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.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, October 24, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, October 17, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
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
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
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