LAFAYETTE V. BARBE

[laffan]

I say Lafayette in regulation. 2-1.

[dawgster]

Barbe 3 - Laffy 2

[iliveforthis]

Barbe will get the WIN!!

[sokerfan]

I am pulling for Lafayette and believe they will win if they continue to play team ball. But don't believe me, come see for yourself. We invite ALL to Lion stadium to witness for yourself what we believe to be a FANtastic game between 2 quality teams. I am looking forward to spending time with Barbedad. Don't worry Barbedad I will have plenty of tissue for you after the game to wipe the tears out of your eyes. (Ha Ha!)

For all who want to watch a quality soccer game and get some of the best food any concession stand has ever produced, be there Monday night. We are expecting a big crowd from the local area as well as Barbe bringing their usual fan base. Should be an exciting night for high school soccer. There will be a good contingent of college soccer coaches to watch their signees as well as future signees. Don't miss the action.

[barbedad20]

Wow, this is a tough one. If you remember my posts from last year (and who wouldn't) Barbe played Lafayette 3 times last year and won the series 2-1. But the rest of the story was that I truly believe that the loser of all 3 games played better than the team that won. Barbe lost 0-2 in Lafayette the first meeting and I believe Barbe out played Lafayette in that game, and then later in the season Barbe beat Lafayette 1-0 and Lafayette out played Barbe in that game. So I am hoping the string plays out and Lafayette outplays Barbe but Barbe comes away with the 2-1 win.

I do agree with Sokerfan (this is something I rarely do!!). This will be a great match-up between 2 excellent teams with what I believe is the 2 best coaches in the state. (Please don't call me out on this STM, I think both Katie and Curtis get more out of less talent). I do believe this will be the largest crowd both Barbe and Lafayette will play in front of all season. It will be physical (it always is), there will be yelling between parents (there always is) and both teams will leave their hearts on the field (they always do). One team will go home crying and one will be ecstatic. I am one of the few idiots that still wish the district line-up did not change this season because the Barbe/Lafayette rivalry has grown to me being fortunate to see Barbe and Lafayette play 6 times over the past 4 years and all 6 games would be in my top 10 games of watching Barbe play over Poopsie's career.

And finally, if Barbe does end their season on Monday, I will shed a few tears but I would not trade the past 4 years of following a group of girls I truly love for anything. All I can ask for is a clean game and after the smoke clears, both teams leave with a little more respect for the other team.

[sokerfan]

Let's figure this out together. Just a little history to see the clear picture. Games from this season went as follows:

Acadiana beat Barbe
Caddo Magnet beat Acadiana (St. Louis Tourney)
Byrd Beat Caddo Magnet
Lafayette beat Byrd (St. Louis Tourney)
Acadiana beat Lafayette (Lafayette Tourney)

So as I though, the winner is obvious.

[sokerfan]

I left out that Barbe beat Caddo Magnet

[barbedad20]

sokerfan said:

So as I thought, the winner is obvious.

Does that mean Laf and Barbe are not playing Monday and Acadiana is moving on to the final 4?

[qpsoccer]

laffy is peaking at the right time and will win; however i'd rather see barbe take it to prevent an all lafayette final (stm's in easily) nothing against lafayette teams, just like to spread the success around...........

good luck to all

[drjeckle]

I think Lafayette and Barbe are both good teams. I have seen both of them play a common opponent twice. Barbe will win this match I believe because they have had to play their best soccer over the last couple of weeks to get where they are. Lafayette has not had a difficult game on they way thru the playoffs and it will be hard for them to get back up to speed. If Barbe can score early I think Barbe will win. If Barbe lets Lafayette get up to game speed then It will be harder for Barbe, but they will still win and the first round of wings will be on me

[blacksmith]

I hope you boys play nice when this game is played, it is about the kids. I hope both teams play their best so there are no excuses, but in the end, someone has to lose and someone has to move on. Best of of luck to both teams.

[pompey]

Laf 3-0

[coolbreeze]

Barbe 2
LHS 0

[2young2coach]

lafayette in regulation. but it will be close.

[2young2coach]

any score yet?

[mhesterly]

Barbe 1 - 0 LHS

Beautiful free kick at the end of the 1st half.

A pretty even game statistically, with maybe a slight edge to the Lions. Lions clearly dominated the 2nd half in terms of possession though. In my opinion there was a key injury to #8 (Granger) about midway through the first half. Though she came back to play, she was not as threatening.

Good luck against STM Barbe.

[justanotherfan]

I feel that this game was pretty evenly matched, Barbe 1st half, Lafayette 2nd. I don't think it made much of a difference when Granger went out because she wasn't gone that long. I was surprised to see how much "Kickball" LHS played, it is very much unlike them. Great game on both sides. Congrats Barbe and good luck!

[sokerfan]

You are right justanotherfan, TOO much kickball. This game was a game of WIND in my view, whoever had it at their back controlled that half. Lafayette played a type of game they haven't played all year, boomball. Barbe attacked hard in the first half and I think the young Laf defenders (2 freshmen and a junior) felt the pressure and tried desperatly to get it out of the defensive end. When a quality team is pressuring you the way that Barbe did, you tend to play ugly. And this was an ugly game, from the technical perspective.

Barbe scored on a beautiful free kick just below the crossbar that was just out of the reach of the Lafayette goal keeper. She has punched many of those balls all season long, one finally got by her. Only 1 other scoring threat for Barbe and that was on another free kick in which the keeper (Ann-Marie Morella - Soph) moved to her right and smothered the ball just before the goalline.

Lafayette had a great opportunity in the first half off of a short corner when Granger took the ball up the base line and then sent a ball through the goal mouth at a snails pace and there was noone on the backside to finish. The second half Lafayette had some good opportunities but Barbe rose to the occasion and survived a hard fought game by both teams. The Barbe keeper did an excellent job tonight for someone that is filling in at the keeper spot. Her quick decisions and her quickness to the ball makes her a pretty good keeper.

Good luck Barbe in your Semi Final game, and thanks again for a good rivalry game.

[barbedad20]

One that got away for Lions
Barbe eliminates 2007 state runner-up LHS
Grant Alexander
[e-mail]

Call her a prophet.
Lafayette coach Katie Breaux said Sunday that whoever could take advantage of set plays would win the game.

Sure enough, the Lions' 1-0 loss to Barbe came down to two key set plays during Monday night's Division I girls state quarterfinal round soccer match at Lafayette High.

The first was for Barbe, which resulted in a 25-yard free kick that Ann McAtee drilled into the back of the net.
The second was for LHS, the returning state runner-up and D-I champion in 2006. It didn't end up nearly as well.

In the final minute of play, Erin Burney set up for a free kick and lobbed it into the box. Chelsea Granger went for a header, but the ball glanced off her head and skimmed over the cross bar, inches away from the tying score.

"I said it would come down to who could take advantage of their set pieces; we didn't, and they did and that was the difference in the game," a disheartened Breaux said after the game. "The better team won tonight. They beat us to 90 percent of the balls and it just seemed like they wanted it more."

For McAtee, set plays are becoming her specialty. In the Lady Bucs' opening playoff game against St. Thomas More, she hit a similar shot that the goalkeeper had no chance of stopping.

"We do a couple of those in practice, but it's just a precise science," McAtee said. "After I kick it, I blank out, and the next thing I know all my teammates are running up to congratulate me.

"It puts a lot of pressure on me to keep doing it, but it feels great to help my team advance on in the playoffs."

Barbe coach Curtis Stewart said he was pleased with his team's effort.

"After we got that first goal, we kinda stopped playing soccer, and just started surviving," Stewart said. "To come in here, against a great team like Lafayette and get a win, is big for us."

Breaux said she has a theory as to why Barbe was able to beat the Lions to so many balls.

"We never doubt our players' effort. I just think our district didn't prepare us well enough for the playoffs," Breaux said. "We'll look to fix that problem in the future

[barbedad20]

Another great battle between 2 of the states top girls teams. I am glad to see a game decided on the field and no one blaming refs as it seems to be the in thing to do now. Was a physical game but very clean and I think both teams left their hearts on the field. This is the first time Barbe has beaten Lafayette at Lafayette in the last 4 years and there has been some great games over these years with 8 of the 9 meetings settled by 1 score.

A few things Coach Katie mentioned in the newspaper article:

1) Lafayette coach Katie Breaux said Sunday that whoever could take advantage of set plays would win the game.

Lafayette had some scoring opportunities on corners and free kicks but Barbe stopped most of the threats. Barbes lone goal was a rocket on a free kick.

2) I just think our district didn't prepare us well enough for the playoffs

Trying to be careful with what I say here....... I have told many people that the lack of quality opponents from Dec till Feb (district games) would come back and bite Lafayette on the #@! On the other hand, Barbe was battling each week with St Thomas More, Comeaux, Acadiana, and Sulphur (who I think would have made the playoffs if they were in District 4). Then the first 2 rounds of the playoffs were easy wins for Lafayette (11-0 and 4-0) where Barbe was getting everything they want and then some against Caddo Magnet last week.

And finally, I wanted to thank the Lafayette program for a great 4 year run. What a huge crowd last night and I know both teams fed off the energy from the stands. And to the Lafayette seniors (Chelsea, Erin, Taylor, Alice, and Kaitlyn) best of luck as you start your college careers and thanks for giving an old man like me some nerve racking, fingernail biting games over the past 4 years. Your record is outstanding and 3 district titles, 3 state title appearances, and 1 state title is a Disney Movie come true. Great team and like I have said before, one of the top 2 coaches in the state with Coach Katie. Good luck coach, can't wait to see baby Katie in a Lion uniform in 14 years!!!! (And yes, I may still be at Barbe with my 2 year old grandson!!)