked at Ashley and then as two players on the other team sprinted to cut that path off Abby turned quickly and passed the ball out to Haley. She was so tickled with how that worked she actually started laughing.
Henry was part of that good defense too and gave us our most consistent period of attack by virtue of the great punts he was sending out. Those long kicks of his gave Ashley, Abby and Haley some of their best attacking opportunities. Micah and Zoe had great games too with some very good ball control and energetic defense.
The Lions consisted of Jagger, Eileen, Ava B. and Diego this week. They were undeterred and played valiantly to a 1-1 tie. Diego was tireless and he and Jagger were trying to get their passing game going again. Ava was fantastic this week and she had one "close out" that was jaw dropping. She and another player were both headed to the ball as it bounced off one wall. Ava got there just a step ahead and she used that bit of a lead to get her body turned and in between the other player and the ball "closing out" the ball so that the opponent couldn't touch it. Once she gets going she definitely has the desire to be a real player. I could teach players that sort of "closing" technique but if they don't really want the ball they won't use it. Ava figured out that move on her own, or rather it came to her naturally, instinctively, because she wants the ball.
Elizabeth was out this week and I figured that would give some of the other Sharks a chance to "run point". The truth is that most games our offense really runs through Elizabeth even if she doesn't get any goals. She possess the ball, calls out for players to get in position or to send her a pass and generally sets the tempo and tone for the team. As grateful as I am to have Elizabeth setting such a great example it was very nice to see how well the team adapted in her absence. Ryder, Sam, Jackson, Wyatt and Zach all got their chance to play that point position and control the attack for us and they each did very well. Ryder does so at a frenetic pace, always looking like he's running down hill toward the goal. Wyatt has that quality too. You can tell that they love the feel of being up to full speed, like they're flying. Zach's thing is speed too but you can also see him throwing in just a slight hesitation move when he faces a defender. Just a little change of speed to throw them off then he's zigging off to one side to get clear. Sam and Jackson were relying more on a deft touch than on speed and I like that. Speed doesn't work forever. Samuel and Tyler were using their ever developing skills too, making a strong effort to just possess the ball for as long as possible. Lilly had a good game coming back from a cold last week and McKenzie looked good for a lot of the game too, if she could just stop worrying about her hair!
We had goals from Sam A., Samuel, Ryder, Brandon, Wyatt and Jackson. Braden was great during his stint in goal too. The outcome was lopsided but I'm happy to say that the Sharks just played better, with more skill and desire, not with more muscle. They set a good example for the league that way.
The Titans came very close to hanging even with the best team in the division. You saw how well disciplined Coach Cook's team is in terms of ball skill, soft touch and organization. They possess the ball easily and they see opportunities and act on them quickly. They had some very good goals off shots from in-traffic but their most impressive shots were those that came on fast breaks as those are the ones that show their conditioning and their ability to anticipate how their defensive play will suddenly turn into scoring opportunities. The Titans responded well, especially when we got Justin out of the goal and onto the field. His energy level really changes the way the other team has to play defense. Drew had a huge game too and the other team was definitely impressed with his skills. He had several beautiful runs where he showed amazing control and creativity, feinting right then going left with a deft touch that kept the ball just out of the opponent's reach while still in his control. His last goal of the game was especially impressive in that he seemed to just will his way to the goal in a very impressive individual effort.
Morgan and Karah had great games, playing with everything they had energy wise. Owen did some very solid work in keeper for us as did Will and both of them had their flashes of brilliance on the field too. Danielle played with a lot of energy and was very committed to playing some good defense. Kailey and Michael-Michelle have improved dramatically since they started and yesterday they played with great energy. I see improvement from them every week and they should be proud of the effort they are making. Pretty good game Titans.
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