Wolverines vs. TFS RL

Hi Team, I just got back from watching RSL score a stoppage time goal to beat Toronto 3:2 ! So I'll carry over the energy from the game into our Wolverines recap. We had perfect weather today and fatigue was not a problem. My aim for the match was to not have any more break away one on one situation against our keepers. So we did well to meet that aim. Nick still had to make a bunch of great saves, and their two goals came from too many feet in front of the goal but none kicking it out, so they got a couple short range shots / deflections. Our stat keepers said we had possession of the ball for 13 minutes out of 50. It will be interesting to see how this number varies as we move into the second half of the season. I don't think the other team had possession for more than 13 minutes either, so it meant a lot of 50:50 ball opportunities. We had some great individual play and won a lot of balls, but the team play (i.e. passes) needs to improve. I think we also had zero shots on goal, so that was a bit unusual--I had stacked our defense to prevent any break away goals, but I think we only threatened their goal on two free kicks and two corners. So even with a full team, cool weather, and the downhill slope in the second half we never tested their keeper--which was too bad, because we saw him warming up and it looked promising! With no goals or assists to highlight, I'll nominate Gideon as the player of the game--he's playing with exceptional composure and not panicking when under pressure. Our last game before the "tournament" is against the Aggies ZZ team, which remains undefeated. So it will be up to us to play the spoiler role like we did last season against the Aggies JL team. We have a bit of a break, so I'll try schedule a scrimmage in addition to practices on M, W. Go Wolverine!

Wolverines vs. Infinity Girls

OK team, you all have to buy flowers for the Infinity Girls! That was a very talented team and we matched them well. I didn't have my stat keeper working the line but we clearly had more shots on goal and kept the pressure on them. We got off to a strong start and in the first few minutes we went right into their goal box where they fouled Gideon for a PK. It was a well placed shot: hard and low (but just inches wide)--still, "A" for effort to get into dangerous territory and earn the PK. The girls let us know that they would be playing physically and using their arms a bit more than we like to see. We are still losing too many 50:50 balls and bunching up. Our biggest offensive nemesis remains the inability to finish in front of the goal. Our defensive albatross is allowing one on one situations with our goalie (and the other teams have been able to finish those situations). We need to work on conditioning so that we can play a solid 50 minute game--we get a bit lethargic in the heat, but I love the fact our kids always want to keep playing and our anxious to get back into the fray. The best kids in the league. So the memorable moments! After our early press the girls showed they could fight and had the ball in our end--their ball control allowed them to move through our midfield and push a through ball to the wing where the striker took a good shot that Tate somehow managed to pull out of the air when I was already convinced it was over his head and in the net. Great save! The kicker was offsides, but without an official linesman we had Isaac's Grandpa, Art "Hawkeye" Heers working the line--I muttered my disgust to this poor excuse of a linesman and luckily coach Justin Larsen of the Aggies team was there to take over. He's a secret Wolverines fan and has let me know that we are the most improved team in the league--I couldn't agree more! Right after he was complementing our team our defense let a break away through and she finished with a power shot that slipped into the net :( Down by 1 we went into the half and I started suggesting floral arrangements that the kids might consider for their opponents. We had some good laughs and went into the second half where we again took control of the game and after some rebounding balls in front of their goal, out of nowhere Dylan "birthday boy" McArthur finished with a strong chip into the back of the net for his first goal of the season! Gooaaalll!!!! That kid is one of my top five favorite bleach blond blue-eyed players on the team. Can one of those kids grow a pony tail or something to help me out? Mohawk? OK, back to the game. Fired up after the equalizer we had some great crosses that went across an open goal box (just need a player sprinting to the far post to pick up the freebie goal). Someone had a shot that hit the post?! We were knocking on their door, but they wouldn't let us in. Typical girls. Then, in true spirit of the XX chromosome they lulled us into their half then got a counterattack and pushed past my last defender for a one on one that was played beautifully to the far side of our onrushing keeper--Coach Andy Parker of the Wolverines has offered to help with some goal keeping practice--he's a pro and after the game explained to Isaac how to move out on the striker whenever they push the ball in front of them, then hold ground when they have the ball back at their feet where they could shoot. Essentially the goalie is mirroring the striker. It makes perfect sense, but it helps to have it explained so clearly. Its great to be part of a larger club. The lady Wolverines, by the way, are a blast to watch (U10 playing up at U11). So, down 2 to 1 we were facing the prospect of not only having to buy flowers, but also each player was about to be required to ask for an opponent's phone number for a soccer date. This was clearly unacceptable and we swarmed their goal, and at one point their defender snatched a goal from us by doing a bicycle kick to clear the ball--my jaw dropped--that was beautiful. But beauty aside, Tate had enough and used his chest to deflect a ball back into the net to equalize the score at 2 apiece with seconds to play. Third goal of the season for Tate! Great effort. The whistle blew and we had a rewarding come from behind finish. We were the stronger team as a whole so it was good to have a dramatic finish. As with the boys Infinity team we had more shots and looked stronger, but the beauty of soccer is that a single goal can make all the difference and finesse can win over physical play. I think we are going to be in the position of underdogs the next two games, which seems to be best for us--we tend to play better against the better teams. Overall, we can match any team and with yesterday's game we have now tied every team in our league, stunning a couple of the best teams at the end of last season and start of this season. I love being the spoilers. I'll see the kids at practice today--with the cloud cover we'll do some endurance training. Thanks again to all the parents for the support. Thanks to Michelle, Jill, and Josh for running practice on Monday! Go Wolverines!

Wolverines vs. Aggies JL (1-3)

Hello Team, We got through our first game in the "heat of Spring" and it is clear we need cloud cover next midday game--the kids were exhausted. Nonetheless, our boys played hard against one of the best (the best last year) teams in our league. We were the better team the first 15 minutes as we pressed the ball and used the entire field. We moved the ball from the wings into the center and this paid off early as Ethan "don't feed me no grapes" Wilcox put an exclamation mark on his first goal of the season as he timed his run perfectly and delivered an absolutely unstoppable shot that ripped into the top of the net! Goooaaaalllll!!! To use the vernacular of one of our players at half-time, "that was one 'sick' shot on goal"--yes it was, someone call the doctor. The Aggies looked stunned and they were already wary of us since we ruined their otherwise perfect season in the Fall. But the Aggies held on and got a nice goal off a cross that found an open Isaac Larsen (speedy #15) on the far side of our keeper for an Isaac on Isaac showdown that went the wrong way according to our Isaac--it was a beautiful goal and sometimes you just have to admire these--but only for a second: we need to make sure our defense doesn't let any more strikers slip into the open in the future. I'm not sure all of our kids understand what "goal side" means when I ask them to stay goal side of the striker. We left the half in good shape with the score sitting at 1:1. We played three defenders the first half, with three midfielders and one striker (3:3:1). For second half we switched to a 2:3:2 to keep the pressure on the offense. Unfortunately #10 on the Aggies was able to get free of our defense on the right wing in quick succession to have two perfectly placed shots past Isaac to the far post that took most of the wind out of us. At some point they got a pass into the back of the net as our keeper looked rather "shell shocked" on the back line. The psychological aspect of the game can never be overlooked. They kept our defense busy and we made some good stops and saves that we were able to turn into counterattacks that just didn't lead to goals. We are getting so close to having all the pieces fall into place--and when it does, watch out! Jenn was at another game so I don't have any stats for this game--I think we were quite even in the first half, but the second half plainly got away from us and I let the kids know that the better team won. Still, I think we won about half of the 50:50 balls and I kept reminding the kids as I rotated them off to repeat in their heads, "first to the ball". Winning a 50:50 ball is something every player, regardless of skill, can set as a tenable goal. We've improved dramatically since last year, but so have the other teams and every match is going to be a workout. The kids showed a lot of character during the second half as they never hung it up, but more importantly, I didn't hear any negative comments among the players (one or two were directed at a mom, but I'll let you handle those). It was a very clean game with no pushing or dangerous slides on either side. I think they are all having fun and I feel very confident with about any combination of kids on the field. Keep them practicing at home--this is so important for their confidence and basic skills. We have out next home game on Tuesday against a new team in our league and we have a practice scheduled for Monday at 3:30--I won't be able to get to practice until about 4pm--can someone help out with this practice? No experience necessary! We'll send you the instruction manual. Thanks again for supporting a great bunch of kids, Coach Dave P.S. Deadline to register for the Summer Games is end of the month--so let's plan to have you all discuss this with Jenn and Tuesday's game during half time.

Game 2 Recap -- Aggies vs. Infinity Boys

We had another strong performance yesterday. I was really pleased with the level of play and I think the stats reflect this: First half (Wolverines vs. Infinity) Drop passes: 2 vs. 0 Shots: 2 vs 3 Shots on goal: 3 vs 3 (Tate hit the post and Nick forced the keeper to make a great save. In fact, after Tate beat the entire team and hit the post their keeper had a nervous breakdown and they switched keepers: For Infinity #7 put on a dribbling clinic and scored the first goal, the next goal came off a counter attack when we had pushed everyone up looking for an equalizer, leading to #10's breakaway goal just before half--we'll work on having the keepers charge out of the goal to cut of the shooter's angle on those 1 on 1 situations. Second half Drop passes: 2 vs. 1 Shots: 5 vs. 0 Shots on goal: 9 vs. 5 (Isaac made a shot from the right side that deflected in off the far post; #4 dribbled L to R across our goal then put a well placed ball back to the left--before this Nick made four great saves, keeping us in the game! Zane had six shots, 3 on goal; Isaac had 4 shots, 2 on goal (one goal), Tate and Dylan each had a shot on goal the second half. Total shots for the game: 19 vs. 11 On goal shots for the game: 12 vs. 8 We had a number of memorable plays and the kids generally played hard. At one point the linesman near me muttered a low "wow" when Ethan was working the ball on the left wing during the first half, keeping 2 to 3 defenders busy then dropping the ball back to the open midfielder--he definitely put on a show and helped us keep possession of the ball in the attacking half of the field. He looked determined to be first to every 50:50 ball and went head to head with an unlucky opponent (luckily both players walked away from that midair collision). I think in a low scoring sport like soccer it is important for players and parents to have tenable goals for every game, such as completing a drop pass, winning a 50:50 ball, and even simple things like making other players feel good about their level of play. We have a great group of kids that are fun to coach. Please keep working on fundamental skills at home. We have three players (Gideon, Nick, and Zane) who have two stars each for completing 10 or more juggles at practice. Just as important are pendulums, scissors, and toe taps. As we saw on Saturday, your kid doesn't have to have a very strong shot to score if he can dribble into the back of the net! We play the TFS "B" team on Thursday--we can't overlook any team so we'll practice hard on Monday and Wednesday to get ready for another good home match this week. Thanks, Coach Dave

First game of Spring 2012! Wolverines vs. Sports Academy (1-1)

Thanks everyone for coming out and supporting the team today--I think we play better without half time treats!

The quick recap: The kids all played very hard and with confidence. The passes are starting to come together nicely, including a number of drop passes. We will work on not jumping at opposing players, since once we are off our feet they pull the ball to the side and dribble or pass through us. Overall we did a good job at slowing them down and not overcommitting until a secondary defender could back up the primary defender. Your kids are working very hard at practice and implementing what we learn in the game.

Jenn kept some stats for us. In the first half we had 5 shots. Nick had the first two from the top right side of the box (one on goal); Zane had a direct free kick from outside of the box (just wide); Tate had a breakaway on the right side with a quick shot that the keeper held on to, and then a few minutes later Tate had another breakaway down the middle that he buried at the left post as the keeper sat frozen and muttered "oh no, not again!"--first goal of the season and our first goal against this team! So our first half summary was 5 shots (three on goal) with one goal. We probably maintained possession a little more than they did the first half. We didn't keep track of their shots, but they had a couple good deliveries that we saved through a combination of defenders getting in the way and solid goalkeeping. Their second half goal resulted from some problems clearing the ball and we got lucky with a couple other "dead balls" that we left sitting in front of our net. I'd like to see us gain the confidence to pass the ball back to the keeper to prevent these situations from arising. (so practice passes at home!) The gravity of Mountainside field worked against in the second half and we only had one shot on goal by Zane from afar. However, even with the incline against us we showed some great footwork moving the ball up the sides and into their territory. It was fun to watch two evenly matched teams, each playing very well. We should have another good match on Saturday against Infinity!

Thanks,
Coach Dave

Wolverines vs. Aggies JL (1-1)

Hi Team,

Yesterday we proved that we can compete with any team in our league. The kids gave a strong effort against highly skilled opponents and came out with an exhilarating 1 - 1 tie. I appreciated how we did not give up and came from one goal down to even the score with an amazing half-field shot by Zane. We'll have to register that foot with the police!!! We came back from one down the first time we played this team, but then collapsed in the second half and let them get the win--but not this time! We played tough defense and maintained ball possession to slow them down, frustrate their play, and use up the clock. We had some luck on our side with a few of their shots hitting the crossbar or just going over or wide, but that is the nature of the game--I think our goal keeper psyched them out ;-)

It was nice to play the role of the spoilers and ruin a perfect record for the Aggie A team, especially after a solid tie against their B team last Wednesday. Looking at the season we finished stronger against every team except for the loss to TFS A on our home field. But every team is allowed an off-day out of 12 games. We had the most ties of any team in our league, which is a demonstration of our tenacious defense. We finished with 2 wins, 5 ties, and 5 losses, which is a great start in competition. We never gave up more than 5 goals in a game and had a very good chance to win every game going into the second half as we were never down by more than 1 at half with the exception of our first game where we were down by 2 against Soccer Academy. I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to coach such a great group of kids! Every single player improved from the start of summer. We'll look forward to more strong play in the Spring Season. Meanwhile, I'll see if we can organize a couple scrimmages with other Wolverines teams if the weather holds out. Then we can talk about moving to indoor practices and scrimmages to keep the kids having fun. Thanks for the parental, grandparental, sibling support--we need longer fields to accommodate all of our fans!! I'm glad the kids could end the season on such a high note for everyone.

Cheers,

Coach Dave

More Photos!

Thanks, Jessi, for the photos!
Thanks Woverines for a great season!

All Right! Go Wolverines!!! End of a great season!


TFS Lightning! John Fricke head coach. Nice group of kids too!

Bye-Bye PonyTail!

Great Season Guys!