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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 15:05:03 GMT -6
2004 Division I February 28, 2004 Tad Gormley Stadium Lafayette 1 Jesuit 0
Jesuit’s rally comes up short vs. Lafayette Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 29, 2004 Author: Jim Rapier Staff writer Last year, Lafayette’s furious rally at the end of the boys Division I state soccer title match against Jesuit fell short.
On Saturday, Lafayette fended off Jesuit’s rally attempt, which included three shots on goal off one corner kick in the final minute, to defeat the Blue Jays 1-0 at the Nokia Sugar Bowl State Soccer Championship at Tad Gormley Stadium.
The victory gives Lafayette (38-4) its first state championship in boys soccer . Jesuit (24-4-2), which played in its ninth title match in 11 years, had its two-year reign as state champion end.
Lafayette coach Duaine Belfour saluted Jesuit and admitted the final minutes of Saturday’s match seemed to move slowly before his team could claim the top spot for the first time.
Lafayette, which got a goal from Blake Hardy in the 37th minute, outshot Jesuit 9-5 in the first half.
Hardy was able to control a loose ball in the box off a corner kick from Will Todd and score. "The ball came through, got knocked around and I kicked it, it went off the keeper (Dane Geraci) and back to me and I finished it off," Hardy said.
Jesuit spent the rest of the match mounting a rally. The Blue Jays outshot Lafayette 7-3 in the second half. There were shots but no goals, thanks in part to Lafayette keeper Carlos Thompson, who was selected the Most Outstanding Player.
"I think we had five or six quality chances in the match and didn’t put it in," Jesuit coach Hubie Collins said. "We seemed a little off or always one step away from doing it."
"I really felt with them (the Blue Jays) pushing up guys near the end we might score again," Belfour said. "But they had three corner kicks in the last few minutes and that was scary."
Jesuit’s final corner kick -- its fifth of the second half -- was nerve-racking for Hardy.
"I was losing it," he said. "I was on the sideline trying to sub in."
Lafayette boys eye Division I soccer title The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) - Friday, February 27, 2004 Author: BOBBY ARDOIN LAFAYETTE - Jesuit of New Orleans may have the home field advantage, but Lafayette High School soccer coach Duaine Belfour feels good about his team's chances of winning a first-ever state championship.
Lafayette meets Jesuit Saturday at 7 p.m. for the Division I boys state soccer championship at New Orleans' Tad Gormley Stadium where the Blue Jays play all their home games.
"We're coming into their house to play them for a state title, but I tell you what, our team likes that situation," Belfour said. "We've played well on the road and we have confidence that we can play well there, even though it's on the opponent's home field."
LHS, which finished the regular season ranked at the top of Division I, is one of three Lafayette-area schools playing for a state title this weekend.
The St. Thomas More girls' soccer team (16-4-1), ranked No. 4 in Division II hosts defending state champion Ben Franklin of New Orleans (24-5) at 5:30 p.m. today at STM's Cougar Field.
The Episcopal School of Acadiana-Cade (18-7-5) girls will also travel to Gormley Stadium where they'll meet Newman-New Orleans for the Division III title today at 4 p.m.
Lafayette High (37-4) lost to Jesuit (24-3-2) at Tad Gormley in last season's Division I final.
Belfour said he doesn't know if the Lions' desire to avenge that defeat last year gives him team a mental edge.
"I don't think it's that important, since this team we have is an entirely new one from the one we had last season," he said. "We graduated eight starters after last year and I think Jesuit has something like six new players. The team we have is a young team and they are just excited about going somewhere and playing for a state championship."
Belfour has liked the way the Lions have played defensively this season, but he also has several goal scorers adept at putting shots into the net.
Junior Joey Belfour is the leading scorer (48 goals) on the team his father coaches. The other starting LHS striker, sophomore Kevin Carter, has 21 goals. Midfielders Brian McNamara and Blake Hardy each have 21 goals.
Defensively the Lions have stopper Brennan Pierce, fullback Dustin Menard, fullback Mark St. Cyr and sweeper Jordan Judice playing in front of goalkeeeper Carlos Thompson.
Belfour thinks at 6-foot-5 that Judice is a bit of an anomaly, while Menard is usually assigned to the opponent's most productive scoring side.
"(Menard) plays smart and he is so quick. He's smooth and something what he does back there is amazing. A lot of teams have given up attacking to his side of the field," said Belfour.
Belfour said his defense will have to contend with Jesuit's penchant for the long ball which is aimed at sailing over the top of defenses.
"Jesuit changed up their attack about two years ago. Before they were a team that liked to keep the attack along the ground. Now they try to knock the long ball along the weakside, go over the top or score off the wings," Belfour said.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 15:09:32 GMT -6
2004 Division II February 28, 2004 Terrier Field, Vandebilt Catholic Ben Franklin 0 (wins 3-1 in PKs) Vandebilt 0
Gonzalez guides Ben Franklin to elusive state title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 29, 2004 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer HOUMA -- The old coach, who built the Ben Franklin boys soccer program from scratch in 1978 and led the team through good times and bad, got a serenade from his players and the game ball at the end of the Division II state championship match at Vandebilt Catholic.
The wait for a state championship is over for Diego Gonzalez.
Ben Franklin defeated Vandebilt Catholic 1-0 via a 3-1 advantage on penalty kicks for its first boys state soccer championship Saturday.
"It’s a great feeling," Gonzalez said.
After allowing a goal to Vandebilt Catholic’s Jared Wooley on the first penalty kick, goalkeeper Josh Fogarty stopped three consecutive penalty kicks to win the game for the Falcons.
"Coach Gonzalez deserves a win like this," Vandebilt Catholic coach Doug Hamilton said.
But victory didn’t come easily for Ben Franklin (14-2-2).
Vandebilt Catholic (27-8-1), which entered Saturday’s match having won two consecutive Division II state championships, was the aggressor on offense throughout the match.
It was a scoreless tie at the end of regulation, although Vandebilt Catholic kept the pressure on the Ben Franklin defense and had numerous chances to score. Gordon Blum hit a crossing shot from the left side that went through the box to the right side in the first minute of the second half. Wooley was one on one with Ben Franklin goalkeeper Josh Fogarty in the middle of the box and hit a shot over the goal at 56 minutes. Vandebilt Catholic’s Elliott Lewis got a pass in the middle of the box from Blum and was one on one with Fogarty but missed high at 70 minutes.
Vandebilt Catholic had five shots on goal in the last eight minutes of regulation.
Ben Franklin did not have a shot on goal in the last 20 minutes of regulation.
"I thought they got a little frustrated, and that made a big difference," Gonzalez said.
In the end, Fogarty said it was good for Ben Franklin to win a state championship for the coach who started the program.
"He had been here 26 years and no state championship," he said.
These days, soccer is a real kick for Falcons Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 26, 2004 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer The Ben Franklin soccer program has come a long, long way.
When the Falcons started playing soccer 26 years ago, the team didn’t have an on-campus field and practiced on a field at Tulane. Sometimes the Ben Franklin boys would even work out against the older and more-experienced intramural soccer players at Tulane, who were known for roughing up the high school players during practices.
A year after the boys team was formed, Ben Franklin started a girls team.
Diego Gonzalez saw it all, and even helped build them both. Gonzalez started Ben Franklin’s boys team, which played in the Louisiana Interscholastic Soccer Association, in 1978.
"We had 19 people come out to play that year, and 10 had never played soccer before," Gonzalez said. "It was really a last-minute affair, and then we finished second in district that year."
Elizabeth Plater-Cropp was Ben Franklin’s first girls soccer coach in 1979, and Gonzalez said he used to help the team out a little bit in its inaugural season.
Years later, Gonzalez is amazed how far soccer has progressed at Ben Franklin. This weekend, the Falcons are the only Louisiana school with its boys and girls soccer teams playing for state championships.
The girls team (24-5) tries for its second consecutive state championship -- and third since 1998 -- when it plays at St. Thomas More for the Division II title Friday at 5:30 p.m.
The boys team (13-2-2) tries for its first title -- the team has made two previous trips to the finals -- when it plays at Vandebilt Catholic for the Division II championship Saturday at 7 p.m.
It took a lot of good players, a little bit of luck and plenty of hard work, but the school has developed into a soccer power.
"I think (having the boys and girls teams in the finals) is a tribute to the program," Gonzalez said.
Source of excitement
And Ben Franklin’s students have been taking notice, perhaps because girls soccer coach Laura Carlin said her players hold sign-making parties before every playoff game and put up posters around the school. Gonzalez said there is excitement around the school.
Carlin and Gonzalez are coaches of different generations with contrasting teams.
Good fortune paved the way for Carlin, 24, being hired as the Falcons girls soccer coach three years ago. She originally hired was at the school as a freshman English teacher.
This is the only job she’s had after graduating from Rollins (Fla.) College.
"Then (school officials) found out in the interview process that I had coached some soccer (at the camp and middle-school levels in Florida)," Carlin said.
Ben Franklin had won the girls state championship in 1998, so the foundation was there.
Carlin said Charles Firneno gave up coaching the girls soccer team, so that Carlin could coach the team and he could devote more time to coaching Ben Franklin’s football team.
"It was luck that I fell into it. But as I’ve told our parents, coaching the girls games has had the biggest impact on my life of anything so far," Carlin said.
Ben Franklin finished 10-6 and lost to Ursuline in the first round of the Division II playoffs during Carlin’s first season. In her second year, Ben Franklin’s girls won the state championship.
The Falcons return to the finals with a team led by seniors Lizzie Barnes (goalkeeper) and Rebecca Abbott (midfielder) and sophomore Misa Eiritz.
Barnes has not allowed a goal in the playoffs the past two seasons. Abbott leads the team with 19 goals. Eiritz has 18 goals and leads the team with 26 assists.
"The thing that fueled us last year was that we had such good players, and they were motivated to win the state title," Carlin said. "This year we have more skill ability on our team than last year."
Boys seek breakthrough
That’s not the story behind the Ben Franklin boys’ run to the soccer finals.
Gonzalez, 51, and a lot of fans and observers thought that last season would be the Falcons’ best chance to win their first state title, but the team lost to Vandebilt Catholic in the quarterfinals.
"Last year’s team was the most talented I’ve ever had," Gonzalez said.
Ben Franklin is back in the boys final for the first time since 1986 with a team that had two returning senior starters, goalkeeper Josh Fogarty and halfback Fabian Nehrbass.
The Falcons have nine seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen on their roster.
Sophomore Clinton Smith leads the team with 10 goals. Nehrbass and Fogarty, who has played six games at striker, each have nine goals.
"This year’s team has worked very hard," Gonzalez said. "It has managed to elevate its game in the playoffs."
And Gonzalez said he can’t wait to see how his young team does in the state championship match.
Gonzalez said Ben Franklin’s boys and girls teams have one thing in common.
"I think what they share is a passion to excel and a passion to win," he said.
And the boys and girls players also push each other to win.
"The success of one team is driven by the other one," Gonzalez said.
That’s quite a statement for two teams that didn’t exist 30 years ago.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 15:13:53 GMT -6
2004 Division III February 27, 2004 Tad Gormley St. Louis 6 St. Martin's 1
St. Louis repeats as state soccer champ American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2004 Author: BRIAN GUILBEAU AMERICAN PRESS NEW ORLEANS — The Orange dogpile at Tad Gormley Stadium has become a familiar site.
For the second time in as many years, the St. Louis Catholic Saints hoisted the Division III boys state soccer championship trophy above their heads here Friday after a 6-1 win over St. Martin's Episcopal.
It's St. Louis 'fourth state title, also winning back-to-back titles in 1997-98. It's also the third year in a row for St. Louis to reach the cham-pionship game.
" I don't think the seniors realize yet what they accomplished, " said St. Louis coach Jason Oertling. " One day they will look back on this and remember the opportunities they had here that most players didn't have. "
St. Louis has 11 seniors on its ros-ter, seven of which are starters.
" It's a great way to end a high school career, " said St. Louis senior Joseph Lapira, who scored a pair of goals and was named the Outstanding Player of the Game for the second consecutive year.
Lapira, who also had a pair of assists, deflected the credit for win-ning the award.
" It should have gone to Hank (Chol) or Miller (Flynt ), " the Notre Dame signee said.
Chol, the St. Louis goal keeper who had given up just two goals in the playoffs coming into the game, stopped 15 of 16 shots. He gave up his
only goal with 16 minutes to play after St. Louis (27-6-2) had taken a 4-0 lead and wasn't playing as conservatively on defense.
" It was a pleasure to be here, " said St. Martin's coach Julio Paiz. " St. Louis is by far one of the better teams in the state and they proved it tonight. "
St. Louis proved how good it was, but it wasn't just the usual suspects doing the work.
Sure, senior leaders Lapira and Craig Greenman scored, but so did freshman Joey Kohatsu, who scored the first goal.
St. Martin's, which played aggressively on defense, had its strategy backfire in the 13 th minute of the first half as goalie Brian McCormick came out of the net on a free kick by Flynt only to have Kohatsu head the ball past him for the early 1-0 lead for St. Louis.
" Joey stepped up and was in the right place at the right time, " Oertling said. " That goal really helped open up the field for Joseph and Craig.
" I thought Ryan Duplechain also did a good job for us, " he added.
St. Louis upped the score to 2-0 at the 26 th minute of the first half when Duplechain showed some nifty footwork to dribble the ball between and around several St. Martin's defenders, including McCormick who came out of the net again.
" We committed one too many mistakes, " Paiz said. " In a game like this against a team like St. Louis, you can't do that. "
St. Louis took the 2-0 lead into halftime before adding four more in the second half.
" I think we tried to do too much in a hurry again in the first half, " Oertling said. " We know we are a second-half team and once we relaxed and played our game we started scoring. "
Greenman scored his goal late in the second half to make it 5-1 before Lapira added his second goal of the game in the final minute of play.
" Coach put all of the seniors in at the end, " Lapira said. " I kicked it thinking he would deflect it and some one else would score, but it went in. "
St. Louis stops St. Martin’s in Division III Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2004 Author: Jim Rapier Staff writer When St. Martin’s and St. Louis played in the Nokia Sugar Bowl Boys Division III State Soccer Championship at Tad Gormley Stadium on Friday, it was the third time in seven years they had played each other for the Division III title.
St. Louis took the lead over St. Martin’s in what has sort of become their state soccer championship series after winning 6-1.
St. Louis (27-6-2) won its second consecutive state championship and its fourth overall since 1997, when it beat St. Martin’s. Friday’s victory also avenged a loss to St. Martin’s in the 2002 title match. St. Martin’s (21-3-2) played in its fourth title match in seven years under Coach Julio Paiz.
"It was a pleasure to make it this far," Paiz said. "St. Louis has by far one of the best teams in the state. They proved it tonight."
St. Louis looked dominant at times. Joseph Lapira scored two goals for St. Louis, which controlled the midfield and scored in the 13th, 26th, 49th, 52nd, 69th and 80th minutes. Lapira finished the season with 37 goals.
St. Louis, which starts seven seniors, seemed a step faster and more physical than St. Martin’s, which starts seven sophomores. That seemed a contributing factor to St. Louis controlling the ball and the consistent pressure it was able to apply in St. Martin’s zone.
"I just have a lot of confidence in our seniors," St. Louis coach Jason Oertling said. "That bunch of seniors will not allow us to lose."
"We feel like if we can win the 50-50 balls, then the only way another team can score on us is in transition."
St. Martin’s trailed 2-0 at halftime, and with its transition game was able to create some runs and shots in the St. Louis zone. After St. Louis increased its lead to 4-0, Ben Bologna scored for St. Martin’s in the 64th minute. Overall, St. Martin’s did not seem to muster a push on offense that could match St. Louis’.
"The won the 50-50 balls, especially in the first half, and it helped them score," Paiz said. "Our inability to capitalize on our chances early on hurt."
St. Louis goes for repeat against St. Martin's American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Friday, February 27, 2004 Author: BRIAN GUILBEAU AMERICAN PRESS No two boys high school soccer teams have dominated Division III over the past seven years as much as St. Louis Catholic and St. Martin's Episcopal.
So, it really comes as no surprise that the two will bat-tle for the state title at 7 p.m. today at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.
It will be the third time the two schools meet for the state title, with St. Louis winning a 4-0 contest in 1997 and St. Martin's taking a 3-1 victory in the 2002 final.
" They are a young team that is very well coached, " said St. Louis coach Jason Oertling. " They also have a very good tradition. "
While defending champion St. Louis (26-6-2) is going after its third title, the Saints from St. Martin's will be making their fourth finals appearance in the past seven years.
And, with St. Martin's being just 15 minutes from Tad Gormley in Metairie, the St. Louis fans could be out-numbered — a rarity for them.
" Tad Gormley is close to their school, " Oertling said. " But, with the way our fans travel, I expect us to have as many or more fans than them. "
" I don't think it will be a home game for us, " said St. Martin's coach Julio Paiz. " We've played a couple of games there this year, but this is the state championship, and we will be worried more about dealing with the pressure. "
St. Martin's has to deal with the pressure because, despite its 21-2 overall record, this is a rebuilding year.
" They are older than we are, stronger and psychologi-cally more mature, " Paiz said of St. Louis. " It's going to be a difficult task. "
Paiz said he scouted the St. Louis semifinal win over St. Thomas Aquinas last week.
" I saw them, " he said. " St. Louis is by far one of the best, if not the best, team in the state in all divisions. "
Paiz echoed all the other coaches to have played St. Louis by singling out senior goal and assist leader Joseph Lapira — or as Paiz puts it, " that No. 6 kid, " referring to Lapira's jersey number.
" I'm not going to tell you what we are going to do, " Paiz said. " But obviously there are some things we need to do to shut them down.
" We have to try to shut down that No. 6 kid and their offense as a whole, " he said. " They are such a well-bal-anced offensive team that is looking to finish off a great season. "
Oertling said he expects a strong defensive effort from St. Martin's.
" I think when we get the ball they are going to drop all 11 back, " he said. " That way they can maybe catch us with a transition goal. "
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 9, 2013 18:50:27 GMT -6
2005 Division I February 25, 2005 Tad Gormley Stadium Jesuit 3 Lafayette 2 (OT)
Perfect ending for Jays - Jesuit twice comes back, wins crown in Division I Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 27, 2005 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer Jesuit’s perfect season seemed destined to end this way.
The Blue Jays’ match against Lafayette for the boys Division I state soccer championship couldn’t result in an easy victory, or the 5,000 Jesuit fans in blue and white wouldn’t have had anything to keep them standing on the metal bleachers at Tad Gormley Stadium.
And Jesuit had to fight back from deficits twice in the second half against Lafayette; the Blue Jays had made comebacks their speciality this season.
Jesuit defeated Lafayette 3-2 in overtime Saturday, for its second Division I state championship in three years, by doing something it had been doing all season: finding ways to win.
"The season couldn’t have ended a better way," Jesuit senior forward Wayne Pierce said.
Jesuit (30-0-2), ranked fourth in the nation and first in Region II in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas ranking, finished with a 21-match winning streak.
The match was the third consecutive Division I finals between the schools. Lafayette defeated Jesuit 1-0 to win the state championship last year.
Saturday’s match was another thriller.
Jesuit senior Brandon Retif scored the -winning goal in the first minute of the two 10-minute overtime periods when he got a crossing pass from forward Travis Barbara in the middle of the penalty box and blasted a sliding volley past Lafayette goalkeeper Daniel Johnson.
"This team refused to lose," Jesuit coach Hubie Collins said.
And to prove it, Jesuit rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits against Lafayette, a team which it defeated three times this season.
Jesuit midfielder Brandon Chagnard, who entered the match in the second half, scored both tying goals. Chagnard tied the score 1-1 when hegot a high ball in the penalty box, settled it down and smashed a left-footed shot that hit inside the left corner of the goal between the upright and post, bounced to the ground and ricocheted into the net in the 59th minute.
But Lafayette took a 2-1 lead when forward Joey Belfour slid a shot into the left corner on a penalty kick in the 61st minute. The penalty kick came when Lafayette’s Eric Ellender made a run down the left side and was fouled by Jesuit defender Stephen Duncan in the penalty box.
Jesuit then went on the attack, pushing its players forward and kicking the ball into the Lafayette side. During injury time, Jesuit forward Reece Thomas made a run down the left side and was tackled in the penalty box by Lafayette defender Wyatt Hubble resulting in a penalty kick. Belfour and teammate Kevin Carter received yellow cards for protesting with officials after the call.
Chagnard said he didn’t think he was going to have to take the kick, but Pierce, Jesuit’s captain, volunteered him for the play.
"It was nerve-racking, of course," Chagnard said.
But Chagnard, the game’s Outstanding Player, tied the score at 2 when he stroked a penalty kick past Johnson into the right corner.
Lafayette coach Duaine Belfour disagreed with the call.
"I thought the referees did an awful job," he said. "The better team didn’t win."
Jesuit hoping title match proves well worth the wait Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 26, 2005 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer Jesuit’s boys soccer team made a wish 362 days ago, and today it comes true.
After losing in the Division I state championship last season, the Blue Jays hoped they’d return to the title match this season and face the same opponent.
That’ll happen tonight at 7 when Jesuit (29-0-2) meets Lafayette (25-4-1) for the Division I state championship in the Nokia Sugar Bowl State Soccer Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium.
The Blue Jays are one of five metro area teams seeking to claim a state soccer championship today. Defending Division II boys state champion Ben Franklin (12-4-1) plays at Vandebilt Catholic (25-4-1) in Houma at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last season’s Division II final. This is the third match between the teams this season.
Mount Carmel (33-1-1) plays Lafayette (25-4-1) in the Division I girls final at 4 p.m. at Tad Gormley Stadium, and district rivals Sacred Heart and St. Scholastica meet for the Division II girls state championship at 11 a.m. at Tad Gormley Stadium.
The wait for Jesuit has been a long one, the players said.
"I remember us talking as a team at that (state championship) game last year, and we were talking about how hopefully we would get a chance to play against (Lafayette) in the finals the next year," Jesuit goalkeeper Scott Rosman said. "It just seems like it took forever (for us to get back to the state championship match)."
Despite the stellar season, Jesuit senior midfielder Wayne Pierce said the Blue Jays season will be decided by today’s match.
"This is what we’ve worked for," Pierce said. "Everything we’ve done has been build up for this one game."
This is the third consecutive season Jesuit has played Lafayette for the Division I boys state championship. Jesuit defeated Lafayette 2-1 to win the state title in 2003.
Today’s match is the third between the teams this season. Jesuit defeated Lafayette 3-0 on Nov. 27 and 3-1 in the Lake Charles Showcase tournament on Dec. 18.
Pierce said he and his teammates had something to prove to themselves and Lafayette in the Nov. 27 match, which was the teams’ first since last season’s state championship match.
Pierce said Jesuit was equally determined to defeat Lafayette on Dec. 18.
"I remember in that game we came out so strong and had so much motivation and momentum," he said. "We got a goal fairly early in the game, and we just built it up from there."
Defending champion Ben Franklin will be on guard against a Vandebilt team looking for redemption in today’s Division II boys final. The Falcons defeated Vandebilt 1-0 (3-1 on penalty kicks) in last season’s Division II title match at Vandebilt.
Ben Franklin has won two of the past three matches between the teams. But Vandebilt defeated Ben Franklin 2-1 in double overtime on Jan. 29.
Mount Carmel and Lafayette played earlier this season, with the Cubs defeating Lafayette 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Holiday Classic at UNO on Dec. 19.
"I think in general it is tougher on a winning team in a rematch," Mount Carmel coach Robert Villio said. "I think (there) is always the element that a team wishes to avenge a prior defeat."
Local teams cream of crop - Nine of 12 teams in state soccer title matches from New Orleans area Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 25, 2005 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer Jesuit soccer coach Hubie Collins received an unexpected phone call Tuesday, moments before practice at Marconi Meadows.
"That was the soccer coach at Loyola-Chicago," he said. "He was just talking to me about a player. I’ve had phone calls from the coaches at the University of Dayton, Christian Brothers in Memphis and Long Island University, and Spring Hill about players on my team. The head soccer coach at Clemson University called me and said he plans on watching the Division I finals (between Jesuit and Lafayette on Saturday.)"
But Collins isn’t the only local high school soccer coach receiving calls about his players. The news is spreading: the New Orleans area, with its powerhouse boys and girls teams, is becoming a hotbed for soccer , and colleges are starting to take notice.
Nine of the 12 teams playing in state championship matches this weekend are from the New Orleans area. Newman and St. Martin’s are playing in the Division III boys and girls state championship matches, which begin at 4 p.m. today at Tad Gormley Stadium.
Jesuit (29-0-2) is ranked fourth in the nation and first in Region II in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas rankings. Mount Carmel, which plays for the Division I girls state title at 4 p.m. Saturday at Tad Gormley against Lafayette, is ranked eighth in the nation and first in Region II. Sacred Heart, which plays for the Division II girls state title Saturday, is ranked third in Region II.
Newman boys soccer coach Gerry Mueller, who is in his 32nd year of coaching local soccer teams, said New Orleans is the top soccer area in the state.
Mueller started the boys soccer program at De La Salle in 1972, the men’s soccer team at UNO in 1976 and the Louisiana High School Soccer Coaches Association in 1996. He said soccer in New Orleans has taken off in the past 30 years and ranks among some of the top spots in the nation.
"We’re starting to catch up to those places (such as St. Louis, parts of California and Atlanta), and you can see it when it our kids compete with some of those kids in the colleges," Mueller said.
The difference for area high school teams has been the development of strong club team programs, Mueller said. The club teams give players the opportunity to play soccer year round.
The New Orleans area has six club programs, double the number of club teams in the Lafayette area and the Baton Rouge area. The large number of local club teams means that local players can face skilled players without having to travel.
Sacred Heart coach Sean Moser, who coaches a club team at Lakeview, said the strength of local club team players can even be seen in some of the high school soccer matches.
"When Lafayette, Shreveport and Baton Rouge teams play against top New Orleans teams, they think that those teams are going to be more technical than they are, and they have to resort to playing a more physical style," he said. "They’ll think that they’ve got to kick and run in order to play on offense."
Gary Ortner, who coached the Jesuit boys soccer team from 1990 to 2001 and led the Blue Jays to three state championships, said the strong level of play for New Orleans area teams and players only figures to improve in the future.
"Now the coaches that have gotten into the profession are former players who started playing when they were younger, and they’ve got a lot of experience, and they work well with the young players," Ortner said.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 9, 2013 18:55:16 GMT -6
2005 Division II February 26, 2005 Buddy Marcello Stadium, Vandebilt Vandebilt 1 Ben Franklin 0Vandebilt wins fifth boys state soccer championshipwww.houmatoday.com/article/20050227/SPORTS/502260331?p=1&tc=pgMATT STAMEY/The Courier By KELLY McELROY The Courier Published: Sunday, February 27, 2005 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, February 25, 2005 at 11:00 p.m. HOUMA -- Vandebilt Catholic senior soccer player Raul Doria sat on a bench at a damp and chilly Buddy Marcello Stadium on Saturday night and took off his cleats. "I'm going to call him right now," Doria said. The "him" is his brother, Alberto. The news Raul Doria had to tell him is good. Raul Doria scored a goal in the 42nd minute of the Division II boys state championship soccer match that eventually gave the Terriers a 1-0 victory over District 7-II foe Ben Franklin and Vandebilt's third state title in the last four years. Raul Doria donated bone marrow to Alberto, now in college in Ohio, five years ago when his brother was battling leukemia. Alberto, who Raul Doria said is doing great, was a senior on last year's Vandebilt soccer team that lost the state championship to Ben Franklin, 1-0, in a shootout. "I saw the looks on the seniors' faces after we lost last year," Raul Doria said. "I had to put it in for us." Raul Doria took a throw-in from Jared Wooley and scored in the bottom left corner of the net two minutes into the second half, and the Falcons failed to answer. Fans stormed the field after the final whistle in celebration. The Terriers (26-4-1) controlled the action most of the night. "The goal they scored early in the second half was certainly a reflection that they played a better game than we did," Ben Franklin coach Diego Gonzalez-Grande said. "They created more opportunities. We just couldn't finish it the way we did last year. It's the nature of the game. I have no cause to be angry. It's the equalizing justice of soccer, if you will." After losing the state title match to Ben Franklin last year, the Terriers spilt matches with the Falcons (12-5-1) in the district season, although Vandebilt won the district title by a tiebreaker. "This was a little means of revenge," said Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton, fresh off of being showered with water by two of his players. "I'd be lying if I told you the guys weren't thinking about how they let one slip away last year. It was a classic battle between a great offense and a very strong defense." Hamilton said the forward play of Adam Rogers, Jared Wooley and Raul Doria was key. "We knew if we could get those three up there that one of them would give us the go-ahead goal," Hamilton said. "I told them all week, and actually all year, if we can get one goal early or before Ben Franklin, we were going to be in good position to win." Both teams had chances in the first half, and Wooley scored on a breakaway in the 34th minute of the match but was flagged for offsides. The Falcons had one last chance seconds before the final whistle on a penalty kick just outside the box. But the kick deflected off a number of players and trickled away before being cleared by a Vandebilt defender. Vandebilt outshot Ben Franklin 17-5, and Ryan Porche earned the victory in goal. "I thought we controlled the game pretty much," Porche said. "I really didn't have to do too much. I didn't want it to go into overtime. We don't have too much luck in penalty kicks." Wooley was happy to help bring a fifth boys soccer title to Vandebilt (1992, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005). "The match was incredible," Wooley said. "The crowd was in it. It was fast-paced the entire game. I don't think I stopped running for 80 minutes. That's the way we wanted it, though. They kept it close. They played hard. Give a lot of credit to Ben Franklin, but this was our game, and this was our year." Road to title too tough for Falcons - Vandebilt avenges last season’s loss, tops Franklin, 1-0Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 27, 2005 Author: Chris Stromboe Contributing writer Last season, Ben Franklin defeated Vandebilt Catholic on its home field to end the Terriers’ two-year reign as boys’ Division II state soccer champion. On Saturday, Vandebilt played host to the Division II state title match for the fourth consecutive season and had the chance avenge last season’s bitter ending. The Terriers’ determination to find their championship form on their home field, and a goal by Raul Doria, proved too much for Ben Franklin to overcome. Doria scored the only goal of the matchin the second minute of the second half to help the Terriers bring the trophy back home with a 1-0 victory. It is Vandebilt’s third title in the past four years. "It’s fun to host and it’s fun to win," said Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton. "We felt that we let one slip away last year, and we talked about last year’s loss in practice this past week. And our players had a little revenge on their minds. "This year’s game was a lot like last year’s. We made a few more adjustments, and they didn’t make hardly any changes, and our adjustments helped us win the game. We decided to play three forwards and put the pressure on our defense, and I felt confident that if we scored first we would be in good shape." After a scoreless first half, the Terriers (26-4-1) picked up the intensity. In the first minute, Adam Rogers dribbled past two defenders and had a clear shot at the goal, but his attempt rolled just left. But one minute later, Doria found an opening in the middle of the field. Jared Wooley got Doria the ball, and his line drive kick found the left side of the net, giving the Terriers a lead. "It was a case of being in the right place at the right time," Doria said. "Jared Wooley gave me a good pass, and I got a good rip and I put it in." Ben Franklin (12-5-1), who found themselves on defense for most of the match, got a good look in the 21st minute of the second half. But Clinton Smith’s kick rolled right to Vandebilt goalkeeper Ryan Porche, who only allowed one goal throughout the playoffs. "We created some opportunities, but we squandered most of them," said Ben Franklin coach Diego Gonzalez-Grande. "They defended well, and the goal they scored was a reflection of how the game was played. On offense, we had trouble breaking their defense down because they close the gaps very quickly." The Terriers stayed on the attack for most of the first half and got their first opportunity in the 13th minute off a free kick. But the shot was deflected in the penalty box, and the Falcons regained control. Ben Franklin got its first opportunity one minute later, but Smith’s header in the box sailed just over the crossbar. The Falcons got their only other serious threat three minutes before halftime, when Casey Contreary beat three defenders. His attempt from eight feet sailed wide right. Gonzalez keeps focus on crown - Ben Franklin after second state titleTimes-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Wednesday, February 23, 2005 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer Diego Gonzalez, who started the Ben Franklin boys soccer program from scratch in 1978, has mulled the question before. Could this be his last season? For now, however, that question has become secondary because the immediate stakes are so high. Gonzalez does not want to be a distraction for his young group of players, who will try to defend the Falcons’ Division II state championship at 6 p.m. Saturday in Houma against Vandebilt Catholic. This is the second consecutive season Ben Franklin has played Vandebilt Catholic for the state championship, and the Falcons’ quest for consecutive Division II state titles takes precedence over everything, including Gonzalez’s coaching future. "I basically told our athletic director (Jodee Pulizzano) that I’m taking it one game at a time," said Gonzalez, 52. "No, I haven’t made my mind up, but that’s not something on my mind right now. My focus is thinking about the type of alignment we need to have, starting to correct things that I’m not satisfied with during practice and making sure that the guys are not too anxious." Gonzalez had an almost nonchalant celebration after Ben Franklin defeated Vandebilt 1-0 (3-1 on penalty kicks) to win its first boys state soccer championship last season. On the raucous, noisy bus ride to New Orleans from Houma, Gonzalez was exhausted and sat quietly by himself. It was the most wonderful postgame bus ride he had experienced as the Ben Franklin boys soccer coach, and yet his reaction left some players wondering if the thrill of winning the state title had sunk in for their old coach. "I remember thinking at the time that this was my 26th team, and it was a wonderful feeling (to win state), and part of me regretted the fact that I had not done that before," Gonzalez said. It took a few days before the excitement finally hit Gonzalez, and since then the enormous sense of accomplishment from last year has lasted longer than he expected. Gonzalez has received e-mails from New York to Montana and any state in the continental United States where former Ben Franklin boys soccer players and students have heard about the Falcons’ state championship. Last week Kurt Meyer, a member of Ben Franklin’s 1982 team who lives in Massachusetts, was in town visiting his family and came by the school to talk to Gonzalez and some of his former teachers. Gonzalez and Meyer talked for hours, and the former player congratulated the coach for finally winning the big one. "It’s been a year-long great ride," Gonzalez said. And he doesn’t want it to end. Yet, Gonzalez knows it may. Ben Franklin (12-4-1) has won two of its past three games against Vandebilt, but the Terriers (25-4-1) are ranked eighth in Region II in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas rankings. "It’s hard to calculate the psychological factors in the game, but I’m sure in the back of their minds they wish to avenge last year’s defeat," Gonzalez said. "We just have to go there and play our game."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 9, 2013 19:08:28 GMT -6
2005 Division III February 25, 2005 Tad Gormley Stadium Newman 3 St. Martin's 2
Warner comes through - His late goal pushes Newman past Saints in Division III final Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 26, 2005 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer CORRECTION APPENDED
Newman defender David Warner was beginning to wonder if he would play in Friday’s Division III boys state championship match at Tad Gormley Stadium.
Warner was a defensive replacement with no one to replace for most of the match, spending the first half and much of the second half cheering for his teammates.
Then, Newman defender Robby Evans had a mid-air collision with St. Martin’s Neej Patel on a header in the 74th minute. The force of the collision left Evans sprawled out on the turf. Evans walked off the field with the assistance of a Newman trainer a few minutes later.
"I’ve seen Robby go down like that a few times before, and he’s gotten up quickly," Warner said. "When he didn’t get up right away I knew I was going in."
Warner entered the match as a defensive replacement, and seven minutes later he made Newman history. He hit a free kick from the right corner that went off a St. Martin’s defender and into the goal to give the Greenies a 3-2 victory and the state title.
It was Newman’s first boys soccer championship since 2001.
"I was just trying to put the ball on somebody’s head," Warner said.
Instead, he capped off the first day of the Nokia Sugar Bowl State Soccer Championships in which Newman won the boys and girls Division III state titles against rival St. Martin’s.
Patel, who had his head wrapped in salmon-colored bandages after his collision with Evans, couldn’t believe St. Martin’s (19-5) lost the match the way it did.
"Unbelievable," Patel said. "We were going to win that game. They got lucky."
Said St. Martin’s coach Julio Paiz: "It wasn’t meant to be. I thought (the game-winning goal) was a fluke."
Newman took a 1-0 lead when Marshall Fant scored in the 26th minute. The Greenies increased their lead to 2-0 when Bryan Pendelton made a crossing pass from the left side of the box to Matt Monstad, who touched a shot into the middle of the goal in the 32nd minute.
Newman led 2-0 at halftime.
"We played excellent in the first half," Newman coach Gerry Mueller said.
Mueller warned his players about losing their aggressiveness in the second half, and his predictions came true.
St. Martin’s Ben Bologna scored on a free kick from 45 yards in the 59th minute to make the score 2-1.
The Saints’ tied the score at 2 on a goal by Aaron Hyatt in the 68th minute.
"We definitely showed a lot of heart, desire and determination," Paiz said.
But just when it looked like the state championship had slipped away, Newman’s players and coaches refused to panic. The Greenies (18-4-2) gathered themselves and mounted two solid attacks before Warner’s game-winning goal.
"We’ve always come back to win in the end when opposing teams have comeback and tied it in the second half," Newman coach Gerry Mueller said.
All it took Friday was a player who never thought he would get in the match to make a shot that he never thought would score.
"Every year these state championships get more and more exciting," Mueller said.
. . . . . . .
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CORRECTION / CLARIFICATION
Patel scored goal: In Saturday's Sports section, a story on the St. Martin's-Newman Division III boys state championship soccer match misidentified a goal scorer for St. Martin's. St. Martin's Neej Patel scored a goal for the Saints in the 59th minute of the match. (3/2/2005)
St. Martin’s ready for double feature - Saints, Newman meet for boys and girls crowns Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 24, 2005 Author: Bill Bumgarner Staff writer Given the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s penchant for commercial sponsorship of major events, the Division III state soccer championships would be a natural target for Xerox.
The 2005 carbon copy games will match St. Martin’s against Newman on Friday, beginning with the girls’ championship at Tad Gormley Stadium at 4 p.m. before a 7 p.m. matchup of the same schools for the boys’ title.
The Newman and St. Martin’s boys, co-champions of District 6-III, split two games in league play, and Newman prevailed in a predistrict contest. St. Martin’s (19-4) reached its fifth championship game in eight years under Julio Paiz, and they won the title in 2002. Senior defender Neej Patel -- whose twin sister Neema is the St. Martin’s girls team goalie -- and junior midfielder Chris Denuna were members of that title team.
"Our players are experienced at being in this position," Paiz said. "They have been driven and focused this year."
Paiz cites one overriding factor behind the Saints’ climb to the championship game.
"We have been able to work with them since the sixth grade," he said. "I help with the middle school program, one that sets the philosophy, the discipline and the standards. They have been drilled so long that once they get to high school, they are easy to coach."
Patel and Denuna have enjoyed productive seasons, Paiz said, as have senior defender Joe Schwertz and forwards Aaron Hyatt and Preston Emory. The Saints have allowed two goals in three playoff victories.
"Newman plays a direct game -- kick and run," Paiz said. "We play an indirect game, which is pass-oriented. Newman is very strong, so I think each team has the ability to win this game. To me, it’s a toss-up."
The Newman and St. Martin’s girls are not in the same district, but St. Martin’s coach Al Silvas had a feeling these two would meet at the end of the season.
"At the beginning of the year, I felt that anything short of the finals would have been a disappointment for us, considering the caliber of girls we have," Silvas said. "And Newman is always a premier team in the state."
This will be the first title appearance for the Saints (16-7), who have been led by junior midfielder Victoria Welch, a 19-goal scorer. Senior defender Garet Patterson, senior forward Frances Derby and senior Neema Patel have also been instrumental.
"Defensively, we have not given up many goals (three in the postseason)," Silvas said. "Offensively, we seem to find ways to score.
"Against Newman, we must not allow them to get behind us, and we can’t allow them room to shoot from long range. On offense, we have to make our opportunities count."
Although Welch scored 31 goals last season, she was switched to a new position. "And she still keeps putting the ball in the back of the net," Silvas said.
Newman won the earlier matchup 2-0. "This is our first trip in school history," Silvas said. "We want to make the most of it."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 11, 2013 15:14:19 GMT -6
2006 Division III March 3, 2006 ULL Soccer Complex, Lafayette St. Louis 3 Teurlings Catholic 0
FIVE GOLDEN RINGS Perfect ending Saints win state title American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Saturday, March 4, 2006 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS LAFAYETTE — The St . Louis Saints can now add state champion to the long list of accomplishments they have achieved this season . Winning in seemingly the only fashion they know how , the Saints shut out Teurlings Catholic 3 - 0 in the Division III state soccer final Friday night to win their fifth state championship in nine years . “ It never gets old , ” St . Louis head coach Jason Oertling said . “ Especially when you ' ve got a spe - cial group of players like these kids . ” Ross Thevenot , who scored St . Louis ' first two goals , was named the game ' s MVP . “ I couldn ' t be more excited , ” Thevenot said . “ The team played really well tonight , the shots just fell my way . ” After Thevenot ' s first goal , the Saints took a 1 - 0 lead into the half , then added two more in the second half . “ We came up against a good team , ” Teurlings coach Lance Peltier said . “ We had a chance early and had a couple of goals taken away on offsides calls . But the bet - ter team won tonight . ” St . Louis ( 31 - 0 - 2 ) has won titles in 1998 , ' 99 , ' 03 , ' 04 and now ' 06 . Senior sweeper Juan Bossano was a sophomore the last time St . Louis won a championship . “ That ring will never mean any - thing compared to this one , ” Bossano said . “ Everytime I look at this ring I will think of everything we accomplished this year . ” And that will be a lot to think about . Besides winning a fifth state title and going undefeated , St . Louis has also compiled a list of 25 shutouts , is the top - ranked team in the state and the second - ranked team in the nation . “ This one ' s the best feeling of all , ” Thevenot said . “ The senior class is really close together . All the
guys are a big family , it just feels great to win with these guys . ” Thevenot ' s first goal put St . Louis ahead 1 - 0 13 minutes into the game . The senior for - ward dribbled through three defenders , then shot the ball left past Teurlings ( 22 - 10 - 1 ) goalie Ray Savoie . Thevenot ' s second goal did - n ' t come until early in the sec - ond half , when he took a pass from Michael Lapira to score . Irvin Clark put the game away , scoring as Savioe left the net unattended to come out and get the ball . “ The game was closer than the score indicated , ” Oertling said . “ Teurlings came out hard and they had a couple of shots taken away from them . It was not an easy victory . ” Shutout No . 25 came St . Louis ' way thanks in part to a couple of offsides calls against Teurlings and one near miss by the Rebels ' Jeff Cecil . Teurlings twice scored only to have the goals nulli - fied by offsides calls , and Cecil ' s shot , a would - be score off the top of the goal . “ That ' s soccer , ” Peltier said . “ We needed to stay onsides . ” “ We ' re as proud of those 25 shutouts as we are of being undefeated , ” Oertling said . “ Twenty - five shutouts is something that won ' t be equaled in a long time , if ever . ”
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS Eyes on prize Saints to play for fifth state soccer title American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Friday, March 3, 2006 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS Eighty more minutes . That ' s the message St . Louis head soccer coach Jason Oertling has been preaching to his players all week as they prepare to take the field for a fifth state title against Teurlings Catholic tonight in the finals of the Division III state playoffs . Game time is 7 p . m . at the University of Louisiana - Lafayette track and soccer facility “ I don ' t think of it as much as what ' s at stake as 80 minutes of celebration of what the seniors have done in the last four years and what we ' ve accomplished this season , ” Oertling said . “ It ' s just a matter of 80 more minutes to relish in this season . ” St . Louis ( 30 - 0 - 2 ) and Teurlings ( 22 - 9 - 1 ) are hardly strangers , hav - ing already played twice this sea - son in district . The Saints won both those matchups , 5 - 0 and 3 - 0 . “ As a coach you always worry about having to beat somebody three times in a year , ” Oertling said . “ Obviously , when you have beat them twice , you worry about being overconfident , but I think this team is too intelligent to give in to that . We ' ve prepared ourselves for this moment all year long and I don ' t think that we ' re going to take anything for granted . ” Although Teurlings didn ' t win District 4 , the Rebels have put together a five - game win streak to reach the finals . “ We ' re excited , ” Teurlings coach Lance Peltier said . “ Our stance is there ' s no better way to end a successful season , than to be playing the championship in Lafayette against the No . 1 team in the state . ”
Teurlings will be trying to avoid St . Louis ' 25 th shutout of the season . “ We have to find ways to put the ball through and attack them , ” Peltier said . “ We ' ve got to put pressure on them , but that will be a tough task because they are a very good team . ” Because of injuries , the Rebels have had to move play - ers around , including moving junior Brooke Boudreaux from center - midfielder to for - ward . “ It was more out of necessi - ty than trying to fix some - thing , ” Peltier said . “( Boudreaux ) is the guy we ' re going to have to stop , ” Oertling said . “ He ' s the one that makes things work for them . He ' s the one we ' re going to have to keep under control to give us an opportunity to win . ” Oertling said defender Phillip Landry will get the job of marking up Boudreaux . St . Louis is trying to match Newman as the only Division III schools to win five state titles . “ It ' s one of those things that I think is great for the school and for the program , but what I ' m more concerned with as a coach is these kids winning , finishing the season and going out on top , ” Oertling said . “ Five is nice for me , the school and the pro - gram , but more important is one for the kids . ”
Once - in - a - generation lineup drives St . Louis toward title Balance sets Saints up for shot at fifth state championship American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS ' I think the biggest thing is we refuse to lose and have always found a way to win . ' Jason Oertling St . Louis Catholic soccer coach In its search for a fifth state title , St . Louis Catholic just might have stumbled on perfection . The Saints , playing Teurlings Catholic in the Division III soccer final on Friday night , are a win away from going undefeated for the season , which would be a first in the history of St . Louis ( 30 - 0 - 2 ) . Judging by titles alone , it ' s no secret that St . Louis is Southwest Louisiana ' s top soccer program . Since Jason Oertling took over as head coach in 1994 , the Saints have reached the state finals five times , not counting this year ' s trip . But never before has St . Louis gone undefeated . Never before has it shut out 24 opponents in a season , the total the Saints notched after a 1 - 0 win over Newman in the semifi - nals . And , never before has it been
ranked as high as second nationally , as the Saints found themselves when the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America / Adidas poll was released on Tuesday . “ It ' s pretty amazing when you think about it , ” senior Juan Bossano says . “ It ' s kind of overwhelming . ” “ Coming into this year , expectations were high because we barely fell short last year , ” Oertling says . “ But as high as my expectations as a coach were , we have exceed - ed those this season . ” There are defensive teams and there are offensive teams in sports , but rarely is there a team that fits both molds . St . Louis might be the exception , though . With Ross Thevenot and Irvin Clark , the Saints have found themselves with a pair of forwards who , as Oertling says , can ' t be silenced for an entire game . The defense ' s work speaks for itself : 24 shutouts and 11 goals allowed . So how did St . Louis come to this point , where after four state championships , it was able to go above and beyond even Oertling ' s expectations ? “ I think the biggest thing is we refuse to lose and have always found a way to win , ” Oertling says . “ Even when we ' re not playing our best , one thing really sets this team apart — the focus of the team . A lot of kids are not focused every time , but they ' ve always found way to get the job done and that ' s something to be very proud of . ” Clark and Thevenot , who was a midfielder last year , walked into some mighty big shoes to fill . But rather than just fill in the forward spots respectably , Clark and Thevenot have set themselves apart as perhaps one of the best pair of forwards to play for St . Louis . “ Individually , they are great forwards , but what sets them apart is how well they work together , ” Oertling says . “ As a combination , they ' re as good as any pair of forwards I ' ve seen in Louisiana . ” “ We ' ve played together since we were 11 , ” Thevenot says . “ I think what we do bet - ter than other teams is that me and Irv communicate bet - ter on the field and that gives us an advantage . ” Thevenot is also quick to give credit to his midfielders . “ Ryan Duhon and Michael Lapira set us up well , ” Thevenot says . “ Those guys deserve a lot of credit . ” Thevenot and Clark have both seen their time in the spotlight this postseason , each scoring a hat trick . Clark scored the lone goal in St . Louis ' win over Newman . But what they do when they ' re not scoring is just as impressive , says Oertling . “ They have about as many assists as goals , ” Oertling says . “ That shows how well they work together and how well they drop the ball back to other teammates and allow them to score as well . ” And when the pair might be having a bad day , they rarely have to score more than one goal in a game . “ We have a lot of confi - dence in our defense to get the job done , ” Clark says . “ It ' s up to us to take care of the rest . I ' m pretty sure they feel the same way about us . ” While goalie Rennie Walker certainly demands mention in who is responsible for the Saints dominating defense , it is Bossano who Oertling calls “ the rock or our defense . ” As the sweeper , Bossano is the last line of defense before the opposition gets to Walker . “ He really does clean up any trash that comes through there , ” Oertling says . But it isn ' t his play that really impresses Oertling , it ' s his leadership . “ His desire carried over to younger players , ” Oertling says . “ He ' s been a mentor to the younger players . We ' ve got a lot of leaders , but he really has done a great job of solidi - fying that defense back there . ” A defense that has allowed only one goal in the playoffs . “ Alberto ( Galan ) , Phillip ( Landry ) and I have been play - ing on the same team for a while , ” Bossano says . “ We know each other so we know what we ' re going to do . “ When the other team does get shots off , Rennie is back there . Not much has gotten past him this year . ”
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 11, 2013 15:36:03 GMT -6
2006 Division II March 4, 2006 East Ascension Vandebilt 8 East Ascension 0
In-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/3595/vandebilt-8-east-ascension?scrollTo=42170&page=1Underdog Spartans host VandyAdvocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA) - Saturday, March 4, 2006 Author: CHARLES SALZER Cinderella has a ticket to the ball, but will there be a pumpkin waiting for the East Ascenison boys soccer team or a fairy tale ending? East Ascension will find out 6 p.m. today when the Spartans host defending champion Vandebilt Catholic of Houma in the Division II final. "I suppose you've got an underdog situation with East Ascension," Vandebilt Catholic coach Doug Hamilton said. "I think we've got a lot of factors in our favor, but I'm smart enough to know that you've got to play the game." The Spartans (14-10-2) played a brutal early-season schedule, and started out 3-8 before hitting their stride to produce results that were previously unheard of for the program. An 8-0 record in District 4 brought East Ascension its first district championship, and just its second playoff berth since 2000. Three more wins, including a 1-0 semifinal triumph over 2005 finalist Ben Franklin, vaulted EA into its first state title game. Awaiting East Ascension is Vandebilt (20-3-3), and it's easy to see the Spartans playing the role of underdog. The defending state champion Terriers have won 19 of their last 20 playoff games and three of the last four Division II titles. Overall, Vandebilt is making its ninth championship game appearance already having won titles in '92, '96, '02, '03 and '05. This year's championship game appearance marks the fifth straight for Vandebilt. Three other schools have had four straight title game berths including Catholic High, which won three Division I titles (1990-93). "We have a wealth of experience," Hamilton said. "We also played at East Ascension last year in the playoffs (a 3-0 VC win). Quite honestly, it's something we're glad we've done because we know a little bit about what to expect." Vandebilt's defense might provide the most daunting challenge for East Ascension. The Terriers have shut out all four of their playoff opponents and have allowed just one goal in their last 13 games, a streak during which they are 12-0-1. Making the test even tougher, East Ascension will have to play without leading scorer Lenin Zubia and senior Brian Singletary. Both suffered knee injuries during last week's win over Ben Franklin. "We paid a pretty heavy price for that last win," said EA coach Reuben Ruiz, who was heartened by his team's resolve after Zubia went down in the sixth minute against Ben Franklin. "I was really worried how we would respond," he said. "I was thrilled to death that we didn't let ourselves get down. No matter who came on to the field, we played well as a team with whatever mix was out there." As they did against Ben Franklin, Spartans Jared Cross, Kevin Navarro and Cesar Vallin will be counted on to pressure the Terriers goal. And with Zubia out, East Ascension's best scoring chances might come off of long throws, free kicks or corner kicks. "It's going to be tough," Ruiz said. "I think the key for us is to try and get a set play. It will have to be something that we earn. I think that's our best chance to score." Vandebilt will look to leading scorer Gordon Blum, and seniors John Lepeyre and Eliott Lewis. Rick Beebe and Michael Barker are the Terriers' top defenders.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 11:17:26 GMT -6
2007 Division I Boys February 24, 2007 Independence Stadium Jesuit 2 St. Paul's 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/4367/jesuit-2-st-pauls-finalBlue Jays complete magical season - Jesuit wins state title, only allows five goals and goes undefeated JESUIT… 2 -- ST. PAUL'S… 0 Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 25, 2007 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer A team having a magical playoff run played a team having a magical season in the Division I boys soccer championship match Saturday, and the team with the greater magic won. Playing on a blustery night in front of an almost empty Independence Stadium, Jesuit capped one of its greatest soccer seasons with a 2-0 victory against St. Paul's for the title. The victory finished Jesuit's second undefeated season in three years, but this season's edition of the Blue Jays set themselves apart from the 2005 edition that finished 30-0-2. Jesuit, ranked second in the nation and first in Region II in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas rankings, finished the season with a 31-0 record. The Blue Jays allowed five goals the entire season. Jesuit also won all five of its playoff games 2-0. "This championship is more special (than two years ago), because we had a goal at the beginning of the year to go undefeated and have the least amount of goals scored upon," said Jesuit senior Stephen Duncan, who was a starter on the Blue Jays' state championship team in 2005. "This was a great season." Jesuit Coach Hubie Collins said the credit goes to his players, who worked hard and believed in themselves. "There is a reason why this team is ranked No. 1 and finished the season 31-0, and that's because these guys put in the hard work," Collins said. Jesuit's victory ended a four-game winning streak by St. Paul's (18-10), which came together as a team in the playoffs after losing its last two district games at the end of the regular season. St. Paul's tinkered with its lineup all season before finally finding the right combination in the playoffs. And the Wolves solid mixture of players, led by the strong play of goalkeeper Ross Wiedemann, gave Jesuit a tough match. The teams were scoreless in the first half. Wiedemann came up with big saves to stop Jesuit scoring changes. Wiedemann caught a header from Jesuit's Jordon Bouregois at two minutes. Wiedemann tipped a shot by Duncan over the goal about five minutes later. Jesuit's Patrick Mullins kicked a shot in traffic in the goal box that went high into the stands with about 10 minutes left in the half. The Blue Jays' Matt Madere had a shot from the penalty box that was deflected away with less than five minutes remaining. "Wiedemann made some great saves, and I really feel bad for him," St. Paul's Coach Trevor Watkins said. St. Paul's had its best scoring chance at four minutes when midfielder Scott Mayer kicked a floater from the left corner that was stopped by Jesuit goalkeeper Andrew Mullins. Then Jesuit, playing with a strong wind at its back, went on the offensive in the second half and shutdown the St. Paul's offense. Jesuit took a 1-0 lead at 53 minutes on a bizarre play that contained a bit of bad luck for St. Paul's. Madere got the ball on the right side of the penalty box and kicked a hard crossing shot that was deflected on a dive by Wiedemann. Jesuit's Charles Kleinschmidt got the rebound outside the right side of the goal box. He kicked a shot to the goal that went off of St. Paul's defender Spencer Pearson and into the right corner of the net. "I just came in and got it off the deflection," said Kleinschmidt, who was named Outstanding Player of the match. Jesuit's Chris Cabos scored the second goal when he got a cross from Madere and put in a shot from the left side of the penalty box at 70 minutes. St. Paul's had a couple of scoring threats after Cabos' goal but couldn't score. "It was hard for us to get into a rhythm," Watkins said. "Jesuit managed to control the tempo of the game." As a result, Jesuit is state champions again. "You have to give credit to Jesuit, because they are an outstanding team," Watkins said. And Jesuit finished one of its greatest seasons ever. "I'm going to enjoy this immensely," Duncan said. With Wolves, wonders never cease - So-so season becomes championship run for stingy St. Paul's Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 22, 2007 Author: Billy Turner Staff writer Sometimes things don't go as planned. Sometimes that works for the better. St. Paul's soccer coach Trevor Watkins said that he continually shakes his head in wonder when he looks at his team this season. The team started slowly, sagged in the middle, finished second in District 5-I for the second consecutive season, lost to Mandeville twice, righted itself at the end of the regular season -- and now it finds itself in the Division I state championship. The team avenged those two losses to the Skippers in the regional. The Wolves lost to Rummel in the regular season, and it avenged that loss in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. They now play unbeaten Jesuit, which defeated the Wolves 4-0 in November at St. Paul's Hunter Stadium, in the championship match Saturday at 7 p.m. in Shreveport. Just like he planned, right? "We're very lucky," Watkins said. "This team has been kind of an enigma from the beginning. It's a loose group. The kids are surprisingly calm. They're working hard, doing what they always do. "These kids think they belong here. I don't know why they feel that way. Me and my assistants, we're just along for the ride. We shake our heads every day about this team." "We were a little upset in district," said senior Frank Breeden. "We lost to Mandeville, Fontainebleau. Then we began to play pretty good in the playoffs. We've come a long way." The team began to change, ironically, when it did something it always does. For the playoffs, of which the St. Paul's program has been a continual participant, Watkins will bring up some junior varsity players to get them experience in that level of competition. This time, this season, that move paid incredible dividends. "We finally settled on a defense," Watkins said. "We had tried several different defenses all season. Then we made some personnel changes, and we became comfortable with our defense." Two of those changes were bringing up junior varsity players Will Schmidt and John Michael Schroeder. Those two, part of the four-man defensive set, have changed what Watkins has described as a porous defense into something much different. "It was something we had been missing," Watkins said. "We always could score goals, but now we've stepped up and stopped teams." So a team that was 14-9 in the regular season suddenly was difficult to score on. The Wolves have given up two goals in the playoffs, beating Destrehan 6-1, Mandeville 5-0, Rummel 3-1 and winning an overtime battle against Acadiana 1-0 in the semifinals. "We started slowly," said Breeden, whose penalty kick against Acadiana late in overtime put the team where it is. "But in the playoffs we've really come on. We moved a couple of people, and things picked up." Jesuit hasn't had the up-and-down season the Wolves have. It's been up, all the way. "I'm glad we've played them," Watkins said. "They've been consistent all season, but they've changed some things since we played them, and we've changed a lot. We have some idea about their kids, though, that we wouldn't have otherwise." "I'm honored to be playing in this game," Breeden said. "It's exciting. We just have to make the best of it, to play the best match we can play." Since this team has done such remarkable things in the playoffs, could it be that team of destiny that everyone talks about? "I hope so. That would be nice," Breeden said. GOALS WITHIN REACH - Jesuit, St. Paul's and Dominican are ready for state title matches Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer One boys soccer team feels it can't afford to lose, and its opponent relishes the rare opportunity to be an underdog. One girls soccer team hopes to take a magical postseason ride all the way to the state championship. Local schools Jesuit, St. Paul's and Dominican will find out their fates in today's LHSAA Division I state championship matches at Independence Stadium in Shreveport. Dominican (12-5-3) plays Lafayette (23-4-1) in the Division I girls state championship match at 4 p.m. Jesuit (30-0) plays St. Paul's (18-9) in the Division I boys final at 7 p.m. Perhaps in any other year with any other team, a final record of 30-1 may be considered great. But that's not the case for Jesuit, who is ranked second in the nation and first in Region II in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas rankings. "If we lose, there goes the whole season," Jesuit senior Colin O'Flynn said. "This is definitely a must-win." Jesuit defeated St. Paul's 4-0 in both teams' season opener Nov. 21, but much has changed since that match. Jesuit has five players who have scored at least 10 goals in Jake Miranda (17), Chris Cabos (14), Stephen Duncan (12), Blake Day (10) and Matt Madere (10). Jesuit has not allowed a goal in the playoffs. "Jesuit has an outstanding team," St. Paul's Coach Trevor Watkins said. "They deserve every ranking they have and their accomplishments." St. Paul's, however, has found an extra gear in winning its four playoff matches after losing its final two district matches of the regular season. Senior Frank Breeden (21 goals) and junior Guy Guinot (15 goals) have developed into a potent scoring combination. Guinot, a transfer from Opelousas Catholic, has scored 11 goals since being moved from center halfback to forward. St. Paul's has solidified its defense in the past six games since settling junior Ross Dupriest at center halfback and putting juniors John Michael Schroeder and Will Schmidt, both from the junior varsity team, into defender positions. The Wolves have outscored their opponents 15-2 in the playoffs. "We've always been a high-scoring team, but now we're being stingy on defense," Watkins said. St. Paul's hasn't won a state championship since winning the Division II state title in 2000, but Watkins said his players are loose and confident coming into the Jesuit match. "I love being the underdog, and that's not a usual position for us," he said. "I think the kids are enjoying themselves. We've had some excellent practices this week." Dominican is trying to win its first state championship since 2003. It has a six-match winning streak that includes victories against Mount Carmel (1-0 in the regionals) and Mandeville (3-2 in overtime in the quarterfinals). Dominican has outscored its opponents 16-3 in the playoffs and has two shutouts in the postseason. Dominican defeated Dutchtown 4-1 in the semifinals thanks to two goals from Katie Harris and one goal each from Christina Keiffer and Emma Caverly.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 11:21:16 GMT -6
Division II Boys February 24, 2007 Spartan Stadium, East Ascension Vandebilt 3 East Ascension 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/4368/page/1/vandebilt-3-east-ascension-finalwww.houmatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070225/SPORTS/70224016/1032/SPORTS01Vandebilt wins unprecedented third straight state soccer title Terriers shut out East Ascension, again Vance T. Barker Sports Correspondent GONZALES – Saturday night became a historic one for high school soccer in Louisiana. In a rematch of last year’s Division II state championship, Vandebilt returned to Spartan Stadium and beat East Ascension 3-0 in the state final to become the first team in Louisiana to win three straight state titles. “I’m extraordinarily happy,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “We went through a lot of adversity this season. We had some pretty major injuries early in the year. All the preparation and the scheduling is to prepare for a game like this. It’s a tremendous credit to our senior class. They had been to many championship games, but this is the first time many of them had to be the winners and the champions. We knew they had it in them. We peaked at the right time. I couldn’t be happier for the boys.” Not only is the title the third in a row for the Terriers (19-11-2), it’s their fifth in the last six years and the program’s seventh. The victory is Vandebilt’s 27th in its last 28 playoff matches. It was the sixth straight year the Terriers have played for the state title. Mac Corbin began the scoring 5 minutes into the match when he headed a free kick by Bradon Eschete. After a yellow card was issued to East Ascension’s Carey Gautreaux for dissent after a hard tackle, T.J. Freeman extended Vandebilt’s lead to 2-0 on a penalty kick in the 35th minute. The score remained that way through halftime. In the 54th minute, Corbin ended the scoring when he booted in another free kick from Eschette. “This means a lot to us,” Corbin said. “Nobody thought we would do the three-peat. Everybody thought we’d be too young. We just thought different. We came out and decided to play. We knew we’d be all right. We didn’t want to be the team not to do it.” East Ascension (18-8) was issued five yellow cards in the match, all but one coming in the second half. The difference however was Vandebilt’s efficiency on offense. While the Spartans outshot the Terriers 30-10, they failed to get one kick past Vandebilt goaltender Mason Smith, who was only called on to make one save. Most of that was because the Terriers’ defense helped control the action for most of the match. “Bradon Eschette and Mitchell Barker in the middle of the defense were spectacular,” Hamilton said. “They shut down any chances East Ascension had. They played well.” East Ascension goalie Chad Ledler made two saves. “It was a good game, better than last year, but it doesn’t lessen the pain,” Spartans coach Rueben Ruiz said. “They had our backs against the wall and used it to their advantage.” www.houmatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070225/SPORTS/70224017/1032/SPORTS01BOYS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS Execution keys Vandy’s victory Kelly McElroy Staff Writer GONZALES – The portion of Vandebilt Catholic’s game it struggled with all season was the same that helped it win an unprecedented third straight Division II state title. The Terriers scored three goals off set pieces Saturday night to take a 3-0 victory over East Ascension at a blustery Spartan Stadium. Mac Corbin scored two goals off long free kicks from Bradon Eschete, and T.J. Freeman sandwiched in a penalty kick as the Terriers took home their seventh title in school history. “We finally put them (the set pieces) together,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “The guys were extremely focused, especially on those set pieces.” With a strong wind at their backs in the first half, the Terriers (19-11-2) executed to near perfection on their first goal. From behind the midfield stripe, Eschete launched a ball to Corbin, who headed it out of the air and into the net for a 1-0 Vandebilt lead 7 minutes into the match. “Bradon Eschete, my goodness,” Hamilton said. “He has a major leg. Even by his standards, he had a little extra on that one. It was from 65 yards out. It was incredible.” Corbin said the Terriers have been heavily practicing those types of pieces recently. “The last two weeks, we’ve been working on those set plays,” Corbin said. “Early in the season they were really giving us trouble. Bradon sent in some awesome balls, and we were able to capitalize. We finally got it down.” T.J. Freeman scored Vandebilt’s next goal on a penalty kick 4 minutes before halftime that gave the Terriers a 2-0 lead at intermission. Freeman, a freshman, used his left foot to kick the ball low and into the far-left corner of the net for his 42nd goal of the season. “I was nervous,” Freeman said. “Very nervous. At first I planned on going to the opposite corner, but at the last second something told me to change. It worked out perfect.” Vandebilt scored the final goal of the match in the 53rd minute when Eschete made another long, free kick that bounced around the net before Corbin sent it home. “We work on all kinds of free kicks,” Eschete said. “We work on short ones right outside the 18-yard box, we work on midway kicks, and we work on the long ones.” Every free kick won’t always work to perfection or result in a goal, but for the Terriers on Saturday night, three set pieces resulted in a state championship. “Sometimes it’s just luck,” Eschete said. “That first one was a nice setup, but we just got a lucky bounce on the second one, and the keeper couldn’t handle it.” www.2theadvocate.com/sports/6068461.html?showAll=y&c=yVandebilt shuts out EA for title By FRED ALDRICH Special to The Advocate Published: Feb 25, 2007 GONZALES — A thing of beauty. That was the set piece Vandebilt Catholic used to score its first goal en route to a 3-0 win over East Ascension in the Division II-Class 4A boys soccer state championship match at a windy Spartan Stadium Saturday night. It was the second year in a row that Vandebilt defeated the Spartans in the state finals and marked an unprecedented third straight state championship for the Terriers as they finished off an unusual season which saw them start with a 4-11 record, then go 15-0-2 on their way to the championship. The play that set the Terriers in motion came in the sixth minute when Braden Eschete took a free kick from near the left sideline about 8 yards inside the midfield line. Eschete lofted a perfect pass just outside the right post which Mac Corbin took in stride and headed in past diving East Ascension goalkeeper Chad Leodler. “They came at us with so much speed up front,” said EA coach Rueben Ruiz. “Their speed forced us into a defensive posture, and we never could attack on offense the way we wanted to. “They played the wind better than we did, and they just played the ball well all over the field,” he said. Aside from that play, the Spartans fought Vandebilt to a standoff until a crucial play in the 35th minute. EA’s Carey Gautreaux was called for a foul in the penalty box when he and T.J. Freeman collided going for the ball. Freeman, a freshman who is Vandebilt’s leading scorer for the year, drove the penalty kick low left into the goal and the visitors had a 2-0 lead. “That penalty kick took a lot out of us,” Ruiz said. “It was the first time we’ve been called (for a foul) in the box all year. “We got some fouls on what looked like 50-50 balls. Sometimes you get the call, and sometimes you don’t,” he said. The Terriers’ final goal came in the 52nd minute when Eschete and Corbin teamed up again on a set piece. This time Eschete sent a free kick from 40 yards out on the right diagonal into a pack in the front of the goal, and when Leodler couldn’t get a handle on the ball, Corbin kicked it in for the goal. “It’s ironic, but set pieces have been our Achilles heel all season, on offense and on defense,” Vandebilt Catholic coach Doug Hamilton said. “We looked at some things and Coach (Matt) Kelso came up with a new scheme. “I’m just extraordinarily happy with this win. We have guys that played on the other championship teams, but this was the first time they had to step up and be the leaders. “Eschete and (Mitchell) Barker were incredible. Even by his standards Eschete had a little extra zip, and I don’t think they ever got past Barker,” he said. The Spartans’ offense generated only three shots on goal and one free kick which sailed over the goal. Luke Landaiche put the ball in the goal in the 48th minute but the goal was disallowed and Landaiche received a yellow card for interfering with Smith before the shot. Hamilton did not compare this championship to the past two, but said this year was special for more than the state title. “I’m more proud of our journey this season,” he said. “We had injuries early, we played a tough schedule, and we had to overcome adversity. “But everything you do is to prepare you for a game like this, and we knew we could do it. “A lot of this is a credit to coach Kelso. Vandebilt Catholic has a proud soccer tradition, but he has really brought the passion back into our program,” he said. East Ascension finished the season with an 18-8 record. The Spartans tied Lee High for the Division II, District 4 title and advanced as the No. 1 team on a basis of goal differential. Vandebilt Catholic reached the finals by knocking out Lee High 2-0 in the semifinals. Spartans get wanted rematch vs. Vandy Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA) - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Author: ROBIN FAMBROUGH After 25 matches, the long wait is over for the East Ascension boys soccer team. Tonight the Spartans (18-7) get the thing they've wanted for a year - a rematch with defending champion Vandebilt Catholic of Houma (17-11-1). The teams meet in the Division II-Class 4A title match at 6 p.m. at EAHS' Spartan Stadium "Last year was the first time we were in the finals and Vandebilt was very good," EAHS coach Rueben Ruiz said. "But I think as a team we felt like we should have made a better showing. "Both teams graduated seniors and it will be different. I think our guys feel like this is an opportunity." Vandebilt is making its sixth straight Division II title-contest appearance and looks to become Louisiana's first boys team to win three straight state titles. Like Ruiz, VCHS coach Doug Hamilton is making sure his team won't confuse making history with past history. Vandebilt's 8-0 win over East Ascension in last year's title game in Gonzales is definitely past history for Hamilton. "Obviously, I can't tell you exactly what's going to happen," Hamilton said. "I like our chances. I think we're peaking at the right time. "But I can promise you there won't be an 8-0 score this time. I really believe it could come down to the little things you do and to which team makes the fewest mistakes." Playoff results tend to back up Hamilton's remarks. The Terriers advanced to the title match with a 2-0 semifinal victory over East Ascension's District 4 rival, Lee High. The Spartans split their matches with Lee this season. Vandebilt has won 13 of its last 14 matches and is 26-1 in the playoffs in recent years. Freshman forward T.J. Freeman leads the Terriers with 41 goals, including eight in the playoffs. Center defender Mitchell Barker and outside midfielder Scott Bergeron are returning starters from last year. Sophomore goalkeeper Mason Smith and center midfielder Alex LeJeune, who recently returned from an injury, are other players to note for a VCHS squad that graduated 10 seniors last year. Forwards Lenin Zubia and Kevin Navarro each have 21 goals to pace East Ascension. The Spartans graduated six seniors a year ago. Sweeper Carey Gautreaux leads the Spartans on defense. Stopper Reed Guillory will likely draw the assignment of covering VCHS' Freeman. Left back Ryan Greaud and sophomore goalkeeper Chad Leodler are other players to watch. East Ascension's Ruiz says both teams are comfortable playing a possession game in the center of the field. Picking the right opportunities to attack may be crucial. "As a coach, I know I learned a lot from last year," Ruiz said. "I know we changed some things we did all year and that probably wasn't the best decision for us. "We're trying to keep our routine this week pretty much like it has been all year. Hopefully, we can play our best."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 11:25:01 GMT -6
2007 Division III Boys February 23, 2007 Independence Stadium St. Louis 1 Teurlings Catholic 0 (OT)LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/4361/teurlings-st-louis-final-otDIVISION III STATE SOCCER FINAL Still the One Lapira OT goal lifts Saints to sixth state title American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS SHREVEPORT — Clear another spot in the trophy case , St . Louis just brought home another one . St . Louis beat Teurlings Catholic 1 - 0 in overtime in the final of the Division III Louisiana High School Athletic Association soccer playoffs Friday night at Independence Stadium to win its sixth soccer title , the most by a Division III school . Junior forward Michael Lapira scored the winning goal at the 2 : 28 mark of the first overtime period , deflecting the ball off Teurlings ' Kyle White into the goal . Lapira juked a Teurlings ( 29 - 3 - 2 ) defender , then shot the ball from the top of the penalty box . It hit White ' s knee and rendered Rebels goalie Ray Savoie helpless , bounding over his head . “ The deflection made the ball spin over me , ” Savoie explained . “ Basically it was impossible to stop . ” “ When you let teams hang around , things like own - goals hap - pen , ” said Teurlings coach Lance Peltier , whose Rebels have lost to St . Louis in the finals two straight years . For the goal , Lapira was named the game ' s MVP . “ If you are just throwing shots at the goal , one is going to go in , ” Lapira said . The Saints are now back - to - back champions for the third time in school history , having also won state titles in 1998 , ' 99 , ' 03 , ' 04 and ' 06 . Because of how St . Louis ( 21 - 9 - 2 ) won this one , finishing the season on a 10 - game win streak after a sub - . 500 start , it will hold special memories for Saints coach Jason Oertling , who has been at the helm for each of the Saints ' titles . “ We had to fight for this one , ” Oertling said . “ The other titles , we knew if we played our best , we would win . This one , we knew anybody could win . It was going to be who made something happen and who made the breaks . I ' m going to cherish this one because we had to fight for it . ” St . Louis also won 13 of its last 14 . “ It just clicked one day , ” said Saints forward Cory Duplechain , who also started on last year ' s championship squad . “ We just started play - ing together . ” Teurlings was shut out for the first time this season , although it outshot St . Louis 21 - 18 . “ They put a lot of pressure on us , but we had a lot of bod - ies flying around in front of the goal , ” St . Louis goalie Rennie Walker . “( The ball ) wouldn ' t ever get to me . ” “ After the previous games when it was 3 - 2 , I didn ' t think it would be this low scoring , ” Oertling said . “ We always talk about how defense wins cham - pionships and tonight we proved it . “ That ' s a great team we just beat . ” Walker , voted All - America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America , had 12 saves in his second finals appearance in the goal . “ I ' m proud of these guys , ” Walker said . “ This one means more to me than last year because this was nothing but heart . ” Teurlings lost in the final to St . Louis last year also , but rebounded to spend much of this season in the others receiving mention section of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America / adi - das soccer poll . But St . Louis ' win in the final was the Saints ' second victory over Teurlings this season . The Rebels ' other loss was to Clinton , Miss . “ It ' s a hard - fought game every time we play , ” Peltier said . St . Louis , Teurlings have final score to settle District rivals meet in rematch of last year ' s state title game American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Friday, February 23, 2007 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS St . Louis has been watching Teurlings Catholic ' s every move . The Saints ( 20 - 9 - 2 ) were keeping a close eye on whether the Rebels , with whom they shared the Division III , District 2 title , would meet them in the Division III final of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association soccer playoffs . “( Teurlings ) is the one team I would want to play in the finals , ” St . Louis sweeper Andrew Jordan said . “ I wouldn ' t want to play anybody else . ” St . Louis gets its wish tonight when it meets Teurlings ( 29 - 2 - 1 ) at 7 p . m . at Shreveport ' s Independence Stadium . St . Louis ' hopes of playing Teurlings is understandable consid - ering the recent history between the schools . They ' ve made claims to being the top two teams in Division III the past two seasons , also meeting in the final last year . St . Louis won that match 3 - 0 to capture its fifth state title . St . Louis and Teurlings split two district matches this year , both win - ning 3 - 2 . “ I think we felt Teurlings and us were the best two teams in the state , ” St . Louis coach Jason Oertling said . “ If we ' re neck - and - neck , then that ' s who we want to face . We want to prove our - selves against the best . ” “ It ' s going to be a good game , ” St . Louis midfielder Joey Kohatsu said . “ We want the best two teams on the field . If we beat them , we ' ll know we deserve the state title . ” St . Louis was up 2 - 0 at the half against Teurlings in the first match , but stumbled as Teurlings scored three sec - ond - half goals . In the second match , St . Louis needed to win by two goals to win the district cham - pionship outright . The Saints seemingly had that wrapped up , ahead 3 - 0 late in the game . But Teurlings surged again and scored two quick goals to force a shootout for the dis - trict title . “ Just like every day , we have to finish games , ” mid - fielder Ryan Duhon said . “ After practice , Coach puts us up 1 - 0 on the scoreboard with 10 minutes left . We have to fin - ish . ” “ We have to finish as strong as we start , ” Oertling said . “ We ' ve put a big empha - sis on that . That will be a big key this week and hopefully we ' ll do that . ” While Teurlings will be looking for its first title , St . Louis will be playing for its sixth , which would put it in a category by itself in Division III . St . Louis and Newman lead the division with five titles each .
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 13:39:48 GMT -6
Division I Boys February 23, 2008 Independence Stadium Caddo 2 Woodlawn BR 1LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/3480/caddo-2-woodlawn-1-finalwww.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080223/BREAKINGNEWS/80223039A Title of Validation Scott Ferrell A beagle wins the Westminster dog show. A Shreveport team wins a state soccer championship. What's next, the Saints winning the Super Bowl? Check that, it only took 12 years for a Shreveport team to win a state soccer championship. Caddo Magnet did the honors on Saturday night, defeating Baton Rouge Woodlawn 2-1 at Independence Stadium before a crowd of 2,313. The Mustangs' championship was as much about validation as it was coronation. After Caddo Magnet won the St. Paul's tournament during the holidays, the Mustangs ascended to No. 1 in the state polls. This was not surprising to Magnet coach Radi Baltov. "Our coach (Baltov) told us we were going to win state the first day of practice," Magnet goalkeeper Chris Hilario said. "Some of us were kind of skeptical of it. After we won that St. Paul's tournament, we realized we mean business. When we got ranked No. 1 in the state, it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. But this, by far, is the greatest feeling in the world." Some folks in south Louisiana were unimpressed with Magnet's No. 1 ranking back in January. Caddo, as some down south on the Internet message boards like to call the school, still hadn't won anything. And they were, after all, from northwest Louisiana and there was that little 12-year drought. Dismissing the Mustangs, though, only fueled their fire. "We were the No. 1 team in the state and some people just thought it was crazy," Hilario said. "This trophy, us winning this game today, proved everyone wrong who thought that. We are the best team in the state." Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, some New Orleans media types remained skeptical. No one was No. 1 until Jesuit went down, they said. A funny thing happened last week, Jesuit went down. Woodlawn took down the defending state champion. So on Saturday night, playing in the familiar surroundings of Independence Stadium, Magnet went about the process of proving for one final time the Mustangs' are the state's best soccer team this year. They led 1-0 at halftime on the strength of Adam West's goal. They stretched the lead to 2-0 on Alex Blandin's goal and then held on after Marcus Dyer scored the only opponents' goal against Magnet in the playoffs. The Mustangs had made believers out of Carencro on the same field earlier this month. They made believers out of Woodlawn on Saturday. There on the artificial surface stood a proud Caddo Magnet alum, Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, presenting the state championship trophy to the Mustangs. A dozen years' drought for Shreveport soccer is over. And this state championship was no fluke. This was the result of a program coach Radi Baltov has built over the last three years. "We deserve respect," Baltov said, "That was one of our missions. I think we succeeded." Woodlawn gets break, upsets Jays - Jesuit, St. Paul's control tempo in semis but fall; Greenies on to finals Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 17, 2008 Author: From staff reports Marcus Dyer's goal in the 70th minute gave Baton Rouge-Woodlawn a 1-0 victory against Jesuit in a Division I soccer semifinal match Saturday at Muss Bertolino Stadium. The Panthers face Caddo on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Shreveport for the state championship. Woodlawn took advantage of a misplay by Jesuit goalkeeper Evan Keller, who came out of the goal box to field the ball but bobbled it. Dyer then made contact with Keller. The ball fell free, and Dyer scored uncontested. "I saw the keeper was having trouble handling the ball," Dyer said. "We made contact, and I ran past him. The ball came free, and I scored unchallenged." Midway through the second half, the Blue Jays (22-3-4) attempted four shots on goal in a span of four minutes but were unable to finish. "We did not convert our opportunities today," Blue Jays Coach Hubie Collins said. "Our goalkeeper was fantastic all season. I thought we were a little out of sync today." The Blue Jays attempted six shots, including a header by Jake Miranda that was wide of the right post, in the first 10 minutes. The Blue Jays outshot the Panthers 13-2. Woodlawn goalkeeper Sterling Perryman had five saves. John Giambelluca CADDO 1, ST. PAUL'S 0: The Wolves peppered the Caddo Magnet goal about 20 times with balls left, right, high or straight into the arms of goalkeeper Perwaiz Nawabi in Saturday's Division I home semifinal. Not one shot, however, went in. The Mustangs, the first north Louisiana boys soccer team to reach the Division I finals, play Baton Rouge-Woodlawn on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Shreveport. "I was playing with charley horses in both my calves, I was tired," St. Paul's midfielder William Schmidt said. "(Their goalkeeper) played amazing. They were really good in the air and took away our chances." Caddo (27-1) scored in the 12th minute. Zach Kelly pressed toward the goal, drawing the attention of St. Paul's keeper Ian McDougall. Kelly lofted a pass over McDougall, and Adam West sent the shot in. Despite the deficit, the match's momentum then swung to the Wolves. "We had a lot of chances, and he (Nawabi) made a lot of good saves," St. Paul's Coach Trevor Watkins said. "It was our best effort, but it wasn't enough." Tammy Nunez
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 13:41:49 GMT -6
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 13:44:04 GMT -6
Division III Boys February 22, 2008 Independence Stadium St. Thomas Aquinas 1 Newman 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/5132/newman-st-thomas-aquinas-finalN.O.'s last shot at title, Newman, falls in final - St. Thomas Aquinas' just good enough Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 23, 2008 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- It was a disappointing day for New Orleans. For the first time in LHSAA archived history (since the 1997 season), no soccer team from the Big Easy won a state soccer championship. Despite the fact that Newman might have played its best match of the season, including with many scoring opportunities in the second half, it was not able to overcome St. Thomas Aquinas, losing 1-0 in the Division III championship. The Hammond school won its first ever title on a goal by Bryan Wong, who nailed a 25-yard shot with 37 minutes left in regulation. "It was for Grandma," Wong said. Wong's grandmother Annie Jeung died two months ago, and Wong said she must have had something to do with the only shot of the night that went in. He won the Most Valuable Player award for the feat. "(Grandma) was really special to me," Wong said. The rest of the match belonged to the Greenies (16-7-2) in tempo. Newman's Jeffery Hampton had several chances, but couldn't hit the open net. "I think in the second half we played much better," Newman Coach Matt Jacques said. "We had our opportunities, it was just one of those nights. . . . We struggled to finish." Twice in the second half after the Falcons (23-4-1) scored, Hampton coaxed St. Thomas Aquinas keeper Joe Kidd out of the net to get off a shot on the open net. Hampton again drew out Kidd with 31:57 remaining but couldn't get enough direction on his chopping ball. Three minutes later, he had a one-on-one again and missed just right of the goal. Falcons Coach John Cox said he put extra men on Hampton to shore up the defense after the goal. But even five men back -- at least two on Hampton when he got the ball -- didn't shut down his shot attempts. "He still had his chances," Jacques said. The Greenies dictated nearly every pass late in the second half, working relentlessly to even the match. As talented as Falcons midfielder Alex Cervantes was, he didn't get much working time in the second half, as Newman dominated possession. It just wasn't enough to keep alive the New Orleans soccer streak of state soccer championships. The city has no representatives in the Division I finals today. "I think a bunch of teams around the state (are good)," Jacques said. "There are a lot of equal teams. And yes, New Orleans is used to winning. But you have to give respect to the other teams in the state." Newman just where it wants to be - Greenies take aim at state title match vs. St. Thomas Aquinas Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 21, 2008 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer Newman senior David Martin said he always thought he and his teammates had what it took to play for a boys soccer state championship, but there was just one problem. "We'd always have one bad day at the wrong time," he said. There has been nothing wrong with their timing this year. The Greenies (16-6-2) have a chance to win their first state championship since 2005 when they play St. Thomas Aquinas at Independence Stadium in Shreveport for the Division III state title Friday at 7 p.m. The state championship match caps a season of new beginnings for Newman. It all started with the addition of first-year coach Matt Jacques. Jacques was an assistant at Brother Martin for four years before leaving last year to concentrate on his job as an operations manager at The Ramelli Group and as a club coach at Lakeview. He returned to coaching with Newman's team this season, and he couldn't be happier. "This has been a great year," Jacques said. "These players have been great to work with." The only thing that Jacques has tried to get his players to buy into is his experience of being a part of championship teams. "I knew what it took to get a team to the state championship, and I just wanted to bring that to the players," he said. It has helped that junior forward Jeffrey Hampton has scored a team-high 16 goals in his first varsity season. Hampton plays club soccer at Carrollton, so he had a strong knowledge of the game when he decided to play soccer instead of basketball this season, but it took some time to adjust to the high school game. "It's been different," Hampton said. "The intensity level has been a lot greater at high school." The Greenies also have received strong seasons from Martin, junior goalkeeper Drew Starling and senior fullback Josh Wainer. Martin has anchored Newman from his center midfield position. He scored the first goal in the Greenies' 3-1 victory against St. Louis in the semifinals. "I felt that he controlled the game against St. Louis," Jacques said. "He sets the tempo." Starling and Newman's defense also have come up big in the playoffs. Starling made two point-blank saves of shots taken in the penalty box in the early minutes against St. Louis that Jacques said were "momentum changers." Jacques said Wainer has led a fullback group that does a good job of stuffing attacks and holding on to leads. "Our back line is very solid, and they've done a great job of winning balls in the air," Jacques said. This is the team Martin always thought Newman could be. Now, all the Greenies have to do is finish the season with a victory.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 14:57:29 GMT -6
2009 Division I Boys February 28, 2009 Independence Stadium Jesuit 3 Captain Shreve 1LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/10291/jesuit-3-captain-shreve-1Jesuit rallies to gain 9th state soccer title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 1, 2009 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- Jesuit is a dynasty in Division I boys soccer . And the powerhouse added its ninth state championship soccer trophy to the case on Saturday after defeating Captain Shreve 4-1 in front of a Gator-fan-heavy Independence Stadium crowd. It is the third time the Blue Jays (31-0-2) have finished a season undefeated. But it wasn't easy early. Jesuit played without its most acclaimed player, forward Patrick Mullins, because of a previously scheduled Olympic Development regional appearance in Argentina. Missing him and weathering a fierce Captain Shreve opening push put Jesuit behind. The Gators mounted an attack in the 10th minute of the match that paid off. Brennan Randel broke off his defender and zipped a cross to Will Monsour, who kicked a hard shot into the left side of the net. "We're used to being down," said Jesuit forward Mark Reuther, who was selected the most outstanding player for scoring two goals. "The last few games we've been down and we clawed our way back, and we did it again tonight." Captain Shreve held the lead until the 33rd minute. That was when Jesuit's Michael Simmons headed Stephen Cabos' corner kick with precision into the goal to tie the score at 1. "If he hadn't gotten that goal, I don't know if we would have been able to come back," Reuther said. "That was a big momentum change." Reuther is in his first season back after breaking his femur in half playing soccer during his sophomore year. He was a part of the Blue Jays' state championship swim team this fall and got his second championship of the school year. Reuther scored twice in a 10-minute span in the second half on one-on-ones with the Captain Shreve goalkeeper Matt Green. The first goal broke the deadlock in the 60th minute. Reuther took a feed from Zach Correa and drew Green out of the net. Reuther toed the ball to the right of Green for the goal and a 2-1 lead. "Oh, that was a great ball, it was the best ball I've seen in forever," Reuther said. "I knew it was going in; I started going crazy before it went in." By the time Reuther made the second goal in the 70th minute, the Blue Jays were back where they have been all season: dominating. Jesuit Coach Hubie Collins said Reuther's confidence made a huge difference. "He is a very composed player, and when he gets himself into those situations he's got a knack and eye for the goal," Collins said. "And his finishing was excellent. He kept the ball low and drove under the goalkeeper. Maybe a lesser player would have panicked or got nervous in that situation. But I think he must have ice blood flowing through those veins." The match ended up as advertised. The top two seeds in the bracket met for a championship. But in the end, the program accustomed to making it to the finals won. It was the Gators' (28-3) first state championship appearance. "We came out in the first half a little flat, and I think Shreveport was able to capitalize on that," Collins said. "I was delighted we were able to respond to that. We kind of said, 'Look, let's stick to our game plan and not panic. Let's not worry about the fact we are playing into a strong wind.' And the boys came out and did stick to that, and we were able to get the go-ahead goal." 'Odds' are in Jesuit's favor - Captain Shreve stands in way of another title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2009 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer Jesuit has had an odd run in the Division I boys state soccer tournament. In 2003, the Blue Jays (27-1-4) defeated Lafayette 2-1 to win the state championship. In 2005, Jesuit (30-0-2) defeated Lafayette 3-2 in overtime to win the state crown. In 2007, Jesuit (31-0) defeated St. Paul's 2-0 to win the title. And right on schedule, Jesuit is back in the championship match again today with a chance to keep its string of championships in odd-numbered years alive. The Blue Jays (30-0-2) play Captain Shreve (27-2) for the Division I title at Independence Stadium in Shreveport at 7 p.m. "I think the players are delighted to be back in the state championship match this year, because we realized how much we missed it by not being there last year," Jesuit Coach Hubie Collins said. Captain Shreve has a home-field advantage, but Jesuit has championship experience. A victory would give the Blue Jays three undefeated championship teams in five years. In the days leading up to the championship match, Collins doesn't want his players to feel any added pressure from the undefeated season. Instead, he only wants his players to be concerned about the way Jesuit plays, and nothing else. "I don't think 'worry' is a word in our vocabulary at this point in the season," Collins said. "We're looking to win a state championship, and we can't control anything anybody else does. The only thing we can control is what we do on the field." Captain Shreve is playing for the Division I state soccer championship for the first time. Collins said the Gators have been preparing for a long time to have the state championship match on its home field. "Captain Shreve played their semifinal match (at Independence Stadium), and they even played a lot of games there just so they could get the feel of the place," Collins said. Captain Shreve has put together a strong playoff run, outscoring its opponents 13-3. The Gators rallied from a 1-0 first-half deficit and defeated St. Paul's 4-1 in the semifinals. The Gators also have defeated South Lafourche (1-0 in bi-district), Ruston (7-2 in regionals) and Brother Martin (1-0 in the quarterfinals). Captain Shreve is led by Brennan and Connor Randel. Brennan, a senior, scored three second-half goals against St. Paul's. Connor is a sophomore. Jesuit defeated Captain Shreve 2-1 (4-2 on penalty kicks) in the semifinals of the St. Paul's Invitational on Dec. 27.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 15:06:27 GMT -6
2009 Division II Boys February 21, 2009 Messmer Stadium, Loyola Shreveport Teurlings Catholic 4 Loyola 1LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/10225/teurlings-catholic-4-loyola-1Loyola falls short in championship Teurlings takes home second straight boys soccer crown By Jason Pugh • jpugh@gannett.com • February 22, 2009 2:00 am Loyola lived dangerously Saturday afternoon. Against a seasoned playoff team like Teurlings Catholic that usually means one thing — disaster. Such was the case for the Flyers in the Division II boys soccer state championship game at Messmer Stadium. Michael Hollier's two first-half goals set the tone and Teurlings turned back a second-half Loyola rally as the Rebels took home their second straight state championship with a 4-1 victory. "It was a fantastic run for us," said Loyola coach Stephen Slack, whose team entered the 16-team tournament as the No. 8 seed. "We lost to a team that played better soccer than us today. They've got a little more experience, a little more success and believe a little bit more than we did today." Until Hollier tallied at the 22:50 mark of the first half, it appeared Loyola keeper J.P. McPhillips' stellar run through the playoffs would continue. McPhillips was up to every challenge until Hollier headed in a cross from teammate Aaron Courville for the 1-0 lead. "Aaron Courville sent me a great ball across," Hollier said. "I just ran on through it and put it in when the goalie came out." A little more than six minutes later, Hollier beat McPhillips again and gave the Rebels (22-6-4) a 2-0 lead. That lead stood until Alex Szabo headed in Chad Smith's cross with 28:29 to play in the game. The goal cranked up the Loyola fans, but Teurlings was able to call on its four straight state title games worth of experience to quell the rally. "It was a beautiful goal," Teurlings coach Lance Peltier said. "The key for us was to keep our composure. We knew if we could get one more goal we could probably lock it away." With 12:52 remaining, Peltier's wish came true as Courville scored on a header to re-establish the Rebels' two-goal advantage. The Rebels continued to attack late in the game, as Everett Fontenot slipped the final goal just inside the lower right post with 7:30 to play, all but clinching Teurlings' back-to-back championships. Before Courville's goal, Loyola (16-8) remained on the attack. With 21 minutes to play, the Flyers had a breakway that could have tied the game but Teurlings keeper Robert Thibodeaux beat Flyers forward Michael Connor to the ball to maintain the Rebels' 2-1 advantage. The play was Connor's only scoring threat in the game as Teurlings dropped four defenders back against the Flyers attack. "Their defense was physical, strong and fast," Connor said. "They won every 50-50 ball we challenged them on and they really made an impact on this game. They did a wonderful job." As did Hollier, who executed the Rebels' game plan to perfection. "We have two very good forwards," Peltier said. "Our whole game plan was to win the ball in the midfield, attack wide and try to get the balls up to our forwards who are very good finishers. Michael Hollier is one of the best forwards in the state and, when he bagged those first two goals, it gave us a lot of momentum." And it took the early air out of a Flyers squad that defied the odds just to be playing Saturday. "We came together in the middle of the season and looked at each other and said we're going to buy into this and play like a team," Connor said. "We did and we made a great run. It was fun while it lasted. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Maybe with a state title, but we gave it our best shot and that's all we could have done."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 15:29:41 GMT -6
2009 Division III Boys February 27, 2009 Independence Stadium Newman 2 University 1 (2OT)LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/10227/diii-final-newman-1-universityGreenies capture golden win Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2009 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- Newman waged a relentless attack to extend the Division III boys soccer championship Friday night. As it turns out, another relentless attack proved the difference in the fourth-phase of overtime against University at Independence Stadium. Matt Savoie ended up with a ricocheted ball after Newman charged toward University's goal in the first minute of a the final golden-goal period. Savoie scored on a 12-yard shot for a 2-1 victory. "The ball just bounced out to the side (after Mason Neveu's shot was saved), so I just ran up and shot it," Savoie said. "I just let it rip. I didn't see it go in, and I just kind of slid-slash-fell to the ground. I just had no energy left. I just heard everyone screaming, so I just started smiling." It was atonement for last year's 1-0 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in the finals. And it did not come easy. Newman (21-2-4) fought with everything it had just to force overtime. Down one goal, time dipped to less than five minutes, and Newman found payoff for a match it dominated in midfield. It came from the defensive backfield. Guy Scoggin ripped a 60-yard free kick with 4:08 remaining. The ball, aided by a swift tailwind, dipped behind University goalkeeper Bradley Downs' outstretched fingers and tied the score at one goal. "We practiced going up a goal and going down a goal just for this situation," Savoie said. "We knew if we went down that we would battle and we would get one. We didn't get nervous. … He put an amazing shot in from (60 yards). He did that in the semifinals too." The teams played the first two 10-minute overtime periods scoreless. The first of the five-minute, golden-goal periods also went scoreless. Savoie, who was selected Most Outstanding Player, sent the Greenies home victorious. "The boys played with a lot of composure, a lot of experience," Newman Coach Matt Jacques said. "I think that's just what got us through this. We battled all year. The whole playoffs, it's been a test every game. It's just a matter of being composed and making adjustments and making smart decisions." University came out of the half with a 1-0 lead off a set piece. University's Greg Shaw tossed a throw in over the mouth of the Newman goal. William Major flicked the toss and Matt Copeskey, the University center back, headed the bouncing ball behind Newman keeper Drew Starling for the 1-0 lead with 13 minutes remaining in the first half. U-High takes aim at Div. III title Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA) - Friday, February 27, 2009 University High School boys soccer coach Chris Mitchell won't enter tonight's Division III title contest with false expectations. Mitchell knows exactly what the No. 2 Cubs are facing when they square off against top-seeded Newman of New Orleans at 7 p.m. at Shreveport's Independence Stadium. "Newman hasn't given up more than one goal to any team this year," Mitchell said. "They're a highly skilled team. The challenge for us is to find ways to score against them." U-High (22-6-4) and Newman (22-2-4) meet in the final for teams in Classes 3A and below, which closes out the first day of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/State Farm State Soccer Tournament. The Cubs' first berth in the final under Mitchell comes after four trips to the semifinals. Senior-laden U-High has not lost since December. Sacred Heart of New Orleans (18-4-1) plays St. Louis Catholic-Lake Charles (24-5-2) in the Division III girls final at 4 p.m. Division I-Class 5A finals are Saturday. Fontainebleau-Mandeville (21-2) and St. Scholastica-Covington (19-2) meet in the 4 p.m. girls final. Jesuit of New Orleans (30-0-2) meets Captain Shreve (27-2) in the boys final at 7 p.m. Newman's winning streak is just four. The Greenies lost to Jesuit just before the playoffs began. "The difference between Newman and the other Division III teams comes down to the number of skilled players they have," Mitchell said. "Most teams in Division II have two or three highly skilled players. "Newman has seven or eight. A lot of bigger schools don't have that. If we can find a way to score more than one goal, I like our chances. Obviously, we'll have to work hard to create some of those chances." U-High has Louisiana's top scorer in senior forward Micah Peters, who has 43 goals including two in last weekend's semifinal win over defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas. Assists leader William Major, Michael Copeskey and Gregory Shaw are other offensive threats for the Cubs. Matt Savoie and David Napoli lead the Newman offense. Savoie and Jeffrey Hampton each scored a goal in the final 15 minutes as the Greenies ousted Episcopal in its semifinal match. Guy Scoggin and goalkeeper Drew Starling help lead the Newman defense. Matt Copeskey and goalkeeper Bradley Downs are leaders for the U-High defense. "We can't let them control the ball," Mitchell said. "We have to take advantage of any chances we have to score. We know there won't be many."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 28, 2013 8:59:10 GMT -6
2010 Division I Boys February 27, 2010 Independence Stadium Jesuit 2 Lafayette 1 LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/11974Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 28, 2010 Author: Ted Lewis Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- It was just the way Jesuit senior Jordan Schwartz imagined it would be. Closing minutes of the Division I boys soccer state championship, the match on the line and Schwartz lined up for a penalty kick. And the most important part -- it goes in -- lifting the Blue Jays to a 2-1 victory against Lafayette at Independence Stadium on Saturday night, giving Jesuit its second consecutive title. "Everybody was yelling, but I knew I could make it," Schwartz said. "I'd been nailing them in practice." "This is the best feeling in the world -- back-to-back state champions." Not to mention undefeated. The Blue Jays finished 30-0-1 after going 31-0-2 en route to the title in 2009. "Some people take it for granted," Schwartz said. "They say, 'Oh, it's Jesuit, so they should go undefeated.' But you have to get through a lot of hard things to make it happen." Not the least of which was Lafayette. The Mighty Lions, seeded sixth and who had lost to Jesuit 2-0 during the regular season, gave up an early goal by Andrew Brignac before tying the match in the early minutes on the second half on a penalty kick by Charles Sapienza. And after that, Lafayette did most of the attacking. Jesuit goalie Joseph Hart had by far his busiest night of the season, stopping at least 10 shots. Hart's job would have been even harder had it not been for the stellar defensive play of Schwartz, who was selected the game's Most Valuable Player, Stephen Cabos and Michael Yenni. "They were awesome tonight," Hart said of the Lions. "They really kept the pressure on, especially in the second half. "Their outside backs kept pushing up, and they were attacking with eight or nine guys. That's really hard to defend, but I had some good guys in front of me helping out." Even after Schwartz' goal with 2:34 left, the Lions kept attacking, getting a clear kick by Sapienza that just went to the left of the goal, and a pair of corner kicks, one of which was sent over the goal on a header. Hart caught the last one, and, knowing it was the closing seconds, flung the ball as far upfield as he could and then whipped off his shirt in celebration. "As soon as I saw that shot go up, I knew what I was going to do," Hart said. "I was just glad it was over." Schwartz' game-winning opportunity came when Andrew Moise was taken down inside the box by Sapienza. "I decided to take it into the box, but they said I got fouled," Moise said. "I don't know exactly what happened, but there wasn't any acting going on." The state championship was Jesuit's ninth in soccer . "This was a great match," Jays Coach Hubie Collins said. "They definitely had the momentum for most of the second half. "But after that (penalty kick), I knew if we played smart and showed composure, we could come away with the victory. It's one we're going to remember for a long time." That, Swartz said, especially goes for the seniors. "We take so much pride in our program," he said. "The other teams are always gunning for us because we're Jesuit. "Lafayette gave us more tonight than anybody this year. But we always seem to come out with the victory." Defense mindset drives Blue Jays - Jesuit eyeing second straight undefeated season, Division I title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 27, 2010 Author: Peter Steinbauer Contributing writer What's it like being part of a soccer program that hasn't lost a match in two years? For starters, you know you're part of a unit that has strengths everywhere. You and your teammates connect with each other instinctively and maintain focus each match throughout the four-month season. Jesuit is one victory away from its second consecutive undefeated state championship season. The top-seeded Blue Jays will face sixth-seeded Lafayette in the Division I title game tonight at 7 at Shreveport's Independence Stadium. Jesuit is 29-0-1 after finishing 31-0-2 in 2009. This season's tie came against Vandebilt in a scoreless match in January. The Blue Jays have not lost since the 2008 semifinals. An undefeated season would be Jesuit's fourth in school history. "Even when we have a bad game, we always seem to be very strong defensively, so we don't give up many goals," junior midfielder Stephen Cabos said. "Our back four are very strong. If we can't score, we usually don't lose, because we're not going to give up too many. But we have so many weapons on offense, that we usually can always find a way to score at least one or two. Just playing with each other so long, we can feed off each other. We know what kind of runs we're going to make, we know what kind of style each of us have, when we're going to dribble or pass." Cabos, who earned All-Metro honors as a sophomore, has been key to Jesuit's success the past two seasons but will not play in the championship because he injured his knee in the quarterfinals. Senior center back John Barbara said he feels Jesuit has reached the level it has because players are always practicing against teammates who are the top players in the state. Jesuit attracts the area's top talent because of its history of success, he said. "It's how we've been in the semifinals or finals for the past 10 years. It's the undefeated seasons," Barbara said. Coach Hubie Collins, who's coached at Jesuit for 12 years, said he tries to compare different Jesuit teams but finds it difficult because each group is unique. In talking to past players who go to games, he said, the consensus is this team is one of the best. "We're able to play the game quickly," he said. "We're able to play two-touch soccer , one-touch soccer if necessary. Technically, we're very proficient. Tactically, our decision making is exemplary. We're very fit. Physically, we can hang with anybody. Psychologically, when the chips are down and our back is against the wall, that's when you see us at our best." The Blue Jays defeated Lafayette 3-0 in December. The Lions defeated St. Paul's, the No. 3 seed, and Captain Shreve, the No. 2 seed, to reach the championship game. "It's the same thing as every other game," senior goalkeeper Joe Hart said. "Every player on the field has to play great defense, keep their shots and their goals to a minimum. And we have to capitalize on all our chances."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 28, 2013 9:07:19 GMT -6
2010 Division II Boys February 27, 2010 Buddy Marcello Stadium, Vandebilt St. Louis 2 Vandebilt 1 LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/11917/page/1/st-louis-2-vandebilt-1Saints hold off Terriers rally for boys title Matt LeBlanc Houma Courier Staff Writer HOUMA — Before Saturday’s Division II state championship match, No. 2 Vandebilt Catholic had seven state titles to its name, while No. 1 St. Louis Catholic had six. As Vandebilt coach Matt Kelso described it earlier in the week, it was a “battle of the giants.” Now, consider the giants even. The Saints scored goals in the 31st and 73rd minutes then held off a furious Vandebilt rally to take a 2-1 win and claim their seventh state championship in school history. Both teams last won a championship in 2007, with this being St. Louis’ first in Division II after moving up from Division III. The Saints scored off a throw in and a corner kick to take the 2-0 lead. Vandebilt’s T.J. Freeman cut it to 2-1 with a 78th minute penalty kick, but the Terriers couldn’t tie it in the final minutes. “Credit to St. Louis. They came out here, and they executed on set plays,” Kelso said. “We had our opportunities. We hit the crossbar, we hit the post. It just wasn’t going in for us, and they executed one more than we did.” Vandebilt (21-5-2 overall) tried to rally at the end, similar to its 2-1 semifinal win against Teurlings Catholic last week, but couldn’t get the tying goal. “We never felt secured until that final whistle blew,” St. Louis coach Jason Oertling said. “Vandebilt battled the entire time. They just have such an incredible tradition. I saw them come back with two minutes left against Teurlings, so if there’s any time on the clock, they were going to battle the entire way.” For most the game, both teams were evenly matched, with scoring opportunities going both ways. The first serious chance came in the 16th minute when St. Louis’ Patrick Bice followed a teammate’s shot, but sent the ball wide of the near post. Vandebilt answered with a flurry of chances. First, J.J. Waitz’s header off a corner kick hit off the post and went out of bounds for a goal kick. Next, Lawrence Ward’s throw in set up Freeman for a header near the penalty spot, but St. Louis (25-5-3) goalie Trevor Duplechain knocked it down for a defender to clear it from danger. Finally, in the 27th minute, Freeman took a pass near the top of the penalty box and sent a hard shot off the crossbar. “Could we have been better with our shot selection?” Kelso asked after the game. “Probably not. But credit (St. Louis). They’re a fantastic team. We’re a fantastic team. On the night, we just fell short.” Four minutes after Freeman’s shot hit the crossbar, the Saints broke the scoreless tie. James Allen sent a long throw in to the front of the goal. Vandebilt goalie Mike Ortego came out to make a play on it, but dropped the ball. St. Louis’ John Miller was near the ball, and scored on the open net, making it 1-0 at the 31st minute. For most of the second half, the teams battled in the midfield, but late in the match, St. Louis took advantage of its sixth corner kick of the night. Most of the match, St. Louis sent its corner kicks low and to the near post, but this time, Zack Drouilhet sent it in the air and to the far post where Adam France headed it in for a 2-0 lead at the 73rd minute. “We felt like, let’s send (corner kicks) near post, let’s send them low and see if we can get the goalie to kind of overplay that front post,” Oertling said. “Then we hit them with that backside. I’d like to say that it works like that every time, but it doesn’t. It was just something the kids executed perfectly.” Vandebilt answered with some chances off of free kicks, but didn’t get its first goal until Freeman’s penalty kick in the 78th minute. The Terriers had a couple more chances, one on a pass in front the goal that rolled by Waitz and another on a cross that Duplechain saved. Kelso said despite the loss, his team should be proud of its season. “I’m extremely proud of my boys,” he said. “They did not give up. It was easy for them to fold in with six minutes to go when (St. Louis) scored the second one, but we kept fighting. We fell short, but I’m still so proud of my boys.”
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 28, 2013 9:13:02 GMT -6
2010 Division III Boys February 26, 2010 Independence Stadium Newman 2 University 1 LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/11964/page/5/newman-2-university-state-champsNewman gains second straight state title - Newman stops University, wins Division III title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 27, 2010 Author: Ted Lewis Staff Writer newman 2 university 1 SHRVEPORT -- After needing four overtimes to secure the Division III Boys state soccer championship a year ago, Newman was no mood to stick around any longer than necessary on Friday, especially given the deteriorating weather conditions. And the Greenies didn't - scoring two goals in the first 11 minutes and then holding off University High in the second half for a 2-1 victory at Independence Stadium for their second consecutive title. "Getting that quick goal relieved all of the pressure," said senior forward Jonathan Fisher, whose goal with an assist from Mason Neveu at 34:01 put the Greenies (19-5-5) on top. "A lot of people didn't think we'd get here after we lost too many seniors (nine) from last year. "But we proved tonight we're champions." Neveu scored five minutes later, getting the ball through three defenders and then past goalkeeper Connor Lynch. "I didn't think I could get by them, but somehow it happened," said Neveu, who was selected the game's most valuable player. "There was a lot of luck involved there." Plus, according to U-High's Taylor Scala, some illegal activity as well. Scala protested that his jersey had been pulled on the play, but his argument gained nothing, other than to earn him a yellow card. "It was one of the worst play calls I've ever seen," Scala said, "I just don't know why they didn't see it." Newman was able to keep the pressure up for the rest of the half. In the second half, the U-High (16-7-1) was the team applying the pressure and came close to tying the score. The Cubs got a goal at 11:56 on a free kick from 35 yards out by Lynch. They also missed a great opportunity when Scala took a penalty kick that Newman keeper David Harkins dove to his right to stop. "I've only missed one PK this year and I was very confident," Scala said. "Their goalie made a great save. I can't complain about it when somebody makes a play like that." It wound up being, according to Newman Coach Matt Jacques, exactly the type of match the Greenies expected. "You could tell University was really ready for this match," he said. "Hats off to them for really playing well. "It was back and forth all night. And we felt really fortunate to come out ahead. Title-game repeat *** U-High, Newman boys meet again for Division III title Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA) - Friday, February 26, 2010 Author: ROBIN FAMBROUGH It will be an encore performance tonight when top-seeded University High takes on No. 3 Newman in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association's Division III-Classes 3A and below boys soccer final. A year ago, the teams battled through four overtimes before New Orleans-based Newman came away with a 2-1 victory. The Cubs (18-5-5) look to reverse that score when the teams meet again at 7 p.m. today in Shreveport's Independence Stadium. "You do have a lot of players who played last year," University coach Chris Mitchell said. "But I'd have to say both teams are different than last year. "We've already played once (this season) and it was extremely close. We were able to win that one 2-0. It was a case where we were able to score first. They missed a penalty kick and then we made one. Had it happened the other way, it could have turned out differently." Tonight's contest is one of two finals in Shreveport. Catholic-New Iberia takes on Sacred Heart-New Orleans in the Division III girls final that kicks off the action at 4 p.m. University, winners of 15 in a row, has relied heavily on the time-honored combination of defense and balanced scoring in the playoffs. Matt Pardue leads the Cubs with 16 goals and seeks his first goal in the postseason tonight. Taylor Scala (10 goals) and Hayes Patrick (eight) are the other offensive leaders. Scala and Clayton Sampson lead U-High on defense, along with goalkeeper Connor Lynch. UHS also hopes to use depth to its advantage. Finding ways to contain standout Mason Neveu will also be pivotal. Newman (16-6-1) seeks its second straight title and also was the Division III runner-up to Hammond's St. Thomas Aquinas in 2008. "Newman really is a mixed bag in a lot of ways," Mitchell said. "They are skilled team that can possess the ball, but they also want to get it to their top scorer (Neveu). "They'll go to him either by a direct pass or indirectly by moving the ball around. We need to be able to limit his chances with the ball." Neveu has more than 20 goals for the Greenies. Scala will assigned to defend Neveu, continuing his role as the defender who marks the top player for the other team. "The thing I have to try to do is be physical … anything I can do to disrupt his rhythm," Scala said. "We need to try to keep him from getting comfortable out there." Newman coach Matt Jacques said getting into the flow of the game could be a crucial factor. "U-High is a very well coached and an excellent team," Jacques said. "They have some size and that allows them to win a lot of the balls that go into the air. I think the team that settles into playing their game first may have the advantage. But I expect it to be a heck of a game." Also scheduled tonight is the Division II-Class 4A girls final. St. Louis Catholic hosts Houma's Vandebilt Catholic at McNeese State at 6 p.m. SATURDAY FINALS: The LHSAA's soccer championships continue Saturday in Shreveport. St. Scholastica of Covington plays Mount Carmel Academy in the Division I-Class 5A girls final at 4 p.m.
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