Saturday, November 13, 2010

University of Vermont 13Nov2010

Our second game today, UVM said they eagerly anticipated playing you again after your wins over them last fall and spring. They played Northeastern just beforehand, so perhaps you were a little more rested than they, but they were psyched because they had just beaten Northeastern 2:1 after losing to them earlier this fall.

You made sharp passes and looked very comfortable, having most of the possession and moving the ball well across and up the field. Mila, Jenn, Emily Baer and Molly all got shots off before Molly's pass to Jenn set up the game's only goal. Jenn rocketed it into the net in the 12th minute.

In the 15th minute, UVM's keeper saved a shot from Emily Niehaus but couldn't hold onto it. The corner almost resulted in a second goal, but Ginny's shot was over the cross-bar.

In the 34th minute, Courtney made two great shots that were saved. There were two corner kicks in a row, and Collin's blasted shot was saved. Most of the game was in their third, but Abbe came up with a huge save two minutes from time.

By the final whistle, it was past sunset into twilight and the temperature was dropping quickly. Many players pulled on their cozy LLBean fleeces financed so kindly by parents! And everyone got to celebrate a FANTASTIC season with cookies from Abbe's family and candy and key tags from Emily Baer's mom!

F: Jenn + Emily N, Courtney + Bri
OM: Mila + Ginny, Ally '13 + Katherine
CM: Molly + Emily B, Sarah R + Betsy; Felds + Hannah
OD: Blythe + Liz K, Annie + Liz N
CD: Elle + Collin
GK: Abbe

Shots 11:2 Saves 1:5

5 Mila shot wide
6 Jenn shot wide
7 Emily N shot saved
8 Molly shot wide
12 Molly pass to Jenn --> 1:0
14 UVM corner --> Abbe caught
15 Emily shot saved but out for a corner
15 Ginny shot over
22 Jenn shot wide
34 Courtney shot saved
40 Courtney shot saved but out for a corner
40 D corner, rebound out to Collin
40 Collin shot saved
43 UVM shot, Abbe save
45 UVM shot wide

Northeastern 13Nov2010

Sunny and warm 15˚C. Great support from many families in attendance!

Northeastern, new to us this season, looked sharp and pressed you quickly and aggressively. With three teams playing each other, games were shortened to 50 minutes, so time was short.

Quality of play was of the highest importance, and you wasted no time getting shots off. All of our practice on quick, simple, diagonal passes paid off -- you looked well-organized and got the first goal in the 9th minute when Ginny found Emily Niehaus with a diagonal pass that she rocketed into the NE net!

Northeastern capitalized on an uncommon defensive lapse in the 12th minute, but soon after that Jenn made another diagonal pass to Emily Niehaus from the left side of the field to the right. Emily was able to turn counter-clockwise quickly enough to change the direction of the ball by something like 300˚ to put the goal past the NE GK into the far left side netting!

Ally
Geanacopoulos hammered a shot at the NE GK in the 17th minute that was saved but out for a corner. Immediately after that Abbe made an amazing save with her right foot to prevent a certain goal. At the half-way point in the game Bri dribbled along the right end of NE's third and beat their Keeper with a left-footed shot for 3:1.

Abbe made another huge save at head-level in the 26th minute, but another NE shot was too high for her and brushed her finger-tips on its way into our net for 3:2. They had three more shots but none of them was on target, thankfully!

You did well to come out with a win against such a strong opponent, who before today was reported to have won almost all of their games, including a win over UVM!

F: Jenn + Emily N, Courtney + Bri
OM: Mila + Ginny, Ally '13 + Katherine
CM: Molly + Emily B, Sarah R + Betsy; Felds + Hannah
OD: Blythe + Liz K, Liz N
CD: Elle + Collin
GK: Abbe

Shots 5:10 Saves 2:3

3 Jenn shot saved
9 Ginny diagonal pass to Emily N --> 1:0
10 NE on a breakaway --> 1:1
12 Emily N off a cross from Jenn --> 2:1
15 NE shot wide
17 Ally shot saved for a corner
18 NE shot, Abbe HUGE save with her foot
24 Bri with her left foot --> 3:1
26 NE shot, Abbe save
26 NE shot wide
27 NE shot, Abbe huge save at head level
30 Jenn shot wide
35+36 D corner
42 NE shot almost finger-tip save --> 3:2
47 NE free kick
48 NE shot over
50 NE shot wide

Saturday, November 6, 2010

at Harvard 6Nov2010

Always an adventure to visit, Harvard did not disappoint! Seasonal temperatures, completely cloudy and a little breeze combined with a late starting time of 4pm to make this perfect playing weather but difficult for awaiting players and speactators -- of which we had MANY, thanks to admiring families! Eight families! Parents not only brought amazing photographic equipment but treats and drinks as well! Alumnae came too -- Maura Cass and Emily Baumrin!

You demonstrated crisp, connected passing, keeping a lot of possession with most of the play in their half, but Harvard played a scrappy high-pressure game that sparked a lucky shot just over Abbe's fingertips to start the scoring in the 12th minute. During the rest of the half Courtney, Mila and Elle had 4 shots while Harvard had one, which Abbe saved.

At half-time we spoke about getting control of the game and playing the good-diagonal-passing game that we have worked on in practice -- spreading out wide and stretching them out. You made some great comments about not always having to go forward with the ball and communicating better -- not playing the frenetic style of your opponents.

It worked! One minute into the second half, your passes led to Casey's shot that Harvard's keeper blocked but only as far as Emily Niehaus, who instantly put the ball in the net. Jenn got a shot off that was saved, and Katherine hit her shot so solidly that Harvard's keeper could not hold onto it; the resulting corner that found Courtney's head went wide.

Around the hour mark, Harvard sprung a ball in behind our defense for a one-on-one with Abbe, resulting in a shot that was slotted into the side of our goal. A couple minutes later Mila rocketed a shot that their keeper could not contain; Bri was there to capitalize, but her attempt sailed over the net. Betsy had a couple of good opportunities that both went wide. Meanwhile, Harvard had no chances and the play was all in Harvard's half.

In the 78th minute, Marjorie made a brilliantly technical half-volley chip over their defenders to spring Mila into a breakaway. After a 15m sprint, she calmly and handily put the ball into their net. Three minutes before time, Casey's cross presented a clear threat that Harvard's keeper was able to bat away. But Marjorie reached the rebound and carefully placed it into the their net for the game-winner.

For you to come back twice after being down a goal and then come together to press for the win was proof that you were clearly the better team. It takes a lot of determination to do that!

Shots 16:3 Saves 1:5

F: Emily N+Jenn, Courtney+Bri, Ally
CM: Molly+Emily B, Sarah R+Betsy, Hannah+Marjorie
OM: Casey+Laura, Mila+Katherine
CD: Elle+Collin
OD: Annie+Liz K, Blythe+Liz N
GK: Abbe

8+9 D corner
11 Emily B shot wide
12 Harvard lofted shot middle of the goal --> 0:1
21 Courtney shot wide
24 Harvard shot, Abbe save
25 Mila shot wide
43 Elle shot wide
46 Casey shot stopped but Emily N got the rebound --> 1:1
53 Jenn shot saved
56 D corner
59 Katherine shot saved for a corner --> Courtney's header wide
62 Harvard broke loose on the left side for one-on-one with our GK -->1:2
65 Mila shot stopped but Bri hit the rebound over
68+69 Betsy shots wide
78 Marjorie half-volley over Harvard's defense for Mila breakaway --> 2:2
87 Casey's cross fisted out by H's GK but Marjorie blasted the rebound --> 3:2

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Boston University 30Oct2010

Wintry! Cloudy 5˚C=40˚F. So different from last Saturday! But again a GREAT show of family attendance!

After working in practice on being quicker, taking shots and keeping possession by connecting passes, we thought we were ready for any opponent. But you were caught a little off-guard by BU's pressure. They were loud and pushy and got off 5 shots in 6 minutes -- all on target and all but the last saved by Abbe. Finally in the middle of the first half during a defensive lapse an unmarked BU player scored from about 15m.

It seemed like your wake-up call! After that BU had NO shots until the middle of the 2nd half!

Your touch improved, you spread out wider and peppered their goal with 10 shots in the next 20 minutes! One indicator that you were controlling the game better was that Collin (in stopper) got shots off. Another was that you began to use diagonal passes to get in behind BU's defense. Laura, Ginny, Mila, Katherine and Casey repeatedly got into threatening positions by staying wide and then running onto a through-ball served diagonally from the center midfielders. Your use of give-and-go passing also help you keep the ball in their third.

Ally '13, still nursing a strained quad, said she wanted to play a little; her dad and uncle (both '74 classmates of mine) were in attendance, so she probably wanted to show them what she could do. Subbed in late in the 1st half she scored off a brilliant cross from Casey who was served a long diagonal pass from Jess in sweeper. It was a very memorable goal not only because it was done so beautifully and clinically but also because it seemed to turn the tide on BU!

At 1:1 we talked at half-time about more quick passing to keep possession and diagonal movement of the ball to get behind their defense. It worked -- You had 16 shots in the 2nd half to their 3.

Early in the 2nd half, Collin's long diagonal pass from the left side into the middle of the box found Emily N, who, with a defender on her back, landed the ball gently with her right foot and them immediately shot it with her left foot -- diagonally past the BU goalkeeper into the far right side netting a la Wambach or Drogba. It was an impressive piece of skill after artful service by Collin.

Then Emily N had a couple more good opportunities, one in the 55th minute that was saved but bounced out for Jenn to rocket into the net for 3:1. Jenn hit the post in the next minute, then Emily N served a cross from the right side for Mila to touch acrobatically with a full volley into the net for 4:1.

Jenn scored again with another rocket in the 60th minute for 5:1. Almost all of the play was in their third, and a great deal of the credit goes to talented midfielders Molly, Felds, Sarah, Betsy, Emily B and Hannah! BU only got off one shot that Abbe needed to save (right after Jenn's second goal).

Before Courtney and Bri went in I suggested that they work together like Romario and Bebeto, the famous Brazilian forwards; they were very dynamic together and extremely effective -- Bri scored two goals in 3 minutes!

A welcome attribute of an outside defender is for her (or him) to be able to get into a position to score. You see this in the high-level clubs -- outside defenders Rafael at ManU and Ashley Cole at Chelsea get forward often. Annie, Liz K and Blythe all got forward often, and in the last few minutes, Liz N hit the post with a shot that almost scored a goal!

It is so effective when a team can ALL attack as a unit and defend as a unit!! You showed that today! The families all were beaming afterward about your abilities!

F: Emily N+Jenn, Bri+Courtney, Ally '13
OM: Casey+Laura, Mila+Ginny, Katherine
CM: Molly+Felds, Sarah R+Betsy, Emily Baer+Hannah
OD: Annie+Liz K, Blythe+Liz N
CD: Elle+Collin, Jess
GK: Abbe

Shots 26:8 Saves 5:7

2 D corner
6 BU corner, Abbe save
16+17 BU shots, Abbe saves
21 Mila shot saved
22 BU shot, Abbe save
22 BU shot --> 0:1
23 Collin shot wide
24 Courtney shot saved
25 Collin shot saved
28 Betsy shot wide
31 Courtney shot wide
32 D corner
34 D corner, Courtney shot wide
36 Hannah shot wide
37 Courtney shot saved
44 Jess long diagonal pass to Casey on the left who crossed to Ally '13 --> 1:1
49 Collin long diagonal cross to Emily N --> 2:1
50+51 D corner
53 Emily N shot wide
55 Emily N shot saved but Jenn fired the rebound --> 3:1
56 Jenn shot hit the post then out
57 Emily N cross to Mila --> 4:1
59 Ginny shot saved
61 Jenn rocket --> 5:1
62 BU shot, Abbe save
63 D corner, Emily N shot wide
65+67 Mila shot wide
70 Mila shot saved
71+74 Bri --> 6:1, 7:1
75+78 BU shots wide
80 Courtney shot saved
83 D cor, Liz N shot hit post then out

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Keene State 23October2010

Lucky to find a team to play us when Middlebury moved our Saturday game to Thursday, we discovered that Keene State was looking for games, having just formed their club a few weeks ago. Blue sky, nice playing temperature, lots of FANS! Perfect day!

We talked about being quick and connecting our passes. You not only did that -- you scored a goal every 1o minutes on average! Two-thirds of your shots were on target! Most of the game was in their half and you kept the ball very well. Keene never let up, to their credit, but your connected passes made it hard for them to get the ball. We can work on staying wider when we have the ball, but overall we are showing good improvement through the season!

Impressively, you attacked better as a whole -- everyone pushed forward when you had the ball. This tactic paid off sweetly, with many occasions that outside defenders made runs up the sides, and even central defenders got shots off -- Collin scored from distance after pushing up! Abbe, lucky to have a skilled sub in Hannah for the second half, scored, too!

GK: Abbe, Hannah
CD: Collin, Jess
OD: Annie+Liz K, Blythe+Liz N
CM: Felds+Laura, Molly+Hannah, Sarah R+Betsy
OM: Casey+Ginny, Jenn+Katherine
F: Emily N+Bri, Courtney+Ally'13, JWilly

Shots 27:3 Saves 1:9

2 Dartmouth corner
6 Bri shot over
8 Emily N off a feed from Felds --> 1:0
10 Felds shot hit the cross-bar on its way over
11 Felds shot saved
15 Bri shot saved
17 Ginny fired a diagonal shot from the right --> 2:0
18 Ally '13 --> 3:0
20 Collin hammered a shot from 25m --> 4:0
24 Hannah shot wide
25 Jenn shot over
26 Molly shot saved
27 Ally shot saved
29 Katherine's cross to Ally's header --> 5:0
34 Bets shot wide
35 Courtney shot saved --> corner
35 Sarah R in the crowd after the corner --> 6:0
40 Blythe shot saved
42 Katherine shot saved --> corner
44 Bri shot over
45 Blythe shot saved
49 Abbe after a through-ball feed from Felds --> 7:0
55 Keene shot, Hannah save
67 Molly on a diagonal pass from Liz N --> 8:0
68 Keene shot wide
69 Bri shot wide
71 Liz N shot saved
73 Bri blasted a shot from the left --> 9:0
75 Bri shot wide
78 Keene shot wide
81 Keene shot, Hannah save
85 Elle shot wide

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Middlebury 21Oct2010

Intermittent rain, cool temperatures. Collin's parents and Elle's mom came! It was Middlebury's last game and they were primed to erase their home loss to you. We were originally to play them Saturday but they asked for mid-week in light of their Homecoming this weekend. We found it disorienting to start without players from 2A classes, but we had eleven players who showed positional flexibility.

From the start, Middlebury showed a lot of energy and pressured you hard, but Emily N almost scored on a header from Mila's cross in the 4th minute. In the 7th minute, we had difficulty clearing a scrappy ball in front of our goal, and, although it was not entirely clear whether the ball went over the line, Hannah was honest with the ref that it had. After our substitutions Middlebury sent a pass deep and wide for their wing, who slotted her shot carefully and forcefully into the side of the net for their second goal. After that our 5 shots demonstrated that we could get back into the game. Felds' free kick threatened but was saved by their keeper.

At half-time we talked about being quicker and connecting more of our passes, and you did just that. There were no more goals but you played much more of your own game and created chances. Early in the second half Collin saved an almost-certain Middlebury breakaway-goal. You peppered them with 7 more shots but their keeper saved the 5 that were on target. JWilly and Emily N had several great chances but Middlebury was compact in front of their goal. They got only 4 shots off in the second half. Overall you looked like the better team, but they were lucky with the few chances they had!

Shots 13:9 Saves 2:7

F: Emily N+Courtney, JWilly+Bri
CM: Emily B+Ginny,
OM: Casey+Mila, Ally+Blythe+Katherine
CD: Elle+Collin, Jess
OD: Liz N+Jenn, Annie+Liz K
GK: Hannah

4 Emily N header saved
7 Middlebury scrappy goal --> 0:1
10 Middlebury shot wide
12 Dartmouth corner
19+20 Middlebury shot wide
31 Middlebury scored off a pass to a wide player behind our defense --> 0:2
32 Collin shot wide
33 Molly shot wide
37 JWilly shot wide
43 Felds free kick saved
43 Dartmouth corner, Blythe shot wide
47 Dartmouth corner
49 Ginny shot wide
50 Collin prevented a Middlebury bread-away
52 Dartmouth corner
59 JWilly shot saved
62 Felds shot saved
63 JWilly shot saved
63 Dartmouth corner
67 Middlebury shot wide
71 JWilly shot saved
73 Middlebury free kick saved by Hannah
74+81 Emily N shots saved
84 Middlebury shot woide
88 Middlebury shot saved

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Holderness 13October2010

Warm, sunny, gorgeous "Pref Day" for sororities! You knew they would have lots of energy, and for awhile you were concerned that your ball possession was not up to your standards.

JWilly's crosses found Emily N's head twice in minutes 5 and 6, and Jess playing sweeper made it all the up field for a cross that Emily also converted. You hammered them with shots, and Molly put one in from 25 m!

But your scoring didn't make you happy at half-time. We spoke about diagonal passes and dribbling, keeping the passes simple, spreading out when we have the ball.

You all reacted positively in the 2nd half, connecting more of your passes and moving more unpredictably. Casey in left mid made a perfect through pass for (overlapping) Jenn, whose cross traveled all the way to on-running right midfielder Laura who one-timed it skillfully into the net with great power.

In the last 2o minutes Sarah, Hannah and Bets (on a feed from Molly) all found the back of the net. As a couple of you commented: "someone other than Emily Niehaus scored"!

F: Emily N+JWilly, Hannah+Katherine
CM: Sarah+Bets, Molly+Emily B
OM: Casey+ Ginny, Laura+Mila
CD: Elle+Jess, Ginny+Collin
OD: Blythe+Liz K, Jenn+Liz N
GK: Abbe

Shots 19:4 Saves 2:8
1 Casey shot saved
2 Bets shot saved
3 Holderness shot wide
4 JWilly cross to Emily N's header wide
5 JWilly cross to Emily 's head --> 1:0
6+7 Dartmouth corner
8 JWilly cross to Casey header wide
9 Jess cross to JWilly shot wide but Emily N scored on rebound --> 2:0
22 Katherine shot saved
23 Mila shot wide
24 Ginny shot wide
27 Molly shot saved
29+32 Holderness shot saved
33 Hannah shot saved
34 Molly from 25 m --> 3:0
40 Holderness corner
45 Holderness shot wide
47 Dartmouth corner -> Laura shot over
50 Casey pass to Jenn whose cross found Laura --> 4:0
55 Dartmouth corner
60 Sarah! -->5:0
61 Bets shot saved
64 Hannah shot saved
66 Mila shot saved
67 Hannah! --> 6:0
72 Holderness corner
74 Dartmouth corner --> Hannah shot wide
80 Molly to Bets! --> 7:0

Saturday, October 2, 2010

at Middlebury 2October2010

On a clear, crisp day after heavy rains that made fields soggy, we were lucky Middlebury's JV team had access to their big turf field. We knew they would press hard since you won last year.

We talked about keeping the ball, switching the ball across the field and controlling the game, and you did just that. Your work in practice really paid off: You kept the ball well, and when you lost it you worked quickly to win it back. Your communication was noticeably better, too.

In the first half you mostly kept the ball in the their end of the field, but their defense limited your scoring opportunities. All 3 of your shots by Felds, Jenn and Elle were on target (saves), but their single shot was wide.

In the second half, they looked more threatening but again you limited them to only one shot, which went wide. In the 70th minute Jenn made a great cross to Courtney, whose shot was saved near the post but went out for a corner. Mila's cross came right to Emily N's head for the first goal. Ten minutes later Emily N scored again!

GK: Hannah -- special thanks for filling in for Abbe!
OD: Annie+Kemp, Liz N+Blythe
CD: Elle+Collin
OM: Casey+Laura, Jenn+Ginny, Mila+Katherine
CM: Felds+Sarah, Molly+Emily Baer
F: Emily N+Bri, Courtney

Shots 11:2 on target: 8:0
5 M shot wide
15 Felds shot saved
17 M corner
20 Jenn shot saved
30 Elle shot saved
38 D corner
47 Felds free kick to Sarah shot over
49 Laura shot over
61 M shot wide
68 M corner
70 Jenn's cross to Courtney whose shot was saved for a corner
70 Mila's cross converted by Emily N's header --> 1:0
77+79 Molly's shots saved
80 Emily N --> 2:0
90 Courntey shot wide

Saturday, September 25, 2010

at Williams Saturday 25Sep2010

In sunny summer weather you put immediate pressure on Williams to set up a goal by Emily Niehaus in the 2nd minute! You had the majority of possession in the first half, preventing Williams from shooting until the 36th minute.

Your pressure early in the second half led to a 2nd goal, which should be attributed to Emily N's strong presence but might have been off a Williams boot. After that, Williams gained some strength and finally got a goal off a corner near the hour mark. You recovered quickly and retaliated with three more goals -- one orchestrated by Laura and Molly to Emily N, another off a cross from Laura to Emily N's head and the last by Emily Baer.

It was impressive to get this result after training only a few days together! You learned as you played that diagonal passes and crosses worked well against Williams. Credit to Williams for putting pressure on you, making you learn to pass quicker when you couldn't connect all of your passes.

Abbe's parents provided cookies and praise for the team -- they admired the composed passing out of the back by the defense and the team cohesion. The cool new 14's contributed to the results with key plays, assists and even a goal!

F: Emily N+Bri, Courtney
CM: Felds+Sarah, Molly+Emily B, Liz N+Betsy
OM: Jenn+Ginny, Casey+Laura, Betsy+Katherine
CD: Elle+Collin, Hannah+Jess
OD: Annie+Liz K, Blythe+Mila
GK: Abbe

Shots 19:11 Saves 6:4
2 Emily N --> 1:0
3 Ginny shot over
10 Wms corner
13 Jenn shot wide
14 Emily N shot wide
17 Betsy shot wide
20 Laura shot over
24 Laura shot saved
26 Casey shot wide
29 Collin shot wide
36 Wms shot wide
40 Wms shot saved by Abbe
40 Wms shot wide
48 Emily N/Wms o.g.? --> 2:0
49 Wms shot saved
50 Emily N shot wide
54+55 Wms shot saved by Abbe
55 Wms shot wide
57 Wms shot wide
58 Wms corner went in --> 2:1
59 Emily N shot saved
60 Emily N off cross from Molly set up by Laura --> 3:1
62 Laura shot over
63 D corner
65 Wms corner
67 Emily N headed in cross from Laura --> 4:1
68 D corner
69 Wms corner
70+83 Wms shot saved by Abbe
84 Bri's shot saved
86 Emily Baer scored from 20 yds out --> 5:1
88 Felds free kick saved
89 Jenn shot wide