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