News for the Week of August 26, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 8/26/2013:

Schedule for the Week of 8/26:
Monday 8/26 ~ Training @ Troy (3:30PM~5:00PM)

Tuesday 8/27 ~ Gauntlet / Training @ Troy (3:30PM~5:00PM)

Wednesday 8/28 ~ Game vs Brecksville (5:00PM JV, 7:00PM Varsity) at ALHS Stadium

Thursday 8/29 ~ Training @ Troy (3:30PM~5:00PM)


Game Recaps:
Here is a summary of our second game against Lake Catholic:

AL vs. Lake Catholic 8/22/13

AL 0  Lake Catholic 1

Goals:
AL - None

LC - Vikki Martinis

Assists:
None

Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 5 saves
         Elise Duvall - 3 saves

LC - Marissa Brannon - 3 saves

Game Summary:
When you are without your star player, it is considered a long shot to win a game.  Instead Lake Catholic took a long shot to win a game against Avon Lake by a score of 1-0.  With All-Ohio player Bella Osborne on crutches, Lake Catholic used a 40 yard shot by senior Vikki Martinis to net the only goal of the game. Martinis gathered a free ball in the middle of the field and sent a high arching shot which went just under the crossbar and turned out to be the game winner just 4:00 minutes into the first half.

For the rest of the match, the Cougars used a skilled possession game to take another 8 shots on goal as part of 21 shots overall launched against the Shoregal defense.  Avon Lake was able to muster 3 shots on goal, but was never able to mount a serious scoring opportunity.

In goal for LC was junior Marissa Brannon who recorded her second shutout of the season in as many games with 3 saves.  For Avon Lake, senior Amy Crooks made 5 saves and incurred an injury which brought sophomore Elise Duvall into the game for her first Varsity action and was credited with 3 saves.

With the loss, Avon Lake drops to 4-8-0 in the all time series against Lake Catholic.  However, over the last six meetings the Shoregals have posted a 3-3 record against the Cougars.

On the JV front, Avon Lake scored early and often en route to a 5-0 victory over the Lake Catholic JVs. The win pushed the Shoregals record to 2-0 on the young season.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue with what looks to be an interesting collection of soccer videos presented on YouTube by The Soccer Essentials. I will put a new one up each week and their website may be found at:

www.the-soccer-essentials.com

This week's video is entitled "How to Receive a Soccer Pass Tutorial"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=enYvjqmanY4


Cudos Corner:
We want to recognize and say thanks to the those parents who worked in the concession stand for the Lake Catholic game.  During the JV game, Kim Peepers and Suzanne Krause manned the stand and in the Varsity game it was Tracey Jacob.

News for the Week of August 19, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 8/19/2013:

Schedule for the Week of 8/19:
Monday 8/19 ~ Recovery Day

Tuesday 8/20 ~ Camp Carey @ Troy (7:30AM-9:00AM)

Tuesday 8/20 ~ Conditioning Session (Coach Lyons) @ Troy (3:30PM-5:00PM)   Bring running shoes as well as soccer boots/shin pads.

Wednesday 8/21 ~ Gauntlet & Training @ Troy (3:30PM-5:00PM)

Thursday 8/22 ~ FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Games vs Lake Catholic @ ALHS Stadium (5PM JV, 7PM Varsity)

Friday 8/23 ~ Recovery Day

Saturday 8/24 ~ No Practice

Sunday 8/25 ~ No Practice    


Game Recaps:
Another season is underway as we led off with the annual "Golden Shoe" game against Avon:

AL vs. Avon 8/17/13

AL 0  Avon 1

Goals:
AL - None

Avon - Regan Betts

Assists:
Avon - Emily Joyce

Goalies:
AL - Amy Crooks - 4 saves

Avon - Rachel Grudzien - 2 saves

Game Summary:
It was a day for Juniors in the season opening girls soccer game for both Avon and Avon Lake as a trio of Avon juniors led the Eagles to 1-0 victory over the Shoregals. Junior Regan Betts gathered a crossing pass near the far post from junior Emily Joyce to score the only goal of the game with 1:41 left in the first half.

The two teams played a scoreless second half although the Eagles had several solid scoring opportunities while the Shoregal offense struggled to find quality shots. In goal for Avon was junior Rachel Grudzien who made 2 saves and for Avon Lake senior Amy Crooks recorded 4 saves.

Avon Lake leads the all time series which started back in 2000 with a record of 7-4-4. However, in the last six meetings Avon sports a 3-0-3 record against the Shoregals.

In JV action, Avon Lake fell behind early 1-0 and then fought back to earn a 2-1 victory with the winning goal coming with under 4 minutes remaining.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue with what looks to be an interesting collection of soccer videos presented on YouTube by The Soccer Essentials. I will put a new one up each week and their website may be found at:

www.the-soccer-essentials.com

This week's video is entitled "How to Beat Defenders in Soccer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMSES_bw_dQ&feature=player_detailpage


Cudos Corner:
We want to recognize and say thanks to the many individuals who have manned the concession stand during our scrimmages and one regular season game.  These people include Ann Siko, Maureen Hall, Christy Lemanowicz, Anita Braye, Eva Zunich, Sandy Herman, Jackie Butler, Chip & Merri Killius, Renee Allemeier, & Ann Stonecipher.

News for the Week of August 12, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 8/12/2013:

Schedule for the Week of 8/12:
Monday, August 12th ~ Scrimmage vs Magnificat 5PM~8:30PM

Tuesday, August 13th ~ Training 3:30PM-5:00PM @ Troy

Wednesday, August 14th ~ Training 3:30PM-5:00PM @ Troy

Thursday, August 15th ~ Scrimmage vs. Bay @ALHS 5PM JV & 7PM Varsity

Friday, August 16th ~ Training 5:00PM - 6:30PM @ ALHS

Saturday, August 17th ~ 1st Game vs. Avon at home - JV 1:00PM; Varsity 3:00PM

Sunday, August 18th ~ Off day


Youth Camp Pics:
At our recent youth camp. Elise Duvall took a whole bunch (952) of pictures which may viewed on Shutterfly at:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbOWLJi3at2jig


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue with what looks to be an interesting collection of soccer videos presented on YouTube by The Soccer Essentials. I will put a new one up each week and their website may be found at:

www.the-soccer-essentials.com

This week's video is entitled "How to Get Ready to Play Soccer Games"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r79PHmInqac


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women in 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:

Big shots are little shots that kept shooting. -Christopher Morley

When you fail you learn from the mistakes you made and it motivates you to work even harder. -Natalie Gulbis

Those at the top of the mountain didn't fall there.

What you think, you create. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you become.

Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work to get better. -Paul Coffey

 

STRENGTH doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from OVERCOMING the things you COULDN'T -Rikki Rogers

Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.

News for the Week of August 5, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 8/5/2013:

Schedule for the Week of 8/5:
Monday, August 5th ~ Scrimmage vs Midview 5PM~8:30PM

Tuesday, August 6th ~ Training 3:30PM-5:00PM @ ALHS Stadium

Wednesday, August 7th ~ Scrimmage vs Nordonia 5PM JV & 7PM Varsity

Wear Maroon Away kit.  Bus departs at 3:00PM from the south parking lot.  Please arrive by 2:45PM at the latest.  Seniors and Freshmen need to arrive early to ALHS to arrange to get a water cooler from the trainer.  The trainer will be available from 6:30AM to 1:00PM on Wednesday.  All players should bring a water bottle to fill up during the game.  (We are going "green" and eliminating the use of paper cups on the sidelines).  Captains for the season will be announced before the game.

Thursday, August 8th ~ Team Photos

Our time slot is 9:45AM at ALHS Stadium.  Wear White Home kit.  Arrive by 9:30AM with your completed Player Bio form.

Thursday, August 8th ~ Training 3:30PM-5:00PM @ ALHS Stadium

Thursday, August 8th ~ Mandatory Fall Sports Parent Meeting at 7:00PM @ ALHS PAC

The program specific meeting will be held immediately following the ALHS meeting.  Each player must have a parent present.  Players should also attend as we will be discussing program expectations.

Friday, August 9th ~ FREE DAY!

Saturday, August 10th ~ LCSCA Preview @ Vermillion High School

Sunday, August 11th ~ FREE DAY!


Shorty Sez:
This week we are going to feature some thoughts from Coach Daegen that he calls "Mental Toughness":

Some food for thought . . .


Strong Desire to Succeed

*  Do I know where I am going and how I am going to get there?
*  How badly do I want it?
*  Am I prepared to make the sacrifices to get there?
*  Pride - Personal responsibility in delivering excellence.

Stay Positive in the Face of Challenge and Pressure

*  Competition is a continuous presentation of challenges and problems.
*  How good are you at staying positive under pressure?
*  Do you love the challenge of tough competition?
*  How well do you deal with adversity?

Control the Controllables

*  Do you worry about uncontrollable factors?
*  Focus on things you can do something about.

High Commitment ~ Balanced Attitude

*  Demand more of yourself than others demand of you.
*  Maintain balance.
*  Do I give 100% in training as well as competition even if things are not going well?
*  How committed am I?

High Level of Self-Belief

*  Ability to refocus and come back strong.
*  Can you maintain your self-belief when you are performing poorly?
*  Is confidence under stress one of your strengths?
*  Never give up even when it looks like it is all over.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue with what looks to be an interesting collection of soccer videos presented on YouTube by The Soccer Essentials. I will put a new one up each week and their website may be found at:

www.the-soccer-essentials.com

This week's video is entitled "Best 3 Soccer Moves to Beat a Defender"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ_e00KgZa0&feature=player_detailpage

Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.

News for the Week of July 29, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 7/29/2013:


Schedule for the Week of 7/29:
Busy week ahead for the Shoregals.  Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday will be spent with Avon Lake youth players at our annual camp which many of the girls are working at.  Then the season gets started on Aug. 1st with two a day tryouts on Thursday and Friday.  On Saturday will be our annual Teambuilding outing and tryouts and scrimmages will resume next Monday. Always a stressful part of the season - good luck to all!!


Shoregals around the World:
Ever wondered what happens to old Shoregal uniforms?  Well, in the case of some recent uniforms they ended up in Uganda. Coach Daegen working with Bob Barnes, the Head Coach of Ohio Weselyn Univ. arranged to make a donation to a youth soccer club in Uganda.  See the attached picture:

I have some more pictures which are unfortunately too large to down load into this blog, but if you could you would see a group of young Ugandan boys playing soccer in the old uniforms.  Uniforms that they would not be able to obtain without donations from the U.S.  Glad to see that the old uniforms are going to good use!

2013 Alumni Game:
We would like to post a team pic from this year's Alumni Game - great looking group of Shoregals!!

Video of the Week:
We are going to continue with what looks to be an interesting collection of soccer videos presented on YouTube by The Soccer Essentials. I will put a new one up each week and their website may be found at:

www.the-soccer-essentials.com

This week's video is entitled "The Top Five Soccer Skills Players Need"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqIVj9fCwNM


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women in 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:

Losers say what they’ll do; winners do without saying.

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

If you want it, work for it!

Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete. - Willie Shoemaker (jockey)

Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. - Satchel Paige (Cleveland Indians).

If you still look cute at the end of your workout, you didn't train hard enough.

Shoregal Website:

Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.

News for the Week of July 22, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 7/22/2013:

Schedule for the Week of 7/22:
After a week of two a days in 90+ degree heat and the Strongsville Showcase, the girls will have the next 10 days off before tryouts start.  Rest up, heal up, but keep up with conditioning.  See below for a training video of drills that you can do on your own.


Adidas Strongsville Showcase:
The girls did a nice job at the Showcase as we played some tough teams and were able to be competitive.  All the girls got plenty of playing time and ample chances to work on their skills.  The most pleasant surprise of the weekend took place in the Top Flight Freshmen game where Olivia Siko was selected to take part in the game. 

The Top Flight game featured 58 of the best incoming freshmen from the entire state of Ohio spread over 4 teams that played in a tournament format. Olivia played forward on the Red team. In her first game Siko scored 3 of the 4 goals and assisted with the other goal in a 4-3 win by her team. The last of her goals in that game was a header off a corner kick that proved to be the game winner with less than 4 minutes remaining. She received MVP of the game and was interviewed by Ohio Sports Net. Siko's Top Flight team then moved onto the Championship game. The game ended in a 3-3 draw with Olivia scoring one goal and assisting on the other 2 goals. It then went into a penalty kick shootout which also resulted in a tie, including the 5th PK made by Siko. After 2 more rounds of sudden death, her team finally won the game and championship! 

Said Olivia after the game, "It was an honor to be a part of this game and a challenge to play with such talented players. I couldn't help but smile when I heard my Avon Lake teammates cheering me on and supporting me!" Avon Lake soccer fans will be smiling as well knowing that such a talented player will be taking the field for the Shoregals this fall.


Video of the Week:
I just came across what looks to be an interesting collection of soccer videos presented on YouTube by The Soccer Essentials.  I will put a new one up each week and their website may be found at:  www.the-soccer-essentials.com
This week's video is entitled "5 Soccer Drills Every Soccer Player Must Practice to Improve"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Xtrl26_HBQM&list=PL8917422FE6904AA0


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women in 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:

The 4 A's of Success:
1) Academics.
2) Athletics.
3) Attitude.
4) Achievement.

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

There are no mistakes in life, just lessons.

The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done. - Arnold Palmer

The difference between excellence and mediocrity is commitment.

Success — is how high you bounce when you hit bottom ▼

Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.

News for the Week of July 15, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 7/15/2013:


Schedule for the Week of 7/15:
Coaches Contact days:

Mon.  7/15 - 7:30 - 9:00 am and 1:30 - 3:00 pm at Troy

Tues. 7/16 - 7:30 - 9:00 am and 1:30 - 3:00 pm at Troy

Weds. 7/17 - 7:30 - 9:00 am and 1:30 - 3:00 pm at Troy; High School Summer League Games vs Berea at Troy  5 pm (JV) & 7 pm (V)

Thurs.  7/18 - 1:30 - 3:00 pm at Troy

Fri. 7/19 - Strongsville Showcase (check your schedules)

Sat. 7/20 - Strongsville Showcase (check your schedules)

Sun.  7/21 - Strongsville Showcase (check your schedules)


Strongsville Showcase Schedule:
Please find the schedule for this weekend's Strongsville Showcase at the link listed below.  Due to our injury situation, many of the girls are playing on multiple teams.  Know your team number and look carefully for the game time.

https://www.anss.us/teams/2013girlsschedule/

Good Luck to our Shoregals!!


2013 Alumni Game:
Well, the 13th proved to be unlucky for the Alumni as they fell by a score of 2-1 last Saturday in the annual Alumni Game.  A total of 15 Alumni came back for this year's game and Bridget Lyons tallied the lone Alumni goal to keep them in the contest after the HS girls scored the first two goals of the game.  The Alumni had many great scoring opportunities, but just could not connect on this day while our Shoregals moved the ball around nicely to set up their scoring chances.  The day turned out to be sunny and bright and proved to be an enjoyable afternoon for all.  We will post some pictures starting next week.

The Alumni squad was made up of the following:

Alana Bilancini - Class of 2008

Jamie Bush - Class of 2008

Sammy Harris - Class of 2008

Rachel Shuki - Class of 2008

Sammy Stuart - Class of 2008

Bridget Lyons - Class of 2010

Mary Donegan - Class of 2011

Melanie D'Angelo - Class of 2012

Paige Glasser - Class of 2012

Annie Lyons - Class of 2012

Taylor Nedrich - Class of 2012

Jocey Spitz - Class of 2012

Dana Strimbu - Class of 2012

Jillian Strimbu - Class of 2012

Kailey McClain - Class of 2013


Kudos Korner:
A major event like the Alumni game cannot be put together without a lot of help from our parents, so we would like to thank the following:  Mechele Nally for coordinating the day along with Mark Siko who also manned the grill with Rick Anthony.  Ann & David Stonecipher and Dawn & Mike Carlin also helped with many behind the scenes tasks.


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women in 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:

Trust your coach. Trust your team. Trust yourself.

Act like it's impossible to fail.

If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great. - Tom Hanks

Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't.

Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared. - Sparky Anderson (baseball manager)

Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly. -Shaquille O'Neal

Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.