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Fine Tuning
October 8, 2007
By Jessica R. Chisley, Asst Coach
Due to the cancellation of our game with Finlandia University over Family Weekend, we had a long week of practice to fine tune a few areas. Sunday evening we met on the game field to play three full-field, eleven versus eleven games. Though it was not the same as competing against another school, the session provided us an opportunity to get an aerobic for 90-minutes. In essense, Sunday became an early work day . The positive to this scenario is the fact that the players were able to get their fitness through playing soccer as opposed to performing various calisthenic exercises, fitness circuits or drills.
Monday we were back on the practice field for more fine tuning. Tuesday afternoon our Reserve squad travelled to Columbia, Ky. to take-on Lindsey Wilson College in our program's first-ever Reserve game. Knowing the rich tradition of athletic excellence the Blue Raiders have established, our players were a bit nervous and anxious about the game. When we arrived on campus and upon walking up to the field, we noticed there was only 15 minutes on the clock before game time – we had to hurry. Let the frenzy begin – shin guard on, socks on, cleats on…whoops wrong feet - quick, quick, get some jogs and a few touches on the ball…wait!!! Something doesn't feel quite right, but what? Oh – yes, that's right I have to wear two shin-guards to play soccer. Arg, back to the bench, shoe off, sock off, other shin guard on...tweet!!!! Is it game time already???
With not much time to process everything, the whistle blew and we were off and running. It took us a few moments to settle in, but with only a few minutes off the clock, Cindy Bergstrom found the back of the net off of a beautiful back-pass from Kim Leake. Seconds later, Chelsea Stanley was credited with a goal when she shot the ball on frame and it was deflected into the goal by a Lindsey Wilson defender. As the players loosened up, they began to possess better, ping the ball around the field, and combine very well. By the end of the night, our Reserve squad had earned their first win in a 7-0 victory. On the evening, Cindy Bergstrom led all scorers with a hat-trick! In addition to the aforementioned, also scoring in the game were: Brittany Garr, Kim Leake, and Sarah Hall. Assists for the night were credited to: Cindy Bergstrom, Kim Leake (2), Chelsea Stanley, and Abby Burns.
To add to the excitement of the Reserve team's win, we also learned that we had advanced in the Great Lakes Regional rankings. Moving from No. 4 to No. 3, provided the ladies with more motivation to train harder for the remainder of the week. We knew we were in for a tough conference weekend with Millsaps College (Miss.) and Birmingham-Southern (Ala.). As Birmingham-Southern is a newly added conference team that has recently dropped from Division I to Division III, we were not quite sure what to expect. Furthermore, anticipating a game like that, we had to be careful not to overlook our game with Millsaps. Our players certainly know that the SCAC is a conference where any team can beat another team on any given day. Likewise, winning at home is just as difficult as winning on the road.
Wednesday and Thursday we trained hard to improve on the little things and to pay attention to even the smallest of details. Friday, it was game day and time to see if our week of tune-ups would pay off. Getting off to a moderate start, it took nearly 12-minutes before we finally settled in and found the back of the net. Earning her first assist of the year was Junior, Kate Anderson who connected with Allison Terry for rocket from 20 yards out. The next goal would again come from Allison Terry who sliced through the Majors' defense and took the goal keeper 1v1. We would earn a third goal from Freshman, Brittany Garr who received a beautiful back-pass from Kim Leake in the 37 th minute of play. In the second half, with the players working hard, possessing well, and creating a comfortable flow of the game, we went on to win 8-0. Scoring in the second half were: Erin Menard (2), Christina Giles, Marina Hoe, and Kim Leake. Earning assist on a few of those goals were: Allison Terry (2), Anna Horne, and Sarah Hall. What is perhaps more impressive than the number of goals scored that day, is the fact that our players did not allow Millsaps to record a single shot on goal.
Sunday afternoon, the players were in for a battle. They not only had to contend with a fast and physical Birmingham-Southern team, but they also had to worry about the intese heat of the sun. In the first half, both sides went back and forth with Birmingham-Southern posting three shots-on-goal while we had only one. The first half would end in a stalemate with both sides scoreless. By half-time, the players were fatigued and hot. Seeking refuge under a tree, the players gulped down gatorade and water, trying to rehydrate their bodies. As we spoke to them on a few areas of concern, we drew attention to the fact that they had survived a huge storm. That storm is Birmingham-Southern's attack. During the pregame speech, we had informed them that the Panthers are a team that score most of their goals in the first half of play. By shutting them out in the first half, we knew the second half could be ours if we continued to push hard.
As the second half got underway both sides were refocused and refreshed. Before long, we noticed the Panthers were wearing down. We continued to come at them hard and in the 64th minute found the back of the net when junior, Allison Terry sent a nasty cross that hit the post and landed in a mass of players. Among those players was Sophomore Cindy Bergstrom who poked the ball past the Keeper, giving us the 1-0 advantage. However, the Panthers would not merely lay down and accept their fate. In the final 10-minutes, they scratched and clawed to get get a few quality shots off on goal. When the whistle blew, our players cheered and congratulated each other. For the first time this season, we had defeated a high–caliber program in a closely played match, which means, we had broken the curse. Looking back, it definitely took everyone to win Sunday's game. From the coaches, parents, players on the field, subs, and the players on the bench – everyone contributed to the win. It is safe to say we will all remember the feeling we had at the end of that game for some time to come.
This weekend we take to the road for games against SCAC rivals Sewanee – the University of the South (Tenn.) and Oglethorpe University (GA.). Friday's game will take place at 6:00 pm CST in Mount Eagle, Tennessee. Sunday's game will be in Atlanta, Georgia with kick-off being scheduled for Noon EST. As always take care and until next time…
THINK CENTRE!
This week in women's soccer archives:
Tuesday Oct 1, 2007
Tuesday Sept 25, 2007
Tuesday Sept 18, 2007
Tuesday Sept 11, 2007
Tuesday Sept 4, 2007
Tuesday April 24, 2007
Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
Tuesday Oct 31, 2006
Tuesday Oct 24, 2006
Tuesday Oct 17, 2006
Tuesday Oct 11, 2006
Tuesday Oct 3, 2006
Tuesday Sept 26, 2006
Tuesday Sept 19, 2006
Tuesday Sept 12, 2006
Tuesday Sept. 5, 2006
Monday Aug. 28, 2006
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