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Post by soccerdad23 on Feb 20, 2016 7:26:06 GMT -6
This one should be good!
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Post by soccerdad23 on Feb 20, 2016 8:40:32 GMT -6
Here's my take on the game.
As of late, BF has gotten the better of Lakeshore.
the last game they played was a tie.
BF probably have the better "impact" players.
Role players I would call even.
BF is seeking their 4th consecutive State Title.
This is Lakeshores 1st trip to the big game, so obviously Championship Game experience goes to BF
Both teams have solid coaches.
with that said it appears that BF, on paper, should win this. HOWEVER, this is a rivalry game!
and we all know that rivalry games brings out the best in everyone. Plus LS is trying to get that elusive win against BF and what better time for that to happen than Friday!
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Post by Patriot fan on Feb 20, 2016 9:19:16 GMT -6
This game will be about a coaching strategy to minimize the impact of the twins. Lakeshore plays a fairly unselfish game relative to their offensive play. They will need to be patience and communicate.
That elusive win for the Titans can be used as a added incentive along with your rivalry aspect, that the only team to beat Lakeshore in District play for the past four years has been BF in 2014 and 2016, along with tournament play.
If Lakeshore can duplicate their effort of a few weeks ago it should be entertaining for all. This was the elusive game that slipped away and now its Lakeshore's time to return the favor on the big stage.
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Post by soccerdad23 on Feb 20, 2016 9:50:03 GMT -6
This game will be about a coaching strategy to minimize the impact of the twins. I would venture to say that EVERY coach and team that has played BF has deployed that strategy. LS, judging from the last these two met, did one of the better jobs at it. What will be the counter? I love chess matches!
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Post by Patriot fan on Feb 20, 2016 12:32:31 GMT -6
It's never too late to interject a new tactic against a known and talented team just, just to win it 1-0. I'm not saying it can be done but I saw evidence of it in their last encounter.
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Post by LAsoccercoach on Feb 21, 2016 10:18:54 GMT -6
I'll pick Lakeshore, I felt the winner of our STM/Lakeshore game had a good shot at beating BF. I believe both our squads are a little more balanced across the field than BF. Now with that being said BF has the best 2-3 players on the field which at the prep level makes a huge difference.
#21 will be the key for lakeshore as she was against STM. If she can be solid 1v1 against Noelle BF will have a tough time breaking down lakeshore. I know the twins are great & the supporting cast for BF helps put points on the board but a. skalos often times has to cover a ton of ground to support/cover her fellow defenders. She'll have to have a near perfect game to beat lakeshore, two def lapse last time they met led to goals. Emma Claire will keep pressure on the back 4 and if lakeshore defense and mids can hold service against Cadie/Noelle/Donfrio then Lakeshore's Emma Claire and/or #7, #9 will grab at least 1 goal.
Im predicting 2-2 regulation again with lakeshore winning 3-2 in OT.
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Post by soccerdad23 on Feb 21, 2016 10:35:16 GMT -6
I'll pick Lakeshore, I felt the winner of our STM/Lakeshore game had a good shot at beating BF. I believe both our squads are a little more balanced across the field than BF. Now with that being said BF has the best 2-3 players on the field which at the prep level makes a huge difference. #21 will be the key for lakeshore as she was against STM. If she can be solid 1v1 against Noelle BF will have a tough time breaking down lakeshore. I know the twins are great & the supporting cast for BF helps put points on the board but a. skalos often times has to cover a ton of ground to support/cover her fellow defenders. She'll have to have a near perfect game to beat lakeshore, two def lapse last time they met led to goals. Emma Claire will keep pressure on the back 4 and if lakeshore defense and mids can hold service against Cadie/Noelle/Donfrio then Lakeshore's Emma Claire and/or #7, #9 will grab at least 1 goal. Im predicting 2-2 regulation again with lakeshore winning 3-2 in OT. whoa nah nelly!! if you woulda said #21 along with two to three OTHER defenders would have to be solid against Noelle, I woulda been on board. But I seriously doubt ANY one player in the great state of Louisiana is going to have a solid outing against Noelle....I'm sure BF will be salivating to see just one defender on Noelle......that's just me saying! A. Skalos does have to cover plenty of ground sometimes, But she's more than capable of doing it as she has done over and over again.
word around the camp fire is that BF took LS lightly that last game and quickly found themselves behind the 8 ball and down 2 goals, in the second half, on the road!! they eventually settled down and walked away with a tie! They WILL NOT take LS lightly Friday.
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Post by LAsoccercoach on Feb 21, 2016 11:30:56 GMT -6
Always takes a team effort against those two, but #21 is CDM so she will be matched up predominantly against Noelle and Cadie more than likely.
& kind of arrogant statement to say they walked away with a tie...Come'on dad you should know better than anyone that the Higginson twins worked very hard day after day for many, many years so that they could amp up their level of play in moments like they were presented with such as being down 2-0 to lakeshore. No one ever walks away with anything, they rose up in a difficult situation and executed.
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Post by soccerdad23 on Feb 21, 2016 15:35:02 GMT -6
& kind of arrogant statement to say they walked away with a tie. Think you're taking me too literally! Its a FACT that BF walked, ran, limped, stumbled, sprinted, rolled, lucked themselves away with, and or came away with a tie. Insert whichever word you think appropriate. How's that being arrogant?
Now what would be arrogant is if I would have said(I'm now moving so my ghost writer can answer) Arrogant would be saying lakeshore was lucky to walk away with a tie and that if either of the twins was a forward instead of a defender and midfielder the game would have been a mercy rule result. Arrogant would be saying that Alto1smom was receiving text messages with updates and responded with if they let LS out of this with a tie I'm going to be so upset, upset I was that they tied a team they have NEVER loss to(this group). If you let inferior opponents stick around enough they begin to believe they are actual contenders and you start to get posts like the ones on this blog. But, since arrogance is only OK in American Football and Basketball (males), we will say all teams are amazing and equal and everyone of these girls can play DI ball on full rides if they choose.
IM BACK...Nah that's Arrogant!
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Post by fiftyfifty on Feb 21, 2016 15:57:12 GMT -6
Please keep in mind that NO ONE from the current Lakeshore team has posted anything to this thread. LHS knows the challenge and will do their best.
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Post by soccerdad23 on Feb 21, 2016 16:03:43 GMT -6
Please keep in mind that NO ONE from the current Lakeshore team has posted anything to this thread. LHS knows the challenge and will do their best.
My daughter has graduated from BF so I also don't have any direct ties to BF and I wouldn't have dreamed of talking trash while she was playing! But it is fun to write a check that I don't have to cash! :-)
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Post by LAFire97G on Feb 22, 2016 12:28:09 GMT -6
Congrats to Ben Franklin on reaching another state final, what an impressive accomplishment! I watched my sister Eleanor play for many years at the club level with Cadie, Noelle, and Amalia and all three are incredible players, surrounded by other talented teammates as well. Eleanor and I will both be cheering from afar for Ben Franklin to make it 4 straight against Lakeshore!
I just want to add one tidbit after following this forum on and off this season, I think Amalia Skalos has been considerably under-mentioned amidst the deserving praise around the incredible Higginson twins. In my opinion Amalia Skalos is as elite of a defender as Louisiana has seen in recent years, at either outside back or center back. Maybe her style isn't as flashy as others, but watch the game closely and you'll see how good she really is and how much of a difference she makes: smart, calm under pressure, fiercely competitive, keeps her position well, covers intelligently for her teammates, and honestly one of the cleanest and most consistent tacklers in 1-on-1 situations I've ever seen. It's no coincidence that she has been at the heart of historically good Ben Franklin and Louisiana Fire teams for many years and that her teams suffer considerably in her absence, most obviously what our Louisiana Fire team experienced at Nationals a few years ago when Amalia got injured early in the first game. I imagine Amalia will play a huge part in keeping a quality team like Lakeshore at bay, cleaning up and playing smart and doing a lot of covering for her other defenders, especially with Cadie Higginson now farther up the field instead of Amalia's center back partner.
Anyway, my only point is that if you ask me about BF's truly "elite," best-in-the-state individual players, I count 3, including the awesome Higginson twins who are every bit as good as advertised! With that being said, it will take a team effort as always for BF. 2 or 3 players, no matter how good, could never win a state championship on their own with just any group of teammates thrown out alongside them. I was impressed by Ben Franklin as a whole when I saw them beat Lakeshore 4-1 several weeks ago. Gab Donofrio is another quality player who has only been mentioned occasionally, and there seemed to be some newer faces from previous years who have contributed significantly. I am a firm believer that big time players decide big games, which is why I see individual stars like Skalos and the Higginson twins as being so key..but without depth, without the hard work and sacrifice by the entire squad, no team reaches the level of success Ben Franklin has enjoyed over the last 4 years and the "big" players don't get to make their difference. This must be yet another cohesive and well-rounded BF team.
Anyway, good luck to both teams, I know Lakeshore is outstanding too and came very close to beating BF recently, so congrats to them on their season and I'm sure it'll be a tight final..but Go Falcons!
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Post by alto1smom on Feb 23, 2016 13:57:50 GMT -6
It's BF's game to lose. Lakeshore has a great coach, I have always been a fan and the team is scrapy. It will be fun to watch, but it is Franklin's to lose.
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Post by onframe on Feb 23, 2016 23:26:38 GMT -6
Huge respect for both sides in this one but BF is just too overstocked with experience and talent not to win their fourth title. We'd all love to see a game of it and I hope LS plays out of their minds. I see at least a two goal differential in the end with BF never really stressed. Every team in the state plays for a shot at the crown. Congrats to both teams on reaching the big game.
Prediction: LS strikes early but BF roars back and puts in 3 unanswered before it's done.
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Post by loJic on Feb 24, 2016 8:50:23 GMT -6
Is this Lakeshore's first appearance?
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Post by loJic on Feb 24, 2016 13:48:56 GMT -6
Is this Lakeshore's first appearance? Lakeshore is only in its 7th year of existence. This is the first sports team of any kind to make the State Finals. The girls soccer program has never finished lower than the quarterfinals in the state tournament since it started playing varsity. So yes? |
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Post by fiftyfifty on Feb 24, 2016 14:00:19 GMT -6
yep
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Post by kevin on Feb 26, 2016 16:58:28 GMT -6
About to kickoff. LS all black unis. BF in white. Refs in ugly green (ew).
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Post by kevin on Feb 26, 2016 16:59:16 GMT -6
We're underway!
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Post by kevin on Feb 26, 2016 17:00:14 GMT -6
BF 9 passes to 7. Shot from a tight angle. Saved.
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