Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 14:59:47 GMT -6
2009 Division I Girls
February 28, 2009
Independence Stadium
St. Scholastica 4
Fontainebleau 0
LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/10288
St. Scholastica grabs first Division I title
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 1, 2009
Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer
SHREVEPORT -- St. Scholastica left little to doubt in earning its first Division I state soccer championship Saturday.
The Doves scored in the opening minute, had a two-goal lead by halftime and added two more goals in the second half for a 4-0 victory against District 7-I rival Fontainebleau at Independence Stadium.
St. Scholastica won its previous soccer championship in 2007 by defeating Neville 5-0 in Division II.
Though the score was similar, the championship match against a familiar West St. Tammany foe wasn't.
"This game was so much different," said Kelly Gautreaux, who was chosen the match's most outstanding player. "The game was so intense. The whole game we were just giving our all."
But it was clear which team was playing with momentum.
Michelle Duplantier's goal about 40 seconds into the match deflated the Bulldogs. Fontainebleau goalkeeper Kaitlyn Villars was trying to grab a bouncing ball in front of the goal, and she couldn't secure the ball. Duplantier ushered in the loose ball for the 1-0 lead.
"It basically kind of jumbled up between the goalie and one of our players," Duplantier said. "And I was just there to get it in. It was unbelievable, I really could not believe we had scored that quickly against a team we have always been so competitive with."
St. Scholastica was good from afar as well. Danielle Beatty lined up and hit a 22-yard free kick that fell for a goal and the 2-0 lead the Doves held at halftime.
"Danielle always brings a lot of hustle," Gautreaux said. "Her free kicks are always awesome, they are always long and accurate, always dangerous."
Fontainebleau battled with a gusty wind to establish through balls and also found itself out of position much of the match, leading to fouls and free kicks. A free kick set up St. Scholastica's third goal.
Gautreaux and Beatty lined up next to each other for the free kick. Gautreaux charged first, but didn't touch the ball and instead ran to the far post. Beatty fired at the Bulldogs' defensive front, which kicked the ball left of goal -- - right at Gautreaux's feet. Gautreaux seized the moment.
"That's a free kick we practice at least weekly," Gautreaux said. "I run over it and D (Beatty) can either play me through and I can cross it, or she can shoot it and the ball just happened to come my way."
It seemed like nothing went Fontainebleau's way, including luck. An own goal provided the Doves with their final goal. Bulldogs Coach Carly Hotard said she was hoping to turn around the crestfallen players at halftime.
"The second half -- we were hoping for a tale of two halves, and we tried," Hotard said. "We had the effort toward the end. . . . I just don't know if we were a step behind or what."
Gautreaux said her squad braced itself for a renewed Fontainebleau onslaught in the second half.
"A lot of emotion goes into it because it is a state championship," Gautreaux said. "But we knew we had to refocus, because we knew they were going to come out strong, and they did come out strong. And I think we did really well with maintaining our focus and not getting too hyped up about the score and kept playing hard."
SSA, Fontainebleau to clash for state title - Girls from Covington and Mandeville meet
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 1, 2009
Author: Tammy Nunez
This was something worth waiting for.
No matter what happened in last night's Division I girls soccer championship, just seeing the group of girls from Mandeville and Covington meet on this stage was a realization of a dream.
Finally, Fontainebleau and St. Scholastica played each other for the ultimate prep prize: a state crown. The championship was scheduled for last night in Shreveport's Independence Stadium, but unfortunately, my column had to be turned in earlier this week.
So you'll have to turn to today's sports section if you want to know who won and a breakdown of how that happened. The following words are me applauding the teams for getting there.
For years St. Scholastica has been the heavyweight in Division II. The Doves won a championship in that division in 2007 with some of the same pieces that were expected to play in the final last night.
But everyone who followed these players always wondered what they could do against the other powerhouse on the north shore: Fontainebleau. The Bulldogs, however, are a Division I team and last won a title in 2004.
When the Doves moved up to Division I for last season, the thought immediately crossed the fans' and players' minds. State championship anyone?
It's no secret that western St. Tammany is a bastion of elite soccer . In many ways it shows how much ground the north shore has made on the south shore, which for years was the source of most of the talent in the state.
The tables have turned with this class of players. Nine girls with the Mandeville Soccer Club signed with colleges to play soccer this fall. Behind the seniors are a next generation of talent that could rival the outgoing players.
The thrill of this is most of these girls grew up playing together even if last night they were divided into red and white and blue and white uniforms. They know one another so well, they know their tendencies to some degree, and they harbor an immense respect for one another that naturally spills into sportsmanship.
Last year, neither team was able to strike into the championship. It just wasn't the right time.
Everything aligned during the playoffs this year. The teams split District 7-I matches, setting up the ultimate tie-breaker. The Doves and Bulldogs were tested throughout the past month's playoffs, but both came through when it mattered.
Not all the games were perfect soccer , but there were more outstanding plays along the way to the championship.
And it should be noted: It's not often that the two best teams in the state actually get to the finals. For various reasons, that isn't always the case. But St. Scholastica and Fontainebleau were clearly the finest teams in the state this season -- I believe in any division. Fontainebleau held the No. 1 ranking most of the season, and the Doves won the top seed in the playoffs.
Both teams are good enough to win a state title.
After watching these players enter the St. Scholastica and Fontainebleau programs as talented youngsters and seeing them develop into seasoned, savvy players, it is fitting that a title will be issued to one set of the players.
It will take away from the team that made the long trip back from Shreveport with a runner-up trophy. It won't vaporize the feat of getting to the final, and there is no shame in losing to an opponent of such caliber.
Hopefully it will set a trend in motion. These teams will have wonderful matches in years to come, based on what I've seen of the younger reserves. I have a feeling this won't be the last time the tie-breaker will take place in a state championship.
February 28, 2009
Independence Stadium
St. Scholastica 4
Fontainebleau 0
LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/10288
St. Scholastica grabs first Division I title
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 1, 2009
Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer
SHREVEPORT -- St. Scholastica left little to doubt in earning its first Division I state soccer championship Saturday.
The Doves scored in the opening minute, had a two-goal lead by halftime and added two more goals in the second half for a 4-0 victory against District 7-I rival Fontainebleau at Independence Stadium.
St. Scholastica won its previous soccer championship in 2007 by defeating Neville 5-0 in Division II.
Though the score was similar, the championship match against a familiar West St. Tammany foe wasn't.
"This game was so much different," said Kelly Gautreaux, who was chosen the match's most outstanding player. "The game was so intense. The whole game we were just giving our all."
But it was clear which team was playing with momentum.
Michelle Duplantier's goal about 40 seconds into the match deflated the Bulldogs. Fontainebleau goalkeeper Kaitlyn Villars was trying to grab a bouncing ball in front of the goal, and she couldn't secure the ball. Duplantier ushered in the loose ball for the 1-0 lead.
"It basically kind of jumbled up between the goalie and one of our players," Duplantier said. "And I was just there to get it in. It was unbelievable, I really could not believe we had scored that quickly against a team we have always been so competitive with."
St. Scholastica was good from afar as well. Danielle Beatty lined up and hit a 22-yard free kick that fell for a goal and the 2-0 lead the Doves held at halftime.
"Danielle always brings a lot of hustle," Gautreaux said. "Her free kicks are always awesome, they are always long and accurate, always dangerous."
Fontainebleau battled with a gusty wind to establish through balls and also found itself out of position much of the match, leading to fouls and free kicks. A free kick set up St. Scholastica's third goal.
Gautreaux and Beatty lined up next to each other for the free kick. Gautreaux charged first, but didn't touch the ball and instead ran to the far post. Beatty fired at the Bulldogs' defensive front, which kicked the ball left of goal -- - right at Gautreaux's feet. Gautreaux seized the moment.
"That's a free kick we practice at least weekly," Gautreaux said. "I run over it and D (Beatty) can either play me through and I can cross it, or she can shoot it and the ball just happened to come my way."
It seemed like nothing went Fontainebleau's way, including luck. An own goal provided the Doves with their final goal. Bulldogs Coach Carly Hotard said she was hoping to turn around the crestfallen players at halftime.
"The second half -- we were hoping for a tale of two halves, and we tried," Hotard said. "We had the effort toward the end. . . . I just don't know if we were a step behind or what."
Gautreaux said her squad braced itself for a renewed Fontainebleau onslaught in the second half.
"A lot of emotion goes into it because it is a state championship," Gautreaux said. "But we knew we had to refocus, because we knew they were going to come out strong, and they did come out strong. And I think we did really well with maintaining our focus and not getting too hyped up about the score and kept playing hard."
SSA, Fontainebleau to clash for state title - Girls from Covington and Mandeville meet
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 1, 2009
Author: Tammy Nunez
This was something worth waiting for.
No matter what happened in last night's Division I girls soccer championship, just seeing the group of girls from Mandeville and Covington meet on this stage was a realization of a dream.
Finally, Fontainebleau and St. Scholastica played each other for the ultimate prep prize: a state crown. The championship was scheduled for last night in Shreveport's Independence Stadium, but unfortunately, my column had to be turned in earlier this week.
So you'll have to turn to today's sports section if you want to know who won and a breakdown of how that happened. The following words are me applauding the teams for getting there.
For years St. Scholastica has been the heavyweight in Division II. The Doves won a championship in that division in 2007 with some of the same pieces that were expected to play in the final last night.
But everyone who followed these players always wondered what they could do against the other powerhouse on the north shore: Fontainebleau. The Bulldogs, however, are a Division I team and last won a title in 2004.
When the Doves moved up to Division I for last season, the thought immediately crossed the fans' and players' minds. State championship anyone?
It's no secret that western St. Tammany is a bastion of elite soccer . In many ways it shows how much ground the north shore has made on the south shore, which for years was the source of most of the talent in the state.
The tables have turned with this class of players. Nine girls with the Mandeville Soccer Club signed with colleges to play soccer this fall. Behind the seniors are a next generation of talent that could rival the outgoing players.
The thrill of this is most of these girls grew up playing together even if last night they were divided into red and white and blue and white uniforms. They know one another so well, they know their tendencies to some degree, and they harbor an immense respect for one another that naturally spills into sportsmanship.
Last year, neither team was able to strike into the championship. It just wasn't the right time.
Everything aligned during the playoffs this year. The teams split District 7-I matches, setting up the ultimate tie-breaker. The Doves and Bulldogs were tested throughout the past month's playoffs, but both came through when it mattered.
Not all the games were perfect soccer , but there were more outstanding plays along the way to the championship.
And it should be noted: It's not often that the two best teams in the state actually get to the finals. For various reasons, that isn't always the case. But St. Scholastica and Fontainebleau were clearly the finest teams in the state this season -- I believe in any division. Fontainebleau held the No. 1 ranking most of the season, and the Doves won the top seed in the playoffs.
Both teams are good enough to win a state title.
After watching these players enter the St. Scholastica and Fontainebleau programs as talented youngsters and seeing them develop into seasoned, savvy players, it is fitting that a title will be issued to one set of the players.
It will take away from the team that made the long trip back from Shreveport with a runner-up trophy. It won't vaporize the feat of getting to the final, and there is no shame in losing to an opponent of such caliber.
Hopefully it will set a trend in motion. These teams will have wonderful matches in years to come, based on what I've seen of the younger reserves. I have a feeling this won't be the last time the tie-breaker will take place in a state championship.