Week 1: Nicole Munnelly

Dia duit! (Hello!)

My big move to America had finally come! It was an emotional day saying goodbye to a few of my closest friends at Dublin airport but lucky for me I had my parents and sister to help me along the way.

The first few days were spent getting stuff sorted out, bank accounts, state ID, meeting the other players, buying new clothes of course, oh and getting my classes sorted out! Who knew there was this much involved?

I was really looking forward to getting into the pre-season training but unfortunately I got injured playing in Dublin in the summer so the first place I visited was the Klotsche Pavilion and the first person I met was Chad, our athletic trainer. My physio (rehab) sessions with Chad were good fun as while he was treating my ligament injury. I was teaching him some Irish slang like "massive" and “savage” meaning very good/nice. I had a lot of physio appointments with Chad so it was only a matter of time that he advanced into speaking, well attempting to speak, the Irish language – Gaelige. He’d ask how to say “Hi, how are you?” I’d say “Dia Dhuit, Conas ata tu?” but he just couldn’t quite ace the accent. :)

While the team trained together I was doing my own individual work trying to strengthen my ankle, which was quite frustrating. All I wanted to do was play. However, my injury was improving day by day.

Finally I was used to the heat and I was able to get fully involved in pre-season training with the rest if the team. The pre-season was an eye opener as all we seemed to do was train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep!!

David Nikolic, our associate head coach, got married on Sunday 02 August, so the team got to go to the evening celebrations. It was a chance to get out of our sweaty soccer gear and into some nice dresses...

Thursday 06 August I had my first experience of s’mores!! And I LOVED THEM :) We had a team dinner at Coach Moynihan’s and then Meghan Elvington gave me a little intuition on how to make a s’more. I slightly burnt the marshmallow, but it was still delicious! I will definitely make them again... not during the season of course. :)

Due to the Irish Secondary School (High School) system, my graduation results were not published until Wednesday 12 August, so I couldn’t be cleared by the NCAA to play. I missed the opening exhibition game against ISU. However, I did get to be involved in the ‘freshman duties’ of putting the nets up (and taking them down). We drew (tied) the game with ISU where Kate Megna passed a lovely ball into Laurel Regalie, who stumbled at first but got a great goal. :)

On Wednesday 12 August, my results came on the internet at 12 noon Irish time (6 a.m. Milwaukee time). I was complaining because the one day the team had a late practice I had to get up at 6 a.m. to see my results! Typical! I got my results and my Dad did the complex calculation of converting the Irish Leaving Certificate score into the U.S. GPA. He gave me the good news that I won’t have to get the next flight home. :)

My dad had a busy day on Thursday as when he got back to Ireland he had to go to my school and get my original Leaving Certificate results and my transcripts. He had to then get them by courier to the NCAA in order to get clearance. Steve Lautz and my dad did a good job, while I was helping put the nets up for the Alumni game on Friday evening, David told me that I was cleared to play. I didn't have time to get nervous as I wasn't expecting to play. It was good to finally get involved and Coach Moynihan put me on for the last 25 minutes. It was great game, winning 3-0 and the cookout after the game prepared by the parents really satisfied our hungry stomachs.

Saturday 15 August was move in day to the dorms. All the freshmen were so excited to finally get into the dorms! We were all sick of living out of our suitcase (in my case 4) Me and my roomie, Kera Modell, decided to have a pink color scheme. :)

Unfortunately, I didn’t make the travel roster for the exhibition game at MSU and Kera is injured so she didn't go either. That whole day we spent going back and forth to various different shops in an attempt to make our perfect pink dorm! :)

Slán go foil (Bye for now)

Nicole Munnelly is a freshman with the Panthers out of Dublin, Ireland. She is the first Panther to contribute to the player blog this season.

Horizon League Championship

Nov 7th- Semi’s vs Wright State

We left for Loyola on Friday afternoon, knowing it was going to be a cold and wet game. We arrived and began the coldest game of the season so far. Wright state is an emotional team and they get themselves “amped up” for games and we knew we would be dealing with a lot of pressure throughout a physical match.

Within the early minutes of the game, their keeper hit a short goal kick, I won the first challenge, sending the ball towards Hagen, who got her head on it and flicked it on to Kreuser running in and getting behind their defense. A nice left footed shot by Erin to the right side netting, 1-0.

Wright state, however, was not going to let it go that easy. They got, what could be considered a questionable freekick, a freekick just outside and wide of our 18-yard box on the right side. A well-hit ball to a near post runner, a nice header finish near post, 1-1.

We went into the first half disappointed with the 1-1 score, but vowed to own the midfield and come out with a better intensity then the first half, which is exactly what we did. We were in their half for most of the remaining time and hoped a goal would come soon. We had the momentum and the fitness to go with as the other team started to get winded. Kayla played a nice ball into my feet and I ran at their outside back, who kicked it out for a corner. Sperl then hit in a great driven ball, head height, and Teegs finished near post side netting, 2-0.

With only minutes left in the game, we held Wright state to a 2-1 victory. Overall our first half wasn’t perfect and our passes were a little off but our drive to win was always present and we made it work. I generally don’t say many positives about the other teams, but credit to Wright State for coming out hard and giving us a good game.

A huge thanks to the fans that made the trip down to suffer in the cold, rain and snow!

Nov 9th- HORIZON LEAGUE FINAL!

We haven’t won the Horizon League Tournament for two years. We have lost the past two times we have played Loyola. We even let Loyola score two goals. Unfortunately for them, six is three times bigger then two.

I would like to believe there is no better feeling then winning the Horizon League final after two years of losing, then to win it with six goals and that’s exactly what we did. Although it was streaming live online, I still would like to go through the great six goals that we scored, starting with the tournament MVP Hagen’s first goal... of three.

Their back line attempted to clear a ball, hit it short and our left back, Kayla Dejardin, ran onto it, hitting a lofted diagonal ball to Hagen at about the right corner of the 18 yard box. Hagen, receiving the ball out of the air with a nice touch, took another nice touch pushing her left and past the defense. With a great left-footed shot low and right, it got by their keeper, 1-0.

Minutes later, Sarah Talbert attacked their right back, earning us a corner. I stepped out there, hit a short corner to Sperl standing on the corner of the 18 yard box. Her first touch popped it up and her second was a full volley, next thing I saw was the back of the net flying backwards from the force of the shot, 2-0.

We know what Loyola is capable of doing and we know they can come back from 2-0 deficit. Just like the semifinals, we vowed to come out intense and to score another goal to put the game away.

Why not score four more goals?

Kayla played a ball down the endline into me. I got a serve off and Hagen got on the end of it with a nice shot, but their keeper made a diving save and deflected across the box. The Canadian, Keara, ran through and finished, 3-0.

Minutes later I sent a long serve into the box, Talbert got her head onto it, forcing the keeper to punch the ball out to about the 12 yard mark. There, Hagen half-volleyed past the keeper, 4-0.

At this point they were throwing numbers forward, giving their backs only a few short options to play out of pressure. We took advantage of this, locking them in, I pressured their outside back, who played to their centerback. I continued to pressure, their centerback then turned it over—putting me in behind their back line. Their center back then recovered. Louise is overlapping me to my left at this point, I then led Lou in past the recovered centerback and she smacked a shot near post and it snuck past the keeper in the inches she left open at the near post, 5-1.

They still continued to throw numbers forward and we continued to play smart and keep the ball out of our end. Our final goal came from Teegarden. She hit a ball long. Their keeper came out and their center back came back for it, a miscommunication between the two of them, resulting in neither clearing it out and Hagen getting in on a break away as the ball bounced past both defenders. With nobody left to defend Hagen, she just kicked it in, 6-1.

That was how we won the Horizon League Tournament. Six goals, four different scorers. We would not be where we are without Sarah Hagen, but we have 10 players behind her with just as much to offer and that is why we find ourselves where we are. Credit to Cynthia, #10 on Loyola, for her two great goals, but a team needs more then a #10 goal scorer, and our #10, Hagen, has the rest of us to do and work as much and hard as she is, leading us to regular season co-champs, horizon league tournament champs, and 18th in the country.

Next step NCAA tournament, we are going to Harry’s on Oakland at 6:30 Monday night, come join!!

Horizon League Quarterfinals

Nov. 2nd – Horizon League Tournament Quarterfinals- Green Bay

What may be our last game on Englemann field ended as good as we could hope. Facing an in-state rival, we took the field and played aggressive and dynamic soccer, leading to a 5-0 win with five different scorers.

The last time we played Green Bay they packed it in with 5 in the back, 4 in midfield and 1 up top, and we struggled to score the first time around. However, they came out in the same formation and we had no trouble this time. Within 71 seconds, Sperl played a great ball behind their back line, Kreuser, utilizing her speed, got to the ball and was in on a breakaway, putting the ball away nicely past their keeper, 1-0.

They didn’t get out of their half for the next 30 minutes and our next goal came. It was a really nice build up, about 10 passes leading to it, but the last one not connecting. Instead the ball was left to bounce around the box as we attempted to not allow them the clear. I give a lot of credit to Louise, who through herself in front of a clear to win and play a 3 yard pass to me, about 5 yrds out from the goal line, and I attempted to put as much on a shot as I could, hitting in far post, it bounced past the keeper and in, 2-0.

Four minutes later, Louise was at it again, playing the ball into Hagen, who was at the top of the six, and hit a nice shot past the keeper, 3-0. We headed into to halftime pleased with the first half, but we still had 45 minutes to play.

The second half went similarly; we came out, allowing them to only get out of their half about once. We also hit in a couple more goals. Louise, after assisting two people, got herself one, Roadhouse played it into Lou, about 15 yards out, her first touch spun the defender and hit a great shot lower left corner, 4-0. Our final goal came from Laurel who hit a great shot, pinging off the left post and into the goal, keeper had no chance, 5-0.

Once again we came out organized and aggressive, and dominated. We outshot GB 27-1, and their one shot Kane caught easily. We now go into the second round of the Horizon league tournament ready to play Wright State on Friday at Loyola.

Regular Season Finale

Oct. 24th- Game vs. Detroit… Parent Night

We started our last regular season games with Detroit of Friday. Last year they defended well and we walked away with a tie. However that was not the case this year….

Before I talk about the game—it was parent’s night! So another thank you to all of you parents, even if your kid isn’t a teammate of mine, none of us would be where we are without you.

Onto the game… within 16 minutes Krueser got another dangerous moment started, playing a great ball to Hagen who put Talbert in on a diagonal ball. Talbs then flicked it past their keeper far post, 1-0. Why wait any longer then another two minutes, Hagen played Roadhouse, who hit it to Talbert, who ran onto it, and hit it in, only about a yard out, 2-0.

Those were the only goals of the first half, but we had some great build-ups. Our overall awareness of the other team and our own team has improved so much to the point where we just pass around them and Kane sits back there not needing to make a single save. By the end of the game, Detroit had two shots, neither which were on goal.

Heading into the second half, it was similar to the first, we had great build-ups, from great combinations through the midfield, our outside backs were getting involved, we were beating them on the dribble, beating them with passes, and it could have been more then 3-0 if it wasn’t for their keeper who came up with some great saves, which is hard to do with our amazing fans behind the goal.

Eventually our third goal came, the Canadian, Keara, played a ball in the air to me, I chest trapped it past the defender, putting myself on the left side of the 18yd box, crossed it to Kreuser, one touched it back to Hagen, who hit it in, 3-0. She didn’t get to keep the ball if you were wondering...

Every player got into the game, and created chances, everyone played well (our two other keepers didn’t get in, but freezing in the goal was fun enough for just Kane) I could fill pages of the chances, combinations, and great play that we did as a team...

Anyways, we walked away with the 3-0 win against Detroit, our final game regular season game vs. Valpo.

As our team has started to do better, more people have looked at our website, and in turn their eyes have met this captivating and exhilarating blog that I write, which has led to occasions when people yell within the run of the game, “I wanna read about that in Megna’s memoirs!”, which leads me to this “oh so embarrassing moment of mine.”

A great ball was served into the box, where I found myself trying to run onto it, but Hagan was in my path, “Let Hagen” I yelled, thinking she would move left or right, so I was now leaping towards the ball, instead she squatted down and I flew (Well, it felt like flying) over her, until I came down, smacking the ground with as much force as I had hoped to head the ball—which I had missed by a considerable distance. I can only imagined how this looked to onlookers... painful I hope, because that’s how it felt!

Oct. 10th- Game vs Valpraiso - Senior Day

It was nice to give our seniors a win as well as clinching the regular season championship for the ninth year in a row... yes, this year it is a co-champs, but all the same.

We took the field for a game where the wind would be factor, and got the scoring started early. The first two goals came almost like it was a crossing and finishing game in practice. The first one, I got the ball out left (from Keara), went endline, served to Hagen who finished with her head, 1-0. Moments later, from the other side, Teegs got the ball out right, went endline, served to Kreuser who finished with her head, 2-0.

After our first two goals, we kept the ball within their half, they struggled to clear because of the wind, and created some chances but failed to put anymore away. They then broke through our midfield on the dribble and put a forward in behind our defense with a long ball, their forward then hit a great shot from the corner of the right 18-yard box to the upper 90 far post, 2-1.

We started the second half, controlling the play. They never had another real chance other then the goal all game, we got numbers forward and were close to getting another. It finally came in the 86th minute, the Canadian, Keara, sent the ball out to me on the left side of the 18yd box, I headed it into the penalty area where Hagen side volleyed it past their keeper, 3-1.

We closed out senior day with a win and Teegs and Kane shed a few tears... our season, however, is no where near the end! Horizon league tournament next Sunday at home.

First-Place Showdown With Butler

This was a big game. A win would narrow the location for conference tournament between Loyola, us and Butler, to between just us and Loyola. If we were to lose this game, it would put us behind Butler and in the potential position to lose the regular season for the first time in eight years or something crazy like that. The win would put us in a position to tie with Loyola to be co-champs, assuming both teams were to win out on the rest of their schedules.

Anyways, we took Engelmann Field, in what felt like ages since our last home game, wearing our pink arm bands to support breast cancer and ready to take on the Butler Bulldogs. Due to the cold weather, our “pink out” was covered by our fans’ jackets and sweatshirts but the support and raffle donations to research on breast cancer still had a satisfying outcome. It is pretty sweet to think that two teams kicking a ball around a field can help raise money for something as big as breast cancer. Athletics continued to raise money on Saturday at the Women’s Volleyball game as well, and athletes from both teams, us and v-ball, volunteered at restaurants off of campus earlier in the week to raise even more money. By Saturday it was a successful pink week.

On to the game: This game was great. We played great soccer and came away with a decisive 5-0 result. The first half the Bulldogs held us to one goal, scored by Teegs. Sperl served a corner in and it popped back out to her. She re-served and Teegs finished with a great header, 1-0. Their keeper had some nice saves as Canada, Hagen, Talbert, and Kreuser all had chances and we out shot them, 10-1, leaving Kane to freeze as we kept the play away from her.

The second half we came out and pulled them apart in their backline. This led to back to back Louise Vraney goals, both assisted by Teegarden. I wish I could do justice in describing how the first one came about, but it was one of the sweetest balls I have ever seen Teegarden play with the outside of her foot… over their back line and dropping just perfectly for Lou to run onto with a perfectly timed run, pushed it past the keeper, 2-0. Lou knocked in another, assisted by Teegarden again, 3-0. Next came a goal by Laurel Ragalie, 4-0.

If those four goals weren’t exciting enough, why not throw in a school record being broken. Hagen knocked in our final goal, another assist from Teegarden, to give her 17 goals on the season and make it 5-0.

So, the coaches were yelling to the center ref as Butler was about to kick off (to switch the game ball) I kind of thought in disbelief, “Did Hagen really just kick the ball so hard that she put a hole in it?” No Kate, it was the ball used to score the 17th goal and set a school record for most goals scored in a season, and now becomes a “trophy” of that accomplishment. My question is does she get to keep the 18th, 19th, 20th and so on “goal” balls because our season is no where near being over…

Anyways, I don’t know how many soccer balls a dorm room can hold, but I do know that Kane only had to make two saves the whole game. Neither, a superman save, but simply catching the ball as if in warm-up or playing catch with their forwards.

Sunday we didn’t have a game, so hopefully you can join us back at Englemann next Friday for a game vs. Detroit.

Cleveland and Youngstown

Oct. 10th – Racking up the goals

We had another long road trip this weekend, heading to Cleveland State and then to Youngstown State. We had a nice eight-hour bus ride on Thursday, which can take a toll on the body. When movies, homework, reading and any other activity become boring we attempt to sleep on our two seats that, put together, are about four feet long and two feet wide. Maybe this is comfortable for the shorties, Kreuser and Canada, but not so much for those around average height on the team and taller.

Anyways, we played CSU the next evening. You would think we would be slow to start after the long bus trip but 20 minutes into the game we were up 4-0. It started 13 minutes in, when Kayla Dejardin played a ball from the corner of their left 18 yard box, tipped the bottom of the cross bar and into the goal over the goalie’s head, 1-0. Next was a goal was scored by Canada (Keara Thompson), a ball came across the top of the box, Canada ran onto it finishing it lower left corner, 2-0. 

Our next two goals came from Hagen. The first one, I played the ball into her, her back to the goal, isolated (only one defender on her... Kreuser made a good run outside pulling their backs apart), she spun with the ball, past the defender and a nice shot past the keeper, 3-0. Just 48 seconds later, isolated again, she turned her defender and finished again, Kreuser delivering the ball to her this time, 4-0.

Later on in the first half the fifth goal came, Louise Varney burned three people, the fourth taking her out in the box leading to a PK which Talbert finished nicely.

The second half, some freshmen scored some great goals, starting with Laurel Ragalie. Receiving the ball about 25 yards out on the right side, she beat a defender and finished with a nice goal over the keepers head far post, 6-0. Finally, Chelsea Colling wrapped it up for us. Beth Steuer played a great ball dropping just over their backline, Colling ran onto and placed the ball past the goalie, 7-0. 

I just want to add I was sitting on the sidelines as the seventh goal went in, stressing about how I was going to remember how they all happened!! 

So beyond the scoring it was nice to see everyone get in and get some experience. Although CSU didn’t score it doesn’t mean they didn’t have chances... Leslie Deebach played goalie for us in the second half and was awesome. She made two superman saves that I would normally be saying only Kane is capable of. The first one was a diving save from a screened position, to grab a ball that was heading upper left corner. Second one their player got in on a breakaway and Deebach came out to completely strip the girl, stopping the ball dead in her hands. Nothing but confidence knowing that’s our back up keeper!

Saturday—City Sight Seeing

Unfortunately I was stuck doing homework all day on Saturday, but many of our players got to go out and see the city, which was within walking distance of our hotel. Many went to the mall, lakefront, rock and roll hall of fame, a science museum and IMax that I heard was really sweet, and the rest stuck around the hotel.

Sunday Oct 12th- YSU

YSU has struggled in the conference the past couple seasons, but is a difficult team to beat at their home field. It is in a football stadium so the field is shorter turf, skinnier and crowned, the ball spends a larger amount of time out of bounds. In the past we always struggle to get the scoring started. 

However this our scoring continued through the weekend. Hagen found herself isolated, again, at the top of the box, multiple times even, so it was only a short time until she notched our first goal, 1-0. The second goal came from a corner played in by Sperl, the ball came onto the top of the box, where Kenzie headed it into upper left corner, 2-0.

The third goal came from Kreuser playing it into Canada, who beat two players to get in on a breakaway, passed it to Hagen who flanked her on her left to beat the goalie, and Hagen put it away, 3-0. Ungreediness from the Canadian to give Hagen the goal and to tie the school record for most goals in a season, with our season still going!

We boarded back onto the bus... hands filled with goody bags from the Kane and Canadian clans (thank you guys so much again!!). Those goody bags make bus trips sooo much more enjoyable... it’s like being back in middle school, “I’ll trade you my popcorn ball for your Canadian smarties,” and then we counter, “How about your popcorn ball and two blow pops and I will make it a deal…”

A numerous number of hours later we arrived home and are starting to prepare for Butler next Friday, hopefully we will see you there!

Congrats to Sarah Hagen as Horizon League player of the week!

A Trip to Loyola and Wright State

Oct. 3rd— Game vs. Loyola

Like I have said before, soccer is cruel game. The better team doesn’t always win. You may think I am biased in saying we are the better team in the game… but after the game their coach came up to Mike and said, “You guys were better.”

Unfortunately we didn’t get it done. Like Green-Bay, Loyola packed it in, so all but one forward were within 35 yards of their goal, trying to hold onto their 1-0 lead. Their goal came from the ball bouncing around the box, Kane made two nice saves, but they followed in on the rebound and finished. For the next 75 minutes we pounded them. They rarely got out of their half, but we couldn’t put any of our shots away.

That’s the game of soccer though. Our finishing wasn’t there. It was lacking and their defense were resilient. Unfortunately possession doesn’t win games. I could list some close chances we had, but none of them count for anything. They played a physical and defensive game and it worked out for them, the next time we play them it might not. 
All I know is we will see how respond because Wright State is our next step. 

Oct 4th- Day of Rest…day of sleeping
This was a full roadtrip weekend. after Loyola we went straight to Ohio…we didn’t arrive until 4:50 a.m (eastern time). Yes, 4:50 a.m.! And, we went straight to bed and didn’t wake up till 11:45 a.m. Everyone was exhausted, but we got some breakfast and then went to training, and after that we went back to sleep, those who didn’t sleep until dinner did some homework. We had dinner at Olive Garden, back to the hotel for homework and sleep.

I unfortunately don’t have any funny stories…mainly because we were sleeping or walking around half asleep…and the things that were funny, well were only funny because we were slap happy from lack of sleep.

Oct. 5th- The rowdy Raiders

We just lost a conference game vs Loyola and potentially lost the control of hosting conference tournament. We broke our 31-game unbeaten streak in conference. We let Loyola beat us for only the second time in history. We most likely lost our 22nd position in the national rankings, and our 2nd ranking regionally. That’s a lot of things we just let go from a 90-minute game... but we gained a lot more in my opinion.

...now bare with my inspirational sounding rambles, there is a point...

I have always heard people say, ‘a team shows maturity when they can keep winning games and can be consistent.’ For most of the season we have done that, but ‘a team shows its character in how it responds to the next game after a loss.’ We responded with 3-0 win against Wright State on their home field.

We learned from the loss at Loyola. I would have preferred to take this loss now then potentially in conference tournament. I think the new players gain the experience of how it feels to lose in conference and as a team we aren’t going to let it happen again.

I haven’t seen many teams pack all 11 of their players into a box on a corner very often. However, this was Wright State’s defense and it came around to harm them, in my opinion. Steuer played a great ball into the box, right in the middle of all 11 of their players and about 7 of ours. We so much congestion in the 6 yard box, they failed to clear the ball, being deflected of their own players and ours, until Teegarden put the ball away, 1-0.

Our next goal came from Louise Vraney. On their left side of the field about 20 yards in from half, she took on one of their center mids and blew past her. She then took on their right back (at this point she was on at the corner of the 18 on the base line) and blew past the right back. Now finally, she took on the right center back, and yes again blew past her. And, with a great ball to Kreuser who’s shot got deflected the first time but Laurel finished with a half volley, 2-0.

Our final goal came from Sarah Hagen. She had a great ball played into her feet at about the top of the 18 yard box, took a touch that put her behind their defensive line and would have been on a break away, but both center backs collapsed on her and she drew the foul—PK. Hagen took it, keeper had no chance to save it, 3-0.

Last thought: In the past I have talked about respect for the game of soccer, but I bring the topic back up, not to direct it specifically at any other team, but to point out the class that our team has and the respect for the game. We work as hard as we can, we try to play good, we are creative on offense, organized on defense, we tackle hard but not cheap or late, we don’t talk trash (that’s a big one), and finally we leave it on the field. We understand we are going to have a game like the loss against Loyola, but its not the end of the world and it won’t happen again.