Tournament - Vs. Badin @ Eaton, 0-4L
Well... the fear was that we did not see Badin at their best in game one in the regular season. That fear certainly came to fruition tonight. Badin played far better - perhaps it was the turf, or the tournament hype, or the fact that they now knew we weren't a simple cake walk for them. Regardless of the reason, Badin certainly seemed a different team tonight. They didn't make a lot of mistakes like they did in game one. Preble Shawnee though also played pretty well and I think and hope that the 0-4 score didn't truly reflect the competitive nature of the game. In our 4-5-1, we possessed a ball pretty well in the front 60 minutes and a considerable amount of that time we spent in control of the ball. Their first goal came off of a header on a corner that our keeper initially saved but a second header found its way into the net. The score stayed 1-0 for the next 40 minutes of play. The Badin keeper made a heck of a save to close out the half to keep the score 1-0 at halftime. To start half two we weathered an initial five minute storm and the subsequent 15 minutes I thought we really had it going. We definitely had more possession and created some chances to score. At the twenty minute mark they perfectly executed a "jailbreak" transition and scored on a quick counter attack. At 2-0 with 20 minutes left to go we had to switch formation to try and put a little more pressure on Badin up top. We knew that doing so might likely result in giving up a third goal but it was a risk we had to take at that point in the game. With one less midfielder to help build possession, Badin spent much of the time passing and weaving through our depleted midfield. And without the possibility to build possession, we didn't really get or develop any dangerous looks in that last twenty minutes. They scored a third just a few minutes after the change in formation to make it 3-0. They were also granted a free goal in the last minute of play on a frustration foul in the box.
All in all, we played better than the 4-0 score might suggest. I am proud to have been a part of the Arrow Soccer Family this year. We worked hard. We had fun. We won a bunch of games. The outlook for 2016 (my last season as head coach) looks great. We've got good leadership coming back with our junior class. Our sophomores are super skilled and I look forward to seeing their development. The leashes are officially off of our wonderful freshmen class. But, for know, we have to say goodbye to our seniors. Alyssa Nicely, Allison Began, Alexis Blanton, Carlee Jones, and Meagan Lindon - THANK YOU for a wonderful four years of soccer. You will be missed.
Well... the fear was that we did not see Badin at their best in game one in the regular season. That fear certainly came to fruition tonight. Badin played far better - perhaps it was the turf, or the tournament hype, or the fact that they now knew we weren't a simple cake walk for them. Regardless of the reason, Badin certainly seemed a different team tonight. They didn't make a lot of mistakes like they did in game one. Preble Shawnee though also played pretty well and I think and hope that the 0-4 score didn't truly reflect the competitive nature of the game. In our 4-5-1, we possessed a ball pretty well in the front 60 minutes and a considerable amount of that time we spent in control of the ball. Their first goal came off of a header on a corner that our keeper initially saved but a second header found its way into the net. The score stayed 1-0 for the next 40 minutes of play. The Badin keeper made a heck of a save to close out the half to keep the score 1-0 at halftime. To start half two we weathered an initial five minute storm and the subsequent 15 minutes I thought we really had it going. We definitely had more possession and created some chances to score. At the twenty minute mark they perfectly executed a "jailbreak" transition and scored on a quick counter attack. At 2-0 with 20 minutes left to go we had to switch formation to try and put a little more pressure on Badin up top. We knew that doing so might likely result in giving up a third goal but it was a risk we had to take at that point in the game. With one less midfielder to help build possession, Badin spent much of the time passing and weaving through our depleted midfield. And without the possibility to build possession, we didn't really get or develop any dangerous looks in that last twenty minutes. They scored a third just a few minutes after the change in formation to make it 3-0. They were also granted a free goal in the last minute of play on a frustration foul in the box.
All in all, we played better than the 4-0 score might suggest. I am proud to have been a part of the Arrow Soccer Family this year. We worked hard. We had fun. We won a bunch of games. The outlook for 2016 (my last season as head coach) looks great. We've got good leadership coming back with our junior class. Our sophomores are super skilled and I look forward to seeing their development. The leashes are officially off of our wonderful freshmen class. But, for know, we have to say goodbye to our seniors. Alyssa Nicely, Allison Began, Alexis Blanton, Carlee Jones, and Meagan Lindon - THANK YOU for a wonderful four years of soccer. You will be missed.
Tournament - Vs. Franklin Monroe @ PS, 1-0W
I've seen teams "bunker in" or "park the bus in front of the goal", but I had never witnessed anything like I saw tonight. In the first half, Franklin Monroe never sent anyone across the fifty yard line - not to pursue, not to pressure our defenders, not even to attempt to win one of their own throw-ins. FM would kick it (or throw it) down field and allow our defenders to win the ball without pressure dribble forward and make a pass. Our first half keeper touched the ball maybe five or six times and all of them were balls that we played back to her. After making adjustments on the fly and changing our formation, we finally got a goal with a minute to go in the first half. Saylor Jewell scored on a Meagan Lindon assist. I told my girls at half that they should be flattered and not frustrated at how FM was playing us. By bunkering in, FM was essentially telling everyone at the game that Preble Shawnee is too good of a team for FM to beat. So, the next best option is to hold on for dear life and hope for an OT breakaway or a win in shootouts. In the second half, being down 1-0, FM opened up their play a little bit and pursued our defenders into the midfield/defensive third of the field, but never threatened our keepers. In the two halves, our keepers combined for zero saves.
One of the good things that came out of this game, other than the obvious advancement in the tournament, was that we learned we need to get better at executing in smaller spaces. I definitely do not anticipate Badin to bunker in because they certainly have enough athletic ability to compete with us, but I do know that we could threaten Badin if we can get in/out/through their defensive wall especially if we can execute quick small passes that allow us to play directly to goal.
A look forward - We play Badin at Eaton at 7p on Monday for a sectional title. This is a rematch from earlier in the season. We had some successes in the last game with them, but we came up short losing "3.5" to 5. I know we did not see Badin's best game that day and I expect them to be tougher yet. But, I also know that Badin did not see our best game either. Our defense made some mistakes that since have been corrected. Our offense has gotten more dynamic and we definitely have a better grasp of our formations that we run. I expect a heck of a ball game in a competition of two very good teams.
Game Ball - Alyssa Davidson is starting to get more involved in the offense and being more active. She made some great controlling touches and passes tonight. Riane Woodard continues to do her thing, handling and controlling a crowded midfield. Allison Began's high pressure wing defending and quality runs are also very helpful to the team.
I've seen teams "bunker in" or "park the bus in front of the goal", but I had never witnessed anything like I saw tonight. In the first half, Franklin Monroe never sent anyone across the fifty yard line - not to pursue, not to pressure our defenders, not even to attempt to win one of their own throw-ins. FM would kick it (or throw it) down field and allow our defenders to win the ball without pressure dribble forward and make a pass. Our first half keeper touched the ball maybe five or six times and all of them were balls that we played back to her. After making adjustments on the fly and changing our formation, we finally got a goal with a minute to go in the first half. Saylor Jewell scored on a Meagan Lindon assist. I told my girls at half that they should be flattered and not frustrated at how FM was playing us. By bunkering in, FM was essentially telling everyone at the game that Preble Shawnee is too good of a team for FM to beat. So, the next best option is to hold on for dear life and hope for an OT breakaway or a win in shootouts. In the second half, being down 1-0, FM opened up their play a little bit and pursued our defenders into the midfield/defensive third of the field, but never threatened our keepers. In the two halves, our keepers combined for zero saves.
One of the good things that came out of this game, other than the obvious advancement in the tournament, was that we learned we need to get better at executing in smaller spaces. I definitely do not anticipate Badin to bunker in because they certainly have enough athletic ability to compete with us, but I do know that we could threaten Badin if we can get in/out/through their defensive wall especially if we can execute quick small passes that allow us to play directly to goal.
A look forward - We play Badin at Eaton at 7p on Monday for a sectional title. This is a rematch from earlier in the season. We had some successes in the last game with them, but we came up short losing "3.5" to 5. I know we did not see Badin's best game that day and I expect them to be tougher yet. But, I also know that Badin did not see our best game either. Our defense made some mistakes that since have been corrected. Our offense has gotten more dynamic and we definitely have a better grasp of our formations that we run. I expect a heck of a ball game in a competition of two very good teams.
Game Ball - Alyssa Davidson is starting to get more involved in the offense and being more active. She made some great controlling touches and passes tonight. Riane Woodard continues to do her thing, handling and controlling a crowded midfield. Allison Began's high pressure wing defending and quality runs are also very helpful to the team.
Vs. Milton-Union @ Milton-Union, 2-0W
We got our chance to get revenge versus one of our losses earlier in the year. After the first game against Milton Union, we left the field knowing that we certainly did not play well, especially in the first thirty minutes or so. We gave up two goal-types that we haven't given up since the Badin game in game four of the season. We felt confident that we could win the game if we just did our thing.
Fortunately after the night was over we claimed a 2-0 win. Unfortunately, I know that Milton did not play their best game. In retrospect, it might have been nice heading into their bracket for a third game of the year because I am sure it would have been a level playing field. On a brighter note, however, I like to think that the reason Milton might not have had their best night is because of our high pressure and patient offensive play. Two freshmen scored our goals - Brenna Woodard scored the first one and Abby Bulach sealed the win with a finish on a corner kick. The win improved the season record to 11-4-1 and secured a second place finish in the league.
In the tournament, we will be playing Franklin-Monroe who is just dangerous enough to beat us if we do not come out ready to play. If we play the Shawnee soccer that we are capable of, we will get a chance to meet Badin again in the sectional finals at Eaton.
Game Ball - Carlee Jones - This was a no doubter. Carlee played her best game of the year as she slowed Milton's offensive attack and distributed the ball wonderfully out of the defensive mid position.
We got our chance to get revenge versus one of our losses earlier in the year. After the first game against Milton Union, we left the field knowing that we certainly did not play well, especially in the first thirty minutes or so. We gave up two goal-types that we haven't given up since the Badin game in game four of the season. We felt confident that we could win the game if we just did our thing.
Fortunately after the night was over we claimed a 2-0 win. Unfortunately, I know that Milton did not play their best game. In retrospect, it might have been nice heading into their bracket for a third game of the year because I am sure it would have been a level playing field. On a brighter note, however, I like to think that the reason Milton might not have had their best night is because of our high pressure and patient offensive play. Two freshmen scored our goals - Brenna Woodard scored the first one and Abby Bulach sealed the win with a finish on a corner kick. The win improved the season record to 11-4-1 and secured a second place finish in the league.
In the tournament, we will be playing Franklin-Monroe who is just dangerous enough to beat us if we do not come out ready to play. If we play the Shawnee soccer that we are capable of, we will get a chance to meet Badin again in the sectional finals at Eaton.
Game Ball - Carlee Jones - This was a no doubter. Carlee played her best game of the year as she slowed Milton's offensive attack and distributed the ball wonderfully out of the defensive mid position.
Vs. Madison @ PS, 7-1W
Congratulations to the seniors as they capped off their final home regular season win versus Madison! All seniors contributed to the league win. Alexis Blanton played well in the back. Alyssa Nicely nearly scored on a cross and helped hold possession in the middle. Carlee Jones played well as usual and got on the score sheet with a goal. Allison Began looked quite good considering the recent knee injury. And Meagan Lindon led the offense in a well played game with two goals and one assist.
The team possessed well as anticipated and continually beat the offsides trap. The only down side to tonight's game, despite the seven goals, was our lack of finishing in front of the net. Our forwards combined for twelve to fifteen breakaways. I am going to chalk up our lack of finishing to simply a lack of experience with those chances throughout the year. In the long run, I think seeing those chances in a game where we were firmly in control will be a good thing. If/when we get that chance against Milton or in the tournament, hopefully this experience tonight will lead to goals. After the win, we move the record to 10-4-1 and met another one of our goals - a ten win season. Now, we get a chance to redeem our first loss of the season as we travel to Milton on Thursday. Also, a win here will secure second place in our very tough league.
Game ball - Meagan Lindon played well all night, constantly winning 50/50 balls and putting many dangerous passes through to our forwards.
Congratulations to the seniors as they capped off their final home regular season win versus Madison! All seniors contributed to the league win. Alexis Blanton played well in the back. Alyssa Nicely nearly scored on a cross and helped hold possession in the middle. Carlee Jones played well as usual and got on the score sheet with a goal. Allison Began looked quite good considering the recent knee injury. And Meagan Lindon led the offense in a well played game with two goals and one assist.
The team possessed well as anticipated and continually beat the offsides trap. The only down side to tonight's game, despite the seven goals, was our lack of finishing in front of the net. Our forwards combined for twelve to fifteen breakaways. I am going to chalk up our lack of finishing to simply a lack of experience with those chances throughout the year. In the long run, I think seeing those chances in a game where we were firmly in control will be a good thing. If/when we get that chance against Milton or in the tournament, hopefully this experience tonight will lead to goals. After the win, we move the record to 10-4-1 and met another one of our goals - a ten win season. Now, we get a chance to redeem our first loss of the season as we travel to Milton on Thursday. Also, a win here will secure second place in our very tough league.
Game ball - Meagan Lindon played well all night, constantly winning 50/50 balls and putting many dangerous passes through to our forwards.
Vs. Troy Christian @ TC, 2-0W
Before this game started, I had a TON of concerns all of which I dreaded hearing as excuses after the game. We just came off of a tough loss, the bus left at 8:15am, the weather was absolutely miserable, we had an hour bus ride, and we had homecoming that evening. I could see the excuses piling up already and it made me nervous.
Before the starting whistle, I tried to make a point that the best team that we have beaten was Carlisle. That is not good enough for our team's talent level. Not that Carlisle is bad at all, but we haven't beaten Milton, Badin, or Waynesville this year and those are easily the toughest teams on our schedule. We needed a statement game - one where other teams in our area could look at our results and be impressed. I'm not sure we have had that signature win yet. Troy Christian is having a bit of a down year, but they are still Troy Christian. In 2014 they were a sectional champion and district runner up. This year they were at one point ranked in the state in D3. They also tied the currently 5th ranked team in the state this year. If we want a signature win, this might be a chance to get one this year.
We played okay in the first half, but failed to get on the scoreboard even though we had some pretty close calls. At half, the only real adjustment we made was to try and increase our pressure on them between the 30 yard lines. I think we did step it up a bit and we started to see an increase in overall play. We scored about midway through the second half on a nice through ball from Brenna Woodard to Saylor Jewell. Saylor later scored on an assist from Meagan Lindon. Overall, we did a pretty good job. We cut down on our passing mistakes from Thursday and we played wise long balls. Doing so allowed us to put pressure on them in their defensive third. On Thursday, we did not do this at all. The difference good passing choices makes for this team is monumental. When we do make good choices, we honestly can beat anyone. When we don't, we are just average. It wasn't a great team performance, but it was certainly better than average.
Game ball - Meagan Lindon - played hard all night. Hope, Olivia, Ashton, and Logan all played wonderfully across the back - it made it difficult to sub anyone in the back four. 'If the defense ain't broke, don't try and fix it.' Also... we have now logged 8 shutouts on the season, which is four short of our school record of 12. So, possibly, there is another goal to shoot for to close out our year. We have two games left in the regular season and hopefully two or more in the tournament.
Before this game started, I had a TON of concerns all of which I dreaded hearing as excuses after the game. We just came off of a tough loss, the bus left at 8:15am, the weather was absolutely miserable, we had an hour bus ride, and we had homecoming that evening. I could see the excuses piling up already and it made me nervous.
Before the starting whistle, I tried to make a point that the best team that we have beaten was Carlisle. That is not good enough for our team's talent level. Not that Carlisle is bad at all, but we haven't beaten Milton, Badin, or Waynesville this year and those are easily the toughest teams on our schedule. We needed a statement game - one where other teams in our area could look at our results and be impressed. I'm not sure we have had that signature win yet. Troy Christian is having a bit of a down year, but they are still Troy Christian. In 2014 they were a sectional champion and district runner up. This year they were at one point ranked in the state in D3. They also tied the currently 5th ranked team in the state this year. If we want a signature win, this might be a chance to get one this year.
We played okay in the first half, but failed to get on the scoreboard even though we had some pretty close calls. At half, the only real adjustment we made was to try and increase our pressure on them between the 30 yard lines. I think we did step it up a bit and we started to see an increase in overall play. We scored about midway through the second half on a nice through ball from Brenna Woodard to Saylor Jewell. Saylor later scored on an assist from Meagan Lindon. Overall, we did a pretty good job. We cut down on our passing mistakes from Thursday and we played wise long balls. Doing so allowed us to put pressure on them in their defensive third. On Thursday, we did not do this at all. The difference good passing choices makes for this team is monumental. When we do make good choices, we honestly can beat anyone. When we don't, we are just average. It wasn't a great team performance, but it was certainly better than average.
Game ball - Meagan Lindon - played hard all night. Hope, Olivia, Ashton, and Logan all played wonderfully across the back - it made it difficult to sub anyone in the back four. 'If the defense ain't broke, don't try and fix it.' Also... we have now logged 8 shutouts on the season, which is four short of our school record of 12. So, possibly, there is another goal to shoot for to close out our year. We have two games left in the regular season and hopefully two or more in the tournament.
Vs. Waynesville @ Waynesville, 0-2L
Unfortunately, with the loss tonight and barring a miracle, our league championship hopes are out the window.
Tonight was just one of those nights where those parts of the game that we are typically very good at (our strengths) were not present in our game play. Our first touches were not very good and we made way too many unforced errors to beat an athletic team like Waynesville. Their first goal came from a lack of containment and marking and their second goal was granted after an iffy (at best) penalty kick was awarded to them. Other than that, both teams threatened very little for most of the night. We had a couple very good chances to score and so did Waynesville, but neither team capitalized on it. I take consolation in the fact that after Waynesville's two goals, they really only created chances once we were forced into a more offensive formation. At halftime, I asked them 'Is Waynesville doing this to you?' The answer was a unanimous "no". We dug ourselves into this hole. I thought, and still believe, that we are as good as Waynesville if not better, but only when we play to our strengths. In the first game with them, which I felt we dominated (but tied 0-0), we made very few unforced errors. We did not give away passes less than 15 yards. They were on point and we were quick. Tonight, our biggest problem was that we probably turned the ball over 25-30 times on passes less than 15 yards. When we do this, our defense is stretched too thin and we cannot apply quick enough pressure on the ball. Waynesville attacks very directly. When you make numerous passing errors between the 30 yard lines, it opens our team up to quick and direct attacks.
The second half was much like the first. Our offensive motto has become "No turnovers on short passes." If you aren't guaranteed to complete a short pass, play it long. Simple. But, we continuously kept turning the ball over again and again which played directly into Waynesville's strengths. Also, because our passing was so horrendous, we really couldn't create offensive opportunities once we got into the attacking third. We played hard. But, unfortunately, we did not play well. A new goal is to get to double digit wins this year again which means we will need to win at least two of three with some tough teams remaining.
Game Ball - this is a tough one. I think the two central defenders played pretty well tonight. Also, I could argue that my two best passers were both freshmen. So, Hope Ballinger and Olivia Rader deserve recognition for their play - not just tonight but for the last couple weeks. Tonight, I think that Abby Bulach and Bailey Downard played with as much poise and patience as anyone on the field and we certainly could have used more of that with the rest of the team.
Unfortunately, with the loss tonight and barring a miracle, our league championship hopes are out the window.
Tonight was just one of those nights where those parts of the game that we are typically very good at (our strengths) were not present in our game play. Our first touches were not very good and we made way too many unforced errors to beat an athletic team like Waynesville. Their first goal came from a lack of containment and marking and their second goal was granted after an iffy (at best) penalty kick was awarded to them. Other than that, both teams threatened very little for most of the night. We had a couple very good chances to score and so did Waynesville, but neither team capitalized on it. I take consolation in the fact that after Waynesville's two goals, they really only created chances once we were forced into a more offensive formation. At halftime, I asked them 'Is Waynesville doing this to you?' The answer was a unanimous "no". We dug ourselves into this hole. I thought, and still believe, that we are as good as Waynesville if not better, but only when we play to our strengths. In the first game with them, which I felt we dominated (but tied 0-0), we made very few unforced errors. We did not give away passes less than 15 yards. They were on point and we were quick. Tonight, our biggest problem was that we probably turned the ball over 25-30 times on passes less than 15 yards. When we do this, our defense is stretched too thin and we cannot apply quick enough pressure on the ball. Waynesville attacks very directly. When you make numerous passing errors between the 30 yard lines, it opens our team up to quick and direct attacks.
The second half was much like the first. Our offensive motto has become "No turnovers on short passes." If you aren't guaranteed to complete a short pass, play it long. Simple. But, we continuously kept turning the ball over again and again which played directly into Waynesville's strengths. Also, because our passing was so horrendous, we really couldn't create offensive opportunities once we got into the attacking third. We played hard. But, unfortunately, we did not play well. A new goal is to get to double digit wins this year again which means we will need to win at least two of three with some tough teams remaining.
Game Ball - this is a tough one. I think the two central defenders played pretty well tonight. Also, I could argue that my two best passers were both freshmen. So, Hope Ballinger and Olivia Rader deserve recognition for their play - not just tonight but for the last couple weeks. Tonight, I think that Abby Bulach and Bailey Downard played with as much poise and patience as anyone on the field and we certainly could have used more of that with the rest of the team.
Vs. Dixie @ PS, 9-0W
The first time that we played Dixie we were really unfocused. We won the game 5-0 but we kind of played without any enthusiasm. Tonight was a nice night for us. Sometimes it is difficult to play with intent when the discrepancy between the two teams was large. But, thankfully we did. We had a lull there in the last 15-20 minutes of the first half where things just looked a bit lazy. The only focus at halftime was, if we needed to, possess with intent and with purpose and intensity. My focus for the team in half two was to possess and move the ball as thoughtfully and as aggressively as we will need to defend and attempt to score against Waynesville on Thursday. If we could really do that in half two, we would be in good shape heading into the biggest league game of the year.
I was glad we used all eleven players during the game today. We used our defenders as support players and they changed the field. We went inside to our crowded midfield and back out again. Our point person stayed active and distributed well all night. In a lopsided win, it is very easy to become complacent and very difficult to try and stay motivated to improve. After 80 minutes of soccer tonight, I think we did improve as a team. That's a huge compliment. It's also nice to see that we didn't have a lopsided stat sheet. Seven different players scored and twenty players played at least 20 minutes. Well done tonight, girls!
Now, we control our own destiny and cannot ask for any more. A big opportunity is on the horizon. If we can go into Waynesville and pull off a win, we have created a three way tie for first and have a great chance of winning league. With a tie, we still have an outside shot at winning league, but will need some big help. A loss and we all but lost a chance to win league. It will be a tough game, no doubt. I'm sure Waynesville feels like they didn't play their best game at our place and they ALWAYS play better at home than on the road. No pressure though. If we are a TEAM, and we WORK, we have a great chance of winning. The table has been set. Let make sure we show up to dinner!
Stats for the arrows: Saylor Jewell (2g, 2a), Meagan Lindon (1g, 3a), Nicole Sims (2g), Alyssa Davidson (1g, 2a), Abby Bulach (1a), Carlee Jones (1g), Ashton Collins (1g), Hope Ballinger (1g). Ashton Collins and Hope Ballinger notched their first career goals tonight!
Game Ball - Saylor Jewell - played patiently and didn't try to force the game, passing as well as she shot. We need more of this! Meagan Lindon played completely unselfishly and probably could have scored three goals tonight, but played the role of distributor. Also, nice job really going to a ball hard for all 80 minutes.
The first time that we played Dixie we were really unfocused. We won the game 5-0 but we kind of played without any enthusiasm. Tonight was a nice night for us. Sometimes it is difficult to play with intent when the discrepancy between the two teams was large. But, thankfully we did. We had a lull there in the last 15-20 minutes of the first half where things just looked a bit lazy. The only focus at halftime was, if we needed to, possess with intent and with purpose and intensity. My focus for the team in half two was to possess and move the ball as thoughtfully and as aggressively as we will need to defend and attempt to score against Waynesville on Thursday. If we could really do that in half two, we would be in good shape heading into the biggest league game of the year.
I was glad we used all eleven players during the game today. We used our defenders as support players and they changed the field. We went inside to our crowded midfield and back out again. Our point person stayed active and distributed well all night. In a lopsided win, it is very easy to become complacent and very difficult to try and stay motivated to improve. After 80 minutes of soccer tonight, I think we did improve as a team. That's a huge compliment. It's also nice to see that we didn't have a lopsided stat sheet. Seven different players scored and twenty players played at least 20 minutes. Well done tonight, girls!
Now, we control our own destiny and cannot ask for any more. A big opportunity is on the horizon. If we can go into Waynesville and pull off a win, we have created a three way tie for first and have a great chance of winning league. With a tie, we still have an outside shot at winning league, but will need some big help. A loss and we all but lost a chance to win league. It will be a tough game, no doubt. I'm sure Waynesville feels like they didn't play their best game at our place and they ALWAYS play better at home than on the road. No pressure though. If we are a TEAM, and we WORK, we have a great chance of winning. The table has been set. Let make sure we show up to dinner!
Stats for the arrows: Saylor Jewell (2g, 2a), Meagan Lindon (1g, 3a), Nicole Sims (2g), Alyssa Davidson (1g, 2a), Abby Bulach (1a), Carlee Jones (1g), Ashton Collins (1g), Hope Ballinger (1g). Ashton Collins and Hope Ballinger notched their first career goals tonight!
Game Ball - Saylor Jewell - played patiently and didn't try to force the game, passing as well as she shot. We need more of this! Meagan Lindon played completely unselfishly and probably could have scored three goals tonight, but played the role of distributor. Also, nice job really going to a ball hard for all 80 minutes.
Vs. Carlisle @ Carlisle, 3-0W
Carlisle has always been a tricky team to beat. We like to think that we match-up with them well across the board but we have thought that for quite some time now and they always give us fits. Jeff Stiver does a great job game planning for his opponents. This year alone, they have managed to pull off a tie versus Milton (2-2) and a near draw versus Waynesville (1-0). So I knew that they were no push over. I stressed to the girls pre-game that I think the last time we played them, we caught them on a good night for us. They played an average Carlisle first half and kept it close, but I think our subs wore them down in half two and we stepped on the gas. That game ended 5-0.
This game was similar to the first in that we played well and played deep into our bench. For most of the night, our passing was on point and we kept Carlisle away from having much in the way of possession. This was made easier by us because we pretty much went to the ball unchallenged all night long. We won the ball and they didn't. Winning the ball is a large part of girls high school soccer and when we get our fair share of 50/50s, we are a pretty impressive team. Similar to game one, I thought we dominated play in the first half and managed just one goal. I warned the girls that in half two that Carlisle is a team that doesn't just accept losing and to expect them to come out hard in the second half. All we needed to do is match the intensity until the storm settled. Carlisle came out hard early and created a couple chances as expected, but we stayed to our game plan and started possessing the ball about ten minutes into half two. The game ended with us putting two more in the net in half two and we won the game 3-0. This was a great team win. Everyone who played tonight - starters and finishers - stepped out on to the pitch tonight with intent, purpose, and with a sense of calm. Good teams need to be able to do that. We have a saying for it at Shawnee. It's controlled chaos. Create chaos defensively and make your opponent uncomfortable, but be able to immediately go into control mode when we are in possession. Our defense should be able to play really hard for less than 20 seconds and be able to relax for two or three minutes at least. If we can do that, we can win any game on our schedule. For the most part, we did that today.
Saylor Jewell scored twice in the contest and Abby Bulach once. Alyssa Davidson and Meagan Lindon each picked up an assist. Annilou Belvo and Brooke Kiracofe combined for the team's sixth shutout gathering three and two saves respectively.
Game ball - all of us. Very nice team win. Everyone played hard and smart. I cannot single out one player who put this game on her shoulders. Good team win.
Carlisle has always been a tricky team to beat. We like to think that we match-up with them well across the board but we have thought that for quite some time now and they always give us fits. Jeff Stiver does a great job game planning for his opponents. This year alone, they have managed to pull off a tie versus Milton (2-2) and a near draw versus Waynesville (1-0). So I knew that they were no push over. I stressed to the girls pre-game that I think the last time we played them, we caught them on a good night for us. They played an average Carlisle first half and kept it close, but I think our subs wore them down in half two and we stepped on the gas. That game ended 5-0.
This game was similar to the first in that we played well and played deep into our bench. For most of the night, our passing was on point and we kept Carlisle away from having much in the way of possession. This was made easier by us because we pretty much went to the ball unchallenged all night long. We won the ball and they didn't. Winning the ball is a large part of girls high school soccer and when we get our fair share of 50/50s, we are a pretty impressive team. Similar to game one, I thought we dominated play in the first half and managed just one goal. I warned the girls that in half two that Carlisle is a team that doesn't just accept losing and to expect them to come out hard in the second half. All we needed to do is match the intensity until the storm settled. Carlisle came out hard early and created a couple chances as expected, but we stayed to our game plan and started possessing the ball about ten minutes into half two. The game ended with us putting two more in the net in half two and we won the game 3-0. This was a great team win. Everyone who played tonight - starters and finishers - stepped out on to the pitch tonight with intent, purpose, and with a sense of calm. Good teams need to be able to do that. We have a saying for it at Shawnee. It's controlled chaos. Create chaos defensively and make your opponent uncomfortable, but be able to immediately go into control mode when we are in possession. Our defense should be able to play really hard for less than 20 seconds and be able to relax for two or three minutes at least. If we can do that, we can win any game on our schedule. For the most part, we did that today.
Saylor Jewell scored twice in the contest and Abby Bulach once. Alyssa Davidson and Meagan Lindon each picked up an assist. Annilou Belvo and Brooke Kiracofe combined for the team's sixth shutout gathering three and two saves respectively.
Game ball - all of us. Very nice team win. Everyone played hard and smart. I cannot single out one player who put this game on her shoulders. Good team win.
Vs. Newton @ PS, 1-2L
In the history of the program and considering the talent level, tonight was the worst 80 minutes of soccer a Shawnee team has played in my tenure as coach. Blame me. Period.
At least it wasn't a league game, but this won't bode well for our tournament draw.
On a side note, Waynesville beat Milton tonight 3-0, so we are currently tied with Milton for second place and a game behind Waynesville.
In the history of the program and considering the talent level, tonight was the worst 80 minutes of soccer a Shawnee team has played in my tenure as coach. Blame me. Period.
At least it wasn't a league game, but this won't bode well for our tournament draw.
On a side note, Waynesville beat Milton tonight 3-0, so we are currently tied with Milton for second place and a game behind Waynesville.
Vs. Waynesville @ PS, 0-0T
Well, this was a very big game to say the least. If we lost this one, we could very well have lost our chances at league. With one loss in our league already, with Milton and Waynesville each having no losses, and with a troublesome Carlisle team next week, our backs most certainly would be against the wall. Our focus was to keep their two good forwards in front of us all night. We have had some difficulty doing that for whatever reason, especially earlier in the year versus Eaton, Milton, and Badin. I thought that if we could keep them in front of us and if we played hard, we should be able to pull out a win.
From the starting whistle in the first half, we played great soccer. Our possession was good and we had several opportunities to score. I think we hit the post three times in the first forty minutes. Unfortunately we couldn't put one in the back of the net. At halftime, we were pleased with our performances. We went hard to the ball, we applied pressure on Waynesville and I feel like we made them uncomfortable while they were in possession. Our defenders did an excellent job keeping all Waynesville players in front of them. We got an awesome performance out of all six girls who rotated in the back (Logan Hollon, Hope Ballinger, Olivia Rader, Ashton Collins, Annilou Belvo, and Alexis Blanton). We knew that Waynesville would come out hard in half two and they did. We weathered a brief storm and the remaining thirty five minutes was similar to the first forty. I thought we had plenty of chances to score compared to the few that Waynesville had, but, again, we were unable to put the ball in the net. The game ended in a 0-0 tie.
The good news is that a tie keeps us right in the hunt for a league title. Carlisle helped us a bit tonight by tying Milton. So, now, we are one game behind Waynesville and Milton. Those two teams have yet to play each other. I look forward to the outcome of that game. Either way, our fate is in our own hands. We don't need to pray for help from other teams to beat up on each other. We just need to win the games we play. It will be a tough row to hoe of course, with a trip to Milton and to Waynesville. I thought we didn't play very well in about 60 minutes of the Milton game and I look forward to proving to ourselves that we can redeem that loss against a very good team. Waynesville always plays tougher at home so that will also be a tough match. But, in the end, we do have control over our outcomes and what more can we really ask for at this point in the season?
Game ball - Olivia Rader and Hope Ballinger - their spacing issues through the middle definitely seem resolved as we have just dealt our fifth straight shutout in a row! Riane Woodard - after starting the week a little slow, she really made a huge impact in this game. In my opinion, she showed she is one of the best (if not the best) inside midfielder that we see all year long.
Well, this was a very big game to say the least. If we lost this one, we could very well have lost our chances at league. With one loss in our league already, with Milton and Waynesville each having no losses, and with a troublesome Carlisle team next week, our backs most certainly would be against the wall. Our focus was to keep their two good forwards in front of us all night. We have had some difficulty doing that for whatever reason, especially earlier in the year versus Eaton, Milton, and Badin. I thought that if we could keep them in front of us and if we played hard, we should be able to pull out a win.
From the starting whistle in the first half, we played great soccer. Our possession was good and we had several opportunities to score. I think we hit the post three times in the first forty minutes. Unfortunately we couldn't put one in the back of the net. At halftime, we were pleased with our performances. We went hard to the ball, we applied pressure on Waynesville and I feel like we made them uncomfortable while they were in possession. Our defenders did an excellent job keeping all Waynesville players in front of them. We got an awesome performance out of all six girls who rotated in the back (Logan Hollon, Hope Ballinger, Olivia Rader, Ashton Collins, Annilou Belvo, and Alexis Blanton). We knew that Waynesville would come out hard in half two and they did. We weathered a brief storm and the remaining thirty five minutes was similar to the first forty. I thought we had plenty of chances to score compared to the few that Waynesville had, but, again, we were unable to put the ball in the net. The game ended in a 0-0 tie.
The good news is that a tie keeps us right in the hunt for a league title. Carlisle helped us a bit tonight by tying Milton. So, now, we are one game behind Waynesville and Milton. Those two teams have yet to play each other. I look forward to the outcome of that game. Either way, our fate is in our own hands. We don't need to pray for help from other teams to beat up on each other. We just need to win the games we play. It will be a tough row to hoe of course, with a trip to Milton and to Waynesville. I thought we didn't play very well in about 60 minutes of the Milton game and I look forward to proving to ourselves that we can redeem that loss against a very good team. Waynesville always plays tougher at home so that will also be a tough match. But, in the end, we do have control over our outcomes and what more can we really ask for at this point in the season?
Game ball - Olivia Rader and Hope Ballinger - their spacing issues through the middle definitely seem resolved as we have just dealt our fifth straight shutout in a row! Riane Woodard - after starting the week a little slow, she really made a huge impact in this game. In my opinion, she showed she is one of the best (if not the best) inside midfielder that we see all year long.
Vs. Twin Valley South @ PS, 4-0W
This was a worrisome game coming into it for several reasons. First, it is the fourth in a stretch of five games in seven days. Second, we've never really played well against TVS. Third, we've got a huge league game tomorrow versus Waynesville and I was afraid we might look past TVS. Fourth, if we played poorly, TVS was good enough that they could beat us. Fifth, TVS comes in to tonight's game undefeated with a record of 6-0-1 and with that early success comes confidence. Confident teams can beat anyone.
The first half was pretty uneventful. We didn't come out and play with our toes to the fire like we needed to. We didn't pressure the ball anywhere on the field and we didn't win many 50-50 balls. We did get a goal with about nine minutes left on a throw in from Ashton Collins that Saylor Jewell turned neatly toward goal and finished calmly. Other than that (and it was a nice goal, but not really one that we created through great soccer play), we didn't really do much. fortunately, TVS didn't find a rhythm either in the first half. It was a pretty boring half of soccer overall.
In the second half we started playing with a little more intensity. We had a great crowd that showed up just before halftime of our game due to youth night. Perhaps that was the fuel to our fire? Regardless of what the reason was, we really only turned up the heat in half two. The results showed. We scored three goals in the second half, two of which were borderline "own goals" but we forced them to make a reaction play due to our pressure. The second goal we scored was one of my favorites in recent history. Brenna Woodard sent in a beautiful cross from the left corner and little Allison Began blew up a defender on her route to a headball that glanced off the post and in. Brenna Woodard scored the third goal with a rocket shot that deflected off the near post and closest TVS defender and in. Annilou Belvo had a long throw that Saylor headed in on the near post for goal number four.
I know I've said this before, but our bench has been a luxury that I'm not sure how I lived without before this year. Again, for the FOURTH straight game, we played at least twenty girls at least ten minutes of soccer and are 4-0! We have a huge game tomorrow as league rival Waynesville rolls into town. A win or a tie keeps us in serious contention for a league title in a very tough league. A loss doesn't knock us out of the running but we then have to essentially win out AND get some help from other league matches.
Game Ball - Brenna Woodard brought a HUGE spark we needed into the second half of play as she was a big part of our second half surge. Annilou Belvo has now played two consecutive games as a defender and really shined. Well done, ladies. Well done, team!
This was a worrisome game coming into it for several reasons. First, it is the fourth in a stretch of five games in seven days. Second, we've never really played well against TVS. Third, we've got a huge league game tomorrow versus Waynesville and I was afraid we might look past TVS. Fourth, if we played poorly, TVS was good enough that they could beat us. Fifth, TVS comes in to tonight's game undefeated with a record of 6-0-1 and with that early success comes confidence. Confident teams can beat anyone.
The first half was pretty uneventful. We didn't come out and play with our toes to the fire like we needed to. We didn't pressure the ball anywhere on the field and we didn't win many 50-50 balls. We did get a goal with about nine minutes left on a throw in from Ashton Collins that Saylor Jewell turned neatly toward goal and finished calmly. Other than that (and it was a nice goal, but not really one that we created through great soccer play), we didn't really do much. fortunately, TVS didn't find a rhythm either in the first half. It was a pretty boring half of soccer overall.
In the second half we started playing with a little more intensity. We had a great crowd that showed up just before halftime of our game due to youth night. Perhaps that was the fuel to our fire? Regardless of what the reason was, we really only turned up the heat in half two. The results showed. We scored three goals in the second half, two of which were borderline "own goals" but we forced them to make a reaction play due to our pressure. The second goal we scored was one of my favorites in recent history. Brenna Woodard sent in a beautiful cross from the left corner and little Allison Began blew up a defender on her route to a headball that glanced off the post and in. Brenna Woodard scored the third goal with a rocket shot that deflected off the near post and closest TVS defender and in. Annilou Belvo had a long throw that Saylor headed in on the near post for goal number four.
I know I've said this before, but our bench has been a luxury that I'm not sure how I lived without before this year. Again, for the FOURTH straight game, we played at least twenty girls at least ten minutes of soccer and are 4-0! We have a huge game tomorrow as league rival Waynesville rolls into town. A win or a tie keeps us in serious contention for a league title in a very tough league. A loss doesn't knock us out of the running but we then have to essentially win out AND get some help from other league matches.
Game Ball - Brenna Woodard brought a HUGE spark we needed into the second half of play as she was a big part of our second half surge. Annilou Belvo has now played two consecutive games as a defender and really shined. Well done, ladies. Well done, team!
Vs. Xenia Christian @ XC, 3-0W
I was very confused about XC coming into the the game. They get blown out by Carlisle early in the season 7-1 (who we handled fairly easily in a 5-0 win) but turn around and lose to what is usually a very tough Greeneview team only 5-4. My girls were given a brief scouting report and were warned that XC may be a pretty good ball team. We did know going in to the game that they only dressed 13 or 14 players total, so Preble Shawnee, being able to effectively play 22 girls should have a distinct advantage if we forced XC to work.
From the starting whistle, I was very pleased with our 80 minutes of work on the field. It was clear that we were the better team, but we did not settle and get too comfortable knowing that. Of all games, this is probably the one I was most pleased with. Everything went as planned and everyone played a good game and did their part. We probably had possession of the ball for seventy of the eighty minute ball game. That is astounding! XC almost never had any kind of possession whatsoever. When they did get the ball, we pressured them quickly enough in most cases that they lost possession. Throughout the game it was quite common to see the Shawnee team string together 12-15 passes before shooting or losing a ball out of bounds. The difference between our Dixie possession and our XC possession is that it was so much more meaningful. We often played in support and changed the field. We tried being creative in the attacking third in the middle and in the corners. Our set pieces were better executed. Also, it was more impressive because XC is a better team than Dixie. We did lack a little bit of aggressiveness and directness in the first half, but I loved our second half of soccer. With our twenty two players, we wore XC down and played very creatively on the offensive end of the field. The only thing lacking from this game was our finishing. We did miss a lot of opportunities to score. I feel like on a normal day, six, seven, or eight goals would not have been out of the question. But, today, as "pretty" as we looked, we just didn't finish with any kind of regularity. Hopefully, we will soon combine the two. We'll need to. If we don't, we certainly could be looking at two unsatisfactory outcomes on Monday and Tuesday.
Game Ball - Allison Began - certainly her best performance to date. Good pressure, good passing. Olivia Rader - having her available in the midfield really added to our creative combinations. Annilou Belvo - she played in the back today like she did to close out last season - certainly good enough to be a starting defender and consideration for one of our most valuable players! Having this option really makes us more threatening offensively.
I was very confused about XC coming into the the game. They get blown out by Carlisle early in the season 7-1 (who we handled fairly easily in a 5-0 win) but turn around and lose to what is usually a very tough Greeneview team only 5-4. My girls were given a brief scouting report and were warned that XC may be a pretty good ball team. We did know going in to the game that they only dressed 13 or 14 players total, so Preble Shawnee, being able to effectively play 22 girls should have a distinct advantage if we forced XC to work.
From the starting whistle, I was very pleased with our 80 minutes of work on the field. It was clear that we were the better team, but we did not settle and get too comfortable knowing that. Of all games, this is probably the one I was most pleased with. Everything went as planned and everyone played a good game and did their part. We probably had possession of the ball for seventy of the eighty minute ball game. That is astounding! XC almost never had any kind of possession whatsoever. When they did get the ball, we pressured them quickly enough in most cases that they lost possession. Throughout the game it was quite common to see the Shawnee team string together 12-15 passes before shooting or losing a ball out of bounds. The difference between our Dixie possession and our XC possession is that it was so much more meaningful. We often played in support and changed the field. We tried being creative in the attacking third in the middle and in the corners. Our set pieces were better executed. Also, it was more impressive because XC is a better team than Dixie. We did lack a little bit of aggressiveness and directness in the first half, but I loved our second half of soccer. With our twenty two players, we wore XC down and played very creatively on the offensive end of the field. The only thing lacking from this game was our finishing. We did miss a lot of opportunities to score. I feel like on a normal day, six, seven, or eight goals would not have been out of the question. But, today, as "pretty" as we looked, we just didn't finish with any kind of regularity. Hopefully, we will soon combine the two. We'll need to. If we don't, we certainly could be looking at two unsatisfactory outcomes on Monday and Tuesday.
Game Ball - Allison Began - certainly her best performance to date. Good pressure, good passing. Olivia Rader - having her available in the midfield really added to our creative combinations. Annilou Belvo - she played in the back today like she did to close out last season - certainly good enough to be a starting defender and consideration for one of our most valuable players! Having this option really makes us more threatening offensively.
Vs. Dixie @ Dixie, 5-0W
We are right in the middle of a long stretch of games - 5 games in 7 days. This is game two of what will end on Tuesday vs. Waynesville in game five. At the point, we will enjoy a 6 day game free break. The intent for this game against Dixie was to get out of the game healthy and without putting too much stress on our bodies. With Xenia Christian, TVS, and Waynesville on the horizon, and with each game getting progressively more difficult, it is key that our game plans go off as scheduled.
Against Dixie tonight, we wanted to play twenty two girls, maintain possession (which shortens the time we are sprinting or chasing), and be a better team after eighty minutes of soccer than when we started. We were ahead 3-0 at half, but I wasn't really happy about what we were doing. The last thing I said before taking the field was "Get better." I did not like how the team behaved in the offensive third of the field, We did not look hungry or excited to make dangerous runs or play direct. We played to our point person (Davidson, most of the night) at will but didn't do anything dangerous as a team after that. We consistently gained possession in the corners but too frequently made a bad pass or settled for a support and a change of field. My halftime corrections were simple - play direct through the middle and be more creative in the corners. Period. In the second half, we only managed two goals, but I was much more pleased with the things we were trying in the attacking third. We were getting creative and STILL passing when needed. We didn't finish very well, but I liked the look of our offense much more in half two. The good news is that we left the game healthy, with a win, and no one should be exhausted because we played twenty two girls significant minutes.
Scoring tonight for the Lady Arrows were: Saylor Jewell, Meagan Lindon, Alyssa Davidson, Abby Bulach, and Brenna Woodard. Assists were distributed by Meagan Lindon (2), Saylor Jewell, Ashton Collins, and Riane Woodard.
Game Ball - Meagan Lindon
We are right in the middle of a long stretch of games - 5 games in 7 days. This is game two of what will end on Tuesday vs. Waynesville in game five. At the point, we will enjoy a 6 day game free break. The intent for this game against Dixie was to get out of the game healthy and without putting too much stress on our bodies. With Xenia Christian, TVS, and Waynesville on the horizon, and with each game getting progressively more difficult, it is key that our game plans go off as scheduled.
Against Dixie tonight, we wanted to play twenty two girls, maintain possession (which shortens the time we are sprinting or chasing), and be a better team after eighty minutes of soccer than when we started. We were ahead 3-0 at half, but I wasn't really happy about what we were doing. The last thing I said before taking the field was "Get better." I did not like how the team behaved in the offensive third of the field, We did not look hungry or excited to make dangerous runs or play direct. We played to our point person (Davidson, most of the night) at will but didn't do anything dangerous as a team after that. We consistently gained possession in the corners but too frequently made a bad pass or settled for a support and a change of field. My halftime corrections were simple - play direct through the middle and be more creative in the corners. Period. In the second half, we only managed two goals, but I was much more pleased with the things we were trying in the attacking third. We were getting creative and STILL passing when needed. We didn't finish very well, but I liked the look of our offense much more in half two. The good news is that we left the game healthy, with a win, and no one should be exhausted because we played twenty two girls significant minutes.
Scoring tonight for the Lady Arrows were: Saylor Jewell, Meagan Lindon, Alyssa Davidson, Abby Bulach, and Brenna Woodard. Assists were distributed by Meagan Lindon (2), Saylor Jewell, Ashton Collins, and Riane Woodard.
Game Ball - Meagan Lindon
Vs. Carlisle @ PS, 5-0W
This was the stereotypical tale of two halves. The first half was just about as lazy of a Shawnee effort as I've seen from a Preble Shawnee team in seventeen years. During the first half, I heard conversations in the stands totally unrelated to our game of soccer. They were bored out of their minds watching (or more like NOT watching) what should be a very good team play an exciting game of soccer! Midway through the first half, I made a mass substitution to try and get some excitable players in there. Some of them stepped up the level of play and other did not. Bottom line, I couldn't find a group of eleven that was willing to play with enthusiasm and effort.
At halftime, I tried to address the issue (with some odd "help" from Allison... I'm not totally sure what that strange huddle was about, but it seemed to help, so, thanks Allison?) at halftime but the heads were down and we flat looked uninspired. I was concerned that the Carlisle Curse was going to continue into the second half and we would end the game with an unsatisfactory result. Fortunately, I was proven incorrect. We returned with our starters and the energy seemed to be a bit higher starting the second half. About seven minutes in, we subbed Annilou into the game, and whether it was coincidence or not, the level of play really stepped up. We began going to the ball, communicating a bit more, and executing way better. I continued to make mass subs, trying to keep the level of play at this higher level. I did this primarily because I knew that Carlisle's numbers were limited. If we could stay fresh with our deep bench players, I figured we could wear the Indians down. Thankfully for the Arrow fans and players, that's exactly what happened. Our intensity was up for the final forty minutes and we ended on the smiling side of the Shawnee scoreboard. In the second half alone, we piled on five goals and ended up winning 5-0. Scoring for the Arrows were Saylor Jewell (ast Meagon Lindon), Carlee Jones (ast Sayju), Saylor Jewell (ast Nicole Sims (EXCELLENT pass, by the way!), Bailey Downard (unast), and Alyssa Davidson (ast Brenna Woodard).
And get this ladies... NEWSFLASH - When the Arrows WORK, we play well. We win. We compete. When we don't, we aren't a whole lot better than average and our schedule this year (including tournament runs) is way higher than average. Hopefully, we've learned a lesson. Play with intensity. Live our motto of 80+. The proof is there. Think of the games or periods of play where, for whatever inexcusable reason, we didn't play with fire and passion - Second half of Eaton (lost the half 1-2), first half of Milton (lost the half 0-2), the dreaded Carroll scrimmage (lost the halves 0-4 and 0-3). Now consider the times where we played with intent - First half of Eaton (won 2-0), the Madison game (won the halves 4-1 and 5-0), the Badin game (competed for 80 minutes versus the current number one team in the state in what easily could have been a 4-4 ball game).
We Go To War. We want this game. We know we can. We Go To War.
Game Ball - Saylor Jewell (It seems that someone is starting to catch fire a little bit! Keep it up!) and Logan Hollon... I'll just say publicly here and now that I really hope everyone knows how great Logan has been performing thus far in the back. Some of the stuff she does goes unnoticed because it is not super flashy, but having a defender that can not only defend well, but make long AND accurate passes out of the back really adds a new dimension to our offense that we have been lacking. Because of Logan (and to some extent the rest of the back four), we have been MUCH better at changing the point of the attack by swinging the ball around the back four.
This was the stereotypical tale of two halves. The first half was just about as lazy of a Shawnee effort as I've seen from a Preble Shawnee team in seventeen years. During the first half, I heard conversations in the stands totally unrelated to our game of soccer. They were bored out of their minds watching (or more like NOT watching) what should be a very good team play an exciting game of soccer! Midway through the first half, I made a mass substitution to try and get some excitable players in there. Some of them stepped up the level of play and other did not. Bottom line, I couldn't find a group of eleven that was willing to play with enthusiasm and effort.
At halftime, I tried to address the issue (with some odd "help" from Allison... I'm not totally sure what that strange huddle was about, but it seemed to help, so, thanks Allison?) at halftime but the heads were down and we flat looked uninspired. I was concerned that the Carlisle Curse was going to continue into the second half and we would end the game with an unsatisfactory result. Fortunately, I was proven incorrect. We returned with our starters and the energy seemed to be a bit higher starting the second half. About seven minutes in, we subbed Annilou into the game, and whether it was coincidence or not, the level of play really stepped up. We began going to the ball, communicating a bit more, and executing way better. I continued to make mass subs, trying to keep the level of play at this higher level. I did this primarily because I knew that Carlisle's numbers were limited. If we could stay fresh with our deep bench players, I figured we could wear the Indians down. Thankfully for the Arrow fans and players, that's exactly what happened. Our intensity was up for the final forty minutes and we ended on the smiling side of the Shawnee scoreboard. In the second half alone, we piled on five goals and ended up winning 5-0. Scoring for the Arrows were Saylor Jewell (ast Meagon Lindon), Carlee Jones (ast Sayju), Saylor Jewell (ast Nicole Sims (EXCELLENT pass, by the way!), Bailey Downard (unast), and Alyssa Davidson (ast Brenna Woodard).
And get this ladies... NEWSFLASH - When the Arrows WORK, we play well. We win. We compete. When we don't, we aren't a whole lot better than average and our schedule this year (including tournament runs) is way higher than average. Hopefully, we've learned a lesson. Play with intensity. Live our motto of 80+. The proof is there. Think of the games or periods of play where, for whatever inexcusable reason, we didn't play with fire and passion - Second half of Eaton (lost the half 1-2), first half of Milton (lost the half 0-2), the dreaded Carroll scrimmage (lost the halves 0-4 and 0-3). Now consider the times where we played with intent - First half of Eaton (won 2-0), the Madison game (won the halves 4-1 and 5-0), the Badin game (competed for 80 minutes versus the current number one team in the state in what easily could have been a 4-4 ball game).
We Go To War. We want this game. We know we can. We Go To War.
Game Ball - Saylor Jewell (It seems that someone is starting to catch fire a little bit! Keep it up!) and Logan Hollon... I'll just say publicly here and now that I really hope everyone knows how great Logan has been performing thus far in the back. Some of the stuff she does goes unnoticed because it is not super flashy, but having a defender that can not only defend well, but make long AND accurate passes out of the back really adds a new dimension to our offense that we have been lacking. Because of Logan (and to some extent the rest of the back four), we have been MUCH better at changing the point of the attack by swinging the ball around the back four.
Vs. Hamilton-Badin @ PS, 3-5L
Well, this game has been circled on our schedule since we got the call from them requesting a game. I've always believed that we can compete in any game versus any opponent in our division in the state. Hamilton-Badin would prove to be a great measuring stick towards that goal. Badin is the back-to-back division three state champions and are returning a top 25 player in the nation and are currently ranked sixth in the Ohio Division 3 State Polls. This would be a great opportunity for the Preble Shawnee Lady Arrows.
Badin got started quickly just a few minutes in with a goal on another ball played through two defenders, much like how Milton scored their two goals. We rebounded nicely as I was a bit concerned that we might fold. We kept our heads and played pretty good soccer for the remainder of the half. With twenty to go, Badin scored yet again on another defensive mismark after a long ball was played through to the weakside. Again, my team could have been defeated and dropped their heads, but we refused to play dead. Carlee Jones scored a couple minutes later to pull the Lady Arrows within one.
And then... the mysterious goal/non-goal happened. With about ten minutes remaining in the half, Riane Woodard struck a ball from 25 or 30 yards out. The shot went over the keepers outstretched hand and glanced off the top cross bar and down into the goal. One official gave the signal for a goal scored and the Hamilton and Shawnee players each retreated toward half field for the kickoff. The far side official got the attention of the other official and waved off the goal. From his point of view, he claimed it hit the field goal post and was deflected behind the goal. Now, the ball did roll down the back side of the net, but here is the Shawnee explanation... The ball hit the top soccer crossbar, glanced downward and into the goal at which point it bounced up and through a hole in the net. At this point it rolled down the back of the net. From my point of view it looked very obvious that it hit the soccer bar, not the field goal bar and that when it came down it was in front of the goal and net. At halftime, we checked the net and there was a soccer ball sized hole in the middle of the net that the ball could have gone through. In the end, however, the goal was disallowed and our goal was taken off the board. Bad luck. In the closing minutes of half one, we allowed Badin once again to get behind our defenders on a telegraphed through ball which they scored on. Half one ended 3-1.
In the second half, I feel like we, for about 80% of the half, outplayed and outworked Badin. We had more dangerous opportunities and threatened to score many times. Each team ended up scoring twice in the second half (Saylor Jewell and Meagan Lindon for the Arrows) in a very fun game to watch and be a part of. Regardless of the loss, I feel like we have learned a very important lesson. After tonight, I think we have proven to ourselves that we can compete and beat any team in the state in our division if we can come out with the correct mentality and effort. We made some really bad mistakes in the back that our Shawnee teams don't usually make. If you just make a couple of those a game (and we most certainly did tonight versus Badin and Thursday versus Milton), against very good teams, you are asking for trouble. Again, the great news is that the Preble Shawnee Lady Arrows look forward to playing the best teams on our schedule and the best teams in the state in the tournament because we now have evidence that we have a fair chance of coming out victorious.
Now, we have to be able to duplicate the mentality and effort every game and eliminate the very fixable mistakes. Easier said than done, but also very possible.
Game Ball - Saylor Jewell and Carlee Jones (nice awareness and defending)
Well, this game has been circled on our schedule since we got the call from them requesting a game. I've always believed that we can compete in any game versus any opponent in our division in the state. Hamilton-Badin would prove to be a great measuring stick towards that goal. Badin is the back-to-back division three state champions and are returning a top 25 player in the nation and are currently ranked sixth in the Ohio Division 3 State Polls. This would be a great opportunity for the Preble Shawnee Lady Arrows.
Badin got started quickly just a few minutes in with a goal on another ball played through two defenders, much like how Milton scored their two goals. We rebounded nicely as I was a bit concerned that we might fold. We kept our heads and played pretty good soccer for the remainder of the half. With twenty to go, Badin scored yet again on another defensive mismark after a long ball was played through to the weakside. Again, my team could have been defeated and dropped their heads, but we refused to play dead. Carlee Jones scored a couple minutes later to pull the Lady Arrows within one.
And then... the mysterious goal/non-goal happened. With about ten minutes remaining in the half, Riane Woodard struck a ball from 25 or 30 yards out. The shot went over the keepers outstretched hand and glanced off the top cross bar and down into the goal. One official gave the signal for a goal scored and the Hamilton and Shawnee players each retreated toward half field for the kickoff. The far side official got the attention of the other official and waved off the goal. From his point of view, he claimed it hit the field goal post and was deflected behind the goal. Now, the ball did roll down the back side of the net, but here is the Shawnee explanation... The ball hit the top soccer crossbar, glanced downward and into the goal at which point it bounced up and through a hole in the net. At this point it rolled down the back of the net. From my point of view it looked very obvious that it hit the soccer bar, not the field goal bar and that when it came down it was in front of the goal and net. At halftime, we checked the net and there was a soccer ball sized hole in the middle of the net that the ball could have gone through. In the end, however, the goal was disallowed and our goal was taken off the board. Bad luck. In the closing minutes of half one, we allowed Badin once again to get behind our defenders on a telegraphed through ball which they scored on. Half one ended 3-1.
In the second half, I feel like we, for about 80% of the half, outplayed and outworked Badin. We had more dangerous opportunities and threatened to score many times. Each team ended up scoring twice in the second half (Saylor Jewell and Meagan Lindon for the Arrows) in a very fun game to watch and be a part of. Regardless of the loss, I feel like we have learned a very important lesson. After tonight, I think we have proven to ourselves that we can compete and beat any team in the state in our division if we can come out with the correct mentality and effort. We made some really bad mistakes in the back that our Shawnee teams don't usually make. If you just make a couple of those a game (and we most certainly did tonight versus Badin and Thursday versus Milton), against very good teams, you are asking for trouble. Again, the great news is that the Preble Shawnee Lady Arrows look forward to playing the best teams on our schedule and the best teams in the state in the tournament because we now have evidence that we have a fair chance of coming out victorious.
Now, we have to be able to duplicate the mentality and effort every game and eliminate the very fixable mistakes. Easier said than done, but also very possible.
Game Ball - Saylor Jewell and Carlee Jones (nice awareness and defending)
Vs. Milton Union @ PS, 0-2L
The Milton games are two of our "target games" this year. These are games that will have huge impacts on our league goals. We knew coming in that Milton was one of the better teams (if not the best team) on our schedule. Last year we dropped two very competitive matches against them and they ended up winning league.
The first 10-15 minutes started slow, like a heavyweight boxing match, as I felt each team was a bit tentative and were sizing up the speed and skill of their adversary. About 15 minutes in, it looked like Milton started to get a little more comfortable and more aggressive. Shawnee, on the other hand, did not. Milton was essentially gifted two goals in the last twenty minutes of the first half. Both began with long through balls to their forward (McFarland) that we failed to mark. With a player of McFarland's caliber, our defenders need to force her to earn her goals, but instead we made them far too easy for her to get her chances. She scored both goals in the first half. I felt we developed some chances in the first half, but not nearly enough. Part of that problem is we went from a game where chances were plentiful and easy to come by to Milton, who often dropped 8 or 9 players deep behind the ball. Madison played a high back line and we consistently got behind their defense. Milton, on the other hand, packed the back and did not allow us easy chances to get behind them. Madison was a one or two pass offense that created danger. Milton required a more dynamic offense to beat. That really had a lot to do with our lack of attack versus Milton I believe.
The focus of the halftime speech was not about generating offense, however. I have learned that my teams who aren't possessing well in the first half have trouble simply just flipping the switch and possessing in the second half. It's a difficult thing to do. So, to compensate for our lack of possession, we focused on coming out in the second half and just outworking them. I think we accomplished that and the second half was much of a stalemate. Also, the officials really let both teams play and the whistles for most of the game were kept in their pockets. The aggression escalated and I think that both teams were frustrated because a lot of good soccer was taken out of the equation. Neither team really created a whole lot of danger, but I think Preble Shawnee was more creative and we generated more opportunities in half two. We couldn't score on our opportunities though and we ended the game with a 2-0 loss.
In retrospect, we certainly didn't play well enough to deserve a win. Most times that night, I thought we had 3-4 girls who played with an 80+ mentality all night. Starters Allison Began and Hope Ballinger played solid soccer and our freshmen subs really came off the bench to provide a spark, especially Brenna Woodard and Bailey Downard.
When all is said and done, we stand at 1-1 in the league and I think and hope that an 8-2 or 7-2-1 record will be good enough to win the league. With Waynesville on the horizon and a formidable Carlisle team next week hopefully we can set ourselves up in a position that we control our own league destinies in the back half of our season. It certainly won't be an easy order though, but we are up for the challenge.
Game Ball - Hope Ballinger
The Milton games are two of our "target games" this year. These are games that will have huge impacts on our league goals. We knew coming in that Milton was one of the better teams (if not the best team) on our schedule. Last year we dropped two very competitive matches against them and they ended up winning league.
The first 10-15 minutes started slow, like a heavyweight boxing match, as I felt each team was a bit tentative and were sizing up the speed and skill of their adversary. About 15 minutes in, it looked like Milton started to get a little more comfortable and more aggressive. Shawnee, on the other hand, did not. Milton was essentially gifted two goals in the last twenty minutes of the first half. Both began with long through balls to their forward (McFarland) that we failed to mark. With a player of McFarland's caliber, our defenders need to force her to earn her goals, but instead we made them far too easy for her to get her chances. She scored both goals in the first half. I felt we developed some chances in the first half, but not nearly enough. Part of that problem is we went from a game where chances were plentiful and easy to come by to Milton, who often dropped 8 or 9 players deep behind the ball. Madison played a high back line and we consistently got behind their defense. Milton, on the other hand, packed the back and did not allow us easy chances to get behind them. Madison was a one or two pass offense that created danger. Milton required a more dynamic offense to beat. That really had a lot to do with our lack of attack versus Milton I believe.
The focus of the halftime speech was not about generating offense, however. I have learned that my teams who aren't possessing well in the first half have trouble simply just flipping the switch and possessing in the second half. It's a difficult thing to do. So, to compensate for our lack of possession, we focused on coming out in the second half and just outworking them. I think we accomplished that and the second half was much of a stalemate. Also, the officials really let both teams play and the whistles for most of the game were kept in their pockets. The aggression escalated and I think that both teams were frustrated because a lot of good soccer was taken out of the equation. Neither team really created a whole lot of danger, but I think Preble Shawnee was more creative and we generated more opportunities in half two. We couldn't score on our opportunities though and we ended the game with a 2-0 loss.
In retrospect, we certainly didn't play well enough to deserve a win. Most times that night, I thought we had 3-4 girls who played with an 80+ mentality all night. Starters Allison Began and Hope Ballinger played solid soccer and our freshmen subs really came off the bench to provide a spark, especially Brenna Woodard and Bailey Downard.
When all is said and done, we stand at 1-1 in the league and I think and hope that an 8-2 or 7-2-1 record will be good enough to win the league. With Waynesville on the horizon and a formidable Carlisle team next week hopefully we can set ourselves up in a position that we control our own league destinies in the back half of our season. It certainly won't be an easy order though, but we are up for the challenge.
Game Ball - Hope Ballinger
Vs. Madison @ Madison, 9-1W
Well, we certainly did what we needed to win. We spent time over the weekend and on Monday figuring out that the problem at Eaton was that we were trying to be too perfect in with our passes. Sometimes you just need to play and throw the illusion of perfection out the window. Madison was the perfect opponent for that mindset. We scored a few minutes in to the game and Madison scored relatively early thereafter. We quickly learned that Madison was pushing a high back line, looking for an offsides trap. In the first fifteen minutes, we were getting too pass happy in the middle of the field, much like we did at Eaton in half two, but instead of a poor pass and a turnover, we were drawn offside. We began, essentially, to just resort to glorified kickball. One pass and a through ball and we were off to the races. We had many breakaways because of our direct play and thankfully we finished quite a few of them. After half one, we were ahead 4-1. In the second half, Madison made a minor adjustment and dropped one girl back in the sweeper role, but we adjusted as well and started playing wide through their back three first and then forward. In doing so we, isolated the sweeper and played behind her, which resulted in many more breakaways in half two. When all was said and done, we found the net nine times in the night and secured a 9-1 victory. I was certainly glad to get the first league win under our belt, but in all honesty the win makes me a little nervous. We didn't need to play soccer like we needed to in order to beat the Miltons and the Waynesvilles in our league, but we also didn't really need to play that way. So, as happy as I am with the win, I am a little nervous that we haven't been able to work on the style of play that we really need to work on in order to really be successful. The good news on the night, however, is that we did exaclty what we needed to do to win tonight - and any win is a good win.
Ashton Collins played really well in the back tonight. Saylor Jewell picked up three goals, Meagan Lindon two, and Riane Woodard and Olivia Rader each scored one. Nicole Sims and Abby Bulach each added a goal and an assist.
Game ball - Ashton Collins & Riane Woodard
Vs. Eaton @ Eaton, 3-2 W
Ugh. Game one is over. Thankfully. I felt we dominated most of the game limiting Eaton to a few opportunities. Our first half was really good. We possessed, Eaton couldn't mount an attack of any kind. Our outside wing backs are becoming dangerous players when we hold possession. Our opponent could not defend our wing back runs - few teams can. Ashton Collins and Logan Hollon have really started to recognize the different kinds of quality runs that can come out of the back and are making those run wisely. I was pleased with half one. Preble Shawnee was pretty good in every aspect of the game.
Then... half two happened... We scored early to make it 3-0 and I don't know what happened after that. We stopped executing passes completely. We would make one pass and err on the second one. The way our offense is currently set up, we can't afford poor passes out of the center of the field. Our passes were poor (to say the least) throughout the entire middle of the field, starting in the back. Also, in the attacking 3rd of the field, we weren't playing through the middle at all! All danger for us was out wide, which I felt we were pretty much getting at will, but once we were out there, we too frequently wasted a good crossing opportunity with a poor cross or took a shot from a terrible angle. Eaton's first goal was entirely our own doing after misplaying a ball. Their second goal was equally aggravating because we went over the EXACT same restart play the day before AND also immediately before the game! In my opinion, our weaknesses in the second half were 100% between the ears - both goals against are examples of that. We are not currently mentally tough. I do not feel that Eaton played much different from the first half to the second half. We failed in execution and we misplayed way too many passes. Great teams don't do that. Period.
So, we have two options. One, we one-two pass and look for length or we possess a ball and execute. As we saw in the first half, we can dominate when we execute. This leads me to believe that we can be a possession team - and those are ALWAYS the elite teams in the state - Monroe, Badin, Lehman, Bellbrook, Carroll... ALWAYS. There are NO exceptions. Teams that make deep tournament runs over and over possess the ball and strike. They do not one-two pass and look for length consistently. We can be great. A really believe that. But at what risk? One night (or even one half!!) of poor execution can lead to a loss. Do we want to try and be great? Or, do we want to be a good team that will win a lot of games but never compete with the best of the best? I want to be the best, but we need to commit to something and succeed very soon. League starts Tuesday. Just remember ladies, we don't need to be perfect, we just need to be smart and work hard. That's it.
Scoring tonight for the Arrows were Meagan Lindon, Saylor Jewell, and Alyssa Davidson (assists to Carlee Jones and Saylor Jewell).
Game ball tonight goes to Logan Hollon. Superb defending and excellent recognition of runs, not to mention almost error free passing. Well done, Logan!
Well, we certainly did what we needed to win. We spent time over the weekend and on Monday figuring out that the problem at Eaton was that we were trying to be too perfect in with our passes. Sometimes you just need to play and throw the illusion of perfection out the window. Madison was the perfect opponent for that mindset. We scored a few minutes in to the game and Madison scored relatively early thereafter. We quickly learned that Madison was pushing a high back line, looking for an offsides trap. In the first fifteen minutes, we were getting too pass happy in the middle of the field, much like we did at Eaton in half two, but instead of a poor pass and a turnover, we were drawn offside. We began, essentially, to just resort to glorified kickball. One pass and a through ball and we were off to the races. We had many breakaways because of our direct play and thankfully we finished quite a few of them. After half one, we were ahead 4-1. In the second half, Madison made a minor adjustment and dropped one girl back in the sweeper role, but we adjusted as well and started playing wide through their back three first and then forward. In doing so we, isolated the sweeper and played behind her, which resulted in many more breakaways in half two. When all was said and done, we found the net nine times in the night and secured a 9-1 victory. I was certainly glad to get the first league win under our belt, but in all honesty the win makes me a little nervous. We didn't need to play soccer like we needed to in order to beat the Miltons and the Waynesvilles in our league, but we also didn't really need to play that way. So, as happy as I am with the win, I am a little nervous that we haven't been able to work on the style of play that we really need to work on in order to really be successful. The good news on the night, however, is that we did exaclty what we needed to do to win tonight - and any win is a good win.
Ashton Collins played really well in the back tonight. Saylor Jewell picked up three goals, Meagan Lindon two, and Riane Woodard and Olivia Rader each scored one. Nicole Sims and Abby Bulach each added a goal and an assist.
Game ball - Ashton Collins & Riane Woodard
Vs. Eaton @ Eaton, 3-2 W
Ugh. Game one is over. Thankfully. I felt we dominated most of the game limiting Eaton to a few opportunities. Our first half was really good. We possessed, Eaton couldn't mount an attack of any kind. Our outside wing backs are becoming dangerous players when we hold possession. Our opponent could not defend our wing back runs - few teams can. Ashton Collins and Logan Hollon have really started to recognize the different kinds of quality runs that can come out of the back and are making those run wisely. I was pleased with half one. Preble Shawnee was pretty good in every aspect of the game.
Then... half two happened... We scored early to make it 3-0 and I don't know what happened after that. We stopped executing passes completely. We would make one pass and err on the second one. The way our offense is currently set up, we can't afford poor passes out of the center of the field. Our passes were poor (to say the least) throughout the entire middle of the field, starting in the back. Also, in the attacking 3rd of the field, we weren't playing through the middle at all! All danger for us was out wide, which I felt we were pretty much getting at will, but once we were out there, we too frequently wasted a good crossing opportunity with a poor cross or took a shot from a terrible angle. Eaton's first goal was entirely our own doing after misplaying a ball. Their second goal was equally aggravating because we went over the EXACT same restart play the day before AND also immediately before the game! In my opinion, our weaknesses in the second half were 100% between the ears - both goals against are examples of that. We are not currently mentally tough. I do not feel that Eaton played much different from the first half to the second half. We failed in execution and we misplayed way too many passes. Great teams don't do that. Period.
So, we have two options. One, we one-two pass and look for length or we possess a ball and execute. As we saw in the first half, we can dominate when we execute. This leads me to believe that we can be a possession team - and those are ALWAYS the elite teams in the state - Monroe, Badin, Lehman, Bellbrook, Carroll... ALWAYS. There are NO exceptions. Teams that make deep tournament runs over and over possess the ball and strike. They do not one-two pass and look for length consistently. We can be great. A really believe that. But at what risk? One night (or even one half!!) of poor execution can lead to a loss. Do we want to try and be great? Or, do we want to be a good team that will win a lot of games but never compete with the best of the best? I want to be the best, but we need to commit to something and succeed very soon. League starts Tuesday. Just remember ladies, we don't need to be perfect, we just need to be smart and work hard. That's it.
Scoring tonight for the Arrows were Meagan Lindon, Saylor Jewell, and Alyssa Davidson (assists to Carlee Jones and Saylor Jewell).
Game ball tonight goes to Logan Hollon. Superb defending and excellent recognition of runs, not to mention almost error free passing. Well done, Logan!