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