Sunday, September 24, 2017

UVM 23sep2017

We have great respect for UVM's team and usually have trouble scoring on them. Today was no exception, although we improved as the game progressed and outshot them 10:2!

We had hot summer conditions and even some fans -- Claire's grandmother and Lizzie's family! We spoke about being quick with the ball -- anticipating UVM's speed and immediate pressure they always seem to exert.

We started strong, earning an early corner and Meredith G's promising shot in the 11th minute. Bri saved us by saving a powerful UVM shot in the 19th minute; we were fortunate she played -- she had a quad pull in our game at Holy Cross.

Callie almost scored with a shot from long distance that could have snuck in over the goalkeeper's head but sailed over instead. Soon after that, Lindsey issued a strong shot that was saved. 

The warm weather made it difficult for either team to maintain much possession, and there were periods late in the first half when the midfield was relatively vacant. Both teams exhibited very strong defense that limited scoring opportunities.

During the break we spoke about more diagonal runs/dribbles, better and more positive communication and trying 4-3-3 instead of our starting 4-4-2, hoping to gain more control of the midfield.

We had some difficulty getting settled into a new formation, and we were fortunate that Mari was faster than the UVM attacker who fired a shot that Mari was able to block in the 46th minute.

For about 15 minutes neither team could be very threatening, but after we decided to return to our 4-4-2 formation, Lizzie got off two shots -- one blocked and the other saved. Immediately after that Sarah A, Meredith S, Elise and Dani all had shots blocked or saved. Dani's shot earned us a corner taken by Elise, and we almost scored on the melee in front of the net but their goalkeeper prevented us.

With our many shots in the second half, we seemed likely to win, but UVM's defense and goalkeeping got the better of uas -- credit to them! We somewhat wished there would be another chance to play UVM since they have so much quality. 

We relished our strong play with wonderfully tasty and individually wraped cookies sent from Meredith S's mom -- THANKS!

G: Bri
CD: Mari+Tina, Julia
OD: Izzi+Katie, Callie+Katy
CM: Lindsey+Elise, Namya+Meredith G
OM: Meredith S+Jenna, Sarah A+Julia C, Jenny+Nat
F: Lizzie+Claire, Sarah J+Dani

Shots 10:2  Saves 2:9

5 Claire corner
11 Meredith G shot blocked
19 UVM shot saved
20 Callie shot over
21 Callie free kick
24 Claire corner
25 Lindsey shot saved
33 UVM corner
35 UVM free kick
38 Dartmouth corner
39 UVM corner
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46 Mari blocked UVM shot
60 UVM corner
66 Lizzie shot blocked
67 Lizzie shot saved
68 Sarah A shot saved
72 Meredith S shot saved
73 Elise shot saved
74 Dani shot blocked for an Elise corner, rebound saved
77 UVM corner
80 UVM corner
81 UVM free kick

Sunday, September 17, 2017

at Holy Cross 17sep2017

We met at 11am to drive to Worcester MA for our first divisional game at Holy Cross at 3pm. Izzy's folks (thanks again for wonderful and much-needed fruit and drinks!), Katy's mom and Julia F-O'L's dad were there!

With summer-like temperatures and sun, we were glad to play on grass rather than the turf we thought would be our field. We had not played Holy Cross before. The grass was long, so we expected the ball to be slow.

Lizzie, Jenna and Claire had shots wide or saved, but in the 7th minute Claire converted with a shot into the lower left side of the Holy Cross goal. Holy Cross had good energy but we had more technical skill.

Our new players added a great deal of quality and threat to our game! After Sarah A's shot was saved, Sarah J perhaps only one minute after stepping onto the field got a shot off that was wide, and in the 15th minute Dani's shot hit the upper right area of the Holy Cross net for our 2nd goal.

Only one minute later Sarah J scored with a shot high and a little left of center Meredith G had a shot go over the cross-bar, and Jenny got us our 4th goal in the upper right area of their net. A minute later, Lizzie's shot was blocked but Lindsey was there to hit the rebound over the bar.

After Claire had a shot go over the bar, she beat her defender to send a rolling shot into the low left side of the Holy Cross goal. Dani had another shot saved, Sarah A took two corner kicks and (perhaps) Sarah J's shot was the one saved in the 31st minute -- it was hard to see whose shot it was.

In the last few minutes of the half, Namya had a shot saved, Callie got off a free kick, Dani's shot was wide and so was Meredith G's. 

At half-time we spoke about trying a few diagonal dribbles, being quicker and making runs off the ball. After a couple corner kicks, Lizzie earned us our 6th goal with a shot low and in the middle of their goal.

Lindsey had a shot go wide, Claire had a shot deflected, another wide and one that bounced back out for Namya to tap in for our 7th goal in the 44th minute. Two minutes later, Sarah J took a shot from long distance that gave us our 8th goal. 

After that, Dani's shot went wide, Namya's shot wide, and Sarah J's was deflected for a corner. Sarah J had another shot go over, Meredith G had one go wide and Katy had her shot saved before Claire had three more shots wide or over. 

We felt so good having so much talent on the team! Julia F-O'L's dad complimented the team, too. We will take some confidence into our upcoming game with UVM, most likely!

G: Brianna
CD: Mari+Tina
OD: Callie+Katie, Julia+Izzy
CM: Lindsey+ Elise, Namya+Meredith G, Jenny
OM: Meredith S+Jenna, Sarah A+Katy, Jenny
F: Claire+Lizzie, Sarah J+Dani

Shots 35:0 Saves 0:10

2 Lizzie shot wide
3 Callie corner, Jenna shot saved
5 Claire shot wide
7 Claire lower left --> 1:0
11 Sarah A shot saved
12 Sarah J shot wide
15 Dani upper right --> 2:0
16 Sarah J high middle --> 3:0
18 Meredith G shot over
20 Jenny upper right --> 4:0
21 Lizzie shot blocked, Lindsey shot over
23 Claire shot over
26 Claire roller left side --> 5:0
30 Dani shot saved
31 Sarah A 2 corners, Sarah J? shot saved
32 Namya shot saved
33 Callie free kick
34 Dani shot wide
35 Meredith G shot wide
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37 Meredith S corner
38 Dartmouth corner, Lizzie low-middle --> 6:0
39 Lindsey shot wide
41 Claire corner, Claire shot deflected
43 Claire shot wide
44 Claire shot bounced back out, Namya rebound -->7:0
46 Sarah J shot from long distance --> 8:0
48 Dani shot wide
49 Namya shot wide, Sarah A corner
51 Sarah J shot deflected, Jenny corner
53 Sarah J shot over
54 Meredith G shot wide
58 Claire corner
62 Katy shot saved
65 Holy Cross free kick
68 Claire shot wide
69 Claire shot over
70 Claire shot over 

Sunday, September 10, 2017

St Anselm 10sep2017

GK: Callie
CD: Mari+Christina
OD: Izzy+Katie
CM: Elise+Lindsey+Maria, Namya
OM: Meredith+Jenna, Sarah+Nat
F: Lizzie

Over the summer we decided to play a team outside our division as a way possibly to accrue extra points that might help us get into the Regional Tournament in late October. St Anselm was game for it, but it meant we would have to play before classes started. If any team can pull that off without preparation it is ours!

Christina's parents and puppies made the 11-hour trip north and even brought goodies for the team, and Maria's folks were there in addition to some students who were on the 1st-year trip that Namya led!

The field and weather could not have been nicer -- 20+C/70F and blue sky. We last played St Anselm in 2012, but they look much improved today and had a full team of substitute players. 

Without Laura in goal (away this fall with Geology Dept), Callie rescued us and offered to play that critical position! We kept our 4-5-1 formation with only 3 subs, so many players stayed in the whole game!

St Anselm looked sharp and assertive, putting immediate pressure on us and keeping the ball from us for a lot of the first half, but Namya got off a shot for us in the 18th minute. We did some "switching of the field" by sending the ball from one side to another using a series of passes, and we had some spells of good possession and our defense and goalkeeper (Callie made three saves in the 1st period) were solid and reliable.

At half-time we spoke about expanding when we have the ball and contracting when we don't have it and taking more shots. 

We looked much the better team in the 2nd period! Jenna immediately won us a corner, Namya got off a shot in the 45th minute, Callie made another save and Jenna almost scored in the 49th and 50th minutes. Lizzie had her shot saved right after that, as did Elise and Nat. 

In the 60th minute Namya's shot went just wide of the upright, then after St Anselm's 2nd of two shots in the half went wide Sarah's shot was saved, Meredith's was wide and Namya's wide as well. With a little longer than 35-minute half (we had tryouts right after the game) we might have been able to score! 

Everyone felt it was a good game -- both teams were solid and had good chances. We looked so much better in the second half -- without practice, having just arrived on campus!

Shots 11:6  Saves 4:4

2 St Anselm corner
7 St Anselm shot saved
18 Namya shot wide
22 St Anselm shot saved
23 Izzy free kick
33 St Anselm shot saved
38 St Anselm shot wide
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42 Jenna won us a corner taken by Lindsey
45 Namya shot wide
48 St Anselm shot saved
49 Jenna cross/shot wide
50 Jenna shot wide
52 Lizzie shot saved
53 Dartmouth corner
56 Elise shot saved
59 Nat shot saved
60 Namya shot wide
63 St Anselm shot wide
68 Sarah shot saved
69 Meredith shot wide
71 Namya shot wide