The Finale In Burlington

Game 13: 28 April in the B-Bracket Championship Match vs. West Des Moines Valley ()

After beating #18, Normal Community, yesterday, we agreed to switch from the A-Bracket Consolation Championship game to the B-Bracket Championship match against West Des Moines Valley, the #3 team in the country. This switch might not have been a brilliant coaching decision if we were trying to improve our record, but hey, we just want to compete against the best up here. So.

Our goal was to get something in the net early in this one. And we had a couple of good early chances off a throw-in and a corner, but 7 minutes in they got a corner. It looked as if Allyiah had the ball in her grasp when the Valley kicked it out and in, but probably didn’t matter much as once again we failed to put away any of our 3-4 dangerous chances, and, with less than 5 left in the half, Helverson laced one from the left side from 25, side-netting. 

The second half we switched into our diamond to control most of the half. Des Moines got one shot on goal and one corner. We should have cut it to 1 the first 30 seconds in on a great Heying ball to the back post. Gabbi Cox boxed one late for Grace at the top of the 6, another great opportunity. 

So we have a couple of formations we can shift into now that work pretty well. 

Without BWhite it’s tough to name a BWhite Player of the Match. I would have to go with Alex and the battle she had with their right forward. I declare Moss the winner, but it might not feel like it in the morning. 

The trip to Iowa is always good for us: the bonding, the challenging teams, the dinner at the Drake, the Talent Show—the whole thing just great. 

We thank so many of our parents for not only traveling to the event but also stocking the buss, making talent show runs to the store, and just making the weekend fun. 

9 days left in regular season. Let’s finish strong and make that playoff run. 

Stats:

First Half. Saints. Shots. 5 (3). Corners. 3 (Ryan 2, Bryson). 

West Des Moines. Shots. 7 (3). Corners. 1

33:20 Overstreet (left-footed service goes high and to mid post, before attempted to be cleared and then kicked out of Allyiah’s hands?)

4:09 Helverson (turns the diagonal switch into a quick shot and finish, side netting from 25. 

Second Half:

Saints. Shots. 6 (3) Corners. 3 (O’Keefe, Heying, Pigott) 

West Des Moines. Shots 4 (1). Corners. 2

TOC: Round 2

Game 12: vs. Normal (IL) in Burlington at 5:00, second round (2-0)

Well, we would have loved seeing Normal beaten in the first round if we would have won, but we both opened the tourney with a loss, setting up a great second round match-up.

We pretty much played a similar game to this morning, but this time we scored on a second-half corner, and then we got a late goal from Marge on a defensive breakdown.

Kyli Jackson, Marge Pigott, Grace O'Keefe, Mallory Heying, Kate Goza and Allyiah Calvert played 160 minutes each today out of 160 minutes.  That's unreal.  Amanda Hamm would help that situation a lot, but still pretty darn gutsy performances by all of them.  

Today was a good win for Kansas; we played one of the top teams in Illinois, grabbing a pretty nice 2-0 win.  And we are 6-6-0.

BWhite named Marge Pigott the BWhite Player of the Match. She is one of those 160-girls, and she put the game away adding that second goal.

We have one more left in the late morning.  The competition will not get any easier.

STATS:

Saints:  Shots: 7 (2) Corners: 5 (Muckerman, Bryson, O'Keefe, Ryan, Janky)

Normal:  Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 1 

Second Half:

Saints:  Shots: 6 (3) Corners: 4 (Heying 2, Muckerman, Ryan)

42:20 Ramaekers (Heying bends the corner in for a knock-down in the box)

78:48 Pigott (Chalabi blocks it into Marge)

Normal: Shots: 1 (0) Corners: 1

TOC: Game 1

Game 11:  27 April at Tournament of Champions in Burlington vs. Ankeny Centennial (0-1)

Talent Show in, we begin the National Tournament.

Our first match seemed a replay of previous matches: overall we played very well, generating enough chances to easily win the match, but we just don't finish balls.

We had 75% of the possession, generated 8 corners, gave up 2-3 shots all match, and overall played very well defensively.  

BWhite recognized Kyli Jackson as the BWhite Player of the Match.  She ran the middle of the defense—served really as the voice of the back.

Normal, Illinois who was 12-0-1, unfortunately, was upset in their first match, so we now will meet them at 5:00 in the quick turn-around match.   

STATS:

First Half:

Saints:  Shots: 7 (2) Corners: 3 (O'Keefe, Muckerman, Heying)

Jags: 2 (1) Corners: 1

4:20 Langstraat (Frette lifts the long switch; we swing and miss on the clear to create a shot from distance that we deflect off the top of the bar that goes down and over the line)

Second Half:

Saints:  Shots: 7 (3) Corners: 5 (Bryson 2, Ryan, Moss 2)

Jags: Shots: 4 (2) Corners: 2

Taking Down 9-1 Mill Valley

Game 10: 24 April in EKL Match-up at Mill Valley (0-1)

We needed this one. We had failed to put away 3-4 great chances in the first half, and then the wind picked up—and not to our advantage.

Bella got us a great goal 7 minutes into the second half, and then somehow we played some upper-shelf defense to hold the Jags scoreless, despite their having an awesome wind at their backs.

Kyli Jackson made her first Aquinas start at centerback, and she was fantastic. She has a calm about her even in the midst of havoc and chaos that just centers all of those around her.  In fact, we got great games out of Janky, Goza, and Ram. Those four along with 80 minutes of midfield play from Marge, Grace, and Mallory locked down the shutout.

Both Allyiah and Nicole gave us good halves in goal, and our wings tracked back to defend, especially in that second half against the wind.

BWhite went Co-BWhite Players of the Match. He named Bella Bryson for obvious reasons as we just needed that goal so badly, and she delivered.  He also gave the nod to Kyli Jackson whose presence in the back did the most for us pulling off the shutout.

But overall just a good team win, and with it happening right before Iowa, we just hope it sends some momentum with us this weekend.

We now stand 5-5-0.

Stats:

Frist Half:  Saints:  Shots: 6 (3) Corners: 2 (Muckerman, O'Keefe)

Jags: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 2

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 3 (2) Corners: 1 (Bryson)

33:42 Bryson (we get a great build into a Moss shot that is blocked)

Jags: Shots: 5 (1) Corners:1

Second Half of the Season Begins

Game 9: 19 April at SWIDAC vs. BV North (0-1)

Well, it was a heartbreaker as we controlled most of the match but gave up a goal on a long deadball, followed by a long put-back. Calvert tried to get to a ball served back into the box but lost the race to the Mustang, and we just could not recover from that.

We created umpteen corners, but both of the Mustang centerbacks affected almost all services into the box. We were dangerous on 2-3 throw-ins, but we just could not finish them. Grace also got a great look and shot off the Pigott pass, but the Mustang keeper saved it into a corner kick.

We also got a nice look just before the match ended but did not pull the trigger.

We did think we would generate more quality opportunities out of our new formation, but we really didn't. Hopefully, a few more games into the switch will display more of the opportunities we are hoping to see.

BWhite name Kate Goza as the BWhite Player of the Match (Shoutout to Madison Janky at right back) who battled all night to snuff out most everything that entered the middle of the field.

We will get to take another look this Tuesday at Mill Valley, and then we are off to the national tourney. 

We are close to getting it all together. We are now 4-5.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 7 (3) Corners: 5 (O'Keefe 2, Jackson, Muckerman, Ryan)

Mustangs: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 0

Second Half:

Saints: Shots: 8 (3) Corners: 4 (Muckerman, Moss, O'Keefe, Janky)

Mustangs: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 0

1:31 Peshoff: (Ball gets served long back into the box with Calvert racing to beat the North player to the ball. She loses the race and her defensive position.)

2nd Day in Wichita

Game 8: 14 April at Maize vs. Kapaun (0-2)

We are halfway. We now stand 4-4-0. Today conditions were awful. We were not very good in the first half when we had the 28-mile-an-hour wind when we really needed to be. 

I did think we played well second half against it, but we still gave up a goal and did not cash one. But we did create a few good opportunities against the wind. We connected pass after pass, building a few into that opportunity. 

BWhite really liked senior Kat Miller’s play today. She played a lot of the first half and all of the second at left and right back. She closed lots of attacks down. 

Hopefully,  we learned something about playing with the wind today. Shoot lots, but still play balls forward on the ground. Calvert’s punts were chances to score. 

Kapaun fixed us up nicely after the match with Jimmy Johns and Gatorades and waters. Very nice. And they played very well against us. We wish them the best the rest of the way. 

STATS:  

First Half:  Saints. Shots. 11 (4) Corners. 2 (O’Keefe and Heying)

Crusaders:  Shots 3 (2). Corners. 0

5:11 Michaelis (Boulanger beats our right back before playing it across)

Second Half. 

Saints. Shots. 2 (1). Corners. 0. 

Crusaders: Shots: 9 (4) Corners: 2

11:10 Ayala (Fury crosses it to the near post for a volley in front of Calvert).

Travel to Wichita

Game 7: 13 April: Pinkout at Maize at 6:30 (3-2)

We traveled to Wichita this weekend to take on first, the #1 team in the Wichita area, previously unbeaten, Maize. And they are quite good. We thought they were very strong in the midfield and in the back.

The girls played well, holding Maize to 2 shots in the entire first half, one of the shots they did score on, but we created an odd situation with our keeper out defending outside the big box—so when Stegman launched the shot we did not have anyone in the goal to make a play.

We tied it up early in the second, only to give up a go-ahead goal midway through the second.  And with only 8 and change to go, things did not look very good, but Bella earned us a corner (She leads the team with 11 created now.) with Marge placing the attempted clear back and into the goal from her front-post zone.

Three minutes later, Alex Moss knocked a sweet deadball in from 35 to win it.

So it was quite the game.  BWhite named Marge Pigott the BWhite Player of the Match. She was just phenomenal. Her engine just doesn't quit, and in this match where the other team has a whole lot of girls who engines don't quit, she was even more valuable. 

B also gave a shoutout to Alex who hit the game-winner and Amanda Hamm, whose second-half defense at center midfield is one of the reasons we won this match. And Meg Ramakers just put in another 80 solid minutes at centerback.

My guess is we see Maize again if we can return to the final four. They will be there, for sure.

We head back to Maize to play Kapaun at 1:00 tomorrow, but the forecast is not promising. 

We are now 4-3. 

STATS:

First Half:  Saints:  Shots: 6 (4) Corners: 7 (Bryson, Janky, Hamm, Higgerson, Chalabi, Heying 2)

Maize: Shots: 2 (2) Corners: 1

18:06 Stegman (outside the 18-box being defended by Calvert)

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 8 (4) Corners: 2 (Bryson, Hamm)

36:47 O'Keefe (Marge pushes it forward)

8:19 Pigott (Heying bends the right-footed corner in for a front post rebound)

5:28 Moss (direct kick)

Maize: Shots: 4 (2) Corners: 0

20:47 Chapman (Ball is ground crossed to the back post)

PinkOut 2018

Game 6: 5 April at Aquinas for St. James Pinkout (6-1)

PinkOut began with the now famous walkout with introductions. Very nice.

But, things dribbled into halftime where we talked about that 1-1 first half.  At the end of the coaches portion, we gave the girls the opportunity to share what they saw. 6-7 girls spoke up, all with great observations and some ideas about how to do better in the second half.

We had this 2-3 minute burst early in the second half where we not only scored 3 goals but also reduced their team by one player. It started with a Maggie jaw-dropper, followed by an O'Keefe breakaway off the Goza pass, to Janky getting destroyed in the box for not only a PK but also a red card.

The girls just hit the field second half with some energy and some determination. It was the best half we have played all year.

BWhite named Co-Players of the Match (and honestly we could have gone further than that as we had so much good take place). Maggie Ryan, who hit that massive second-half shot that started the 3-goals-in-2-minutes sequence, was one. And then center midfielder, Amanda Hamm, who pushed through illness to give us lots of minutes where she won and defended the middle to go along with her 3 big-time assists, her first helping to create the first goal this season from run-of-play.

Honestly, the first half was even, with the Thunder winning a lot of the middle of the field. But that wasn't what took place second half.

Veronica Carroll made her varsity debut tonight, and she did well. Megan Whorely debuted last night, but she added a couple more halves tonight, giving us lots of good minutes. We have had to battle through some injuries, especially in the midfield and up top.  But some of our extended girls have come up from JV to give us some good minutes. Grace and Amanda were not 100%, but they did give us big-time minutes tonight.  And Kyli went some tonight, even starting, and we hope to see her back at full strength for next weekend. 

We have a long weekend before a string of practice days before we try out Maize and Kapuan down in Wichita.  That trip should tell us how we are evolving. Second half was a big step forward tonight.

Trophy Presentation

STATS:

First Half:  Saints: Shots: 6 (5) Corners: 4 (Pigott, Chalabi, O'Keefe, Heying)

30:02 Pigott (Hamm hits the D-ball into the left corner of the box)

Thunder: Shots: 3 (2) Corners: 1

8:46 Caldwell (through ball into an air box ball for the nice header)

Second Half: Saints Shots: 20 (9) Corners: 6 (Chalabi 2, Bryson, O'Keefe, Hamm, Ram)

32:34 Ryan (Hamm slips it on the rotation)

32:16 O'Keefe (Goza 1-touches the counter, yes only 18 seconds later)

30:37 O'Keefe (Grace buries the PK earned by Janky from Hamm again! 1 minute and 39 seconds later)

25:17 Ryan (Heying bends the lefty-corner to the mid-post)

9:00 Pigott (Heying bends the righty-corner through a Marge touch and on to the far post)

BVSW

Game 5:  4 April in EKL matchup with BV Southwest (2-3)

Although you could not tell at halftime when the score stood 0-0 and both teams had been pretty stellar defensively, this game was in for a wild second half.

We went from posting 9 straight halves of zero to allowing 3 bad goals in the 10th half.  We allowed a counter of our corner to create a corner. And then they scored on that corner.  

Their second goal was just a great rip from their freshman, Vitha, but how we defended it left something to be desired.

And then we tied it up with just under 13, only to basically give up a goal on the kickoff.  

And no, we did not score from the run of play, but we did generate some nice things offensively in the second half. So that leads me to believe we are just about to break out.

BWhite recognized Mallory Heying as the BWhite Player of the Game. She was missing both Jackson and Hamm in her midfield, but she hung tight and with some great defense by Marge as well kept Southwest's very good midfield at bay.

I loved how hard we played and how we kept playing. I think we can fix the defensive mistakes, and I think we are about to combine for some goals from the field.  So I am optimistic. 

We will obviously see them again and the next time will count a lot more.

We are 2-3. St. James tomorrow.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints:

Shots: 1 (1) Corners: 0

BVSW: Shots: 3 (2) Corners: 1

Second Half:

Saints:  Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 6 (Bryson 3, Chalabi, O'Keefe, Heying)

30:23 Own Goal (Mallory bends one in that hits of the SW Defender and in.)

12:56 Moss: (Mallory serves the long deadball that is weakly cleared to Janky's foot who puts it back on for the finish).

T-Wolves: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 2

26:08 Schechinger (the corner gets through the crowd to her foot)

16:38 Vitha (ball gets played forward)

12:32 Hartweger (her blindside run gets reward with a through ball)