Tournament, Game 1, TFS vs. Wolverines

Hello Team, First, don't forget that our game tomorrow is at Elk Ridge Park at 2:30pm--we play the TFS-RG team. Second, we need to discuss pizza party plans for watching the next Real SL game (Sat May 26th, 7pm)--we could look into getting UYSA tickets and take the kids to the game? Third: Our boys played a great game yesterday! We have a very biased field, with all 7 goals being scored on the East end. The posted 5:2 score includes the PK shootout--our new strategy is to take all teams into a shootout--we looked calm and poised on the line! Regulation time was an even match with the ball controlled evenly by both teams--TFS did win more 50:50 balls: we tended to watch the drop kicks come down instead of running to win them; we also have a few players still shying away and turning their back at kicked balls. Would a good game of dodgeball cure or exacerbate this?! Our ball handling is greatly improved, and after we weathered the first 5 minutes of the game where TFS attacked on the uphill, we started some good passing, including confident drops to the keeper and the most awesome assist by Dylan who faked a shot in the center and slid the ball wide to Tate who finished it off. My new favorite play of all times!!! For good measure Tate drove on the goal a few minutes later and it was 2:0 for the green-team! I may have the players wrong--blonde kid-1 to blonde kid-2. We weathered some scares but after our goal-keeping session with coach Andy Parker last Monday our keeper was looking confident--so confident that he gave TFS a free kick by dribbling the ball from outside the box into the box where he handled the ball (same as a pass back to keeper--not allowed). Isaac handled the shot and got the drop kick he was looking for anyways. We want to mix up the drop kicks with rolls and throws to open defenders and midfielders--which reminds me, we are having our second keepers practice on Monday from 5 to 6:30 pm and need a handful of our players to stay around after regular practice to help with these exercises). OK, back to the game--we got more confident as the game progressed and had a couple more challenges on their goal, but the score sat at 2:0. Always great to go into half with a lead, but I told the boys that we wanted to score as many as we could when going downhill because we'd be under attack the second half--and it started immediately with TFS taking the kickoff and passing through for a quick shot that our keeper handled. They had a questionable PK awarded--but this was just warm up for Isaac who handled the re-kick nicely after TFS encroached on the box during the first attempt. We had a few more fouls, and an ensuing free kick just outside the box was not quite cleared by Isaac's outstretched hands, and TFS was ready for the slowed ball and put it in the net. Revitalized they quickly scored an equalizer and it went back and forth, but no scores for either team. We had a couple scares during the two 5 min overtimes, but once it went to PKs I knew we were set! I was impressed with our spot kickers who calmly put the ball in the net, low, hard, but not over-thinking the shots. You had to be there to appreciate it, but Dylan, Gideon, and Ethan took good shots and Isaac made two saves--their final kicker was psyched out and sent the shot wide. That was fun! Alright--get the kids ready for tomorrow! Cheers, Dave