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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 12:27:17 GMT -6
1997 Division II Girls February 21, 1997 Jefferson Playground, Jefferson Sacred Heart 1 Parkview Baptist 0
SACRED HEART REPEATS AS DIVISION II CHAMPS - HELM'S GOAL LIFTS CARDINALS, 1-0 Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 22, 1997 Author: GERALD DUHON Staff writer Academy of the Sacred Heart coach Sean Moser knew the key for the Cardinals to successfully defend their Division II girls soccer state championship. Moser knew he must devise a successful defense to stop Parkview striker Jennifer Soileau.
Consider Moser's plan a success. Soileau managed two shots - both on direct kicks after penalties - as the Cardinals shut down the Eagles.
Sacred Heart (20-5-3) defeated Parkview, 1-0, on Lauren Helm's goal in the 77th minute.
"Sean's a great coach. He's coached them well," Parkview coach Phil Knowles said.
Soileau came into the contest as the most celebrated player in Division II. She scored 110 goals in her three-year, 57-game career. Two of her goals came on the Parkview boys team her freshman year. Soileau will attend Ole Miss on a full soccer scholarship next season.
The Cardinals had held Soileau scoreless in three previous meetings. But Sacred Heart was aware of Soileau's history and her potential to break a game open.
"What happened in the Newman game was Newman had no idea about who she was," Moser said. "She scored two quick goals, and that was the end of the game."
Parkview (12-5-3) defeated Newman, 4-1, in semifinals.
Whenever she didn't have the ball, Soileau was consistently marked by center halfback Julie Ramelli. When she did have the ball, up to four Cardinals defenders collapsed around her.
"They put two or three people on me every time I got the ball," Soileau said.
Moser's plan was to single mark Soileau with Ramelli as opposed to multiple marks other teams have defensed her with. Moser's theory on the flaw of multiple marks was Soileau's ability to get lost in the confusion and use her superior ballhandling skills to break free and create scoring opportunities.
Parkview countered by trying to move Soileau around the pitch to change her position. "She started as center half. They moved her up front . . . and then to sweeper," Moser said.
But each time Soileau would make her move, Ramelli, a senior, was there.
(Soileau) likes to make a lot of moves," Ramelli said. "The best way (to defend her) is to stay low and keep your eyes on the ball."
Soileau's best opportunity to score came at 68-minute mark. The Cardinals were called for a foul, setting up the Eagles with a direct kick 30 yards from the goal.
Soileau's shot was knocked down by Sacred Heart goalie Leila Manoucheri. Manoucheri quickly fell on the loose ball to secure the shutout.
Knowles said no one defended Soileau better than Sacred Heart. "It's very infrequent when she doesn't score."
SACRED HEART, PARKVIEW MEET FOR DIVISION II TITLE Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 21, 1997 Author: JIM RAPIER Staff writer The teams in the girls Division II soccer state title match are under much scrutiny for different reasons.
The Academy of the Sacred Heart (19-5-3) is the defending Division II champion and a marked team by opponents looking to knock the crown off. The Cardinals' quest for another title will get its final test at 6:30 tonight against Parkview Baptist at Jefferson Playground.
Parkview Baptist (12-4-3) also deserves watching because of a successful season and because of Jennifer Soileau, who has more than 100 career goals. She scored three in the Eagles' semifinal victory.
"I think she (Soileau) is a major part of their team, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is an individual versus a team," Sacred Heart center-half Julie Ramelli said. "I think it is who wants it more."
If there is one team that has shut down Soileau, it is the Cardinals. In the past two years, Sacred Heart has defeated Parkview, 2-0, 3-0 and 2-0. The most recent victory was in the Pope John Paul II Tournament this season when Parkview was missing a few players because of injuries.
"They (Sacred Heart) have always had a strong defense," Parkview coach Phillip Knowles said. "They have been able to frustrate Jennifer (Soileau). Sometimes you get that psychological feeling there is a team you can't beat, and I hope we can break it."
Sacred Heart coach Sean Moser said he will look to his offense to continue its strong play. Sara Haydel leads the team with 21 goals, and the Cardinals have 17 goals in three playoff matches.
"I think we are going into the game playing the way we have played all year, and that is up-tempo offense and strong defense," Moser said. "We tend to wear people down, especially in the second half."
"I think we are one of the best-conditioned teams in the state," Sacred Heart's Meggie Tujague said. "We've done a lot of hard work and a lot of running."
Running and hard work have carried Sacred Heart this far. Now there is a chance to carry the champion label for another year.
Baton Rouge Advocate
PARKVIEW VS. SACRED HEART: "They (Sacred Heart) have a real strong defense," Parkview coach Phil Knowles said. "We can't make any mistakes.
"They'll try to limit Jennifer (Soileau). If they do, we still need to get her in a position where she can pass the ball and create some things."
Soileau, an Ole Miss signee, scored three goals in Monday's win to pace Parkview. Soileau has more than 30 goals this season and 108 in her career.
Junior goalkeeper Margaret Grace had eight saves in the semifinal win. Caroline Edmonds scored the other goal.
Edmonds and Brianne Smith are the other top scorers for the Eagles.
Jamie Benson, Jennifer Hatch, Katie Shaak and Veronica Knobles lead the list of defenders.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 13:39:46 GMT -6
1998 Division I February 27, 1998 New Orleans Soccer Academy, UNO Ben Franklin 4 Slidell 2
FALCONS CLAIM TITLE - LYON'S TWO SECOND-HALF GOALS HELP FRANKLIN THWARTS SLIDELL'S RALLY, 4-2 Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 1998 Author: JIM RAPIER Staff writer Ben Franklin coch Mike Rolufs' notion his team could keep Slidell scoreless in the girls Division I title match Friday at UNO was foiled by two second-half goals.
But Rolufs' premonition that his team could score against Slidell was correct. The Falcons scored twice in the first half, and Alyssa Lyon scored two second-half goals to lead the Falcons to a 4-2 victory and the state championship.
"Well, here we are," Rolufs said, holding the trophy. "I've got a heavy trophy in my hand. They made it happen for me. It means as much to me as it does to them, I'm sure."
The title was the first girls soccer title for Franklin (30-2-1), which lost in the 1995 finals to Baton Rouge High.
Franklin took it to Slidell from the start and had a 2-0 lead. But Slidell (22-4-1) is not a team flustered by trailing 2-0 in a title match. The Tigers trailed 2-0 in last year's final before rallying to win the state crown. The Falcons' answer for each Slidell goal in the second half was Lyon.
A goal by Slidell's Kristen Greene in the 54th minute cut the Falcons' lead to 2-1, but Lyon scored less than three minutes later, retreiving her own shot that was deflected by the goalie and putting it in the left corner of the goal.
Another Tigers goal, this one on a corner kick by Emily Berkshire, made the score 3-2, but Lyon headed her second goal off a corner kick by Kristen Knowles to make the score 4-2.
"The first time we played them this year (1-1 tie), they scored first, and it took a lot out of us," Lyon said. "We knew if we scored first, it would give us a good chance of controlling the game. We couldn't afford to get behind. When they scored that goal today and were one behind, we got nervous, and we knew we had to score more, and quick."
Against Slidell, the Falcons set the tone with constant offensive pressure and did score quickly. In the 10th minute, Knowles scored on a shot from 12 yards that swerved inside the right post.
Nancy Wilson made the score 2-0 in the 39th minute when she spotted Slidell goalie Trece Jordan creeping out of the goal and altered her kick to have more loft.
"Normally I would boom it, but I saw I had time, and she had come out a few steps," Jordan said.
Rolufs said he felt confident his team could score and felt his defense would clamp down on the Tigers' offensive threats. The Falcons' defense, led by Victoria Wood, Kate Wood, Alicia Gibson and Erin Carlton, had done the job in the first half. Franklin outshot Slidell 10-1.
"We started off slow," Slidell coach Travis Smith said. "That has happened to us all season. Against a quality team like this, that can't happen. I thought we could come back, but every time we scored, they scored."
As Slidell broke the huddle before the beginning of the second half, some players made reference to last year's rally in the title match. After Greene's goal, "people were saying, 'let's do like we did last year,' " Greene said.
But the Falcons had a counter for every Slidell rally.
"It's a tribute to Slidell; they didn't give up," Rolufs said. "They continued to play, scored two goals and made us play our best game possible."
Ben Franklin downs Lady Tigers, 4-2, in state championship St. Tammany News (Covington, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 1998 Author: Reyn Pravata / Slidell Sentry News / February 28, 1998 NEW ORLEANS -- This time, Slidell couldn't overcome a sluggish start.
On Friday at the NOSA soccer field at UNO, the defending state champion Lady Tigers fell behind an aggressive Ben Franklin team in the Division I final.
And this time -- like they had done so many times in the regular season -- they couldn't make up the difference.
Not, this time.
"That's plagued us all season," said coach Travis Smith of his team's tradition slow start. "It takes us 20 or 30 minutes to get started. The second half we played much, much better."
The Lady Tigers put on a furious second-half rally, but the Lady Falcons were up to the task and pulled out a 4-2 win to claim the Division I state championship.
"Ben Franklin is a great team, and I won't take that away from them," said Smith. "But, our sluggish start has hurt us all season."
The Lady Tigers, who defeated Woodlawn to claim the crown last year, finish the 1997-98 campaign with a sparkling 22-4-1 record.
But on Friday in the championship game, the Lady Tigers looked out of sync, especially in the first 40 minutes of play.
"I guess we weren't into the focus of our game today," said senior Kristen Greene, who has already signed a college soccer scholarship with the University of Southern Mississippi.
Ben Franklin, which ends its championship year with a 30-2-1 mark, took the lead early when Kristen Knowles scored on a break-away that Slidell coaches, players and fans thought was offsides.
Then with about three minutes left in the first half, Nancy Wilson made it 2-0.
But, the Lady Tigers refused to quit.
Greene came up with a ball in a crowd in front of the BF net, and scored 14 minutes into the second half.
"A lot of people touched the ball first," said Greene of her goal. "And, then I just saw the open goal.
The goal made it 2-1, and the Lady Tigers had new life.
Alyssa Lyon, however, would prove to be a thorn in the Lady Tigers' side in the second half, and just over two minutes later she dribbled through the Slidell defense and scored to make it 3-1.
"That really hurt," said senior Lauren Cuyler. "It was like we could see the light, and that took it right back away from us."
Still, Slidell had enough fight to stage another comeback.
With a little over 20 minutes left to play, an Emily Berkshire corner kick found the net, and the Lady Tigers were back in the contest, 3-2.
But with 11 minutes to play, Lyons took a corner kick from Knowles and headed it past Trace Jordan to make it 4-2.
"It was a valiant effort," said Ben Franklin coach Michael Roulufs. "This is where we've been headed the whole season.'
"They kept coming back," said the Lady Falcon coach of Slidell. "But, we didn't let them get too far."
Still, the Lady Tigers made it plenty far in the playoffs -- reaching the title game for the second year in a row.
"I'm proud of everyone," said Cuyler. "We did a lot more than we thought."
The Lady Tigers, indeed, did quit a lot over the past two years, as their 41-4-1 record would suggest.
And, if it wasn't for Friday's sluggish start, who knows?
Lady Tiger vie for state championship St. Tammany News (Covington, LA) - Friday, February 27, 1998 Author: Reyn Pravata / Slidell Sentry News / February 27, 1998 A timeless old adage says: "Defense wins championships."
If that's the case, today's Division I state championship match between the defending state champion Slidell Lady Tigers and Ben Franklin could go on forever.
Slidell's defense has been spectacular in the state playoffs to date.
In four games, the Lady Tigers have only surrendered two goals. Slidell has posted shutouts in the last two games - 3-0 over St. Thomas More in the quarterfinals and 5-0 over Hahnville in Monday's semifinal match.
But, on the other side of the field, Ben Franklin's defense is nothing to sneeze at either.The Lady Falcons have likewise posted back-to-back shutouts to reach the championship match. Ben Franklin blanked Acadiana (5-0) and Mount Carmel (1-0) in the state quarters and semis, respectively.
"It's going to be a tough game," said Slidell coach Travis Smith, whose Lady Tigers take a 22-3-1 record into the state finals.
The "tough" game will get underway at 3:30 p.m. at UNO on the NOSA soccer fields.
If the Lady Tigers can get by Ben Franklin - which comes in 29-2-1 - they will win their second straight state crown and tie a school record for wins in a season. The 1996 Slidell team went 23-3-1, but lost in the opening round of the playoffs to Lafayette.
Last year, the Lady Tigers were perfect, going 19-0 and defeating Woodlawn, 3-2, in the state final.
This year's version of the Lady Tigers will be trying to win Slidell High School's fourth girls state soccer championship in the 1990s and sixth overall. Slidell claimed state in 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992 and 1996.
If they do it, defense will no doubt be a key, as in almost any championship.
Two seniors - Sarah Daigle and Holly Furlow - have been strong for Slidell at the fullback spots.
"They really play good back there," said Smith. "Sarah has good footwork and Holly can really boot that ball."
Sweeper Nicole Sprung gives the Lady Tigers speed on the last line of defense.
And, Trece Jordan has been sensational in goal, said Smith.
Against Hahnville, the Lady Tigers rolled, getting two goals each from Brey Brooks and Courtney Inabnet. Senior Lauren Cuyler added the other.
It won't be as easy as Monday's 5-0 victory when the Lady Tigers meet BF today.
"It will be much tougher," said Smith. "This will be our toughest game of the playoffs, no doubt."
But, with a stingy defense and history of state titles, Smith said the Lady Tigers are "fired up" and ready to play.
OFFENSES ON CENTER STAGE IN DIVISION I FINAL Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 27, 1998 Author: DERRICK GOOLD and JIM RAPIER Staff writers A downpour washed all of the offense out of their first meeting this season, but Ben Franklin and Slidell boast torrential offensive power entering today's Division I championship at 3:30 p.m. at UNO.
The Tigers (22-3-1), the defending Division I soccer champs, have outscored opponents 25-2 in the playoffs. The Falcons (29-2-1), who have spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll, have allowed one goal in four playoff victories and have scored 13 goals.
With forwards such as Slidell's Lauren Cuyler, who has seven goals in the playoffs, and Ben Franklin's Nancy Wilson, who has four in the Falcons' previous two playoff games, today's title match could be a test of which team can weather an offensive storm.
"I don't think it will be a score-a-thon," Ben Franklin coach Mike Rolufs said. "I have confidence because our defense has been playing really strong lately."
On Dec. 23, today's state finalists slogged through a puddle-strewn field for a 1-1 tie. Slidell scored early, before the rain arrived, on Brey Brook's 12-yard shot. With sheets of rain bogging down Slidell's offense in the second half, the Falcons' flooded the Tigers with pressure, and Shanga Shervington scored to tie the game.
"It was a slopfest," Rolufs said. "It was mudball."
"All I remember is running around into these big, cold puddles," Slidell midfielder Kristen Greene said. "They were on all sides of the field. I just remember all of the running and the rain."
Slidell's defense was in disarray that day, especially late in the game and in the rain, because one of its starters quit immediately before kickoff. Team tension ran high early this season for the Tigers because many felt pressure to repeat not only as champs, but as the undefeated, untied champs they were last season.
In the week after the game, several Slidell players urged their teammates to let loose their aggressions and dump the grievances so they could refocus on defending their title.
"We all thought we were a shoo-in after our success last season," Coach Travis Smith said. "I had some question about it. Back then Lauren (Cuyler) was still nursing her ankle for a long time. And our defense - their timing was off. The coordination wasn't there."
In the playoffs, the defense has regained its coordination and improved its performance. Few forwards can beat Nicole Sprung down the field, and goalkeeper Trece Jordan has repelled most shots fired toward her. And Brooks, the Tigers' scoring leader with 33 goals this season, shifts to bolster the backline.
Ben Franklin's defense is equally stiff. The Wood twins, seniors Victoria and Kate, will be charged with stifling Cuyler, Brooks and Slidell's other scorers. Sweeper Alicia Gibson will clear out anyone who gets past the twins. And, midfielder Alyssa Lyon will go head-to-head with Slidell's center midfielder Kristen Greene.
"The Woods twins and Gibson have not let much through lately," Rolufs said. "Our first game, (the Tigers) got one on us. We learned a lesson and plan on not letting that happen again. . . . We plan to keep (them) at zero."
WANDERING GOAL - GREENE'S ROAMING KEY TO TITLE HOPE Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 27, 1998 Author: 16By DERRICK GOOLD St. Tammany bureau Each new home brought a new position for Kristen Greene, who resides as the crucial midfield cog for Slidell's girls soccer team.
Greene concludes her roving high school career in today's Division I championship against Ben Franklin (3:30 p.m. at UNO).
When she first kicked up a soccer ball in Kennesaw, Ga., Greene was an average utility 8-year-old, playing every position and no position all at once - running wherever the ball was and whacking it upfield.
Then her family, which is as nomadic as her father's Navy duties require, moved to Charleston, S.C. Greene became a stopper, a defensive fullback bent on clearing the ball far, far away from her team's goal. Even then, as an adolescent, she had a spring-loaded leg.
From Charleston, the Greenes hopped to Honolulu, Hawaii, and Kristen became a forward. Her endurance, her speed and the leg power that made her an asset on defense in Charleston, made her a threat on offense in Honolulu. On the island, she was the goal-scorer instead of the goal-protector.
Before last season - the Slidell girls soccer team's state championship season - the Greenes moved to Slidell and Kristen moved to midfield. Running the center of the field for the Tigers, Kristen found a home.
She has a position, center midfield, but as when she was 8, she plays unrestricted by the bounds of that position. She wanders as much on the field for the ball as her family wanders the country for a home.
"I just like to run around and be a part of everything," said Greene, who will move to Southern Mississippi next season on a scholarship. This move, however, will be geographic only; she will be a midfielder.
"I just like the fact that I can play the whole field from the middle," she added. "In my position, you can go wherever you want."
Blame Little Debbie for luring Greene onto the soccer field. When she was 7, Kirsten she would go to her older brother Bobby Greene's soccer matches and watch. Well, not really watch. Rather, she would go to the game and kick a ball along the sideline with the other younger brothers and sisters.
But when the game was done, and the youngsters rejoined their families, the soccer players got the usual soccer spoils - orange wedges, fruit drink and a sugar-smorgasbord of Little Debbie snack cakes.
Little Kristen liked soccer , sure, but she craved the Little Debbie snacks. She thought soccer yielded Little Debbie, so she started playing soccer .
"It's an old standard joke at the dinner table," said Kristen's mother, Cheryl Greene. "She did it for the snack foods. We laugh about it now."
Several years and three new addresses later, Greene's soccer playing has developed from a means to sugary ends to a way to pay for part of college. Greene has been a member of the Olympic development program in three different states - Louisiana, Hawaii and South Carolina.
Kristen always has been a runner, Cheryl said, but she started gearing her running toward soccer as she became a teen-ager. She joined her school's cross country and track teams to keep her legs moving in the offseason. The offseason sports also improved her stamina, giving her the energy to run and play beyond the jurisdiction of her position.
In today's game against Ben Franklin, Greene's position will have more definitive restrictions. In addition to acting as the gatekeeper to Slidell's offense - through which most upfield passes are directed - Greene will shadow Ben Franklin's Alyssa Lyon, the key to the Falcons' offense.
Slidell coach Travis Smith said how well Greene contains Lyon while directing the Tigers' offense is essential if Slidell is to repeat as state champion. Greene said moments after the Tigers (22-3-1) defeated Hahnville in the semifinal that she already felt nervous about the title game and her role in it.
"My stomach was in knots," Greene said. "I'm nervous. I'm always nervous before the biggest games. Usually that goes away five minutes into the game, when I'm running around out there thinking about other things."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 14:01:10 GMT -6
1998 Division II Girls February 24, 1998 Loyola, Shreveport University 4 Loyola 3
U-High knocks off Sacred Heart, 2-1 The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) - Saturday, February 21, 1998 METAIRIE - University High knocked off two-time defending champion Sacred Heart of New Orleans 2-1 Friday in the girls Division II state soccer semifinals.
U-High (13-6) will play Tuesday at Loyola in Shreveport to decide the championship. It will be U-High's first title-game appearance.
U-High's Anna Fornias had assists on her team's first two goals, both in the first half.
Then her throw-in five minutes into the second half bounced off the Sacred Heart goalkeeper in the second half to give her team a 3-1 lead.
U-High's Lauren Byrd made it 1-0 with goal off a header. Sacred Heart's Mullady Voelker tied it, but late in the first half Artie Brown put U-High up for good.
Sacred Heart pulled to 3-2 on a goal by Liz Matthews, but U-High held on for the victory.
Goalkeeper Kelsey Hardy had nine saves for U-High, while Sacred Heart counterpart Megan Leftwich also had nine saves. Sacred Heart ended its season 11-10-6.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 14:06:42 GMT -6
1999 Division I Girls February 26, 1999 St. Thomas More, Lafayette St. Thomas More 2 (wins 5-4 in PKs) Mandeville 2
COUGARS WIN STATE TITLE AGAINST SKIPPERS - FINAL PENALTY KICK DECIDES DIVISION I Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 27, 1999 Author: JIM RAPIER Staff writer LAFAYETTE -- In soccer 's last resort to deciding a match -- penalty kicks -- St. Thomas More had one more successful kick left in it than Mandeville did after 80 minutes of regulation, 20 minutes of required overtime and 10 minutes of sudden death overtime, and won the Division I state championship Friday.
Each team gets five kicks against the other team's goalkeeper from the 12-yard line. With penalty kicks tied at 4-4, Rachel Cohen kicked the Cougars' fifth shot to the left corner of the goal to give St. Thomas More a 3-2 victory.
The Cougars (21-3-2) trailed 1-0, then tied the score. The Skippers (28-5-1) trailed 2-1 in overtime, and tied the match. Each team missed chances in sudden death. The Cougars' first title was one in which practice made perfect.
"For the last three weeks we have been practicing penalty kicks," St. Thomas More coach Brad Cohen said. "I had a feeling one of these matches would come down to penalty kicks."
Cohen also had practiced switching goalkeepers. Kellee Fell started for the Cougars and gave up two goals on 23 shots. As planned for a shootout, Rebecca Blanda, who Cohen said has better mobility, was put in goal. She blocked one kick, setting the stage for the deciding kick and dramatic ending.
Said Rachel Cohen: "We are a young team, but we didn't get frustrated. We knew we could rally. We had the desire to get that first title."
"It was another great game," Mandeville coach Ken Mathews said. "I am most proud of the way our girls came back in overtime. It says a lot about them. ... It's a poor way to lose a game, and win one. I'd be saying that even if we won. Give them credit. Their girls shot perfectly on PKs."
The match was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Rachel Cohen gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead early in the overtime with a high shot to the far post from the right wing. "I saw the goalie was a little out of position," Cohen said. But Nina Ghoniem tied the match later in the overtime when she avoided one defender and split two others before kicking a low shot to the right corner.
Ghoniem almost won the match in sudden death when she won a loose ball and was alone, but shot high over the crossbar.
At first, it did not appear the match would go past regulation. Mandeville spent most of the first half peppering Fell with shots, 12 of them, but didn't score. Gina Dietering finally scored for Mandeville in the 47th minute with a long shot from the right wing.
In what each coach said was one of the turning points of the match, St. Thomas More scored less than a minute later when Ashley Delahoussaye headed a corner kick from Cohen to tie the score at 1.
"We had the momentum after our goal, but when they scored less than a minute later, they picked up the momentum and it took a while for us to get it back," Mandeville's Julie Pitre said. "But that's soccer ."
And so are penalty kicks.
MANDEVILLE GETS FINAL TEST TODAY - SKIPPERS TO FACE ST. THOMAS MORE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 26, 1999 Author: JIM RAPIER Staff writer Winning the Division I girls state soccer championship is a matter of control for Mandeville and its coach, Ken Mathews.
His team's nerves, strategy and big-match mentality is what Mathews has in mind when talking of control. If his team does what it is capable of doing, Mathews said there is an excellent chance it will win the school's first girls title in soccer .
Mandeville goes for that when it plays St. Thomas More in the finals today at 3:30 p.m. in Lafayette.
"We have to play our game," Mathews said. "We can only control what we do. We can't control what they do, only everything we do. ... We have to pass well, stand them up defensively and make them take long shots at Bonnie (Otillio, goalkeeper). We have to beat them to the 50-50 balls and control the flow of the game."
That was something Mandeville (28-3-1) took more than a half to do in its semifinal match against Byrd. The Skippers did not win the 50-50 balls, were chasing the action instead of initiating attacks and had to rally for the victory. Byrd played off crisp passing and strong defense, and Mathews expects the same from St. Thomas More.
Mandeville is familiar with the Cougars (20-3-2), who defeated Mount Carmel in the semifinals. In the Capital City Cup Tournament this year, the Skippers defeated St. Thomas More, 4-1.
"We beat them in the Cup, but they were tired from the match right before," Mathews said. "We beat Byrd in the same tournament, and look how tough they were the second time. It will probably be the same."
Mathews said he expects a physical game, and his defense will be tested by the Cougars' scoring threats. Mandeville will counter with an offense that has been sparked by Melissa Shelton and Nina Ghoniem in the playoffs and a defense led by Dana Wallace, Emily Bordes and Otillio.
If Shelton and Ghoniem are able to make their runs at the goal as they have most of the playoffs, then the Skippers have a good chance to control the midfield. That will suit Mathews, who may not have control of one thing.
"I am sure we will be a little nervous, and they will be too at first," he said. "Once we get started, we will calm down. There is nothing I can do to get rid of my nerves. They (players) are in a better position because they can do something about it, and I sit and watch."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 14:15:23 GMT -6
1999 Division II February 23, 1999 Marconi Meadows, City Park Newman 2 Sacred Heart 0
FINAL TEST SET FOR NEWMAN, SACRED HEART Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Tuesday, February 23, 1999 Author: JOHN REID Staff writer Most of them are friends.
Some play on the same club soccer teams when the high school soccer season ends.
When they see each other at the movies or at other gathering spots, they give each other progress reports on their teams.
Sometimes their report turns into a challenge for the next match to be played between the two.
They are soccer players from Newman and the Academy of the Sacred Heart.
And their rivalry, which includes volleyball, is one of the most intense in Orleans Parish. It makes some parents stand and shout for their favorite team, it makes students paint their faces in Newman school-colored green or Sacred Heart's cardinal red.
Tonight, the rivals meet for the third time this season. This is the biggest match, though, with the winner capturing the Division II state championship.
"This is for bragging rights; I'm glad we're playing Newman," Sacred Heart senior Liz Matthews said. "If we were playing someone else, I don't think it would mean as much. I'm ready to start playing right now."
So are most of Newman players.
The Greenies said all those friendships will be put on hold during the 80-minute match at Marconi Meadows in City Park.
"Every time we play Sacred Heart, it gets us revved up," Newman senior Casey Godelfer. "It's always a physical game, and I'm always covered with bruises when it's over. But it's great to be in the championship and playing them."
Newman (18-3-3) and Sacred Heart (14-6-5) compete in District 6-I. The Greenies won the district championship. The Cardinals were runner-up.
Newman defeated Sacred Heart, 3-0, in their first regular-season meeting. They played to a 1-1 tie in the second.
Newman has never won a state soccer championship. Sacred Heart won back-to-back titles in 1996 and 1997.
"I know their coach (Sean Moser) pretty well," Newman coach Bradley Farris said. "He's a competitor, and his team plays hard. But we have to play our game; we have got to play up tempo and get up the field. But defense is what wins games."
The Greenies have scored 98 goals this season. They defeated Baton Rouge University High, 2-1, in sudden death in the semifinals to clinch their berth.
Sacred Heart overcame losing eight seniors from last season's team. Moser has three eighth-graders in the starting lineup.
Senior goal keeper Leila Manouchehri fractured her ankle during a practice and missed the first two playoff games but returned last week.
She is expected to start against Newman.
"This is my last year, and I have to play," Manouchehri said.
Sacred Heart earned its berth by defeating Country Day, 1-0, in sudden death.
"I think we are going in as the underdogs," Moser said. "Newman has good forwards who can send the ball from 30 yards and in.
"But I'm comfortable playing a team that we've already played than playing someone we haven't. We know what their strengths are and what we have to do."
One of the Cardinals' strengths has been good passes, along with effective defense.
Moser hopes he sees all of that against the Greenies.
If not, they were will have to see those Greenies at the movies, at restaurants and at the club soccer matches.
They know the Greenies would have plenty to say; there's nothing like bragging rights earned in a state championship match.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 14:42:12 GMT -6
2004 Division I February 28, 2004 Tad Gormley Stadium Fontainebleau 4 Mandeville 0
Bulldogs win first state title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 29, 2004 Author: Jim Rapier Staff writer The Fontainebleau girls soccer players were seated, waiting to get their hands on the Division I state championship trophy during postmatch ceremonies when a player said, "We will always be the first one."
The 2003-04 Fontainebleau girls soccer team won the first state title in school history in any sport after defeating Mandeville 4-0 Saturday in the Nokia Sugar Bowl State Soccer Championship at Tad Gormley Stadium.
"This is something that has been building for a long time," said Fontainebleau coach Rusty Brauner, who has been the Bulldogs’ coach since the school opened in August, 1994. "This was not done in one year."
The Bulldogs’ victory was their third this season over city and District 5-I rival Mandeville (23-5). The Skippers failed to win the title on their fifth attempt in six years. Fontainebleau finished 22-1.
Fontainebleau’s Jessie Hrapmann showed no nervousness playing in her first state final. She scored two goals and assisted on another and was selected the Most Outstanding Player.
Hrapmann’s goal in the 10th minute -- the result of a give-and-go with Roslyn Jones -- gave Fontainebleau a 1-0 lead it carried to halftime.
Mandeville managed four shots on goal in the first 16 minutes of the second half and seemed poised to tie the score, but Jones scored a goal from 22 yards that gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute.
"At halftime we said to act like we were down 1-0 instead of ahead," Hrapmann said. "I wasn’t really worried (about Mandeville’s shots at beginning of the second half) because I felt we could score."
Renee Hrapmann scored the Bulldogs’ third goal when she one-touched a pass from Jessie Hrapmann in the 72nd minute, and Jessie scored her second goal in the 77th minute to put the finishing touches on the Bulldogs’ title.
"When you get the ball and have opportunities you have to put it in," Mandeville coach Sean Esker said. "We didn’t, and to their credit, they did."
Fontainebleau, Franklin win state titles - Lafayette thwarts Jays’ shot at third straight Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 29, 2004 Author: From staff reports Two local soccer teams won their school’s first soccer championships Saturday, and another had a two-year reign as champion come to an end.
The Fontainebleau girls team made school history by winning the Division I Nokia Sugar Bowl State Soccer Championship at Tad Gormley with a 4-0 victory over Mandeville. The championship is the first for any Bulldogs program since the school opened in 1994.
The Skippers (23-5) lost in the state championship for the fifth time in six years. Fontainebleau (22-1) defeated District 5-I rival Mandeville in all three meetings this season.
Jessie Hrapmann, who was chosen the Most Outstanding Player, led the way for the Bulldogs with two goals and an assist to her sister Renee Hrapmann.
The Ben Franklin boys won their first state championship with a victory in a shootout at Vandebilt in the Division II title game. The score was scoreless at the end of regulation and overtime. The Falcons (14-2-2) won in penalty kicks 3-1, with keeper Josh Fogarty blocking three Vandebilt kicks in a row.
Ben Franklin ended Vandebilt’s two-year state-title winning streak.
In the boys Division I final at Tad Gormley, Lafayette avenged last season’s 2-1 loss to Jesuit with a 1-0 victory over the Blue Jays. The title was the first in Lafayette’s history.
Jesuit (24-4-2) won the previous two state championships and has played in nine of the last 11 title games. The Blue Jays attempted to tie the score off a corner kick in the final minute. All three shots on goal came up empty against keeper Carlos Thompson.
CLASH IN THE GRASS - State title matchup turns friends into foes for a day Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2004 Author: Trey Iles St. Tammany bureau Aynsley Zollinger and Jessie Hrapmann became good friends through their love of soccer while in second grade at Mandeville Elementary School.
They grew up playing together in the Mandeville Soccer Club and then, as they entered middle school, on club teams that traveled throughout the South and the nation.
Today, however, the two juniors will be on opposite sides when Fontainebleau High School plays Mandeville High for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division I girls state soccer championship at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans at 4 p.m. Zollinger is a midfielder for Mandeville. Hrapmann is a forward for Fontainebleau.
Zollinger and Hrapmann aren’t the only friends who’ll be on opposite sides of the field today. About 90 percent of the players from the two teams came up through the Mandeville Soccer Club and 35 of the 42 still play in either the club’s recreation league or in its Premiere, or club, program.
In fact, many of the girls -- including Zollinger and Hrapmann -- spend more time playing on the same club team during the year than they do against each other during the high school season.
"We respect each other, and we have formed friendships," Zollinger said. "After every game we hug and tell each other, ‘Good game.’ There is no animosity."
But there is no doubt, players from both teams said, this game is big. Even though the level of play in club soccer is better than in high school, this is one game both teams relish winning.
For Fontainebleau, it’s a chance to win its first team state championship in any sport in the school’s 10-year history. For Mandeville, it’s a chance to finally win after being in the title game five times in the past six years and losing.
For players on both teams, it’s a chance to be the star at school, something that you don’t get playing club soccer .
"You don’t get your name on the wall of fame in the gym for playing (club soccer )," Fontainebleau coach Rusty Brauner said. "You do here. At this level, it’s exciting because they’re wearing the colors of the school. Their (schoolmates) see what they do and recognize it."
But Brauner said the success of Mandeville and Fontainebleau is, in great measure, related to the Mandeville Soccer Club and the skills the girls developed playing in it.
It is a big reason, he and others said, that these two public high schools have thrived in a sport that has been dominated by private schools for the past few years.
The Mandeville Soccer Club formed in 1994 and now has 2,400 players in leagues that begin for children as young as 4 and go through adult age. This morning, weather permitting, many of those players will crowd onto Pelican Park for games.
Many will then head across the lake in the afternoon to watch Mandeville and Fontainebleau do battle.
"We’re all excited about watching them," said Mike Ortner, an assistant director of the Premiere League as well as a former soccer star at Northshore High School in the mid-1990s. "What these two teams have accomplished is definitely a positive reflection on the (Mandeville) club. Because of Mardi Gras and the wet weather, we haven’t had any practices out here this week. But it’s been the talk around the office and with the soccer community in Mandeville."
It was the talk around both schools this week as well, players said. The opposing teams have even talked, Fontainebleau senior midfielder Jessica Schwartz said.
"I saw some of (Mandeville’s players) last weekend," Schwartz said. "They’re excited about playing us.
"In school, a lot of teachers and students say they’re coming to the game. I’ve talked to people who I wouldn’t expect to know much about soccer and they told me, ‘Big game on Saturday. We’re coming to see you play.’ It’s a huge deal."
Amen, said Zollinger. Fontainebleau won the District 5-I title this season, twice beating Mandeville, which finished second. So the Skippers are seeking revenge as well as a title, she said.
"This will be my third (state championship) game," Zollinger said. "And we haven’t beaten (Fontainebleau) this year. So I guess that makes it even bigger. Finally winning would be wonderful."
And it’ll make those long trips with Mandeville High club teammates a lot more fun this spring.
Boys, girls Division I soccer finals feature rematches Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2004 Author: Jim Rapier Staff writer If local soccer fans crave rematches and rivalries, they might get their fill today at the Nokia Sugar Bowl Division I State High School Soccer Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium.
Jesuit, the two-time defending boys state champion, plays Lafayette at 7 p.m. The match is a rematch of last season’s final, which Jesuit won 2-1.
Mandeville and Fontainebleau High will play for the girls state title at 4 p.m. The schools are city (Mandeville) rivals, district rivals (5-I) and will be playing for the third time this season.
The rivalry and rematch themes seem to have hit a peak with Fontainebleau and Mandeville. Many of the players of the teams know one another because they live in the same city and play on the same club soccer teams. Fontainebleau (21-1) defeated Mandeville 5-2 and 2-0 in their matches this season, won the district title for the third consecutive season and for the first time was able to get past the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Finishing behind Fontainebleau in the district standings has not seemed to bother Mandeville in recent years. The Skippers (23-4) are playing in their third consecutive state championship match and fifth in six years. Mandeville is out to win its first state championship.
In the boys championship match, Jesuit (24-3-2) is going for a school record third consecutive title.
Jesuit coach Hubie Collins is counting on Raleigh Wolfe, Reece Thomas and keeper Dane Geraci to be ready because he expects another intense match against Lafayette (37-4).
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 6, 2013 14:54:47 GMT -6
2004 Division II February 27, 2004 Cougar Stadium, St. Thomas More Ben Franklin 2 St. Thomas More 1 (OT)
Franklin wins another crown Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2004 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer LAFAYETTE -- Playing on its home field with navy blue and white Cougar paws and a Cougar face, St. Thomas More was eager to win its first state girls soccer championship since 2000 on Friday.
But after failing to capitalize on numerous scoring chances, Ben Franklin took advantage of its best scoring shot in overtime.
Falcons forward Sarah Myers scored on a pass from Misa Eiritz two minutes into the second 10-minute overtime to give Ben Franklin a 2-1 victory for its second consecutive Division II title.
The deciding goal came when Eiritz took a corner kick from the left corner, and her shot deflected off a St. Thomas More player back to her on the left wing. Eiritz hit a crossing pass to Myers on the right wing. Myers scored past goalkeeper Noelle McBride.
"I think the player just came free on the back side," St. Thomas More coach Willie Davis said.
After the goal, Ben Franklin (25-5) held off numerous scoring threats by St. Thomas More (17-5-1).
Ben Franklin had taken a 1-0 lead when forward Jessie Otis had a one-on-one opportunity with McBride in the middle of the box and pushed a shot into the left corner at the 50-minute mark.
But St. Thomas More tied the score at 1 when freshman Megan Messonnier took a crossing shot from the left wing from sophomore Elyse Manuel and got a shot past Ben Franklin’s Lizzie Barnes at 72 minutes. The goal was the first allowed in the playoffs by Ben Franklin in the past two years.
"The game went back and forth," Ben Franklin coach Laura Carlin said.
Ben Franklin had a chance to score in the first 10-minute overtime period, but Eiritz’s indirect free kick from inside the right corner of the box was headed out of the left corner of the goal by St. Thomas More’s Kat Bergeron.
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 14:58:28 GMT -6
2004 Division III February 27, 2004 Tad Gormley Stadium Newman 4 Episcopal School of Acadiana 0
Newman girls retake Division III title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 28, 2004 Author: Jim Rapier Staff writer Any old adage about it not being how one starts but how one finishes was turned inside out by the Newman girls soccer team in the Nokia Sugar Bowl Division III State Soccer Championship on Friday.
Newman scored all its goals within the first 12 minutes of each half and cruised to a 4-0 victory over Episcopal School of Acadiana at Tad Gormley Stadium.
Newman, which played in its fourth consecutive title match, won its third state championship in four years. The Greenies (23-2-2) had been on a season-long quest to regain the top spot in Division III after losing last season’s title match, and they set about accomplishing their goal quickly.
"We have talked about the first 10 minutes and playing with a lot of pressure and pace," Newman coach Patrick Summerour said. "To get two goals in the first five minutes was awesome."
Artemis Antippas directed a loose ball into the goal in the fourth minute, and Jessy Jacobs placed a shot inside the right post in the fifth minute to give Newman a 2-0 lead. It carried over to the second half, when Leighton Goldsmith and Antippas scored in the first 12 minutes. Newman outshot the Lady Falcons (18-7-4) 10-2 in the first half and 8-1 in the second half.
"I don’t think you ever expect to score two goals that quick, so it really helped us get the momentum," Antippas said.
The Lady Falcons managed a strong push in the Newman zone toward the end of the first half, but the Greenies seemed re-energized to start the second half.
"Coach (Summerour) just told us at halftime to repeat what we did in the first half," Newman’s Allison Lindberg said.
St. Martin’s boys, Newman girls seek titles - Both in Division III soccer finals today Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 27, 2004 Author: Jim Rapier Staff writer According to their coaches, one team has arrived a little early and one team is on schedule for today’s Division III state soccer championships.
In 2002, St. Martin’s coach Julio Paiz helped guide a senior-laden team to the school’s first state title in boys soccer . Paiz said then that with the young talented players he had coming up in the program through the eighth grade, St. Martin’s potential for the next few years looked promising. He didn’t know how long the maturation process would take.
Consider the Saints’ growth rate accelerated. Today at 7 p.m., St. Martin’s will play St. Louis at Tad Gormley Stadium for the Division III state championship.
The Newman girls soccer program has not had to grow into being a state-title contender; it has grown accustomed to being in the title match every year. When the Greenies play Episcopal School of Acadiana at 4 p.m. at Tad Gormley Stadium, it will be their fourth consecutive appearance in the Division III championship match.
Newman is going for its third title in four years. Last year’s loss to Academy of the Sacred Heart in the final has proven a rallying point.
"In all my years of playing and coaching soccer , I have rarely seen a group of kids this focused," Newman coach Patrick Summerour said. "They have been very centered on completing a mission. We fell short last year, and that has been the central motivating factor behind the whole season. We were disappointed with the way things ended last year."
There have not been too many disappointments for the Greenies this season. Led by Artemis Antippas (15 goals), Kate Mooney (15), Mia Scoggin (11), Jessy Jacobs (11) and defender Katie Couvillon and keeper Kristen Geisz, they have a 22-2-2 record. Newman’s two losses occurred consecutively in late December, and it has not lost since.
Episcopal and Newman have not played this year, but Newman defeated the Falcons last year in the semifinals. Summerour said Episcopal, which likes to control the ball and use short quick passes, similar to his team, should be a good challenge. As focused as his team has been this season, Summerour said it will approach this game with a taking-care-of-business attitude.
Paiz hinted at the same thing about his team’s approach in the boys final, but it is hard to escape the hype of another trip to the state championship match. This is St. Martin’s fourth appearance in the final in seven years.
The Saints (21-2-2), led by Aaron Hyatt (40 goals), Derrick Welch and Meej Patel, start seven sophomores, three juniors and one senior. The team’s approach this season has been one oblivious to exceeding expectations. The players are just playing the game, their coach said.
"We think every year we have a chance to go all the way," Paiz said. "I have been honest with the players all year that I wanted them to learn from experience and mistakes and just take things one step at a time. I am lucky that I have a group of players that are very determined. They worked hard and found a way to get here once again."
What awaits St. Martin’s in the final is a talented, experienced St. Louis team, which has been ranked No. 1 in the state in the coaches Division III poll all season. St. Louis (26-6-2) won the state title last year and was St. Martin’s opponent in the title match in 2002 and 1997.
"I believe if we play a very good game and do what we practice, then we definitely have a good chance to win," Paiz said.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 9, 2013 19:04:20 GMT -6
2005 Division III February 25, 2005 Tad Gormley Stadium Newman 2 St. Martin's 1
Jacobs’ heady play powers Greenies - Newman tops Saints to capture the girls Division III title Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 26, 2005 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer CORRECTION APPENDED
Was it extrasensory perception?
A twin connection?
Sure it was, Jessy Jacobs joked about teaming for Newman’s winning goal in the Division III state championship with twin sister Jenny.
"Jenny, she bumped-butted it -- she hit it up with her butt -- and I headed it backward," Jessy Jacobs said. "I swiveled my head around and I saw it go in, and then I started freaking out."
The ball popped into the left corner with less than two minutes remaining, giving the Greenies a 2-1 victory over St. Martin’s and back-to-back state championships. It was Newman’s sixth overall title.
But the moment wasn’t exactly old hand for Jessy Jacobs. The junior forward accepted the MVP award as she wiped tears with her jersey sleeve. Her green-clad teammates circled around whooping and hollering. She had never even been interviewed before Friday night.
"I’ve never done this before, I don’t know what to do," Jessy said as a reporter approached her after the match.
But she knew how to prevent overtime. Her header proved that.
The Saints (16-8) would manage one shot on goal after Jessy Jacobs’ shot, but Greenie goalie Kristin Geisz calmly scooped it up, and as if by prompt, the referees whistled the match over.
It was a hard-fought match, though Newman (20-3-4) was the attacker most of the time. St. Martin’s fended off 16 of the 18 second-half shots on goal, and Saints goalkeeper Neema Patel was hit in her left temple during one collision and took several minutes to get up before collecting three saves in the next two minutes.
It looked as if the Greenies were going to cruise to the end of the match with less than 12 minutes remaining, but Jamie Razzo bent a free kick into the right corner of the net past Geisz to tie the score in the 69th minute.
Newman midfielder Camille Robinson, a sophomore who scored earlier in the second half to give the Greenies a 1-0 lead, said the Saints goal reinvigorated her team’s mission. They would simply pelt Patel with more shots, she said.
"We dominated the whole game," Robinson said. "I knew even if they scored, we could get it in again."
Robinson made sure the Greenies would do precisely that. She set the table for Jessy’s goal with a corner kick.
"I kicked it and waited, waited, waited and I saw the ball drop," Robinson said. "I didn’t see at all who had (the goal)."
The shot didn’t surprise Newman coach Patrick Summerour, who refused to characterize his 2004-05 team as "rebuilding."
"The sign of a true champion is how they respond to adversity, and right after that (St. Martin’s) goal from the first kick we went right after it," he said.
Saints coach Al Silvas didn’t appear to walk away totally disheartened by the match. His arms were weighed down by the bulk of a state runner-up trophy -- something few expected from his squad this season.
"Newman has a well-organized attack, and then their defense is really solid," Silvas said. "They haven’t been scored on in a month, and we did that when we needed to. Unfortunately, they got another one in there."
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 9, 2013 19:18:21 GMT -6
2005 Division II February 26, 2005 Tad Gormley Stadium Sacred Heart 1 St. Scholastica 0
Soccer coach loves home team best - Brood of seven kids keeps him on his toes Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 27, 2005 Author: Tammy Nunez Today, the day after the state championship match (if it didn’t get rained out again), you don’t need to be in the same room with St. Scholastica soccer coach Terry Morris to know he is smiling.
It’s the day after he coached his premier soccer team into the evening and then stepped off the field to break down film on his other soccer gig, the prep state final opponent Sacred Heart.
But at his desk at the Stennis Space Center, he’s got another team on his mind.
And it’s not the Doves, whom he led to their second-ever state championship match. It’s not the three players he helped coach to Division I college soccer programs, either.
His biggest success greets him like a pack of World Cup fans when he opens the door to his house.
Eight is plenty enough. Morris has a wife and seven children.
The circus of children is made busier by the triplets, who have varying degrees of physical disabilities. The 5-year-olds were born at 28-weeks gestation, or about three months too early. The complications of the premature births have left the two girls, Rebekah and Rachel, in wheelchairs and have hindered the motor skills of Franklin, the oldest of the three.
"You have to be careful what you ask for," Morris said, jokingly. "We were going for a boy and God gave us a boy and two girls. God decided we should have three."
The triplets were added to a household of three girls. Kelli, a special education major at UNO, is 23, Amanda is 15 and Emily is 10.
Despite the triplets’ harrowing battle for life, the Morrises’ blessings weren’t finished.
Yes, another child -- or perhaps children -- were on the way. Morris’ moment of truth came at the seventh child’s ultrasound.
"I was sure I was having twins," said his wife, Alice Morris.
"The scariest moment of my life was going back into the doctor’s office for Jacob’s ultrasound," Terry Morris said. "I kept saying, Oh, my God. Please, no triplets."
When the doctor announced a single baby who is now 2, it was music to his ears.
Seven kids are about the limit to the family’s eight-passenger van. Actually, it’s too much. Alice Morris must disassemble the chairs each time Rachel and Rebekah travel. It’s one of the many tasks she performs each day.
Alice Morris is the heart that pumps the family through a complex mix of medications for the triplets, stacks of homework for the others, and activity schedules for everyone. She formerly worked for two companies that found locations for restaurants and trained the employees. It seems that life has prepared her for coordinating each day’s mini-mountain of details.
"She tells me where I need to go and when I need to be there," Terry Morris said. "She holds us all together."
Coaching soccer is important to Terry Morris, even with all the demands of family. The love of teaching nearly drove him into the education field, but a job offer at Stennis kept him from education. Soccer made a new, grass-coated classroom.
"I like to give back to soccer . It paid my way through college," Terry Morris said.
"He helps our family out so much with soccer ," Alice Morris said. "I think it has a positive impact on his players. I think it’s a form of therapy for him, and you should see him coach. I love watching him coach."
That, however, is a luxury seldom afforded. The last time Alice Morris brought the soccer -loving clan to the field for a game, she found herself chasing Rebekah, who is learning to walk after spinal surgery in November. That’s in addition to the straying ways of toddler Jacob and the concerns for Rachel, who suffered a stroke as a preemie and has a immune disorder.
Franklin, is a bright boy who is ahead cognitively of his peers and physically more capable than his sisters of the same age, but has cerebral palsy and can’t write. Rachel and Rebekah are playing catch-up mentally with a cognitive age of about 2.
It’s a life filled with simple wonders and things to smile about each day. Did Alice Morris see herself with seven kids after meeting Terry Morris for a first-date dance?
"No, no, no," Alice said through laughter. "No, in fact, everyone laughs that knows me. We never thought we would have seven, but it is such a blessing. There are days where I’m like, ‘This is crazy,’ but you learn to appreciate little things."
The little things make a state championship seem rather small.
Doves get third shot at Cardinals, this time for title - Facing Sacred Heart expected to be a daunting task Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 24, 2005 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer Third time’s a charm?
In two matches this season, three goals have separated St. Scholastica from The Acadamy of the Sacred Heart. The District 9-II rivals will play at 11 a.m. Saturday at Tad Gormley Stadium for the Division II state soccer title.
Sacred Heart won both of the previous meetings, shutting out the Doves 2-0 and 1-0.
Ben Franklin is the last team to score on Sacred Heart -- the Falcons scored two penalty kicks in overtime in the regional round Feb. 9.
Sacred Heart’s lore has only grown since district play.
The Cardinals (28-4-3) scored 13 goals in the bi-district round against De La Salle, winning 13-0. Then there were three penalty kicks they made against one of the best goaltenders in the state, Ben Franklin’s Elizabeth Barnes.
Sacred Heart shut out St. Thomas More in Friday’s semifinal 2-0. The Cardinals have allowed only one goal in regulation time in the past 13 matches and only three goals since the Holiday Classic Tournament in December.
But St. Scholastica is undaunted, Coach Terry Morris said.
"My team is excited about playing Sacred Heart because they want another shot at beating such a fine team," Morris said. "We have talked throughout the playoffs that we have already played one of the best teams (Sacred Heart) in the state. We said if we can play with Sacred Heart, we can play with anyone. We have played five times in the past two years, and all the games except for one were one-goal games. It is also nice to see a District 9-II championship."
St. Scholastica will attempt to knock off the state’s top-ranked team for its first soccer title. The game could come down to who wins the battle at midfield. Ashley Rouen and Ellen Logan start Sacred Heart’s high-speed attack, Morris said.
St. Scholastica’s defense, led by Anne Baldwin, Jennifer Davis and goalie Jennifer Williams, must be able to do more than deflect shots to the midfield. They will have to circumvent the Cardinals’ strength, clearing the ball to their players. Casey Crawford, a versatile Doves midfielder, is a good clearing option. Crawford is one of the best midfielders in the state, Sacred Heart coach Sean Moser said.
The Doves (12-7-2) can compete with the Cardinals as they did in the one-goal victory by Sacred Heart in the second matchup this season, Morris said.
"We don’t think we have to change much from what got us here," Morris said. "We have to take advantage of the opportunities that come."
Moser also is focusing his squad on the second time the two teams met. It was too close, he said.
"We view this week as concentrating on what we didn’t do well in the second match," Moser said. "I think we just dominated the midfield in the first game."
Moser said his forwards didn’t engage the Doves’ fullbacks enough the second time around. "We are very good in the air," Moser said. "In the second game, we had only one corner kick."
There are nine starting seniors at Sacred Heart who want to finish high school with the school’s first championship since 2003, when the Cardinals won Division III.
Morris’ team seeks atonement.
"It’s anyone’s game," Morris said.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 9, 2013 19:22:12 GMT -6
2005 Division I February 26, 2005 Tad Gormley Stadium Mt. Carmel 1 Lafayette 1. Mt. Carmel wins 3-1 in PKs.
Roark proves a bear in goal - Mount Carmel wins Division I championship on penalty kicks Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 27, 2005 Author: Billy Turner Staff writer Goalkeeper Amanda Roark, like her Mount Carmel teammates, was breathless with anxiety as she slammed the water container to the ground and walked to her spot in goal.
The Cubs and Lafayette had played through 80 minutes of physical soccer in Saturday’s Nokia Sugar Bowl Soccer Championships, through two 10-minute overtimes and two five-minute sudden death periods. The score stood tied 1-1, and moved to the penalty-kick phase to determine the girls Division I state champion.
Roark, a senior dressed in a lime jersey with dirty white gloves, readied herself for perhaps the ultimate moment in her soccer career as five Lafayette players prepared to shoot against her.
The first Lafayette player, Danielle Jordan, set the ball, backpedaled and took her shot, to the right side of the goal (Roark’s left). Roark, who had allowed only two goals since January, moved a moment before Jordan guided the ball. She leaped, lying out with hands reaching, reaching until the ball impacted and bounded away.
Then Roark watched as Lafayette missed two more shots completely, and Mount Carmel had won 2-1 (3-1) for its first Division I title since 2002 and first under second-year head coach Robert Villio.
Mount Carmel made the three penalty kicks it attempted. Lafayette made one and missed three. When the Lions missed the final shot, Roark pitched her gloves high into the air and looked for someone to hug. She found the entire team, which piled on her in joy.
"I guessed; I’m not going to lie," Roark said. "All I was thinking was, ‘just stop the ball.’ I knew that if I stopped the first one, they were done."
Villio said he felt confident once the teams went to penalty kicks, confident in his shooters and supremely confident in Roark, who was selected the Outstanding Player of the match.
"I knew she’d come up with at least one. And I knew all my kickers would definitely knock it in," Villio said. "Once we got past the 5s (two five-minute, sudden-death overtimes) I knew we would win."
Villio chose sophomore Kristen Lewis, junior Katie Murphy, junior Elizabeth Hamlin, sophomore Christie Orgeron and sophomore Ashley Colvin for the penalty kicks. Colvin and Orgeron didn’t have to kick.
"I hoped and prayed we would be able to stop one of them," Lafayette coach Katie Breaux said. "But it didn’t happen."
Lafayette’s Traci Millet, the only Lions player to make a penalty kick, gave Lafayette the lead when she scored in the 47th minute.
"It was a great goal," Roark said. "It was just too far out to do anything with."
It was the only goal Mount Carmel allowed in five playoff games, but it was enough to give Lafayette (28-5-1) momentum. But Breaux said the goal had the opposite effect.
"I told the team after that that we had to get to every ball first, but it seemed like we let up some when we got the lead."
The Cubs (34-1-1) tightened their defense after that, and in the 57th minute, senior Krista Stern beat Lafayette’s Christa Sutter to the corner and left-footed a kick past keeper Chelsea Ortego for the tie.
In the end, it came down to Roark.
"She’s the best goaltender in the state," Villio said.
Roark, smiling and hugging everyone in the area, could only say, "I love my team. I love my team. They never gave up."
And she gave up practically nothing.
The combination was a winner.
HEART OF A CHAMPION - Mount Carmel’s Schultz won’t give up despite facing illness Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 27, 2005 Rachel Schultz wants dearly to be no different from anyone else on a soccer field.
She’s the second-string goalkeeper on Mount Carmel’s wonderful soccer team, playing behind one of the state’s best, Amanda Roark, who gave up a goal this season about as often as there is a lunar eclipse.
A pretty blond sophomore with a raspy voice and a seemingly permanent blush, Schultz loves the game like the rest of her state champion teammates, many of whom -- like fellow sophomores Ashley Colvin, Lauren Sherman, Kristen Lewis, Maly and Maria Morris and Callie Gray -- she grew up with, playing soccer .
They were there when abnormality entered Rachel’s life.
She shows up for all the practices.
She works hard, as hard as her body will allow.
During the Division I state soccer championship match against Lafayette, she didn’t have the most important of jobs, granted. She didn’t score or prevent a goal. During warmups, for example, she walked to get a couple of balls hit past the net into the great oaks of City Park. As the teams lined up for the national anthem, her place was next to last as the Cubs formed a horizontal line. And it’s true that she only moved from her spot on the bench a couple of times, mostly to stay warm.
When Lafayette’s Molly Judice missed the Lions’ final kick in the penalty kick phase to give Mount Carmel an insurmountable 3-1 lead, she and the rest of her teammates ran and jumped into a pile near the corner of the field.
But all her efforts to fit in, to contribute without being different, pale compared to Rachel Schultz’s story. Rachel has leukemia, and no matter how you talk about it or shelter it, that separates her from her teammates.
All of that brings perspective to Saturday’s Nokia Sugar Bowl Soccer Championship match at Tad Gormley Stadium. Rachel Schultz has faced things much more serious than a title match; win or lose, this was still a game.
"Yeah, I guess there are things more important," she said, her head down as she thought before she lifted it and looked straight into the eyes of a listener. "But a kid only has so much, so it was pretty darn important."
Rachel has a "port" in her chest through which life-sustaining chemicals flow weekly, for about five hours at a time. She was supposed to have that device removed in December, but she refused, saying it would interrupt her soccer season. So she learned how to slide and leap to protect that part of her chest. She just wants to play.
She was diagnosed when she was a seventh-grade goalkeeper on the 2002 Lakeview Lightning premier team.
"It was late January," she recalled. "It started with a bad case of strep throat that I couldn’t get rid of. Finally my parents (Lucy and Darryl) took me to the emergency room. They made them take blood. My blood count was low, so they took a bone biopsy."
An hour later, and the worst news you can get as a parent came. Rachel had the disease.
Twenty-five months of chemotherapy followed, every stinking week. "Four or five kinds," Rachel said.
But Rachel didn’t quit soccer . The following year she played, going with that Lakewood group to the state playoffs.
"I’ve played soccer since I was 5 years old," she said shyly. "And when I was diagnosed, my team was such a big support that I wanted to go back so bad."
She did. Lucy said Rachel made nearly all the games, but "practice was a bit tougher."
The chemo did more than attack the leukemia. Much more. "Between the chemo and the steroids, they did a big number on my bones," Rachel said. "I have arthritis, and they think now that I have osteoporosis in my knees. Sometimes I wake up and I have bone pain or muscle pain, and other days I’m fine."
Rachel played keeper for the Mount Carmel junior varsity as a freshman, as a starter on an unbeaten team, and came back this season to do the same.
She needs breaks at times, breaks others don’t need, but she played well enough to be called to the varsity once the junior-varsity season was done. Her friend Caroline Mayer sat out the season after suffering her fifth concussion during an automobile accident. "She’s a year ahead of me, so she’s second-string and I’m third," Rachel said. "She’s kinda my role model."
"The only issue is sometimes she needs to have a break where some of the others do not, and it’s only because stamina-wise it takes a long time to rebuild her system," Mount Carmel assistant coach Jim Barrouquere said.
The thought of quitting has never entered her mind, she said. "The game has given her a drive, a goal to work toward," Lucy said. "It hit her at the peak of her abilities in the game. She’s still physically not there, but mentally she’s stronger than ever. I just leave her in God’s hands. If she’s supposed to play, if it was meant to be, it will be."
And what does being a state champion mean to her?
"One of my favorite quotes is, ‘A champion is someone who gets up even when they can’t,’ " Rachel said.
Perhaps it’s hard to fit in when you are so special.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 11, 2013 15:47:26 GMT -6
2006 Division III March 3, 2006 ULL Soccer Complex, Lafayette Newman 2 Sacred Heart 0 Thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/7854/newman-2-sacred-heart-finalN.O. teams have down year - Only three teams make state finals Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, March 2, 2006 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer It was a fitting ending to a year that was that the greatest high school soccer season in New Orleans history. Last year, the members of the Jesuit soccer team joyfully mugged and pranced around the field at Tad Gormley Stadium with the Division I state championship trophy after its 3-2 overtime victory against Lafayette to complete an unbeaten season. The game was the last state championship match of the season, as New Orleans hosted five of the six state championship matches. Nine local teams played in the boys and girls finals of the three divisions with five teams winning state championships, including Newman, which won the Division III boys and girls titles. But what a difference a year makes. This year, New Orleans is no longer the center of the powers in state soccer , and there are plenty of reasons why, ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the lack of a soccer seeding system to dumb luck, area coaches said. The only local teams playing for state championships this weekend are the Fontainebleau boys (Division I) on Saturday in Lafayette and the Newman and Sacred Heart girls teams, which play for the Division III championship Friday in Lafayette. New Orleans has the fewest number of teams playing in the finals since 2002 when the Louisiana High School Athletic Association went to three divisions in boys and girls soccer . This is first year since 2003 that the area doesn't have at least one team in every state championship match. It is the first year since 2001 that state power Jesuit isn't in the state championship match and the first year since 1998 a Catholic League team isn't playing for the boys Division I title. There is no doubt Katrina had an impact on local teams. The hurricane shut down some public and private schools for months. Some of those schools weren't able to reopen until late December. Defending Division I state champion Jesuit (16-1-1), which lost in the Division I semifinals, didn't play its first game until Dec. 26 and finished the season with 14 fewer games than last year when it was 30-0-2. "We started two months behind, and I'm certain that played a part in it," Jesuit coach Hubie Collins said. Defending Division I girls state champion Mount Carmel, which lost to Barbe in the Division I regionals, started in January because of Katrina and only played 11 games this season. Newman's boys and girls soccer teams, the defending state champions in Division III, didn't start practicing until late December and didn't have their first game until January, a month that is usually the midway point in the season. The Greenies girls soccer team (7-4) has played in 11 games this season. "From the start of January, the clock was always ticking," Newman girls soccer coach Patrick Summerour said. "We didn't have the time to work on things like we would in a normal season." Summerour said all of the local schools lost people who didn't come back because of Katrina, but he also said, "I think it's unfair to say that New Orleans teams didn't get (to the finals) because of Katrina." "There were a lot of other things." Some coaches pointed to the lack of a seeding system for the state soccer playoffs as another reason why local teams failed to reach the finals. "Because there is no seeding for soccer , you have the better teams drawing each other in the early rounds," Collins said. Mount Carmel lost to Barbe, which is ranked fifth in Region II in the National Soccer Coaches of America Association/adidas rankings, 3-1 in the Division I regionals. Jesuit won by forfeit against Lafayette, ranked third in the regional poll, in the Division I quarterfinals. Then there were five local teams that lost one-goal matches in the semifinals, including four boys teams (Brother Martin, Ben Franklin, Newman and St. Martin's). Brother Martin lost to Carencro 2-1 in double overtime in Division I. Ben Franklin lost to East Ascension 1-0 in Division II. In Division III, Newman lost to top-ranked St. Louis 1-0 and St. Martin's lost to Teurlings Catholic 2-1. Mandeville coach Sean Esker, whose team lost to Barbe 1-0 in the semifinals, said, "maybe this was the year for the teams in our area that the ball just didn't bounce our way. In my experience from both the winning side and falling short, you have to be lucky and good at the same time to win the championship."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 11, 2013 15:53:53 GMT -6
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 11, 2013 15:57:24 GMT -6
2006 Division I March 4, 2006 ULL Soccer Complex, Lafayette Lafayette 1 Barbe 0
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER Bucs run out of steam One goal gives Lafayette state championship American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Sunday, March 5, 2006 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS LAFAYETTE — Of Lafayette ' s deluge of 21 shots , only one got through , but that one was enough to lift the Lions to their first state championship with a 1 - 0 win over Barbe in the finals of the Division I girls state soccer playoffs . Lafayette ( 32 - 4 ) was making its second - straight finals appearance , having lost to Mount Carmel in a shootout last season . “ At the end of last year our hearts just dropped , ” Lafayette head coach Katie Breaux said . “ At the end of that game , I told the girls , ' I don ' t ever want to feel this way again . '” Barbe ( 20 - 7 - 1 ) head coach Curtis Stewart had a similar message for his girls after Saturday ' s loss . “ We ' re a young team , we grew up a lot today , ” said Stewart , whose Bucs will return eight starters next year . “ I told the girls to remember this feeling and next year we can use it as motivation . ” Lafayette dominated their dis - trict rival , outshooting Barbe 21 - 5 . “ That ' s been the story of the whole year , ” Breaux said . “ I don ' t know of anyone whose come with - in 10 shots of us . ” Barbe was outshot 12 - 1 at the half , getting off four of its five shots in the second half . “ We didn ' t do much the first half , ” Stewart said . “ We were hesi - tating to pull the trigger , and when we ' ve got opportunities we ' ve got to take them . ”
Stewart blamed his team ' s first - half lapse on a mix of nerves and fatigue . “ To me it looked like we were tired in the first 5 min - utes , ” Stewart said . “ It was our first time playing in the sun in a while , but that was probably true for them to so we can ' t use that as an excuse . We were fatigued , I just don ' t know where the fatigue came from . ” Despite Lafayette ' s bar - rage , Barbe did a good job of defending its territory , but 29 minutes into the first half , Lafayette snuck one into the Bucs ' goal . The game ' s MVP , Lafayette ' s Christa Sutter , lofted a ball from right to left in front of Barbe ' s goal , and Jennifer Hopkins was there to finish , catching Barbe goalie Jamie Gautreaux off guard for the score . Lafayette twice almost added insurance goals with 4 minutes left in the game as Molly Judice had two shots bounce off the crossbar . Barbe was playing in the finals for the first time in its history , having reached the championship after finishing third in district , behind Lafayette . “ This has been my best coaching season ever , ” Stewart said . “ I ' m proud of these young ladies , they didn ' t settle . They entered the play - offs with the anticipation of a state championship and that says a lot considering they fin - ished third in district . ”
Lady Bucs soccer team improves with seasoning Barbe gains confidence in playoff run American Press (Lake Charles, LA) - Thursday, March 2, 2006 Author: JOHNATHAN MANNING AMERICAN PRESS That was January . This is March . The Barbe team that will be tak - ing the field against Lafayette in the Division I girls state soccer finals this Saturday afternoon is not the same team that lost to the Lions twice in the regular season , says Bucs head coach Curtis Stewart . Barbe ( 20 - 6 - 1 ) , the third - place team out of District 3 , has gone from slipping through the cracks of the playoffs to knocking on the door of a championship . “ The last time we lost to Lafayette was January 10 . The team that played then was not the same team that is going to play Saturday , ” Stewart said . “ I think our players have grown . When you ' re starting six sophomores and a freshman , it takes time to get accustomed to play - ing high school soccer . I think it just took time to get their feet wet . ” “ Lafayette is an awesome team , they ' re intimidating , ” Barbe senior sweeper Jessica Gurley says . “ With the wins in the playoffs , it has given us the confidence to come out Saturday and hopefully get a win . ” Barbe has been steady all season , never really enduring a major slump . But it didn ' t really begin to shine until the postseason . The Bucs lost two games to Lafayette , one to Acadiana and one to Comeaux in a district schedule that has taken up most of the sea - son ' s slate of games .
“ I think our district is the toughest in the state , ” Stewart said . “ Pretty much anybody that comes out of the district has a good chance in the play - offs because every district game is a battle . ” Four District 3 teams made it to the playoffs , with wild - card New Iberia losing in the first round and second - place Acadiana getting dispatched by Barbe in the quarterfinals . Although Barbe is young on offense — all of its offen - sive players should return — it is the offense that has guid - ed the team behind Stacy Winder and Anna Clark , both of whom have scored 15 goals . “ We have good passing skills and good communica - tion , ” Clark said . “ Our com - munication gets us toward the goal . ” But the defense has been no slouch either , turning in shutouts in the semifinals and quarterfinals , and allowing only three goals in four play - off games . “ Our secret is our ability to work together , ” Gurley said . “ We all get along . … Now we know how to win and how to get the job done . ” Now the Bucs have the opportunity to become , not just Barbe ' s first girls team to win a soccer title , but also Lake Charles ' first . “ It would be awesome to be able to walk around town and say you were the first team in the area to win a state soccer championship , ” Stewart said . “ You like to be the first to do something . ”
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 11:19:21 GMT -6
2007 Division I Girls February 24, 2007 Independence Stadium Dominican 0 (wins 6-5 in PKs) Lafayette 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/8136/dominican-1-lafayette-pksDominican survives penalty kicks - After scoreless match, 7th kicker gives Div. I title to Dominican DOMINICAN… 1 -- LAFAYETTE… 0 Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, February 25, 2007 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- Dominican freshman goalkeeper Emily Cobena gave a sigh of relief when she saw the penalty kick from Lafayette sophomore forward Maci Andrus sail over the goal in Independence Stadium. Cobena was guessing that Andrus would try a shot to her right, but there was no guarantee she would have stopped the shot if it had been on target. In the end, Cobena didn't have to do anything but celebrate while Andrus walked off the field with a blank look and sought consolation from her teammates. And a see-saw season for Dominican ended in a fitting way Saturday. Facing the pressure of penalty kicks, Dominican won its first state championship since 2003 with a 1-0 victory (6-5 on penalty kicks) in the Division I girls soccer championship. "This is unbelievable," said Cobena, who was selected the game's Outstanding Player. Andrus, a bench player, couldn't believe she missed the penalty kick that ended Lafayette's one-year reign. "I was really confident I was going to make the goal," she said. "I don't know what happened." Each team made four of the first five penalty kicks. Dominican, which shot first, took a 5-4 lead when defender/midfielder Erin Davis hit a shot into the left corner of the goal over the leaping hands of Lafayette goalkeeper Chelsea Ortego. But Lafayette tied the score when midfielder Jennifer Hopkins plastered a shot into the middle of the goal. Dominican junior Emma Caverly kicked a roller into the left corner to make the score 6-5. "I knew where I was going to kick the ball two seconds before I hit it," Caverly said. "It felt right." Then came Andrus' miss, which gave Dominican the state title. The penalty kicks came at the end of 110 scoreless minutes. Dominican (13-5-3) and Lafayette (23-5-1) both had strong scoring chances in the first half. Cobena made a diving save to stop a crossing shot by Lafayette's Chelsea Granger at 11 minutes. Lafayette's Erin Bruney hit a one-hopper to Cobena from the left side of the penalty box at 17 minutes. Hopkins had a free kick from right outside the penalty box at 17 minutes after Cobena made a mistake and picked up the ball outside the penalty box. But Hopkins hit a line-drive shot into a wall of Dominican players on the free kick to end the threat. Hopkins also hit a line-drive shot to Cobena on a corner kick at 21 minutes. Dominican's best scoring chances came in the final 10 minutes of the half. Midfielder Christina Keiffer hit a header from the middle of the goal box to Ortego at 34 minutes. Ortego made a diving deflection to stop a shot by Caverly with 25 seconds remaining. Lafayette had a chance to win the game in the final 15 minutes of regulation, but midfielder Chelsea Granger missed an open shot in the middle of the penalty box. "That was a huge relief," Cobena said. Dominican had a chance to score in the first 10-minute overtime period, but defender Emily Schott missed just wide on a shot from about 45 yards out with 6:45 remaining. Lafayette had a chance to score in the second 10-minute overtime period, but Bruney missed high on a shot from the left side of the penalty box with 5:09 remaining. Granger missed high from the top of the penalty box in the second of two five-minute golden-goal overtime periods. In penalty kicks. Dominican's Katie Harris made the first shot. Then Cobena made a diving deflection of a shot from Bruney. Each team made a goal after a miss by Schott. "(Lafayette) is an awesome team," Caverly said. "We had several chances to win the game, but we couldn't do it. But we have a wonderful goalkeeper, and I knew we would win the game in the penalty kicks."
Forget destiny, Dominican just wants to be labeled champion - Soccer team going for Division I title Friday Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 22, 2007 Author: Mike Strom Staff writer Dominican's soccer team is not ready to accept the mantle of Destiny's Darlings. Not yet, anyway. One victory from a Division I state championship and facing the reigning state champions from Lafayette, Dominican's girls have taken a cue from their coach and passed on an opportunity to revel in the advance hype surrounding their march to the state finals. But it actually was Coach Henrik Madsen who 10 days ago proclaimed a 3-2 double-overtime victory against Mandeville in the state quarterfinals as a moment of "destiny." Dominican was seconds away from being eliminated from the playoffs when junior midfielder Rachel Schwartz booted a high 40-yard kick that found its way into the goal and tied the score at 2, forcing overtime. Freshman striker Christina Keiffer followed by heading in a goal off a corner kick by junior striker Katie Harris in the second overtime to send Dominican into the state semifinals. "That one goal, it had to be destiny," Madsen said. "We were out for the count. Then you have a kick where the ball goes straight up in the air from 40 yards out and it goes straight in behind the goalkeeper. It was just meant to be. It was destiny. But I did not mean by that that we are a team of destiny." Madsen acknowledges that such a moment does involve more than an average share of luck, but he said there has been nothing lucky about Dominican's three other playoff victories -- 8-0 against West Jefferson, 1-0 against Mount Carmel and 4-1 against Dutchtown in the semifinals. "A lot of teams that we've played had great players, but you can't just have great players," said junior sweeper Erin Davis. "You've got to work together as a team. I think all of the players on this team have shown their heart. Heart and determination have been the things that have carried us this year." Beating Mount Carmel in the regional round is the signature victory in a 12-5-3 season that includes a current six-match winning streak. Dominican had been beaten by its district rivals 2-1 and 4-1 and was 0-6 against the Cubs in three seasons under Madsen. Junior midfielder Tayler Prindle headed in the game's lone goal on a pass from Harris in the closing moments to preserve freshman goalkeeper Emily Cobena's shutout. "That clearly was the turning point right there," Madsen said. "To win on a header during injury time . . . It was our day that day. After that the girls started to believe that they could beat anybody." The victory against the Cubs was the fourth match since Madsen shuffled the lineup to re-position six starters. The core remained unchanged with seven juniors surrounded by two sophomores and three freshmen. Harris, a co-captain, was moved from sweeper to striker; Keiffer went from midfielder to striker and Prindle from striker to center midfielder -- all designed to improve the team's scoring. Emily Schott, the other junior co-captain, was moved from forward to defensive midfielder; Davis was switched from center midfielder to sweeper and sophomore Kyle Kalil, who had been cleared medically in January in her recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, became a defensive midfielder. Dominican is 6-0 since the reshuffling. Lafayette (23-4-1) and Dominican are district runner-ups. Dominican's 2003 state championship team also was a district runner-up. "I certainly believed that we could win," Schott said. "District meant a lot to us and (finishing) second was good. But getting here (to the championship game) has meant everything in the world to us. "And we've worked so hard, we deserve this."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 11:23:50 GMT -6
2007 Division II Girls February 23, 2007 Neville High, Monroe St. Scholastica 5 Neville 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/8134/ssa-5-nevilleDoves dominate Neville to win title - SSA scores early and often for school's first soccer crown ST. SCHOLASTICA… 5 -- NEVILLE… 0 Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer MONROE -- You can toss the movie-script ending to the St. Scholastica soccer team's season. The Doves didn't go undefeated with a culminating double-overtime victory against nemesis St. Thomas More in a state championship. Heck, the team couldn't even get a bus ride to their state final game Friday. Their plush ride was dashed Thursday evening when the bus company canceled. But none of that spoiled the feeling of bringing the first state soccer championship trophy back to Covington with a 5-0 thrashing of Neville on Friday in the Division II final. St. Scholastica has state titles in tennis, cross country and swimming, but added its first soccer crown from a team that lost one match all season -- to Newman in penalty kicks in the St. Amant Tournament. Though the Friday victory lacked the pressure-packed excitement of the semifinal, it had more joy. "I'm just as happy as I was last week (after a thrilling semifinal win against St. Thomas More)," St. Scholastica's Kimberly Belmont said. "It's amazing to go this far and win it all." The match had been decided long before the final whistle. By the time Belmont whipped her head onto the ball for the Doves' third goal in the 41st minute, the energy was drained from the out-matched Neville team (21-8-1) and St. Scholastica (24-1) cruised. It was Belmont's second goal. She scored the first one on a turnaround shot in the 15th minute. But when St. Scholastica Coach Mike Ortner looked around after the match for an MVP award to give to Belmont, there was none. "I'm making her my MVP," Ortner said. "I think Division I and Division III have one, I guess we're just the stepchild division." Ortner didn't even get a water cooler shower -- it was tight quarters on the way up, as the team improvised on travel, stuffing SUV's with players and equipment for the four-hour trek. But he didn't avoid a shower. His players swarmed him with 20-ounce water bottles and shook them over his head, barely wetting the top of his shirt. It still evoked a smile. Everything leading to the final hadn't gone as planned, but the strategy did. The Doves wanted to score in the first 15 minutes and keep scoring until they took the resolve from the Tigers. It worked, as the Doves scored two goals in the first half and a third in the opening minute of the second half, before adding two more after that. "We wanted to set the pace of the game, and we wanted to force them to react to our play, and they did," Ortner said. Catie Crawford scored the second goal on a 20-yard shot after picking off a Neville midfielder just inside Tigers territory. But after Belmont's second goal, even Neville Coach Bret Sanders saw the hope slip away. "We wanted to go in and try to keep it close," Sanders said. "Two-O at the half didn't really concern me. The third goal really took it out of us." Neville competed with its best player -- Alex Loomis -- on the sideline wearing a jersey, but weighted down by a pair of heavy-rimmed glasses. She detached her retina in the semifinal and watched her team struggle to match St. Scholastica's power, precision and speed. On one play in the first half, Doves forward Tricia Johnson battled for possession with Aimee Coleman. Johnson won, footing the ball so violently that it ripped up and hit Coleman in the face. Coleman came off injured, spitting teeth on the field. The Doves didn't slow, even with a firm lead in hand in the second half. Neville goalkeeper Ellie McElroy played valiantly, Sanders said, but she came out with a pelvic-area injury after taking brutal shots all evening -- 15 of which came in the first half. Kelly Gautreaux nailed a hard shot into the net in the 49th minute, and three minutes later, McElroy had enough and dropped to her knees on the sidelines as trainers worked on her. Michelle Duplantier scored the final goal on a corner kick against backup keeper Madeline Fechter. That score didn't go according to script. Duplantier tried to push the ball about 5 feet in the air -- head-level for most of her teammates making their runs. But Duplantier's ball looped like a curve ball and swished in the net for a rare unassisted corner-kick goal. "Really, I missed the shot I wanted to take," Duplantier said. "It just bent in. It's awesome." Duplantier said scoring in a state final after a week of getting letters from the school's soccer alumni who had tried, but failed to bring home a trophy in the past made the moment more special. Sometimes real life is better than the script. "I usually choke," Belmont said. "But all my teammates motivated me and we built this up with every win. It's kind of a Cinderella story." Doves get their kicks, advance to D-II final Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 17, 2007 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer Caroline Crawford had never taken a penalty kick in a match before she lined up for one Friday night. Her knees would have been shaking despite the freezing temperatures as she stepped to the ball in overtime of the Division II state semifinal against No. 2-ranked St. Thomas More. Crawford knew if she could beat Cougars goalkeeper Natalie Dronet, then No. 1-ranked St. Scholastica would advance to the state championship. "I had been practicing them (penalty kicks) all week, I knew I was going to go right," Crawford said. She blasted the ball past Dronet and finished the nearly three-hour match that went through 80 minutes of regulation to a 2-2, 30 minutes of combined scoreless overtimes, and 12 penalty kicks. St. Scholastica won 3-2 after making more penalty kicks than St. Thomas More and will face the winner of the Neville-Ben Franklin match in the final. It was a crowning moment for the Doves, who were knocked out of the semifinals last season by the Cougars in Lafayette, but will make their third appearance in the championship after Friday's victory. Doves fans rushed onto the field and carried Crawford off on their shoulders knowing St. Scholastica could get its first soccer state title with just one more victory. "I was just like ahhhhhhhhh," Crawford said. "I didn't know what to think after the shot. It was amazing." There was another St. Scholastica hero: goalkeeper Lindsey Schwaner, who set up the winning situation with a save. The teams each made four penalty kicks and missed one in the first phase. With the match not decided, the next phase features single attempts by each team until one makes its kick and the other doesn't. St. Thomas More's Anna Robicheaux couldn't get her penalty kick past Schwaner. Schwaner leaned with Robicheaux's hips and dove right to push the ball out for a save. "I just had this feeling that this was the one," Schwaner said. Then all Crawford had to do was beat Dronet, and the victory was St. Scholastica's. "I knew Caroline would hit it; she was kicking penalty kicks past me all week at practice," Schwaner said. Tricia Johnson, Caitlyn Kinchen, Danielle Beatty and Michelle Duplantier scored for St. Scholastica in the first round of penalty kicks. "We should of finished this in regulation," St. Thomas More Coach John Fell said. "We were coming off a really good quarterfinal win and we were playing really well in the second half, we just couldn't finish." The Cougars (25-2-2) forced overtime after trailing 2-1 at halftime. The Doves (23-1) controlled the first half with quick runs up the sidelines and fast blasts on goal. Crawford scored in the 12th minute on a quick strike. The Cougars tied the score in the 38th minute on Meghan Messonnier's goal. The Doves fended off one shot, but Rebecca Cernich took the deflection and fed Messonnier the ball with Schwaner still recovering on the other side of the net. Messonnier toed the ball in safely. But the Doves punched another one in later in the minute off Beatty's hard cross shot. That goal gave the Doves a 2-1 halftime lead. "This is a game that should be slated for the finals," St. Scholastica Coach Mike Ortner said. "They shouldn't be on our side of the bracket. We are No. 1 and they are No. 2, but I think we kind of share No. 1 with them." St. Scholastica tries to pick it up again in time for state title match - Doves will face Neville on Friday Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Thursday, February 22, 2007 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer It took sweat. It took effort. It took overcoming bone-chilling weather. It took four overtime periods and more than one round of penalty kicks. It took every ounce of mental energy the St. Scholastica soccer team had to beat St. Thomas More in the semifinals of the Division II soccer playoffs Friday. So as the Doves prepare to play for the state championship at Neville on Friday at 5 p.m., the final match of the season is in danger of becoming almost a letdown. A letdown? "It is," said Doves midfielder Kelly Gautreaux, who has 37 goals this season. "But it's the finals, and we wouldn't be in position to be in it without beating St. Thomas More." The problem isn't in playing Neville -- a team ranked behind both St. Thomas More and St. Scholastica. It's in the design of the brackets, which seed the first few rounds of the playoffs on a regional basis. In other sports such as basketball and baseball, there are top-notch teams sprinkled throughout the state and in both halves of the bracket, but the elite soccer teams are in the southern part of Louisiana. That means the top soccer teams in Division II weigh down one side of the bracket, making a matchup like St. Thomas More-St. Scholas-tica occur before the state final. It makes Doves Coach Mike Ortner's job tough this week, and not just because of the competition. "Even for me personally, it took two or three days to come down off that win against St. Thomas More to focus back on the state championship," he said. Neville's best player, Alex Loomis, won't be able to play after detaching her retina in the 1-0 semifinal win over Ben Franklin. Ortner, who coached Loomis a few years ago in an Olympic Development program, said the loss might not be as advantageous for St. Scholastica as it looks. "I've seen teams pick up their game after losing a strong leader and player," Ortner said. "Obviously, it won't be the same midfield without her, but they will be ready." Neville Coach Bret Sanders knows the enormity of the task ahead of him. "Obviously we will be playing a very talented team," Sanders told the Monroe News-Star. "They have excellent midfielders and do a great job passing the ball around. They want to get you out of position and then attack. We will have to be very, very disciplined on defense and stick with our assignments. "While we know they are talented, we are also very excited about playing them. We are not in awe of their success or afraid of what they bring. We have a very experienced team that has faced a lot of difficult situations. St. Scholastica is not unbeatable, and that's all you ask for -- a chance to play your best game for the state championship and hope it is good enough to win." The Doves' strength is their defense led by goalkeeper Lindsey Schwaner, who set up the winning penalty kick with a thrilling save Friday, and sweeper Sally St. Germain. Schwaner has allowed only six goals this season. St. Germain said the team finally is shaking off the thrill of beating the Cougars and eyeing the next task. She said it's hard after coming off "probably the biggest win of my life." "We're trying to keep ourselves grounded and not be too cocky. The semifinals don't mean anything if we can't win the final," she said. Neville doesn't have the talent on offense that St. Scholastica has with Gautreaux and Tricia Johnson, but Ortner said Neville is solid. "From everything I've heard, they're fairly fast, athletic and they look to play balls behind the defense," Ortner said. "We are going to have to keep the ball in front of us." "It means so much for the team and the school because we've never won one before," St. Germain said. "When our juniors were freshmen, they lost to Sacred Heart (in the state championship). Bringing home a state championship would mean so much to this school."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 11:26:09 GMT -6
2007 Division III Girls February 23, 2007 Independence Stadium Newman 1 Sacred Heart 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/8133/newman-1-sacred-heart-finalNewman captures state title again - Greenies defeat Sacred Heart in finals for 2nd straight year NEWMAN… 1 -- SACRED HEART… 0 Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- What happens between two teams in the regular season doesn't matter -- it's the playoffs that count, especially the championship game. For the second consecutive season, the Newman girls soccer team taught that lesson to Sacred Heart. Playing in mostly empty Independence Stadium on a warm, breezy afternoon more than 300 miles away from home, Newman defeated Sacred Heart 1-0 to win the Division III state championship. Newman's victory was its first in four matches against the Cardinals this season. Sacred Heart defeated Newman three times in the regular season, and each victory came in a match that was scoreless until penalty kicks. Sacred Heart is 5-2 against Newman the past two seasons and has won six of its past eight matches against the Greenies. Last season Sacred Heart defeated Newman 2-0 and 4-1 in the regular season, but Newman defeated Sacred Heart 2-0 to win the state title. "Obviously we would love to beat them in the regular season, but this match is what counts," Newman senior midfielder Camille Robinson said. The true regulation-size soccer field and artificial turf in Independence Stadium played a factor. The increased field size gave the faster Newman players more room to get to long balls hit toward the corners. The artificial turf allowed the Greenies (20-5-1) to hit balls on the ground that rolled farther and harder, which better suited their aggressive style. "I think we used the field well, because we were able to put the ball wide," Robinson said. The field and the turf also made it tougher for Sacred Heart to have success on corner kicks, because the shots were from farther out than normal. The added length gave the Newman defenders more room to recover after making mistakes. Newman Coach Patrick Summerour said the Greenies won the game because of their midfielders. "We won the game in the center midfield, and it shows because center midfielder Rhegan Wollerman won the MVP trophy," Summerour said. Newman scored when forward Layne Ezzell got a ball in the middle of the penalty box from teammate Jordon Moses. She then dinked a shot past Sacred Heart goalkeeper Brittany Maywalt high into the net in the 12th minute. The goal was the only score in regulation between the teams this season. "I just touched it in," Ezzell said. "I think we wanted it more. It was a tough game, but we were able to keep it 1-0." Sacred Heart (21-6-2) had several chances to score before halftime, but the Cardinals failed on three corner kicks. Sacred Heart midfielder Lauren Armatis hit a shot from 10 yards beyond the penalty box that drifted wide in the 27th minute. Armatis hit another shot from 40 yards out that hit the crossbar in the 29th minute. "I thought it was a pretty even match," Sacred Heart Coach Sean Moser said. "They only had two shots in the first half, but one of them just went in." Newman outshot Sacred Heart 4-3 in the second half. Newman failed to score in the 59th minute when they had two corner kicks and one shot from Ezzell from the left side of the penalty box. Sacred Heart's last chance to score came when senior Sara Fogleman hit a line-drive free kick to goalkeeper Catherine Frampton from 50 yards out with 49 seconds left in the match. "I thought this loss was double tough (compared to) last year's loss," Fogleman said. Title match is familiar territory - Greenies, Cardinals meet in rematch of last season's game Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Friday, February 23, 2007 Author: Pierce W. Huff Staff writer For the members of the Newman and Sacred Heart girls soccer teams, last season's Division III state championship match is memorable for different reasons. For Newman, its 2-0 victory against Sacred Heart for the state title is one of the best wins in the history of its soccer program. Newman had lost to Sacred Heart 2-0 and 4-1 during the regular season before upsetting the Cardinals in the state final. For Sacred Heart, the Division III state title match was one of the toughest losses in the history of its program. The game also serves as a reminder to the Cardinals of what can happen when a team is over confident going into a state championship game. Newman (19-5-1) and Sacred Heart (21-5-2) play today at 4 p.m. at Independence Stadium in the Division III state championship match under similar circumstances, and there is no doubt that last year's title match will be on both team's minds. The Greenies are 0-3 against Sacred Heart this season with all three matches being scoreless and decided by penalty kicks at the end. "In the first game we played against them, it was in the St. Martin's Tournament, and it was both teams' third game in one day, and both teams were tired," Newman Coach Patrick Summerour said. "In the second game, they outplayed us. In the third game, we played them much better." But Sacred Heart has learned the hard way that what happens against a team in the regular season doesn't matter. "The regular season is just a build-up," junior Meredith Schiro said. Newman senior Catherine Hampton said she thinks the Greenies have the same psychological advantage they had against Sacred Heart last year -- Newman has to be considered the underdog, because they haven't beaten Sacred Heart this season. But Sacred Heart has redemption and revenge as major motives in today's match. "We want another shot to make up for last year," Sacred Heart senior Sara Fogleman said. Both teams say the first few minutes of the match will be the key. They also said the team that can best establish its style of play will have the upper hand. "We have to come out with a strong pace and intensity," Newman senior Paige Pointer said. "We both want (the state championship). It's just a matter of who wants it more." When it comes to styles of play, Newman will look to play fast and aggressive with possession. The Greenies' Lily Miller leads the team with 18 goals this season. Sacred Heart is strong with plays off of free kicks and corner kicks. The Cardinals have three players with 12 or more goals in Mae Casey (16 goals), Lauren Armatis (12 goals) and Lindsey Brower (12 goals). Sacred Heart Coach Sean Moser said his team has been working on improving its play in the midfield, and that will be a key area of game play.
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 14:02:16 GMT -6
2008 Girls Division III February 22, 2008 Independence Stadium St. Louis 2 Sacred Heart 1 (2OT)
Sacred Heart falls short of title in OT - St. Louis prevails in hard-fought match Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, February 23, 2008 Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer SHREVEPORT -- No one needed to see the Independence Stadium scoreboard to see how Sacred Heart fared against St. Louis Catholic in the Division III girls soccer state championship.
They just needed to glance at Cardinals goalkeeper Kristina Crouch. Her right eye socket was swollen purple, pinching her eye almost shut. Her ribs were bruised and bandaged.
And her team was defeated 2-1 in the second overtime period, making it the first year since 1998 that the division's trophy didn't go to a New Orleans team.
Like their goalkeeper, Sacred Heart was banged up, but fought hard. The Cardinals (16-5-3) had more and better shots on goal. The Cardinals had better ball control.
But after a controversial no-call that led to St. Louis' first goal and a beautiful bending corner kick in overtime, the Saints (30-4-3) prevailed to bring home their first girls soccer championship in school history.
St. Louis' Grace Stulb bent a corner kick into the right side of the goal in the sixth minute of the second overtime period to give the Saints the lead, and they held on for the state title.
The Saints' first goal abruptly halted Sacred Heart's momentum.
It was one of many situations St. Louis lived up to its billing of being an aggressive team. Crouch came out to snag a loose ball after a Saints free kick in the 25th minute. Natalie Ieyoub, a Saints forward, moved toward Crouch. In the resulting collision, Ieyoub's head hit Crouch's eyebrow and her elbow hit Crouch's torso as Crouch reached for the ball. Both players went down, and the ball popped loose in the right corner.
Rahseema Clark, another Saints forward, collected the ball, dribbled around the downed players and launched a shot into the left corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.
Sacred Heart Coach Tooraj Badie was incensed when the officials headed back to midfield to restart the ball, meaning the Saints were credited with the goal. Badie thought the collision would give Sacred Heart a penalty kick going the other way and the goal would be nullified.
Instead, Badie retreated to the sideline with the injured Crouch, who did not re-enter, and a deficit.
"I think if this is the best the state can do in regards to officiating, . . . " Badie said, trailing off in frustration. "Just look at Kristina."
St. Louis Coach Paul Burgess said it was a physical moment, but within the realm of fair play.
"It's the state final, and we encourage our players to go for the loose balls," Burgess said. "We, in all too many situations, sit back and react slowly."
His sweeper Melissa Minton twice crumbled to the turf on rough collisions, but she was able to continue, and she earned the match's most valuable player award.
Her play helped preserve St. Louis' 1-0 lead through halftime, but Sacred Heart kept plugging away in the second half and finally finished in the 64th minute to even the score at 1 in regulation.
After a Sacred Heart corner kick, the ball pinballed off several players before Sarah Parkerson kicked a 22-yard shot that just dropped under the cross bar for in the 64th minute.
Lauren Armatis fired off two more long shots in the ensuing two minutes, but St. Louis successfully fended off the onslaught to push the match into overtime.
Both Sacred Heart and St Louis had chances to score in the first overtime, but neither could capitalize.
It wasn't until Stulb's corner kick in the second overtime that the deadlock broke.
Frenetic Sacred Heart pushes in the final four minutes went unrealized. The Cardinals, who had advanced to the previous two Division III state finals only to lose to district rival Newman, left the turf with their third consecutive finals loss.
"Frustration isn't the right word," Cardinals forward Mae Casey said. "I feel like we gave everything in this game. I'm so proud of my teammates. Frustration doesn't say it. Confusion does. When you work so hard for something and you don't get it."
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 14:21:11 GMT -6
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Post by Scott Crawford on Apr 27, 2013 14:32:47 GMT -6
2008 Division II Girls February 15, 2008 Spartan Stadium, East Ascension Vandebilt 3 St. Michael's 0LAprepSoccer in-game thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/8371/vandebilt-st-mikesSt. Michael's Coach Anthony Neeson Vandebilt Coach Philip Amedee Vandebilt girls end ‘perfect’ playoff runMatt LeBlanc Staff Writer GONZALES – Over the past 11 games, Vandebilt Catholic’s defense hasn’t just been dominating. It’s been perfect. And perfection didn’t change in the Division II state championship match against St. Michael at Spartan Stadium Friday night. For the 12th consecutive match, the Lady Terriers shut out their opponent, winning 3-0. This shutout, though, ended with the school’s first state championship in girls soccer. “It feels really good to bring one back,” Vandebilt coach Philip Amedee said. “I’ve taken a little bit of a ribbing from (Vandebilt boys’ coach) Doug (Hamilton) about finally bringing a ring back. But this is a class that’s deserving. They’ve worked hard. The outcome was evident. They were not going to be denied.” Amedee referred to Hamilton, whose boys’ team plays in the Division II state championship against Teurlings Catholic at 4 p.m. today in Lafayette. On this night, though, it was about the Lady Terriers. “It’s indescribable,” senior stopper Alana Dehart said of the championship. “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever felt.” At the stopper position, Dehart was the last line of midfield and first line of defense that stifled St. Michael’s attack. “We’re talking about goals, goals, goals,” Amedee said. “But defensive effort, we come out and shut down teams time and time again. It’s due to our mentality. We all play defense.” Vandebilt (21-7) only allowed the Lady Warriors (14-11-3) two shots on goal. “This game was going to be decided in the midfield,” St. Michael coach Anthony Neeson said. “It was. (Vandebilt) showed a lot of heart in the midfield. They stepped up and won most of the first touches.” Because of that, Vandy’s midfield was able to consistently feed passes to its attackers, resulting in 28 shots on goal. But it wasn’t until the 38th minute the Lady Terriers found the net. Lindsey Warren sent a pass into the penalty box that Kayla Chatman received in a crowd of defenders. Chatman battled for the ball, beating St. Michael’s goalie Liz Buss, and scoring on an uncontested shot from 2 yards out. “At first I thought I was going to fall, but then I decided ‘no.’ I kept my balance, and I got to the ball quicker than the goalie did,” Chatman said. “She was in the middle of a dive, but I beat her to it. I was just in the right place at the right time.” With the goal coming two minutes before halftime, the Lady Terriers rode momentum into the final 40 minutes. “That was critical,” Amedee said. “Scoring right there at the end. (St. Michael) was playing some good defense. We had a couple quality opportunities we didn’t finish, but the goal at the end kind of set the tone for the second half. When the girls came out … they felt that they were in control of it.” After three solid chances for Vandebilt, Alyssa Voisin put in the Lady Terriers’ second goal. Voisin ran on to a pass, creating a one-on-one with Buss. Buss deflected Voisin’s first shot, but Voisin followed it and scored on the rebound, making it 2-0 at the 56th minute. In the 76th minute, with Vandebilt controlling the possession, Kacey Amedee looped in a shot from the left sideline into the upper-left corner of the goal, for the 3-0 score. “It’s something we’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of the season,” Chatman said of the championship. “It’s a really good feeling. It’s good to work as one team. We’ve become really close.” Entering the game, St. Michael’s defense had also impressed, of late. The Lady Warriors had only given up three goals in their last 11 games. But according Dehart, the better team left the field with the championship. “I think we were the better team,” she said. “St. Michael is really good, but the better team won.”
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