News for the Week of November 25, 2013

Program notes for the Week of 11/25/2013:

Happy Thanksgiving to all our soccer families!!


Team Academic All-America Award 2013:
There was an academic award announced last week after the awards assembly had taken place that we want everyone to be aware of:

We are very excited to announce that the girls were awarded Team Academic All-America status for the 2012-2013 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 224 teams nationwide (about 4 per state) to receive this prestigious award and the team GPA was an excellent 3.44!

Also, Avon Lake was the only Lorain County school to be awarded Team Academic All-America status.

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 late November of this year. This was actually last year's team that won the award and would include last year's 7 graduated seniors.  This year's team is also on track to receive Academic All-America status again for the current academic year next November. That would mark the 5th year in row that the Shoregals have received this award as we have now earned it in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, & 2008.

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.


Shoregal Alumni in College Update:
The college season has concluded for our Shoregal alumni and let's give an update on how their seasons went:

At Otterbein University, sophomore Dana Strimbu played goalie in all 20 games with 19 starts and was the primary goalie. She had a record of 10-6-1 with 5 shutouts and 55 saves. She allowed only 15 goals the entire season.

Her sister and fellow sophomore Jillian Strimbu started all 20 games.  She was the team's leading scorer with 10 goals including 5 game winners and contributed 2 assists. Otterbein finished the season with a record of 12-7-1.

At Cleveland State, senior Taylor Miller played in 11 games and had 1 assist  for the 8-9-1 Vikings.

At Butler University, sophomore Rachel Gates plays for their club soccer team for which she is a vice-president.   Their record was 2-7-1 and was difficult to find any stats.

It sounds like our Alumni are representing the Shoregals very well at the next level.


Shorty Sez:
We continue with our collection of motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Love Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope you find something that inspires you here:

You are successful the moment you start moving toward a worthwhile goal.

Wake up with DETERMINATION. Go to bed with SATISFACTION.

Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it. - George Halas

Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play. -Mike Singletary

News for the Week of November 18, 2013

Program notes for the Week of 11/18/2013:

Team Awards Night:
The Shoregals soccer awards night will be held on Wednesday Nov. 20th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 114 at the high school.  Individual awards for both the JV & Varsity teams will be presented.


Lorain County All-Star Game:
A great way to end their high school careers for three of our seniors last Saturday at the Lorain County Soccer Coaches Assn. senior all-star game.  Amy Crooks, Emily Peterson, and Ali Robinson all played for the victorious White team which beat the Purple team by a score of 2-0.  Kayla Zingale of North Ridgeville scored both goals for the winners and we remember her well as she scored the only goal in a 1-0 loss to North Ridgeville this past season.  In goal for the White team was our very own Amy Crooks who ended her career with a game winning shutout!

In other news at the game, Emily Peterson was one of three recipients of a $500 scholarship from the Coach's Association.   Congrats!!


State Championships Results:
The really big news this year was that Rocky River won a Division II State Championship - their first in program history - with a 3-1 victory over Granville.  This was just an amazing team that finished with a 22-0-1 record with the tie coming to an out of state team at an early season tournament.  They scored 128 goals during the season which is an average of almost 6 per game while only giving up 11 goals.   This was a season for them that will live on in legend for years to come.  Congrats to the Lady Pirates!


Shorty Sez:
We are bringing back our collection of motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Love Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope you find something that inspires you here:

You get self-satisfaction from pushing yourself to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off. - Mary Lou Retton

There is one thing in this world that has the ability to change our whole life in an instant... IT'S ACTION.

The Six W's: Work will win while wishing won't

The ones who want to achieve & win championships motivate themselves. -Mike Ditka

Don't count the days, make the days count - Muhammad Ali

News for the Week of November 4, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 11/4/2013:

Postseason Awards:
We want to continue to announce the numerous postseason awards that were earned by the girls for their performance from the recently concluded season. This week we will feature All-Southwest Conference and All Greater Cleveland. Those girls receiving awards are as follows:

All SWC First Team  Ali Robinson (Sr.)

All SWC Second Team  Emily Peterson (Sr.)

All SWC Honorable Mention Clare Adams (Jr.)

All SWC Honorable Mention  Olivia Siko (Fr.)


All Greater Cleveland Honorable Mention  Ali Robinson (Sr.)

All Greater Cleveland Honorable Mention  Emily Peterson (Sr.)

All Greater Cleveland Honorable Mention  Clare Adams (Jr.)

All Greater Cleveland Honorable Mention  Olivia Siko (Fr.)

Congratulations to these Shoregals on their well deserved awards!



Boys Soccer Update:
The boys team played a well fought game but came up on the short end of 1-0 score to Medina in a Regional Semi-final game last Wednesday. Every team's season except for the state champions end with a loss, but that does not diminish the outstanding season the boys team had.  Highlights would include a second place finish in the SWC, the first District Championship since 1998, and a 11 game winning streak.  Congrats to the boys on a great season!!


SWC Update:
There have been more changes to the lineup in the Southwest Conference for the 2015-16 school year.  Brecksville has now decided to drop out of the SWC to join the Suburban League in 2015.  That created an opening which will now be filled by North Ridgeville. The new SWC will field 10 teams in Fall of 2015 as follows:

Amherst
Avon
Avon Lake
Berea-Midpark
Lakewood
Midview
North Olmsted
North Ridgeville
Olmsted Falls
Westlake

Looking at this new lineup for girls soccer, it should be a very evenly matched conference and one that Avon Lake should be in a position to compete for a conference championship every year.


Shorty Sez:
We are bringing back our collection of motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Love Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope you find something that inspires you here:

Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to the person from yesterday.

It is not how big you are, it's how big you play. -Unknown

Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much.

Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself

In this life, you don't have to prove nothin' to nobody but yourself. -"Rudy"

The 3 H's for Athletes: 1) Hard Work 2) Heart 3) Hustle

 

News for the Week of October 29, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 10/29/2013:

Equipment Turn-in:
All equipment (equipment bag, warm ups) and uniforms (w/ the exception of the socks which are yours to keep) will be collected on Wednesday, October 30th between 3 PM and 5 PM in the locker room hallway (between the practice gym and locker rooms). ALL equipment must be returned on this date. No exceptions.

Please wash all uniforms and warm ups, bundle the uniforms together (home jersey and home shorts rolled up and banded with a rubber band) w/ number showing, and bring with you in your equipment bag. Each player will be checked individually so allow for some time to complete the process. We will not accept "dropped off" items. We will check the equipment against the contract you signed upon receipt of the goods in August.

If any parents are willing to assist, I would be appreciative. Jessica is unable to assist, due to her condition, and Sarah has other coaching obligations to attend to.


Postseason Awards:
Over the next several weeks, we will be announcing the numerous postseason awards that were earned by the girls.  This week we will feature All-Lorain County. Several Avon Lake girls soccer team members were awarded All-County status recently by the Lorain County Scholastic Coaches Association for their performance from the recently concluded season. Those receiving awards are as follows:


All Lorain County First Team   Ali Robinson (Sr.)

All Lorain County First Team   Emily Peterson (Sr.)

All Lorain County Second Team   Olivia Siko (Fr.)

All Lorain County Honorable Mention  Clare Adams (Jr.)

All Lorain County Honorable Mention  Kellie Norris (Fr.)


In addition, the following Seniors were selected to play in the Lorain County All-Star game on November 16th which will be hosted by Avon Lake in Memorial Stadium:

Amy Crooks

Emily Peterson

Ali Robinson

Congratulations to these Shoregals on their well deserved awards!


Boys Soccer Update:
Congratulations to the Boys team on their District Championship victory 1-0 over Westlake on Saturday.  It was their first district crown since 1998.  Next up for the Shoremen is Medina on Wednesday 10/30 at 7:00 p.m. at Nordonia High School.  Best of Luck to Shoremen Soccer!    


Shorty Sez:
We are bringing back our collection of motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Love Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope you find something that inspires you here:

To be successful, you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, then resolve to pay the price to get it.

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret. -Jackie Joyner-Kersee

If you are going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a greater price. -Bud Wilkinson

Every moment is the right one to be kind.  
Discipline is the fuel of achievement.

News for the Week of Oct. 21, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 10/21/2013:

Equipment Turn-in:
All equipment (equipment bag, warm ups) and uniforms (w/ the exception of the socks which are yours to keep) will be collected on Wednesday, October 30th between 3 PM and 5 PM in the locker room hallway (between the practice gym and locker rooms).  ALL equipment must be returned on this date.  No exceptions.

Please wash all uniforms and warm ups, bundle the uniforms together (home jersey and home shorts rolled up and banded with a rubber band) w/ number showing, and bring with you in your equipment bag.  Each player will be checked individually so allow for some time to complete the process.  We will not accept "dropped off" items.  We will check the equipment against the contract you signed upon receipt of the goods in August.

If any parents are willing to assist, I would be appreciative.  Jessica is unable to assist, due to her condition, and Sarah has other coaching obligations to attend to.  

District Update:
Westlake defeated Amherst by a score of 4-2 and Magnificat beat North Olmsted 3-0 to advance to the District Championship game on Sat. 10/26 at 3:00 p.m. at Rocky River.


Game Recaps:
Here are summaries of our two playoff games against Elyria and Magnificat:

AL vs. Elyria 10/14/13

AL 2  Elyria 0

Goals:
AL - Kayla Kress, Olivia Siko

Elyria - None


Assists:
AL - Kellie Norris, Ali Robinson

Elyria - None


Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 4 saves

Elyria - Jessica Gogan - 20 saves


Game Summary:
Even though it was the 17th game of the season, it was still a night of firsts for the Shoregal soccer team. Kayla Kress scored her first goal of the season after missing most of the year with injuries, Ali Robinson and Kellie Norris got their first assists of the season, Amy Crooks got her first playoff shutout and win, and most importantly Avon Lake won its first playoff game in 4 years by a final of 2-0 over Elyria. Coincidently, the Shoregals last playoff win was also against Elyria back in 2009 by a score of 6-0 which was the last time these two teams met.

It was a classic playoff matchup where it is “win or go home” and teams employ specific strategies to beat an opponent that you will not see during the regular season. Such was the case with Elyria who employed five and sometimes six girls in a flat row on their back line to create what is known as an offside trap to prevent Avon Lake from being able to set up for shots close to the goal. It is a very effective strategy when run properly and for a while it did work against the Shoregals as they were whistled for 9 offside penalties during the match.

Although Avon Lake was struggling with the offside trap, they still managed to dominate the game offensively with 22 shots on goal to only 4 for Elyria and 7 corner kicks to only one for Elyria. The Shoregals finally broke through the trap with 14 minutes remaining in the first half as senior Kayla Kress, with her back to the goal, took a crossing pass from freshman Kellie Norris and flicked it with the outside of her foot towards the Elyria net. The ball took an unusual hop and bounced by the Elyria goalie for what would turn out to be the game winning goal. Avon Lake carried the 1-0 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Pioneers became more aggressive as they were searching for the game tying goal. Just a few minutes into the second half, Elyria sent a crossing pass that traveled across the mouth of the AL goal just out of reach of the feet of several Pioneer players for one of their best scoring opportunities on the evening. The Shoregals put the game out of reach with 26 minutes left as freshman Olivia Siko took a pass on the right side of the field from senior Ali Robinson and moved through several Elyria defenders to send a shot just inside the far left post to give AL a two goal advantage. From there, the Shoregal defense took over to cement the final score of 2-0.

It was a total team effort for the Shoregals as 19 girls contributed to the victory. The 22 shots on goal barrage was led by Olivia Siko with 6; Ali Robinson with 4; Emily Peepers with 3; Molly Maloney, Kayla Kress, & Bri Carlin with 2 each; and Karen Krause, Lauren Anthony, & Lindsay Butler chipped in with one each.

The defense was anchored by starters Emily Peterson, Rada Zunich, Kellie Norris, and Maggie Moore supported by subs Esther Killius, Natalie Quintero, and Mae Quinn.

In goal for the Shoregals was senior Amy Crooks who made 4 saves on the night for her 3rd shutout of the season. For Elyria, senior goalie Jessica Gogan was kept busy on the night as she made 20 saves to keep the game close.


AL at Magnificat 10/17/13

AL 0  Magnificat 4


Goals:
AL - None

Mags - Natalie Coury - 2, Alyssa Baumbick, Catie Corrigan


Assists:
AL - None

Mags - Jaycie Brown


Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 15 saves

Mags - Kaleigh Piscioneri - 0 saves


Game Summary:
The Avon Lake defense held Magnificat, which has been ranked as high as 4th in the state this season, scoreless for nearly 64 minutes of this Sectional championship game.  But then fatigue and tremendous pressure from Mags wore down the Shoregals resulting in an eventual 4-0 loss.  Senior Amy Crooks finished her career with Avon Lake by making 15 saves during the match.

News for the Week of Oct. 14, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 10/14/2013:

Schedule for the Week of 10/14:
Tuesday 10/15 ~ Film (3:00PM~5:00PM) in Room 114 at ALHS.

Wednesday 10/16 ~ Training (6:00PM~7:30PM) at ALHS Stadium under the lights.

Thursday 10/17 ~ Game vs Magnificat at 8:30 p.m. at Rocky River HS


Game Recaps:
Here are summaries of our 15th & 16th games against Brunswick and North Olmsted:


AL vs. Brunswick  10/7/13

AL 0  Brunswick 5

Goals:
AL - None

Brunswick - Macey Juguilon - 2,  Miranda Alzarraq - 2,  Gabby Maslowski
                   
Assists:
AL - None

Brunswick - N/A

Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 4 saves; Elise Duvall - 1 save

Brunswick - Erin Calhoun - 4 saves

Game Summary:
Brunswick begins with a B, but they more closely resembled B-52’s as they played the role of long distance bombers in a 5-0 victory over Avon Lake on Monday night.

Junior Macey Juguilon got the scoring underway for the Blue Devils with a missle from about 40 yards out that deflected off the crossbar and into the goal for a 1-0 lead. Juguilon would strike again less than two minutes later with another rocket off a free kick from about 45 yards out to make it 2-0. Next up was junior Gabby Maslowski with another long distance blast and fellow junior Miranda Alzarraq finished up the first half scoring as Brunswick took a 4-0 lead into halftime.

The Shoregals hauled out the anti-aircraft guns in the second half and played a significantly more competitive second stanza. They held Brunswick to one score as Alzarraq netted her second goal of the game for the only scoring by either side.

From our bomb shelter, we noticed that Brunswick goalie junior Erin Calhoun made 4 saves enroute to the shutout. Avon Lake goalkeeping duties were shared by sophomore Elise Duvall with one save and senior Amy Crooks who had at least 4 saves in the match.

In JV action, Avon Lake unleashed its own version of shock and awe in a 7-0 blitzkrieg of the JV Blue Devils. Freshman Mila Zunich led the way with 3 goals and sophomores Emily Herman, Addy Poole, Casey Baughman, & Nichole Nally all chipped in with one goal each. With this win, the JV Shoregals reach an impressive 10th win on the season and it was also the tenth shutout of the season for goalkeeper Elise Duvall. The JV Shoregals record now moves to 10-1-4 on the year.


AL at North Olmsted  10/9/13

AL 0  NO 4

Goals:
AL - None

NO - Madison Johnson - 2,  Erin Schloss,  Jennifer Janosek

Assists:
AL - None

NO - Nicole Dembie,  Madison Johnson

Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 2 saves; Elise Duvall - 3 saves; Esther Killius - 4 saves

NO - Emily Patterson - 2 saves

Game Summary:
It is always very difficult to beat a team on the road on its Senior Night. The emotions are so amped up for the home team to win the game for the outgoing seniors. Such was the environment that the Shoregals found themselves in on Wednesday night as they lost to North Olmsted by a score of 4-0.

North Olmsted wanted to win this game badly and came out with an unusual formation of 7 attacking offensive players to flood the Shoregal defense in hopes of scoring goals. Avon Lake was able to fend off the Eagles for the first 7 minutes and then NO broke through on a goal by junior Erin Schloss off a crossing pass from senior Nicole Dembie. A minute later NO struck again as senior Jennifer Janosek scored off of a corner kick from sophomore Madison Johnson. After this, the Shoregal defense tightened and NO carried the 2-0 lead into the intermission.

In the second half, it was the Madison Johnson show as she scored the only two goals of the half. The first coming as she gathered a loose ball close to the AL goal and fired it past the goalie and the second on a header from a free kick. The Shoregal offense was very limited on this night as it managed only two shots on goal by Clare Adams and Bri Carlin.

In goal for North Olmsted was sophomore Emily Patterson who made two saves to earn the shutout. For Avon Lake, three girls were called into duty in the nets for the match. Starter Amy Crooks was injured in the first half diving after a loose ball and made two saves. She was replaced by soph. Elise Duvall for the rest of the first half who stopped 3 shots. Because Duvall had played both halves of the JV game, by rule she was only allowed one half in the Varsity game. That forced AL to call upon emergency goalie Esther Killius to play the entire second half and she did so admirably making 4 saves.

In the JV game – what else but a shutout as Avon Lake and North Olmsted battled to a 0-0 draw. The JV Shoregals impressively recorded their 11th shutout in 16 games this season as they finished with a 10-1-5 record having lost only to the Brecksville JVs. It was also the 11th shutout of the season for soph. goalkeeper Elise Duvall. We look forward to a number of these girls moving up to the Varsity next year.


Cudos Corner:
Thanks to the following parents for working the concession stand during the Brunswick game - Cindy Adams for the JV game and Renee Duvall & Christy Lemanowicz for the Varsity game.

News for the Week of Oct. 7, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 10/7/2013:


Schedule for the Upcoming Week
Monday 10/7 ~ Game vs Brunswick (Home); JV 5 / V 7

Tuesday 10/8 ~ Training @ Troy (3:30pm~5:00pm)

Wednesday 10/9 ~ Game vs North Olmsted (Away); JV 5 / V 7

Thursday 10/10 ~ Training @ TBD (3:30pm~5:00pm)

Sunday 10/13 ~ Training @ TBD (3:00pm~4:30pm)

Monday 10/14 ~ Playoff Game vs Elyria (Home); V 7


Game Recaps: Here are summaries of our 13th & 14th games against Padua and Olmsted Falls:

AL at Padua  9/30/13

AL 1 Padua 1

Goals:
AL - Clare Adams

Padua - Taylor Jamison

Assists:
AL - Kayla Kress

Padua - Kayla Jancewicz

Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 1 save

Padua - Ava Willoughby - 8 saves

Game Summary:
“Finish what you started” is an old saw that people would use to get someone to complete a task or finish a job. The Shoregals soccer team might want to take this phrase to heart as they once again dominated the offensive stats against an opponent, but were unable to come away with a victory. In this instance, Avon Lake played to 1-1 draw against Padua on Monday night.

Avon Lake had the advantage in shots on goal 10 to 2, shots in total 13 to 5, and corner kicks 5 to 4, but could not “finish” with another goal to win the game. Even though Padua had only 2 shots on goal for the match, they made one of them count on a nicely executed corner kick by freshman Kayla Jancewicz which was headed into goal by senior Taylor Jamison. The goal gave the Lady Bruins the lead eleven minutes into the game which they carried into halftime.

In the second half, the Shoregals were able to get the equalizer eight minutes into the half as junior Clare Adams took a pass from fellow junior Kayla Kress and raced through the Padua defense to finish her strike right into the back of the net. The teams battled in a rather physical contest the rest of the half, but Avon Lake just could not find the game winning goal. Taking shots on goal for the Shoregals during the match were Cara Dannemiller, Emily Peepers, Clare Adams, & Olivia Siko with two each and Rada Zunich along with Kayla Kress chipped in with one apiece. In the nets for AL was senior Amy Crooks who made a lone save on the night and for Padua, freshman Ava Willoughby stopped 8 shots in the match.

The JV game was almost finished before it got started as the Shoregals scored early and often on the way to a 6-1 victory. Scoring for Avon Lake were sophomores Emily Herman with two goals, Nichole Nally, Mae Quinn, and Casey Baughman with one each. The Padua JVs also managed to put one in their own net to complete the scoring. In goal for the JV Shoregals was soph. goalie Elise Duvall. After this win, the JV Shoregals move to 9-1-3 on the year.


AL vs. Olmsted Falls  10/2/13

AL 1 OF 0

Goals:
AL - Ali Robinson

OF - None

Assists:
AL - Molly Maloney

OF - None

Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 4 saves;  Elise Duvall - 1 save

OF - Leah Walchanowicz - 9 saves

Game Summary:
It was a Senior Night to remember for the 9 Avon Lake seniors as they led the Shoregals to their first victory of the season 1-0 over SWC foe Olmsted Falls. It was a special night as ALHS stadium was transformed into a real soccer park with balloons, banners, picture posters, and even the AL pep band was present to salute the seniors who presented their farewell thoughts to the crowd.


The Senior class of 2014 is made up of goalkeeper Amy Crooks; defenders Cara Dannemiller, Molly Jeffries, Emily Peterson, & Natalie Quintero; midfielders Karen Krause, Emily Peepers, & Ali Robinson; and forward Molly Maloney.

Once the game started, it was all Avon Lake as they held the advantage in all the offensive categories with a 10 to 5 edge in shots on goal, a 15 to 10 edge in total shots, and 5 to 3 in corner kicks. Shots on Goal for AL were recorded by Cara Dannemiller, Karen Krause, & Molly Maloney with two a piece and Emily Peepers, Ali Robinson, Lauren Anthony, & Marisa Dzwonczyk chipped in with one each.

After controlling the action for most of the first half, the Shoregals finally broke through with a little over 2 minutes left when senior Molly Maloney had a corner kick that she put into the air in front of the Olmsted Falls goal and fellow senior Ali Robinson was able to head it into the goal for the eventual game winner.

The second half saw numerous chances by both teams as the AL defense was able to hold on to preserve the victory. The Shoregal defense was once again terrific in recording the second shutout of the season. The defensive rotation included Emily Peterson, Natalie Quintero, Maggie Moore, & Rada Zunich as the starters and they were backed up by Esther Killius, Kellie Norris, & Addie Poole. In goal for Avon Lake was senior Amy Crooks who recorded her second shutout with 4 saves and sophomore Elise Duvall subbed in and recorded one save. For Olmsted Falls, senior Leah Walchanowicz was credited with 9 saves in the match. Avon Lake continued their mastery of the Lady Bulldogs as they have now won 16 of the last 17 matches.

In JV action, the two teams battled to a 0-0 draw. This was the ninth shutout of the season for the JV Shoregals and goalkeeper Elise Duvall. The JV Shoregals record now moves to 9-1-4 on the year.


Cudos Corner:
Thanks to the following parents for working the concession stand during the Olmsted Falls game - Amy Kress & Patrice Dzwonczyk for the JV game and Julia Caputo & Colette Lubertozzi for the Varsity game.