News for the Week of Dec. 19, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 12/19/2011:

Christmas Break:

We will take our annual holiday break over the next two weeks to recharge the batteries and enjoy the season. Be watching in the new year as our weekly blogs will resume packed with info. about the Shoregals and soccer in general.


Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season to all our soccer families and fans!!!

News for the Week of Dec. 12, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 12/12/2011:

2012 Schedule:
Our schedule for the 2012 season has been set and will look as follows:

8/18     @ Avon
8/27     @ Rocky River
8/29      Berea
9/8       @ Westlake
9/10     @ Lake Catholic
9/12      Amherst
9/15      Sylvania Northview
9/19      Midpark
9/22      Padua
9/24     @ Brunswick
9/26     @ Olmsted Falls
10/1     @ Strongsville
10/3      North Olmsted
10/6      Hathaway Brown
10/8      @ Magnificat
10/10    @ Brecksville

Another very challenging schedule for the Shoregals.  The teams on our schedule won 60% of their games last year and feature State Champs Strongville and State Final Four team Sylvania Northview.  There are also 6 other teams which were either District champs or runners-up. So, half of our schedule is made up of these high level teams.  The JV team will follow the Varsity schedule as usual and the Freshmen team will have its own schedule which is still being worked on.  Get ready for some great soccer next Fall!

Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs. This week we will feature the West Side Stars Soccer Club which can be found at:

http://www.westsidestars.com/

A couple of years ago the West Side Stars and Internationals Soccer Club decided to team up and provide another premier option for those on the west side of Cleveland. The club continues to be directed by familiar name in Cleveland soccer circles Mike Besu.  Check them out!

News for the Week of Dec. 5, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 12/5/2011:

Postseason Awards:
Over the next few weeks we will recap the many postseason awards earned by our Shoregals. This week we will highlight academic awards that have been received:

Team Academic All-Americans
I am very excited to announce that the girls were awarded Team Academic All-America status for the 2010-2011 school year this past week by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). This is the highest academic honor that high school soccer teams may receive in the country. Avon Lake was one of only 215 teams nationwide (about 4 per state) to receive this prestigious award and the team GPA was 4.03! Furthermore, the girls were one of only 26 teams nationwide to have a team GPA of 4.00 or above. To qualify for the award, a team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.25 for the entire academic year. The way that this award is figured is based on the fact that a number of states play Spring soccer only and in order to include all states the NSCAA waits until after the Spring season is completed to determine the award winners. That is why the award for last year is just being announced in early December. This was actually last year's team that won the award and would include graduated seniors Maddie Bernard, Mary Donegan, Sarah Hudson, Jessica Murdock, and Morgan Srail. This year's team is also on track to receive Academic All-America status again for the current academic year next November. The Shoregals also received this award in 2010 & 2008.

Scholar-Athlete Award
We would like to recognize again the team Scholar-Athlete award for the past two seasons which goes to the senior with the highest GPA which was presented to Maddie Bernard for the 2010 season and Jillian Strimbu was the recipient for the 2011 season.

Collegiate Academic All-American:
In addition, Trisha Wladecki who was a former Shoregal and an individual Academic All-American in 2008 as well as part of the Avon Lake team award has continued her strong academic performance with the Valparaiso women's soccer team.  The Valpo women's team has been awarded Team Academic All-America status for the 2010-2011 academic year of which Trisha was a member.

Congratulations to all our Shoregal scholars!!  It is a pleasure to be able to report not only successes on the field but also in the classroom as well.  The girls soccer program has a legacy of achievement that continues with each new generation of players and is truly something to be admired.


Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs. This week we will feature the Ohio Premier Soccer Club which can be found at:

http://www.ohiopremier.com/

Another Westside oriented team. A number of our younger travel players are on various OP teams.  Check them out.


Cudos Corner:
Many thanks to Vic & Debbie Strimbu for hosting the world premier showing of the 2011 highlight DVD.  Also, special thanks must go to Vic Strimbu for the past 4 years of both highlight DVD's and the photobooks. Those will end up being nice keepsakes for the girls in the years to come. It should not be underestimated the amount of time involved to take the pictures, edit them, and then put together video and books. We are grateful that Vic was willing to do this over a number of years and also did the same things for the boys team.  Great, Great job!!

News for the Week of Nov. 28, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 11/28/11:

Postseason Awards:
Over the next few weeks we will recap the many postseason awards earned by our Shoregals.  This week we will highlight the conference and city awards that have been received:

All Southwestern Conference First Team:
Dana Strimbu (Sr.) and Jillian Strimbu (Sr.)

All Southwestern Conference Second Team:
Emily O’Connor (Soph.)

All Southwestern Conference Honorable Mention:
Taylor Nedrich (Sr.) and Danielle Liszka (Sr.)

Southwestern Conference Goalie of the Year:
Dana Strimbu (Sr.)

All Greater Cleveland First Team:
Jillian Strimbu (Sr.)

All Greater Cleveland Second Team:
Emily O’Connor (Soph.)

All Greater Cleveland Honorable Mention:
Cheyenne Lukstein (Sr.), Annie Lyons (Sr.), Taylor Nedrich (Sr.),
Lindsay Quintero (Sr.)

All Greater Cleveland All Star game:
Cheyenne Lukstein, Dana Strimbu, Jillian Strimbu

Lorain County Senior All-Star game:
Taylor Nedrich, Dana Strimbu, Jillian Strimbu


2011 Shoregals Highlight DVD:
Just a reminder that we will be holding the World Premier of the 2011 Shoregals Highlight DVD this Tuesday 11/29 at 7:30pm at the Strimbu's house.  Seniors should bring a dessert and the underclassmen should bring a drink for 6. All Shoregals are invited, but this is a Varsity specific video and will also feature a special section on the Seniors.


Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs. This week we will feature the Internationals Soccer Club which can be found at:

http://www.internationalssoccer.com/

Another one of the elite clubs in the Cleveland area. This is a premier club for the truly serious player. Extensive time commitment and extensive travel commitment expected.  However; the coaching, the players, and the competition are amongst the best that you will find.  Check them out.

Cudos Corner:
Thanks to all the players and parents who helped with the Turkey Trot fundraiser on Thursday morning. Thanks also to Mario Quintero for coordinating.

News for the Week of Nov. 21, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 11/21/2011:

Postseason Awards:
Over the next few weeks we will recap the many postseason awards earned by our Shoregals.  This week we are pleased to announce that Jillian Strimbu was named to the Division I All-Ohio 2nd team by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association. She was the only Division I girl from Lorain County to earn a spot on the All-Ohio squad. The senior midfielder scored 10 goals and contributed 9 assists during the 2011
season.  A four year letter winner for the Shoregals, she finished her high school career with 34 goals which is 5th all-time in program history and 19 career assists.

Jillian, who was a team captain for the Shoregals, was also named 1st team All Southwestern Conference, 1st team All Greater Cleveland, and played in both the
Greater Cleveland All-Star game and the Lorain County All-Star game. In the Lorain County game, she scored 2 goals and assisted on another goal. Jillian also excels in the classroom where she is ranked number 3 in her class.

Strimbu becomes the 8th All-Ohio player in the 19 year history of the girls soccer program at Avon Lake following former players:

Tani Lopez            2009    2nd team

Trisha Wladecki    2008    2nd team

Caitlin Bodzioney  2005    3rd team

Kelsey King          2001    3rd team

Jeannie Stuckey    2000    2nd team

Meg Ryan            1999    3rd team

Michelle Burke     1997    Honorable Mention


Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs. This week we will feature Cleveland Futbol Club which can be found at:

http://www.clevelandfc.net/ (Cleveland Futbol Club)

One of the elite clubs in the Cleveland area. Shoregal Emily O'Connor plays with this club on the U-17 team. Check them out.


Happy Thanksgiving to all our Shoregal Soccer families!!

News for the Week of Nov. 14, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 11/14/2011:


Lorain County Soccer Coaches Assn. All-Star Game Update:
Avon Lake was very well represented at this year's game by seniors Taylor Nedrich, Dana Strimbu, & Jillian Strimbu.  In fact, they sort of dominated the game as Jillian and Taylor were involved in 5 of their team's 7 goals.  Jillian, Dana, & Taylor played together on the Blue all star team which defeated the Red team 7-4.  Jillian scored 2 goals and assisted on another while Taylor scored a goal and had an assist.  The LCSCA all-star game is made up of high school teams in Lorain County only and the schools are divided into two teams. This year Avon Lake played on the Blue team with Avon, Elyria, Elyria Catholic, Lorain, Open Door, Firelands, and others while the Red team consisted of Amherst, Wellington, Lake Ridge, Columbia, Vermilion, Brookside, and others.  Congrats to the girls on a game well played!!

Fall Sports Award Assembly:
Just a reminder that the Fall Sports Award Assembly is scheduled for Sunday 11/20 at 6:00 p.m. in the PAC. We then break into individual rooms by sport for individual awards.   

Playoff Update:
Strongsville took the Div. I championship with a 1-0 victory over Dublin Jerome on Sat. This is the fourth state championship for the Lady Mustangs who also won in 1998, 2002, & 2005.  Our own Jessica (Roberts) Carey played on the 2002 state champions for Strongsville.  They were on our schedule this year and we scored first and held the lead for the first part of the first half before eventually falling 5-1.

Shoregals in College Update:
This week we would like to spotlight Trisha Wladecki '09.  Trisha was an All-Ohio performer, SWC Most Valuable Player, and also an Academic All-American for the Shoregals who continued her playing career at Valparaiso Univ. in Indiana.  She just completed her Junior season for the Crusaders who went 8-6-5 this year.  Trisha played in all 19 games starting 11 times and was credited with 3 assists on the season from her midfield spot.

See Trisha's bio at:

http://www.valpoathletics.com/wsoccer/roster/2011-12/4644/trisha-wladecki/


Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs. This week we will feature Excalibur Soccer Club which can be found at:

http://www.soccersportsplex.com/ (Click on Excalibur)

Many of our Avon Lake girls train and play with Excalibur. Walter Schlothauer, a familar name in Cleveland soccer circles, is the Director of Operations and Coaching.  Check them out.

Cudos Corner:
Thanks to Betsy Mielcusny and Linda Gates for running the concession stand for the Lorain County All Star game.  Also, a big thanks for their efforts over the past two years running the concession stand.  They will be "retiring" after this season and letting a new set of parents take over next year.

News for the Week of Nov. 7, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 11/7/2011:

This week we will continue with our season wrap-up by taking a look at some of the individual stats from the past year:

AVON LAKE SEASON STATS:

GOALS:
Jillian Strimbu              Senior    10
Kailey McClain            Junior      4
Emily O'Connor          Soph.      4
Danielle Liszka            Senior      2
Taylor Nedrich            Senior      2
Christine Gates            Junior      1
Rachel Gates               Senior     1
Cheyenne Lukstein       Senior     1
Haley Mills                   Senior     1
Emily Peepers              Soph.      1

ASSISTS:
Jillian Strimbu             Senior      9
Kailey McClain           Junior      4
Emily O'Connor         Soph.      2
Taylor Nedrich           Senior     2
Claire Jones                Junior     2
Christine Gates           Junior     1
Rachel Gates             Senior     1
Cheyenne Lukstein     Senior     1

GAME WINNING GOALS:
Jillian Strimbu  -     2 - Berea & Midpark
Emily O'Connor -  2 - Lake Catholic & North Olmsted
Taylor Nedrich -    1 - Valley Forge
Danielle Liszka -    1 - Olmsted Falls
Haley Mills -          1 - Hathaway Brown

In goal, senior Dana Strimbu recorded 7 shutouts this season to bring her career total to 14 which ranks 5th all time in girls soccer at Avon Lake.


Playoff Update:
In the Regional tournament on Saturday, two teams that were on our schedule this year won spots into the State Final Four.  Strongsville defeated Massillon Jackson 1-0 to take the Region 1 championship.  Sylvania Northview went to a shootout versus Wadsworth and prevailed 4-3 to earn a 1-0 victory and the Region 2 championship.  Remember that Northview's regular goalie was injured and out for the season just before we played them.  They took a field player and put her in as goalie which makes their victory even more remarkable.  Strongsville will play Northview on Wednesday night 11/9 at 7:00 p.m. at Sandusky HS.  Best of luck to both teams. 

Rocky River, who was also on our schedule, was beaten by Walsh Jesuit 4-0 in a Div. II regional final on Sat.  No reason to hang your head there as Walsh Jesuit might be the absolute best team in the state regardless of Division.  Congrats to Rocky River on a tremendous season with a record of 18-2-1.


Shoregals in College Update:
Tani Lopez '10 who now plays for Ashland University scored a penalty kick during a 4-3 shootout victory over Ohio Dominican Univ. this past Friday night.  The win propelled Ashland into GLIAC conference finals against Grand Valley State. In the championship game, Ashland put up a valiant effort, but lost 2-0 to end their season with a 9-8-2 record.


Election Time:
I just want to remind everyone that one of own - John Crooks is running for a seat on the Board of Education in Avon Lake. He is the father of sophomore Amy Crooks.  Election Day is this Tuesday 11/8.

His profile may be found at:

http://avonlake.patch.com/articles/candidate-profile-john-crooks-for-avon-lake-board-of-education

John has some very impressive educational credentials and look over his bio and see if he might be someone you would like to vote for.


Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs. This week we will feature Liberty FC which can be found at:

http://www.libertyfc.org/

Our own Daegen Duvall coaches pre-high school girls with this club where he is also the Assistant Director of Girls Development.  Check them out.
 
 
Cudos Corner:
Thanks to all those who helped out on Saturday morning to assist ALSO with cleaning and closing the fields for winter.

News for the Week of Oct. 31, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 10/31/11:

In the next month or so, we will start to wrap up the season with various highlights and tidbits about the program.

Tough Schedule, Tough Conference:
Our season did not end as we would have liked it, but it turns out that we played a very tough schedule and we also play in one of the better girls soccer conferences in the state.  Our combined opponents winning percentage from the past season was 63%.  Not many schools in our area played a tougher schedule.  Nine of the 16 teams on our schedule were District finalists - Sylvania Northview, Strongsville, Berea, Brecksville, Solon, Avon, Westlake, Hathaway Brown, and Rocky River. Six of them ended up as District champs - Northview, Strongsville, Brecksville, Avon, Hathaway Brown, and Rocky River.

Teams that were in the bottom four of our conference - North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, and Berea all won at least one playoff game. Olmsted Falls beat Elyria and us, of course and the surprise of the area was Berea who came in as #8 seed and knocked off St. Joseph Academy, Valley Forge, and North Royalton before falling to Strongsville.  Also, Brecksville won its District and Westlake with 12 wins was upset by Avon in their District final.    It is no wonder that every game on our conference schedule is now a struggle. There is a lot of soccer talent in the SWC.

Team Stats:
A few team stats to share with you are:

Goals For - 27   This was the lowest number of goals scored since the first two years of the program in 1993 & 1994 when we only won three games in two years.  The difficulty of the schedule had something to with this.

Goals Against - 36  Once again, the most goals that we have given up since the first two years of the program.  That was a tough combination to make a winning record with. It was probably an accomplishment to win 7 games with our schedule.

On the defensive side, we did have 7 shutouts during the year, all with Dana Strimbu in the goal.

We didn't protect our home turf very well as our record at home was 3-6-1.  Surprisingly, we did better on the road at 4-2-1.  In day games, we were 4-4-1 and in night games 3-4-1, so no real difference there.  Interestingly, we were 4-1-1 on grass and 3-7-1 on turf even though our home field is a turf field.  In conference, we were 4-2-1 and our out of conference record was 3-5-1.

Next week we will list individual stats.


Strongsville Game Video:
Initially, there were some technical problems with the video of our game vs. Strongsville, but they have been cleared up and the video is now available to be watched at :

http://ohiosportsnet.tv/home

Look under the archives section and we played on 10/3.  With this game and the games that were shown on the ALCS station (channel 95), this was the most games that we have had shown on T.V. in the history of the program. Another nice bonus for the girls this year.


Election Time:
I just want to remind everyone that one of own - John Crooks is running for a seat on the Board of Education in Avon Lake. He is the father of sophomore Amy Crooks.
His profile may be found at:

http://avonlake.patch.com/articles/candidate-profile-john-crooks-for-avon-lake-board-of-education

John has some very impressive educational credentials and look over his bio and see if he might be someone you would like to vote for.


Soccer Site of the Week:
We will continue with our spotlight of local premier clubs.  This week we will feature Cleveland Kickers which can be found at:

http://www.clevelandkickers.com/

A number of our girls play with this club and also Kiko Lopez coaches pre- high school girls with this club.  Check them out.

News for the Week of 10/24/2011

Program Notes for the Week of 10/24/11:

Game Recaps:
The 2011 season came to an end on Saturday as the Shoregals lost to Olmsted Falls in a shootout by a score of 1-0.  We finished the season at 7-8-2 which unfortunately ended a streak of 16 consecutive winning seasons.  We can look forward to starting a new streak next year.

AL at home vs. Olmsted Falls  10/22/11
Sectional Championship

AL   0       Olmsted Falls  1  SO (4-3)

Game Summary:
Olmsted Falls claimed a Sectional championship with a shootout win over Avon Lake by a final score of 1-0. The two teams played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer fueled by a tremendous defensive effort by the Lady Bulldogs. Olmsted Falls coach Kelly Yurick employed a clever strategy of dropping 6-8 girls back in the defensive end, employing an offsides trap, and also man marking Avon Lake leading scorer senior Jillian Strimbu. The strategy worked perfectly as the Falls repeatedly frustrated Avon Lake scoring attempts. The Shoregals outshot OF 18 to 5 and had the advantage in shots on goal 7 to 3, but could not convert a finisher. Both senior Jillian Strimbu and sophomore Emily O'Connor had a number of great attempts on goal, but each time were thwarted by the Lady Bulldog defense.

After playing through two scoreless overtime periods, the teams then went to the 5 round shootout format which was won by Olmsted Falls 4 to 3 and thus earning them the lone goal needed to secure victory. Avon Lake penalty kicks were scored by senior Jillian Strimbu, senior Annie Lyons, and sophomore Emily O'Connor. OF countered with made kicks by freshman Emma Whitney, senior Jill Mesaros, senior Reilee DuPratt, and the winner by sophomore Laney Haviland. Haviland has been on fire in the postseason scoring 3 goals in a playoff win over Elyria and netting the game clincher against Avon Lake. In goal for the Lady Bulldogs was junior Madison Woods who made some tremendous saves on Avon Lake shots and blocked one of the Shoregal shootout attempts. She ended the game with 7 saves. Shoregal senior goalie Dana Strimbu ended her career with her 7th shutout this season and 14th overall with the Varsity.

Future Blogs:
Just because the season is over dosn't mean that we don't still have plenty to blog about regarding the girls program. We will continue to update with new blogs each week as we begin to plan for next season with indoor soccer and then conditioning. Next week, we present some statistical tidbits from the past season.

Election Time:
I just want to remind everyone that one of own - John Crooks is running for a seat on the Board of Education in Avon Lake.  He is the father of sophomore Amy Crooks. 
His profile may be found at:

http://avonlake.patch.com/articles/candidate-profile-john-crooks-for-avon-lake-board-of-education

John has some very impressive educational credentials and look over his bio and see if he might be someone you would like to vote for.

Soccer Site of the Week:
Now that the season is completed, the girls are free to tryout with various premier clubs.  This week we will feature a popular club among our Shoregal players in Cleveland United which may be visited at:

http://www.clevelandunited.org/

See the website for details about the club and for information about tryouts.

Cudos Corner:
No season would be complete without recognizing the volunteers who coordinate our concession stand.  Once again this year, an outstanding job was turned in by Betsy Mielcusny and Linda Gates.  They run a very organized stand and people don't always realize the time that is spent in shopping, loading up for every game, and then packing up after the game. On behalf of the coaching staff and the entire program, we would like to thank these two moms for their efforts this season.  We would also like to thank all the parents who worked shifts during the season to help raise funds for the program.

News for the Week of October 17, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 10/17/11:

Schedule:
We have completed our regular season and are now on to the playoffs.  We were seeded 4th in the Rocky River District, received a first round bye, and will play the winner of Elyria vs. Olmsted Falls.  The game will take place on Saturday Oct. 22 at 3:00 p.m. at ALHS.

Game Recaps:
A tough week as we lost both games that we played to Solon and Sylvania Northview and ended the regular season at 7-7-2:

AL at home vs. Solon 10/10/11

AL   0        Solon   3

Goals:
AL -     None

Solon - Maddie Kresevic
            Hannah Schippers
            Maria Collica

Goalies:
AL - Dana Strimbu - 5 saves

Solon - Kristen Confroy - 3 saves

Game Summary:
In a game that featured a little of everything including bicycle kicks, 30 fouls, 5 yellow cards, a penalty kick, and even a full moon, Solon defeated host Avon Lake by a score of 3-0. The game had a playoff atmosphere as the two teams nearly battled to a scoreless first half, when with two minutes to go Solon sophomore Maddie Kresevic scored off a deflected ball in front of the Avon Lake net. In the second half, junior Hannah Schippers, who attempted 2 bicycle kicks earlier in the game, received a pass in front of the Shoregal net and drilled it for a 2-0 lead. The final goal was scored on a penalty kick with 3 minutes remaining by sophomore Maria Collica. Getting the shutout in goal for Solon was sophomore Kristen Confroy who made 3 saves.  In goal for Avon Lake was senior Dana Strimbu who recorded 5 saves. With the win, Solon ups its record to a very fine 12-2-1, while Avon Lake drops to 7-6-2

In JV action, Avon Lake shutout Solon 2-0 behind goals from Erin Mielcusny and Cara Dannemiller. Molly Maloney also had an assist. In goal, Abby Rogers recorded her 7th shutout of the season.

AL at Sylvania Northview  10/15/11:
 
AL  0    Northview  5
 
Goals:
AL -            None
 
Northview - Ashley Ingle
                   Lauren Yurjevic
                   Courtney Hendrix
                   Stephanie Jenkins - 2
 
Assists:
AL -           None
 
Northview - Courtney Hendrix - 2
 
Goalies:
AL - Dana Strimbu - 9 saves
 
Northview - Alexis Bielski - 6 saves
 
Game Summary:
Sweetest Day turned out to be rather sour for the Shoregals as Avon Lake travelled West to play one of the better teams in the Toledo area in Sylvania Northview and was defeated by a score of 5-0.  Northview scored quickly in the first two minutes of the game on a goal by sophomore Ashley Ingle from a pass by senior Courtney Hendrix and then again in the last two minutes of the first half on a goal by junior Lauren Yurjevic again assisted by Hendrix. In the second half, Hendrix scored her own goal by weaving through the Avon Lake defense and burying the ball in the back of the net. Then it was senior Stephanie Jenkins turn as she scored the final two goals of the game. In goal for Avon Lake was senior Dana Strimbu who made 9 saves and for Northview junior Alexis Bielski recorded the shutout and made 6 saves. With the win, Northview improves to 8-4-4 while Avon Lake falls to an even .500 with a 7-7-2 record. 

In JV action, Avon Lake was able to salvage a split on the day as the JV Shoregals beat Northview by a score of 3-0.

Final Southwestern Conference Standings:

TEAM                          W     L     T     PTS.

Brecksville                     7      0      0      21

Westlake                       5      1      1      16

Avon Lake                    4      2      1      13

Amherst                        3      2      2      11

North Olmsted              2      2      3       9

Berea                            2      5      0       6

Olmsted Falls                1      5      1      4

Midpark                        0      7      0      0

 
Playoffs:
Playoff brackets can be found at http://www.ohsaa.org/
Once there, hit "Sports" off the top bar, then "Soccer - Girls".  Then hit "Statewide Tournament Brackets".  Then go to Region II Rocky River and a printable bracket will appear.
 
Soccer Site of the Week:
The Mercy Live Pink website has a picture of the Shoregals varsity soccer team in their pink uniforms. Please go to www.expertbreastcare.org/pink and click on the pink dot where Avon Lake is on the map or go to the album gallery and page through the pictures until you find us.  There is also Breast Cancer information on this site as well.

Cudos Corner:
This week we would like to recognize some of the people who made our Kicks for the Cure promotion a success. First off, Eva Zunich for coordinating the bracelets sale, next Dawn Meyer for coordinating the T-shirts, Karen Liszka for handling the publicity, Rod Braye for his liason work with Mercy Hospital, and finally our parents and players for supporting this worthy cause.

News for the Week of Oct. 10, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 10/10/11:

Schedule:
Two games this week for the JV/Varsity.  On Monday 10//10, we play Solon at home with JV at 5:00 p.m. and Varsity at 7:00 p.m.   Then on Saturday, we travel to Toledo to take on Sylvania Northview with JV at 11:00 a.m. and Varsity at 1:00 p.m.

The Freshmen team has one game left on Wednesday 10/12 at Troy vs. Medina at
5:00 p.m.

Game Recaps:
It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to update the blog, so let's catch up:

Game Summary AL vs. Magnificat 10/8/11:
The game was our first annual "Kicks for the Cure" promotion to both increase awareness and to raise funds for breast cancer research. Both Magnificat and Avon Lake played in special pink themed uniforms. Both teams have been holding fundraising events over the course of the season and the Shoregals will raise $2,000 to support the cause. Also, Mercy Hospital sponsored the game and provided matching fundraising amounts to both schools.


As for the game itself, Magnificat defeated Avon Lake by a score of 4-2. Magnificat jumped out to an early lead on the strength of two goals scored within a minute by senior Natalie Guido and sophomore Natalie Coury. In the second half, Avon Lake made a bid to get back into the game behind two goals from senior Jillian Strimbu. Junior Claire Jones assisted on one of the goals. However, the Blue Streaks countered with two goals of their own by Coury again and sophomore Jaycie Brown to provide the winning margin. In goal for the Shoregals was Dana Strimbu who made 8 saves and for Magnificat goalie Amanda Copfer picked up the win with 2 saves.


Game Summary AL vs. Brecksville 10/5/11:

Avon Lake facing their second state ranked foe this week in Brecksville was beaten in a key Southwestern Conference match by a score of 2-1. The Shoregals gave the Lady Bees, ranked 8th in the state in Div. I all they could handle in this match. This comes on the heels of a 5-1 loss to #1 ranked Strongsville on Monday where the Shoregals played
the powerhouse Mustangs even in the first half before succumbing in the 2nd stanza. In this game, a scoreless first half was punctuated by several excellent scoring opportunities by both teams. The pace picked up in the second half with the Shoregals nearly scoring first as sophomore Emily O'Connor took a shot that hit the cross bar square but did not cross the goal line before it was cleared off by the Bee defense. Luck was not with the Shoregals in their 13th game of the season as the Lady Bees ultimately scored first on a penalty kick by junior midfielder Allison Stucky at the 52:00 mark. Eight minutes later Avon Lake tied the game on a hard shot by senior Cheyenne Lukstein which deflected off a Brecksville defender and past the Bee goalie. The game winner came with just six minutes remaining as junior Sarah Sivic scored on a pass from Stucky. In goal for Brecksville was junior Jena Lopez who made 7 saves. Senior
Shoregal goalie Dana Strimbu recorded 7 saves also. With the win Brecksville remains atop the SWC with a 5-0-0 record, while Avon Lake drops to 4-2-1 in SWC play.

In JV play. the Shoregals emerged victorious 1-0 on a goal by Molly Jeffries assisted by Karen Krause.


Game Summary AL vs. North Olmsted 9/28:

Despite injuries to a number of key players and still reeling from a lopsided loss to Rocky River on Monday, Avon Lake put together a marvelous team effort to eke out a 1-0 victory over North Olmsted. Sophomore forward Emily O'Connor battling an
ankle injury entered the game for the first time with 22 minutes to go and sparked the Shoregal attack. In the 70th minute, she took a pass from junior midfielder Kailey McClain and got past several defenders to put the ball in the back of the Eagle
net for the only goal of the match. With the injuries, every Shoregal player needed to play her role perfectly and the AL defense came up with a big performance in the win. In goal, Avon Lake senior Dana Strimbu recorded her 6th shutout of the season.
For the Eagles, freshman goalkeeper Rachel Sadlon did a terrific job ending up with 6 saves in the game.

Game Summary AL vs. Rocky River 9/26:

Rocky River scored in the first minute of the game and kept up the offensive pressure from there scoring 4 more times for a 5-1 victory over host Avon Lake. Scoring first for the Pirates was junior Hallie McCue who in the first minute struck a ball from 30 yds. out just under the crossbar.  At the 20 minute mark, Sophomore Grace Bennett sent a shot from the left side of the box to the back of the net for a 2-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, Rocky River scored twice within a minute at the 46:00 mark with senior Morgan Berg and Bennett again both netting goals. The scoring was capped off with a late goal by sophomore Abby Elinsky. The lone Shoregal goal was scored by senior Jillian Strimbu off a corner kick from the right side by fellow senior Rachel Gates. In net for Rocky River was senior Kim Leitch who made 3 saves and for Avon Lake senior Dana Strimbu recorded 5 saves. Rocky River, who is ranked 7th in the state in Div.II, kept their undefeated record in tact at 11-0-1, while Avon Lake drops to 6-2-2.

In JV action, Avon Lake was a 2-0 winner.

Game Summary AL vs. Lake Catholic 9/24/11:

Avon Lake scored 2 goals in the first half and the defense made it stand up in a 2-0 win over visiting Lake Catholic. The Shoregals scored in the first minute of the game on a beautiful shot to the right "upper 90" by sophomore forward Emily O'Connor assisted by senior midfielder Jillian Strimbu. At the 22 minute mark of the first half, Strimbu scored on a penalty kick. The Cougars best scoring opportunity of the night came in the second half as a hard shot by Bella Osborne was blocked by Shoregal goalie Dana Strimbu and the rebound was shot again by Osborne and cleared out by the AL defense just before crossing the goal line. Dana Strimbu made 5 saves and recorded her 5th shutout of the season for the Shoregals. Lake Catholic goalie Marissa Brannon was credited with 4 saves.

In JV action, Avon Lake scored a whopping 10 goals on the way to a 10-1 victory over the JV Cougars.

Game Summary AL vs. Olmsted Falls 9/21/11:
Avon Lake scored 5 goals in the first half on the way to a 7-0 win over Olmsted Falls.
The Lady Bulldogs played hard the whole game and put up a valiant effort despite missing a number of their top players due to injury. Avon Lake led off the scoring in the 14th minute on a goal by senior Danielle Liszka assisted by Jillian Strimbu. Less than a minute later the Shoregals struck again on a goal by sophomore Emily O'Connor also assisted by Strimbu. In the final 11 minutes of the first half, Avon Lake struck 3 more times - first by junior Kailey McClain from Christine Gates, then Gates scored assisted by Strimbu, and finally Strimbu scored with senior Taylor Nedrich with the assist.
Second half goals were scored by McClain again this time assisted by Claire Jones and the scoring was closed out with a goal by Jillian Strimbu off a long pass from Nedrich.
In goal for Avon Lake was Dana Strimbu who made 4 saves and recorded her 4th shutout of the season. Minding the net for the Lady Bulldogs was Madison Woods who recorded 8 saves.

Game Summary AL vs. Hathaway Brown 9/19/11:

In a wild affair on a rainy afternoon that featured 9 goals scored, Avon Lake was able to slosh by Hathaway Brown 5-4. The Shoregals continue to play a high level schedule that features both nationally ranked and state ranked teams with a combined winning percentage of over 60% in 2010. On this afternoon, the opponent was 2010 State Div. II runner-up Hathaway Brown and it took a true team effort to earn the victory as 5 different girls scored for the Shoregals. The goals were netted by senior midfielder
Jillian Strimbu, sophomore forward Emily O'Connor, senior midfielder Rachel Gates, who scored her first Varsity goal, and senior midfielder Danielle Liszka. The game winner was booted in by senior midfielder Haley Mills for her first goal of the year.
Dana Strimbu was in goal for Avon Lake and recorded the victory.

Game Summary AL vs. Midpark 9/14/11:

Facing a packed in defense that stifled Avon Lake most of the game, the Shoregals managed only a goal in a 1-0 victory over host Midpark. The Shoregals were still able to manage 10 shots on goal despite the spirited defensive effort by the Meteors. The Avon Lake goal was scored by senior midfielder Jillian Strimbu on an assist from junior midfielder Kailey McClain. Dana Strimbu recorded her third shutout of the young season and made 4 saves while Meteor goalie Sam Thompson was kept busy stopping 9 shots.

In JV action, the Shoregals emerged victorious by 2-0 score on goals by junior Kersten Kress and freshman Clare Adams. Junior goalkeeper Abby Rogers recorded the shutout.


Game Summary AL vs. Valley Forge 9/12:

On an early Senior night at Avon Lake, the Shoregals pounded the Valley Forge defense with 18 shots on goal and 11 corner kicks resulting in a 4-1 victory. The Patriots led off the scoring in the 8th minute on a goal by senior Jessica Mertens who picked up a ball about 40 yds. out and dribbled through the AL defense to deliver a hard shot into the Shoregal goal. After that point, it was all Shoregals as senior Taylor Nedrich netted the game tying tally just before halftime as she intercepted a pass at the top of the box and fired a shot into goal. Nedrich scored again in the second half at the 45 minute mark with the eventual game winner. Then it was junior Kailey McClain's turn. She scored at the 56 minute mark as she found some space in the middle of the Valley Forge defense. One minute later she scored again on a great assist from sophomore Emily O'Connor. The Patriot goalkeepers were kept very busy on the night with freshman Brooke Zoltai making 9 saves and fellow freshman Gabrielle DeLaat making 5 stops. Senior Dana Strimbu was in goal for Avon Lake and made 2 saves. The Shoregals up their record to 2-1-2 while Valley Forge falls to 3-4-1.

News for the Week of Sept. 12, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 9/12/11:

Schedule:
Two games this week for the Varsity/JV.  The first game will be on Monday 9/12 at home vs. Valley Forge at 5:00 & 7:00 p.m. The second game will be on Wednesday 9/14 at Midpark.  Varsity game is at 4:00 p.m. and the JV game will follow at 6:00 p.m. Remember that the Midpark field does not have lights so they switch the order of the games to be sure the Varsity game is played in light.  The Freshmen team has 3 games this week on Monday 9/12 at home vs. Hudson, on Tuesday 9/13 away vs. Brecksville and on Wednesday 9/14 at home vs. St. Joseph Academy. All games have a 5:00 p.m. start time.


Game Recaps:
The week's only game was a draw with Amherst. See the game summary below:

AL at Amherst on 9/7:

AL 1  Amherst 1

Goals:
AL - Emily Peepers

Amherst - Gabrielle Semon

Assists:
AL - Jillian Strimbu

Am - Julie Lacock

Goalies:
AL - Dana Strimbu - 3 saves

Am - Ashley Ferguson - 4 saves

Game Summary:
In a hard fought, physical contest featuring 22 fouls and a yellow card, Avon Lake travelled to Amherst and battled the Comets to a 1-1 draw. While the Shoregals missed on a number of great scoring opportunities in the 1st half, it was Amherst who got on the board first just before halftime. On a set kick after an AL foul, the Comets sophomore Julie Lacock sent a ball to right side of the Avon Lake goal which was headed in by fellow sophomore Gabrielle Semon. In the second half, the Shoregals netted the game tying tally on a corner kick from senior Jillian Strimbu which was fired into the goal by sophomore Emily Peepers for her first high school score. Peepers was a JV callup for the game and left a positive impression on the Avon Lake faithful. The Shoregals had another great opportunity in the 67th minute when sophomore Emily O'Connor was fouled in the box and Avon Lake was awarded a penalty kick. Senior Jillian Strimbu sent the penalty kick low to the left post and Comet junior goalkeeper Ashley Ferguson made a tremendous stop to preserve the tie. Ferguson recorded 4 saves on the night while the Amherst defense thwarted a number of excellent chances by the Shoregals. Dana Strimbu was in goal for Avon Lake and recorded 3 saves. Avon Lake's record is now 1-1-2 while Amherst moves to 3-2-1 on the season.

JV Recaps:
In JV action, Avon Lake won a 1-0 thriller for their second win of the season and upped their record to 2-1-1 and remain undefeated in the SWC.


A Word About Our Schedule...
I am getting a sense that there has been some comments made that a reason that the girls program has had successful records is because they play an easy schedule. I would counter that with we win games because of the excellent quality of our players.  Let's quickly review -  on this year's schedule we have a State runner-up in Hathaway Brown, a Regional champion in Strongsville, one District champion (Westlake), and 3 District Finalsits (Rocky River, Solon, & Sylvania Northview). Nine of the teams won 11 games or more last season and the total winning percentage of all the teams combined on the schedule is 61% - WOW!  In addition, we play 3 teams ranked in the top 50 in the nation according to the ESPN poll in Solon, Strongsville, and Brecksville.  Also, in the Plain Dealer's girls soccer preview they list 12 teams that they feel are the best in the area and 6 of those teams are on our schedule this year and a seventh - Bay Village - we scrimmaged.  I would say that this is a sufficiently challenging schedule and is similar to schedules that we have played in the past. Once again, we win games against top ranked teams because of the outstanding quality of our players and coaching staff.


Soccer Site of the Week:
This week our highlighted site will be the RISE/ESPN girls soccer site which can be found at:

http://rise.espn.go.com/girls-soccer/index.aspx

At this site you will find the top 50 nationwide rankings of girls soccer teams along with recruiting commitments and other info. related to HS girls soccer.
 

News for the Week of Sept. 5, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 9/5/11:

Schedule:
Only one game again this week for the Varsity/JV and it will be at Amherst on Weds. 9/7 at 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.   The Freshmen team is in action on Tuesday 9/6 at home vs. Bay and on Friday 9/9 vs. St. Joseph Academy.  Both games have a 5:00 p.m. start time.

Game Recaps:
The week's only game turned out to be a disappointing loss to Westlake.  See the game summary below:

AL at home vs. Westlake on 8/31:

AL   0           Westlake 5

Goals:
AL - None

Westlake - Lauren Wichman, Sarah Stroh, Melanie Finucan, Rachel Evans, AL own goal

Assists:
AL - None

Westlake - Lauren Wichman, Lauren Hurst

Goalies:
AL - Dana Strimbu - 3 saves

Westlake - Alexis Carpenter - 3 saves

Game Summary:
In a showdown between last year's SWC champion, Avon Lake, and last year's District champion, Westlake, the Demons came out with a purpose and scored twice in the first 8 minutes on the way to a 5-0 victory. With 2 minutes gone in the game, Lauren Wichman won a ball in the midfield and pierced the Shoregal defense for an early tally. Six minutes later, Sarah Stroh gathered a loose ball in front of the Avon Lake net and struck for the Demons second goal. Westlake also added another goal before halftime in the 36th minute from a corner kick by Jenna Tabbaa that was deflected by AL goalie Dana Strimbu into the back of a teammate and resulted in an own goal. The scoring barrage continued in the second half as Melanie Finucan scored on a goal in front of the Avon Lake net assisted by Lauren Wichman and Rachel Evans scored off a nicely hit cross by Lauren Hurst. The Demons smothering defense held the Shoregals to only 3 shots on goal which were all saved by Alexis Carpenter. Dana Strimbu was in goal for Avon Lake and recorded 3 saves. The Shoregals suffer their first defeat of the season and fall to 1-1-1.


JV Recaps:
Our JV team has gotten off to a 1-1-1 start just like the Varsity team.  In the first game of the season, they beat Berea 6-1 behind the scoring of Kersten Kress - 2 goals, Emily Peepers - 2 goals, Annie Coyne, & Alex Nasr.  Abby Rogers was in goal for the Shoregals and only needed to make one save in the game.

The next game was a back and forth affair against Avon that the Shoregals eventually lost 3-4.  Karen Krause had 2 goals in this game and Ali Robinson chipped in with the other score.   Abby Rogers recorded 5 saves.

The third game of the season was a 0-0 draw vs. Westlake.  AL outshot the Demons, but were not able to find the back of the net.  Abby Rogers was once again in goal and made one save.

Soccer Site of the Week:
This week we will spotlight the Case Western Reserve Unviersity women's soccer team.  They have a blogspot at:  http://casewsoccer.blogspot.com/ or they can be found on Facebook at Case Womens Soccer.  These girls seem to have a lot of fun playing soccer and with their team. They are an embodiement of the phrase "Student Athlete" as they combine their athletics with the high academic standards required at Case. They also do a great job of fundraising with their "Kicks for the Cause" promotion.

Cudos Corner:
Thanks to those parents who worked the concession stand during the Westlake game - Bob & Chris Nedrich, Kathy Crooks, and Erica Petras

News for the Week of Aug. 29, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 8/29/11:

Schedule:
Only one game this week for the Varsity/JV, but it is a huge game as Westlake comes to town in an important contest that will be a critical factor in determining a SWC champion this year.  The games will be on Wednesday 8/31 at 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.  The Freshmen team is much busier as they have 3 games scheduled this week as follows:

Monday 8/29 vs. Strongsville at Troy at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8/31 at Hudson at 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 9/1 vs. Mentor at Troy at 5:00 p.m.

Game Recaps:
The Shoregals got the season started off right by going undefeated during their first week of play with a win over Berea and a tie vs. Avon.

AL at Berea on 8/24:

AL 1      Berea 0

Goals:
AL -  Jillian Strimbu

Goalies:
AL   Dana Strimbu - 3 saves

Game Summary:
Avon Lake traveled to Berea in the season opener and SWC opener for both teams and prevailed 1-0 over a much improved Berea team. Jillian Strimbu scored a goal in the first 10 minutes of the game and the Shoregal defense made it hold up for the win. Both teams had numerous chances to score over the course of the game which just narrowly missed being goals. The Shoregals had a beautiful shot by Kailey McClain just graze off the crossbar in the first half and with just minutes remaining in the game an Emily O'Connor penalty kick was stopped by the Berea goalie. Dana Strimbu was in goal for Avon Lake and recorded 3 saves for the shutout while stopping two breakaway runs by the Braves. With the victory, Head Coach Kiko Lopez becomes the winningest coach in Avon Lake girls soccer history with 48 wins. The Shoregals also upped their unbeaten streak in the SWC to 8 games.

AL vs. Avon on 8/27:

In the other game of the week, Avon came calling on Avon Lake to battle in the annual Golden Shoe game. The game pitted last year's champions of the WSC & SWC.  As would be expected from conference champions,  the teams played a hard fought game which ended in a 0-0 draw as this game has now become a very spirited rivalry. There was excellent play by both goalies as the Eagles Holly Kraus made 8 saves and the Shoregals Dana Strimbu stopped 5 shots. The best scoring chances in the match for either team came in the first half as a shot by Kailey McClain deflected off the cross bar and out of the goal. In the second half, the Shoregals Jillian Strimbu fired a direct shot at Avon goalie Holly Kraus which she was able to deflect and the rebound was controlled by Emily O'Connor who sent a shot towards a wide open Avon net which the Eagles defenders were able clear out before it crossed the goal line. Both teams remain undefeated on the season as they now sport identical 1-0-1 records.

 Soccer Site of the Week:

Actually, it will be a number of sites as we list the various places that we publish game info. and stats.

www.ossca.org - the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Assn. website. If you look under team schedules along the left side bar and then select Avon Lake, you will find a summary of our season results and stats for the girls.

http://www.studentathletecleveland.com/ - this is a website that features stories about local athletes at both the high school and college level. We get a good amount of coverage from this site.

http://www.2presspapers.northcoastnow.com/ - this is the website for the Avon Lake Press. I think just about everyone has the hardcopy delivered to their house - this is the website for the Lorain Morning Journal. You can also buy the paper to see results after each game.

www.ohiohssports.com/girlssoccer/ - this is the online sports site for the Plain Dealer. You can also buy the paper to see results after each game.

http://elyriact.smugmug.com/ - this is the photo gallery website for the Chronicle.

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/ - This is the website for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegraph which does a pretty good job of covering high school sports. You can also buy the paper to see results after each game.

http://www.morningjournal.com/

http://www.ohioprepzone.com/ - this is the high school sports site of the Morning Journal.

www.ohsaa.org - The Ohio High School Athletic Assn. website. Look under the Ohio Soccer Weekly tab for interesting info. related to Ohio high school soccer.

We submit box scores and game summaries for each of our games to all the local papers - Press, Lorain Journal, Elyria C-T, and Plain Dealer. We hope that the papers will print our game summaries each time.. Unfortunately, our stuff does not always get printed, but you have to realize that the papers are going to print what they think people want to read. Football will always generate the most interest followed by all the other boys sports. Girls sports are a rung or two below and we have to fight for our attention. We publicize the girls soccer program at Avon Lake in as many places as will accept us.

News for the Week of Aug. 15, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 8/15/11:

Calendar:
This week's schedule will feature:

Mon. 8/15 - Practice  3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at Troy.

Tues. 8/16 - Practice  3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at Troy.

Weds. 8/17 - Practice  3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at Troy.

Thur. 8/18 - Scrimmage vs. Bay

Fri. 8/19 - Practice  3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at Troy.

Congratulations to all those girls who are playing Shoregal soccer this year.  We have 48 girls in the program and will be able to field 3 teams this year.


Shorepals Meeting:
The next meeting of the Shorepals will be held on Tuesday Aug. 16th at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Firehouse at the corner of Lake Rd. & Rt. 83. We will be making our final preparations for the upcoming season.

 New Website:
Just a reminder that our new website is up & running. Check it out at:

http://www.alshoregalsoccer.org/

I will be adding both content and improving the appearance over the next few months. Take a look and give me your suggestions on what you might like to see on the site. We will continue with both the Blog page and the Website as each offers unique functionality to communicate the news of our program.

Car Stickers:
It is that time of year again to show your support for our Shoregal soccer team by adorning your vehicle with one of our spiffy window stickers.  The cost is a mere $3.00 for one sticker or 2 for $5.00.  We will be selling them at games and I will also keep a supply on my porch in the infamous gray tub.

 Soccer Site of the Week:
This week we will highlight another site that explains the rules of soccer. This week's featured site is:

http://www.asktheref.com/

This is a site where questions about soccer rules are answered by actual soccer refs.  It is interesting and you can learn a lot.

Cudos Corner:
This week we would like to recognize and thank Vic Strimbu for taking the player pictures we will use in our Shoregal yearbook and Jim Coyne who is once again heading up the yearbook and working hard to bring in that ad revenue.

News for the Week of August 8,2011

Program Notes for the Week of 8/8/11:

Calendar:
This week's schedule will feature:

Mon. 8/8  7:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Tues. 8/9  7:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Weds.. 8/10 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Thur. 8/11 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Fri. 8/12  7:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Sat. 8/13  10:00 a.m. Lorain County Showcase

Note: There are a number of changes in progress for this week's schedule, so watch your e-mail carefully for updates from the coaches

Shorepals Meeting:
The next meeting of the Shorepals will be held on Tuesday Aug. 16th at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Firehouse at the corner of Lake Rd. & Rt. 83.  We will be making our final preparations for the upcoming season.

New Website:
Just a reminder that our new website is up & running. Check it out at::

http://www.alshoregalsoccer.org/

I will be adding both content and improving the appearance over the next few months. Take a look and give me your suggestions on what you might like to see on the site. We will continue with both the Blog page and the Website as each offers unique functionality to communicate the news of our program.


Soccer Site of the Week:
As we approach the start of the season, it is a good time to review the rules of soccer.  This week's featured site is:

http://www.drblank.com/slaws.htm/

This site is called The Official Soccer Site for Officials, Referees, Players, and Fans.and contains a concise, easy to understand explanation of the Laws  of Soccer.

News for the Week of Aug. 1, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 8/1/11:

Calendar:
Well, here we go, the official start of the season.  Tryouts will be this week as outlined below:

Mon. 8/1  3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Troy.

Tues. 8/2  3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Troy.

Weds.. 8/3  3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Troy.

Thur. 8/4  3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Troy.

Fri.  8/5  3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at Troy.

Best of luck to all those who are trying out!


New Website:
Our new website is now fully operational after a two year absence. The domain name will remain the same as:

http://www.alshoregalsoccer.org/

I will be adding both content and improving the appearance over the next few months. Take a look and give me your suggestions on what you might like to see on the site. We will continue with both the Blog page and the website as each offers some unique functionality that the other one doesn't.

Soccer Site of the Week:
It seems rather obvious, but we have never featured the Avon Lake Soccer Organization (ALSO) website which can be found at:

www.eteamz.com/AvonLakeSoccerOrganization/

Once there, you can find all the important info related to youth soccer in Avon Lake.  Of particular interest is the "Coaches Corner" tab which features some interesting info. about youth soccer and soccer in general.

News for the Week of July 25, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 7/25/11:

Calendar:
This is vacation week and there are no activities scheduled for the week.  Everyone should rest and recharge as next Monday the official practices and tryouts begin and then we will have 3 solid months of soccer. Our opening game is just a month away now!

Soccer Site of the Week:
Well, if you give a person of modest intelligence enough time, they can figure out just about anything and so it is with me.  We are finally going to get our website back up and running after a two year absence.  The domain name will remain the same as:

http://www.alshoregalsoccer.org/

Right now the site is under construction and can only be found at http://alshoregalsoccerorg.webstarts.com/
Take a look and give me your suggestions on what you might like to see on the site.  We should be up and running on the Web within the next week.  We will continue with both the Blog page and the website as each offers some unique functionality that the other one doesn't.

News for the Week of July 18, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 7/18/11:

Calendar:
This week will feature:

Coaches contact day as follows:
Mon. 7/18  7:00 - 8:30 a.m. & 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Tues. 7/19 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. & 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Weds.. 7/20 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. & 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Thur. 7/21 7:00 - 8:30 a.m.

Strongsville Showcase - Fri. 7/22 & Sat. &/7/23.   See website for schedules at www.adidasnationalshowcase.com/girls


Alumni Game & Picnic:
Take a look at the Shoregallery for a picture from the Alumni game.
A big thank you goes to our committee which consisted of Chris Nedrich, Holly Spitz, & Margie Maloney. Also, we have to thank Dads - Bob Nedrich, Brian Spitz, & Tom Mills for manning the grill and taking care of loading & unloading. Also, thanks to all the parents who came and brought side dishes.

Women's World Cup:
A disappointing end to the U.S. women's run in the World Cup.  They had their chances and should have won that game.  Japan was a team of destiny that had the hopes of an entire nation on their backs as they look for some positives after the earthquake & tsunami.  Very difficult to beat a team on a mission and Japan refused to be beaten on this day.  Japan's play was yet another example of the adage to "Never give up no matter how unlikely it seems that you will achieve your goal".  They kept pushing until they found a way to win.

Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League All Star Game:
I have been remiss in not mentioning the NOGSL U-14 All Star game which was held at ALHS at the end of May.  There were a number of our incoming Freshmen who were selected to play in this game as follows:

Anne Dargenio
Ali Balthaser
Kayla Osberg
Emma Callensen

Congratulations to the girls on their selection to the All-Star team!!

Soccer Site of the Week:
As we come up on the Strongsville Showcase at the end of the week, I would like to highlight the website of one of our opponents in Guerin Catholic High School.

http://www.guerincatholicsoccer.com/

This school is located in Noblesville, Indiana which is Northeast of Indianapolis in the greater Indianapolis area.  Last year they recorded an 18-4-1 record and were Indiana state semi-finalists.  They do a very nice job with their website and it is worth a vist.

News for the Week of July 11,2011

Program Notes for the Week of 7/11/11:

Calendar:
This week will feature:

Conditioning - Mon. 7/11  Weds. 7/13  7:00 - 8:30 a.m. at Troy

Open Play - Tues.  7/12 & Thurs. 7/14  5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Troy

College Training Session - Fri. 10:00 a.m. @ Troy with Ohio Wesleyan Univ.

NOGSL games - Weds. night

Coaches contact day - Fri. 7/15  7:00 - 8:30 a.m.  & 3:30  - 5:00 p.m. both at Troy.

Soccer in the Sand - Sat. 7/16


Alumni Game & Picnic:
We had a very nice reunion day on Sunday.  In a very competitive game, the Alumni jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead on a goal by Trisha Wladecki, but the Shoregals came back with a second half goal by Lindsay Quintero to earn a 1-1 tie.  We had 14 alumni return for this year's game as follows:

Sarah Richardson -         Class of 2006
Sammy Stuart -              Class of 2008
Mo Henederson -          Class of 2009
Amanda Herzberger -    Class of 2009
Halle Orlinski -              Class of 2009
Laura Rickey -              Class of 2009
Trisha Wladecki -          Class of 2009
Hannah Frie -                Class of 2010
Ali Kenny -                   Class of 2010
Tani Lopez -                 Class of 2010
Bridget Lyons -             Class of 2010
Maddie Bernard -         Class of 2010
Mary Donegan -           Class of 2010
Morgan Srail -              Class of 2010

Also Kate Walsh '08 came over to visit.  A big thank you goes to our committee which consisted of Chris Nedrich, Holly Spitz, & Margie Maloney.  Also, we have to thank Dads - Bob Nedrich, Brian Spitz, & Tom Mills for manning the grill and taking care of loading & unloading.  Also, thanks to all the parents who came and brought side dishes.


Women's World Cup:
Just an unbelievable quarterfinal game against Brazil with a goal in the 122nd minute and then a shootout victory.  Even more amazing when considering the fact that the U.S. played most of the 2nd half and all of the 30 min. overtime with only 10 players.  This was a great story and when you combine this with our comeback victory over North Olmstead last year and the Annette Ilg story which we featured a few blogs back, it drives home the point to "Never give up no matter how unlikely it seems that you will achieve your goal".  Stick with it and a find a way to make a positive result happen!!

Next game for the U.S. will be the Semifinals on Weds. July 13th at 11:30 a.m. against France.

The finals are on Sunday July 17th at 2:45 p.m.

All games will be televised on ESPN2 (Channel 26)


Soccer Site of the Week:
During the last week of the Women's World Cup, we will feature one last site to follow the WWC:

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer

This is the Fox Sports site devoted specificially to soccer. Once you are on the site, click on the Women's World Cup tab for the latest info. on the U.S. team and the rest of the World Cup.

News for the Week of July 4, 2011

Program Notes for the week of 7/4/11:

First off - Happy 4th of July to everyone on the birth of our country.  Everyone be safe over this weekend.

Alumni Game & Picnic:
The time is here -  Our annual Alumni game & picnic will take place this coming Sunday July 10th at Walker Rd. park. Games will be at 3:00 p.m. with the picinic to follow at around 5:00 p.m. Flyers have been sent out to current & past players - please RSVP as soon as possible.  Hope to see you there!


Calendar:
This week will feature:

Conditioning - Fri. 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. at Troy

Open Play - Tues. & Thurs. 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Troy

College Training Session - Weds. 10:00 a.m. @ Troy with Ohio Northern Univ.

NOGSL games - Weds. night & Sat. night

Alumni Game - Sunday July 10th @ 3:00 p.m.


Women's World Cup:
The Women's World Cup is in full swing.  The U.S. is 2-0 and their upcoming schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 7/6 vs. Sweden at 2:30 p.m. (EST)

Quarterfinal match - either on 7/9 or 7/10 time TBD

All games will be televised on ESPN2 (Channel 26)


Soccer Site of the Week:
This week we will feature another site to follow the Women's World Cup, this week's highlited site is

http://espn.go.com/espnw

This is the ESPN tv site devoted specificially to women's sports.  Once you are on the site, click on the Women's World Cup tab for the latest info. on the U.S. team and the rest of the World Cup.

News for the Week of June 27, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 6/27/11:

Calendar:
This week will feature:

Conditioning - Mon.-Weds. -Fri.    7:00 - 8:30 a.m. at Troy

Open Play - Tues. & Thurs.  5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Troy

Akron Team Camp - Mon. thru Fri. at the Univ. of Akron

NOGSL games - Weds. night


Women's World Cup:
The Women's World Cup has begun!  The U.S. schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 6/28 vs. North Korea at 11:45 a.m. (EST)

Saturday 7/2 vs. Columbia at 11:30 a.m. (EST)

Wednesday 7/6 vs. Sweden at 2:30 p.m. (EST)

All games will be televised on ESPN2 (Channel 26)

Remember that there will be watch parties at the Strimbu's house with the first coming up on Tuesday 6/28 at 11:45 a.m. vs North Korea. All Shoregals are welcome to attend.

Alumni Game & Picnic:
Everyone and especially Alumni mark your calendar for Sunday July 10th. This will be the date of our annual Alumni game & picnic at Walker Rd. park. Games will be at 3:00 p.m. with the picinic to follow at around 5:00 p.m.  Flyers have been sent out to current & past players - hope to see you there!

Gino Strippoli Memorial Scholarship:
This scholarship honors the memory of long time Avon Lake coach, referee, and volunteer Gino Strippoli who died while refereeing a game in 2006.  Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually to deserving high school seniors who exemplify the spirit of Gino's dedication to soccer and community.

This year's female recipient was Sarah Hudson of ALHS.  Congrats to Sarah!!

Past recipients are as follows:
2010 -   Bridget Lyons
2009 -   Laura Rickey
2008 -   Sammy Stuart
2007 -   Sarah Lyons

Soccer Site of the Week:
In keeping with our Women's soccer theme, this week's highlited site is:

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/soccer-women/d1

This is the official site of NCAA Division I, II, & III women's soccer.  There you will find news, rankings, stats, photos, and more for all three divisions of NCAA women's soccer.


Everyone have a happy and safe 4th of July!!!

News for the Week of June 20, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 6/20/11:

Calendar:
The summer conditioning season is kicking off this week and I want to repeat some info. from the coaching staff that was sent last week regarding the summer schedule:

Conditioning Sessions MWF@ Troy from 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Coach Duvall will be running the PEP program most exclusively.  This program is reputed to reduce ACL injuries in female athletes and should begin to address our fitness and strength as we prepare for the rigors of our upcoming season.  However, morning dew on the grass can make the surface greasy and we have had a few tumbles in the past so you may wish to wear your football boots rather than trainers.   Lastly, Coach has class on Monday and Wednesday morning beginning at 9:00 AM at LCCC.  He will have to depart PROMPTLY at 8:30 AM from Troy.  Please retrieve your daughter on a timely basis so that he can make it to class on time.  

Open Play Sessions Tu & Thur @ Troy from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
These sessions will require the presence of a coach and/or parent volunteer for safety purposes.  If you are willing to assist as a parent volunteer, please email Coach Duvall with some of the dates you are willing to manage.   Coaches and parent volunteers are not allowed to provide ANY instruction.  The Class of 2012 will be organizing the games (small sided at first then progressing to 11v11 by the end of the session).  Balls and pinnies are available in the shed.  Coach Duvall will make sure this is opened prior to each session.   Dress to play.   Shin guards are mandatory!

College Training Sessions @ Troy
Three (3) local colleges will be providing training sessions for our 'gals this summer.   This is a great opportunity for our players who have dreams of playing collegiately to meet local coaches to see if they like the coaching style.  It is also a great opportunity for us, as coaches, to showcase the talents of our players.

Monday 06/20 @ 10:00 AM - Muskingham University (Head Coach Mary Beth Caudill)
Wednesday 07/06 @ 10:00 AM - Ohio Northern University (Asst. Coach Jenny Vincent)
Friday 07/15 @ 10:00 AM - Ohio Wesleyan Univeristy (Head Coach Rob Barnes)

Contact Days (July 15th - July 24th) culminating in the Strongsville Adidas Showcase
These days are very important to us as a program.   These are the only days we, as coaches, are able to provide instruction.  We strongly encourage all players in the program to make themselves available for these sessions.  We are breaking up the monotany of prior contact days by incorporating some fun events like Soccer in the Sand and a College Coaching Session.   The week will culminate in our participation in the Adidas Strongsville Showcase.

Also this week, the ONU tournament will be coming up on Saturday 6/25.
 
Alumni Game & Picnic:
Everyone and especially Alumni mark your calendar for Sunday July 10th. This will be the date of our annual Alumni game & picnic at Walker Rd. park. Games will be at 3:00 p.m. with the picinic to follow at around 5:00 p.m.

Soccer Site of the Week:
This week we will highlight another Women's professional league and their website.  The W league features 27 teams throughout the U.S. and the closest team to us would be the Dayton Dutch Lions.  There are two former SWC players who are on the Dayton roster, so it is possible to develop into a pro player from our area.

http://wleague.uslsoccer.com/
   
This is the official site of United Soccer Leagues (USL) women's division. The USL is a developmental league for players and features current college players and recent graduates.  This is a step below the WPS, but an important outlet for the continued development of women's soccer in this country.


Women's World Cup:
7 days until the start of the Women's World Cup!!!

Remember that there will be watch parties at the Strimbu's house with the first coming up on Tuesday 6/28 at 11:45 a.m. vs North Korea.   All Shoregals are welcome to attend.

Kudos Korner:
Now that the Father's Day weekend events are complete, we want to recognize the following:

Ken & Suzanne Krause for coordinating the Father's Day tournament concessions.
Amy & Paul Kress for coordinating the Duct Tape Festival volunteers.
Anita Braye & Nora  Jones for providing & coordinating our ice requirements for the Father's Day tournament.  They save us a significant chunk of money.
Lastly, of course, all the parents & players who volunteered for shifts during the weekend.

News for the Week of June 13, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 6/13/2011:

Calendar:
This week is another open week on the schedule as most players are getting ready for the Father's Day tournament this weekend. Formal conditioning will be starting next Monday.  The NOGSL summer league games have started, so continue to check the schedules that have been sent out by the coaches for days & times.

We still have the need for volunteers for both concessions at the Father's Day tournament and the Duct Tape festival.  E-mails & schedules have been sent out from the coordinators, so please sign up for one of the remaining open slots.

We are also in need of 12 girls to work each night on 6/13 at Walker Rd. & 6/14 at Learwood to help set up fields for the FD tournament.  The fleld set-up will start both nights at 6:00 p.m.


Player Updates:
From time to time we like to mention noteworthy accomplishments by our team members & alumni. This week we would like recognize two alumni players for some recent accomplishments:

First off, Tani Lopez ('10) is a member of the Cleveland Alliance Soccer Association (CASA) team which won the State Cup in the U-19 division over the Internationals by a score of 4-0 during May.  Tani picked up an assist on one of the goals in the championship game.  Next up for her team is the Midwest Regional championships which will be held in June in Wisconsin.  This past season Tani was a freshman on the Varsity at Ashland Univ. where she scored 2 goals and had 2 assists. Of course, she is the daughter of our Head Coach Kiko Lopez.

Next, a week ago at the State Track & Field championships, Morgan Srail ('11) placed in a tie for 6th in the pole vault with a leap of 11'0" which earned her All-Ohio honors.  This completed a remarkable run for Morgan during her Senior year in which she was a member of our SWC championship soccer team and led the team in assists with 5.   In the winter, she was a diver on the swimming & diving team at ALHS and was the SWC champion and also placed second at the State diving championships in Division I earning All-Ohio honors.  So, in summary, she was All-Ohio in two different sports and a member of a conference championship team in a third sport along with winning many other meets and competitions along the way.  We have had other girls in the past who have been members of championship teams in other sports, but we have probably never had a girl who excelled on such an individual level.  It is also worth noting that she was one of the team captains in each one of her three sports.  She will be attending Ohio Univ. in the Fall on a Diving scholarship.

Congrats to both Tani & Morgan!!!

Alumni Game & Picnic:
Everyone and especially Alumni mark your calendar for Sunday July 10th. This will be the date of our annual Alumni game & picnic at Walker Rd. park. Games will be at 3:00 p.m. with the picinic to follow at around 5:00 p.m.

Soccer Site of the Week:
This is the biggest soccer week of the year in Avon Lake as the annual Father's Day tournament will be taking place this coming weekend.  So, it would only be fitting that our soccer site of the week is the tournament website which can be found at:

http://www.avonlaketournament.com/ 

This is the official site for Avon Lake Father's Day Tournament info.




13 days until the start of the Women's World Cup!!!

News for the Week of June 6, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 6/6/11:

Calendar:
School's Out!!! Great news for students and teachers - probably not as great news for parents.  Most players are finishing up their travel & club seasons and/or practicing for the Father's Day tournament, so this week is open on the schedule.  The NOGSL summer league will be starting this coming Sunday, so check the schedules that have been sent out by the coaches.

Shorepals Meeting:
The next Shorepals meeting will be held on Thursday June 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Firehouse at the corner of Lake Rd. and Rt. 83. This will be an important meeting as we make our final preparations for the Father's Day weekend.

Alumni Game & Picnic:
Everyone and especially Alumni mark your calendar for Sunday July 10th.  This will be the date of our annual Alumni game & picnic at Walker Rd. park.  More details and specific times will follow.

Soccer Site of the Week:
After the Women's World Cup is over in mid July - then what?   Well, most of the top women's players in the world play in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league.  The six team league plays an 18 game schedule which runs from April to August.   There is a national game of the week which is televised on the Fox Soccer Channel generally on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. The closest club to us is the Western New York Flash which are based out of Rochester, NY and just happen to be in first place currently.  To find more information on the league, visit:

http://www.womensprosoccer.com/

Of local interest is Danesha Adams who plays for the Philadelphia Independence and hails from Shaker Hts. She played high school soccer at Shaker Hts. and collegiately at UCLA. 

News for the Week of May 30, 2011

Program Notes for the Week of 5/30/2011:


I want to share with you a good news story that was underpublicized here in Avon Lake, but definitely should be told.  The story concerns Annette Ilg who was a 2006 graduate of Avon Lake HS where she was a three sport star excelling in soccer, basketball and track.   In soccer, she was one of the finest players to ever don a Shoregal uniform and ranks in the top 3 all time in goals, assists, & points.  In basketball, she was a Varsity starter and played on a SWC conference championship team her senior year.  In track, she qualified for the state meet her senior year in the 400 meter dash after running it for the first time just a few weeks before the state meet. She was primarily a 100 meter, 200 meter, & relay runner.  On top of her athletic accomplishments, she was also valedictorian of her class.

She wanted to play soccer in college, but received little interest from any schools.  She finally settled on UC San Diego, a Division II school to play basketball. She played four years of Varsity basketball there and was named to the all conference team her senior year,while earning a degree in biochemistry.  The soccer coach was aware of her ability in soccer and persuaded her to join the team this past fall.  She was now going to get that opportunity to fulfill her dream of playing college soccer which seemingly had passed her by. So, Annette enrolled in graduate level classes in Chemistry & Biochemistry and went out for the team.  Now UC - San Diego is a national power in Div. II soccer with 7 national championships to their credit, so playing on their team is no small accomplishment.  She made the most of her opportunity and had a dream season as she led the team in scoring with 11 goals and chipped in with 5 assists for a team leading 27 points.  She led her team to the National Championship game by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over undefeated and No. 1 ranked The College of Saint Rose.  Unfortunately, a story book finish was not in the cards as UCSD lost to current powerhouse Grand Valley State in the championship game by a score of 4-0.  UCSD finished the season with a fine record of 19-3-3.

Just an amazing run for a girl who had not played competitive soccer in 4 years.  I believe she is the first soccer player from Avon Lake either boy or girl to play in a national championship game.  This is an inspirational story whose message is to never give up on your dreams no matter how unlikely it seems that they will be fulfilled.  Also, make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. An additional fact to make the story even better is that Annette torn her ACL during her Junior season of basketball and needed to rehab her way back for an outstanding senior year in all three of her sports and then onto college.  Yet another chapter in the impressive tradition of Shoregal soccer!!

Annette Ilg (#14) moving the ball upfield against Saint Rose in the National Semi-final game.


Shorepals Meeting:
The next Shorepals meeting will be held on Thursday June 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Firehouse at the corner of Lake Rd. and Rt. 83. This will be an important meeting as we make our final preparations for the Father's Day weekend.


Soccer Site of the Week:
We continue our build up to the Women's World Cup with a link to the FIFA site:

http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/ 

This is the offical site for the 2011 Women's World Cup.  There you can find information about all the teams and players along with schedules and results during the tournament itself.