This weekend we were on the road again to open conference play at Youngstown on Friday and Cleveland State on Sunday. We arrived in Cleveland Thursday evening after another long bus ride and went for dinner at the House of Blues. Friday morning we ate breakfast and then had a team meeting. We played a trivia game to see how well we knew each other with questions about us players and, of course, Mike threw in some tactical soccer questions. Led by Laurel and her flawless tactical knowledge, Team Panthers came from behind to beat Team Milwaukee by a score of 15-14.5.
After lunch and some studying/relaxing we left Cleveland for the two hour bus ride to Youngstown for the game against Youngstown State. The game was a little bit slower than what we’ve become used to against other opponents. Despite sometimes lacking the crispness and possession we’re capable of, we were able to take control of the game. Our first goal came in the 38th minute when Apple was taken down in the box and converted the penalty kick. We outshot Youngstown by a considerable amount and Apple scored again in the 59th minute. Roadie served a great ball into the box and Apple headed it over the keeper and just under the crossbar. The score would remain 2-0, starting off league play with a win.
Saturday we headed over to the Cleveland state campus for a training session in the morning. Afterwards we had the day to catch up on homework and studying we were missing while on the trip and to rest. That evening we went to Hoolihan’s for dinner and then got some sleep for our game against Cleveland State the next day.
We came out against Cleveland State and really took control of the game. We did a good job of keeping possession in the midfield. When we did lose it we put them under quick hard pressure and forced a lot of turnovers. We scored first in the 13th minute when Kelly played a ball through to Apple who finished it off. Then, just before half, Stern scored to make it 2-0. Cleveland cleared a cross into their box but it came free to Stern who hit a nice shot to beat the Cleveland State keeper. Near the end of the second half we let up on our pressure a little bit and allowed Cleveland State to push forward a little more. We still kept them out though and managed to get another goal. Apple hit a shot off the far post and Meghan followed it in and finished. The game ended 3-0, taking us to 2-0 in conference play. Gabby made her collegiate debut against Cleveland State and made the only save of the game.
Sep 27, 2010
Sep 21, 2010
Kansas and Missouri and long bus rides...
This weekend we headed to Kansas and Missouri for our first big road trip since school started. Things have definitely gotten busier since the beginning of classes. It’s been getting harder and harder to find quality time for napping. Our days are filled with early morning training, classes during the day, and homework afterwards. Traveling always adds a little bit more stress too. Not only do we have homework over the weekend, we have to catch up on the lectures and discussions we miss on the Thursday and Friday that we’re gone. Luckily the 10-hour bus ride to Kansas gave us plenty of time to catch up on some schoolwork and some napping. Of course, there was also a pretty intense game of Catch Phrase going on up at the front of the bus and some pretty lame scary stories being told at the back.
This was a big weekend for us as it was our last chance to prove ourselves against two big out-of-conference teams before our conference schedule begins. When we finally arrived in Kansas on Thursday night we were happy to be off the bus and into our beds in the hotel. Friday morning we went to walk the game field and then relaxed and got ourselves ready for the game against Kansas that night.
We didn’t come out as strong as we would have liked in the first half. We managed to generate a few chances but Kansas created some dangerous chances of their own. The second half was an entirely different story. Though Kansas still generated some dangerous opportunities, we managed to keep them out and controlled a majority of the play. We created a ton of chances but just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net so regular time ended in a 0-0 deadlock. Overtime didn’t last long with Apple scoring six minutes in. I played a through ball to her behind the Kansas defence and she absolutely blasted a shot into the top of the goal. 1-0 Milwaukee!
On Saturday we were back on the bus, travelling to Missouri. We had a training session and then headed to the hotel to relax, play cards, and get some extra studying in. Saturday it started raining and continued up until, and during, the beginning of the game. This made for some interesting field conditions. It was a bit more of a swamp than a soccer field! The field definitely affected the beginning of the game. The ball frequently stopped dead in puddles and it made connecting passes a bit of an issue. As the game went on, though, the field started to dry up and we started to get used to the circumstances.
Missouri scored first but three minutes later Kenzie tied it back up when she finished a bouncing ball off of a corner kick. When we came back out for the second half the field had dried up significantly from the beginning of the game and the quality of play improved. We took the lead in the 49th minute when Kenzie played a great ball over Missouri’s back line and Apple beat the Missouri goalie. Then we increased our lead in the 62nd minute. Sperl played another of her great free kicks to the back post and I slotted it in. It was a very physical game but, though Missouri did score a second goal, we held strong defensively at the end of the game to come away with our second win of the weekend.
Next week we’re back on the road for our first games in conference play. Youngstown on Friday and then Cleveland State on Sunday! Also, thanks to all the parents and alumni that have hosted us for meals and put together treat bags for our bus rides, so far this season. It’s something we definitely all look forward to. Thank you!
This was a big weekend for us as it was our last chance to prove ourselves against two big out-of-conference teams before our conference schedule begins. When we finally arrived in Kansas on Thursday night we were happy to be off the bus and into our beds in the hotel. Friday morning we went to walk the game field and then relaxed and got ourselves ready for the game against Kansas that night.
We didn’t come out as strong as we would have liked in the first half. We managed to generate a few chances but Kansas created some dangerous chances of their own. The second half was an entirely different story. Though Kansas still generated some dangerous opportunities, we managed to keep them out and controlled a majority of the play. We created a ton of chances but just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net so regular time ended in a 0-0 deadlock. Overtime didn’t last long with Apple scoring six minutes in. I played a through ball to her behind the Kansas defence and she absolutely blasted a shot into the top of the goal. 1-0 Milwaukee!
On Saturday we were back on the bus, travelling to Missouri. We had a training session and then headed to the hotel to relax, play cards, and get some extra studying in. Saturday it started raining and continued up until, and during, the beginning of the game. This made for some interesting field conditions. It was a bit more of a swamp than a soccer field! The field definitely affected the beginning of the game. The ball frequently stopped dead in puddles and it made connecting passes a bit of an issue. As the game went on, though, the field started to dry up and we started to get used to the circumstances.
Missouri scored first but three minutes later Kenzie tied it back up when she finished a bouncing ball off of a corner kick. When we came back out for the second half the field had dried up significantly from the beginning of the game and the quality of play improved. We took the lead in the 49th minute when Kenzie played a great ball over Missouri’s back line and Apple beat the Missouri goalie. Then we increased our lead in the 62nd minute. Sperl played another of her great free kicks to the back post and I slotted it in. It was a very physical game but, though Missouri did score a second goal, we held strong defensively at the end of the game to come away with our second win of the weekend.
Next week we’re back on the road for our first games in conference play. Youngstown on Friday and then Cleveland State on Sunday! Also, thanks to all the parents and alumni that have hosted us for meals and put together treat bags for our bus rides, so far this season. It’s something we definitely all look forward to. Thank you!
Sep 14, 2010
Rivalry Week
This week was a big week for us as we played two in-state rivals. First up was Marquette on Wednesday. We knew they would come out with a lot of energy and we would need to match it. The game against Marquette is always a physical, hard-fought game and this was definitely the case this year.
Marquette scored first off of a corner kick in the 21st minute. We answered in the second half when Sperl sent another great free kick into the box. Apple headed back across the box and I slipped it past the Marquette goalie. Our defense played really solid throughout the game and held off the Marquette offense. Regulation time ended in a 1-1 draw so we were headed to overtime. During the first overtime we were literally inches (or centimetres for us Canadians) from scoring to win the game. Kenzie sent a perfect ball over Marquette’s back line for Apple to run on to. Apple headed the ball over the goalie’s head. Unfortunately, the goalie was able to recover and tip the ball onto the crossbar, barely keeping it from crossing the line. The game ended in a tie, but not before the referee suffered an unfortunate hamstring injury causing him to miss most of the second overtime period, and a number of Marquette fouls.
Our second game of the week was against the University of Wisconsin in Madison on Wednesday. A few minutes into the game Apple injured her ankle and needed treatment. There is a substitution rule that if a player exits the game in the first half, they can’t re-enter until the second half. Because of this, we didn’t make a substitution for Apple but played a man down so that she would be able to finish the first half after she got her ankle dealt with. While we were playing a man down, Wisconsin was able to score off a corner kick in the 17th minute. For the rest of the game, we controlled a majority of the possession and dictated the play. However, our attacking was lacking something. We didn’t seem to have that team drive or individual initiative to score goals. The game ended in a disappointing 1-0 loss.
Next weekend we travel to Kansas and Missouri. We’ll try to come away with two wins before our conference play begins.
Marquette scored first off of a corner kick in the 21st minute. We answered in the second half when Sperl sent another great free kick into the box. Apple headed back across the box and I slipped it past the Marquette goalie. Our defense played really solid throughout the game and held off the Marquette offense. Regulation time ended in a 1-1 draw so we were headed to overtime. During the first overtime we were literally inches (or centimetres for us Canadians) from scoring to win the game. Kenzie sent a perfect ball over Marquette’s back line for Apple to run on to. Apple headed the ball over the goalie’s head. Unfortunately, the goalie was able to recover and tip the ball onto the crossbar, barely keeping it from crossing the line. The game ended in a tie, but not before the referee suffered an unfortunate hamstring injury causing him to miss most of the second overtime period, and a number of Marquette fouls.
Our second game of the week was against the University of Wisconsin in Madison on Wednesday. A few minutes into the game Apple injured her ankle and needed treatment. There is a substitution rule that if a player exits the game in the first half, they can’t re-enter until the second half. Because of this, we didn’t make a substitution for Apple but played a man down so that she would be able to finish the first half after she got her ankle dealt with. While we were playing a man down, Wisconsin was able to score off a corner kick in the 17th minute. For the rest of the game, we controlled a majority of the possession and dictated the play. However, our attacking was lacking something. We didn’t seem to have that team drive or individual initiative to score goals. The game ended in a disappointing 1-0 loss.
Next weekend we travel to Kansas and Missouri. We’ll try to come away with two wins before our conference play begins.
Sep 8, 2010
Michigan State and the start of school...
After school starting and a long week of training we were definitely ready for our game against Michigan State on Sunday. We were also more than ready to turn things back around after a tie and a loss last weekend. This attitude was clear from the beginning of the game as we came out strong and really took control of the game. In the eighth minute Helen played a great ball over the Michigan State defense to Apple, who beat a defender and then slid to slip the ball past the goalie. We continued controlling the game for the rest of the first half and scored two more goals. Kenzie headed one in off a corner kick from Helen and I slid one in after Apple flicked on a long ball from Sperl. Coming out of halftime we knew that Michigan State was going to come out really hard to try to break down the 3-0 lead we had taken. When we came out we looked too comfortable with our lead and played flat. Michigan State scored in the 47th minute and again in the 54th minute. The second goal finally woke us up a bit and we stepped it back up. We prevented any more goals against and created a few more chances of our own. We made the game a lot more exciting than it needed to be by letting Michigan State back into it but in the end we were able to hold them off and come away with a win. Next up are two instate rivals: Marquette on Wednesday and Madison on Sunday!
Aug 31, 2010
Welcome back for the 2010 season!
As always the summer seemed just a little too short but I think all of us players were excited to be back playing together again. Preseason’s two-a-days went well and some early exhibition games made for some good preparation for the tough schedule ahead. We got things started with scoreless ties against Creighton and the Alumni before uncovering our goal-scoring ability in a 4-0 win over Northern Illinois in our last exhibition match.
We always find ourselves facing a tough out-of-conference schedule and this year would be no different beginning with our season opener against Ohio State. Going into the game Ohio State had been receiving votes for the Top 25 in the nation. A win against the Buckeyes would mean putting ourselves on the radar early on. We drove to Columbus on Thursday night and had a good training session. Friday was spent resting in the hotel and preparing for the game. For some of us this meant several hours playing our new favourite card game, Shanghai Knights (Rummy), courtesy of Helen Steinhauser. When we finally arrived at the field for game time and warmed up there was definitely an air of confidence among the team. We were all ready to go out and get a result. This was evident on the field when Apple scored within the first two minutes for us to take a 1-0 lead. Ohio State tied it up in the eighth minute off of a corner kick but for the rest of the game we really seemed to control the play. When we did have breakdowns, Deebach and Forbes each came up with some big saves. Finally in the last ten minutes the ball popped free to Sperl with the Ohio State goalkeeper off of her line. Sperl sent a great chip over the goalie’s head and into the net. Final score: 2-1 Milwaukee, a great way to start the season.
The following day we drove to South Bend for a game against Notre Dame on Sunday. We had another training session after dinner at Olive Garden in which Mary set a new record for the amount of food consumed (6 breadsticks, really?). Sunday morning we were all anxious for a chance to play against the #4 team in the nation and to really prove ourselves. Last year when we played Notre Dame they scored in the first ten minutes and we never really looked settled against them. This year was a very different story. We came out and controlled the first half of the game, generating a number of quality chances. Going into halftime the score was still tied at 0-0. The second half started out similar to the first until a Notre Dame shot took an unlucky deflection and ended up in our net. Notre Dame then scored a second goal off of another redirection, followed by a third and final goal. It was a disappointing loss but the score was not entirely reflective of the game. We controlled much of the play and generated the same number of shots.
This last weekend took us to Valley Fields for the Milwaukee Cup with New Mexico, Auburn and Marquette. Friday night’s game was against New Mexico. The first half of the game was not one of our best performances and we are definitely capable of better. Despite this, the score heading into the second half was tied at 0-0. New Mexico then scored early on in the second half and lit a bit of a fire under our butts. We still lacked the same play we showed during our first two games but managed to score an opportune goal to bring the score level. Mary sent a ball in off of a free kick and after a bit of chaos in the box, Laurel finished it off. The score remained at 1-1 through the rest of the second half and two overtime periods.
We then met Auburn on Sunday. Our possession throughout the first half was not as good as what we’re capable of, lacking crispness and quality of passes. We entered halftime down 1-0. We stepped things up a little bit in the second half and took control of the game a bit more. Then in the 68th minute, Laurel sent a ball to me in Auburn’s box. I played it off to Mel and, after a deflection of an Auburn player; I sent it into the net. Unfortunately, against the run of play, Auburn scored a second goal and the game finished 2-1.
Looking back at the weekend it’s frustrating not to have come away with two wins against teams we are capable of beating. We have a week of quality training ahead of us before trying to earn some redemption in the three tough games ahead in the next two weeks.
We always find ourselves facing a tough out-of-conference schedule and this year would be no different beginning with our season opener against Ohio State. Going into the game Ohio State had been receiving votes for the Top 25 in the nation. A win against the Buckeyes would mean putting ourselves on the radar early on. We drove to Columbus on Thursday night and had a good training session. Friday was spent resting in the hotel and preparing for the game. For some of us this meant several hours playing our new favourite card game, Shanghai Knights (Rummy), courtesy of Helen Steinhauser. When we finally arrived at the field for game time and warmed up there was definitely an air of confidence among the team. We were all ready to go out and get a result. This was evident on the field when Apple scored within the first two minutes for us to take a 1-0 lead. Ohio State tied it up in the eighth minute off of a corner kick but for the rest of the game we really seemed to control the play. When we did have breakdowns, Deebach and Forbes each came up with some big saves. Finally in the last ten minutes the ball popped free to Sperl with the Ohio State goalkeeper off of her line. Sperl sent a great chip over the goalie’s head and into the net. Final score: 2-1 Milwaukee, a great way to start the season.
The following day we drove to South Bend for a game against Notre Dame on Sunday. We had another training session after dinner at Olive Garden in which Mary set a new record for the amount of food consumed (6 breadsticks, really?). Sunday morning we were all anxious for a chance to play against the #4 team in the nation and to really prove ourselves. Last year when we played Notre Dame they scored in the first ten minutes and we never really looked settled against them. This year was a very different story. We came out and controlled the first half of the game, generating a number of quality chances. Going into halftime the score was still tied at 0-0. The second half started out similar to the first until a Notre Dame shot took an unlucky deflection and ended up in our net. Notre Dame then scored a second goal off of another redirection, followed by a third and final goal. It was a disappointing loss but the score was not entirely reflective of the game. We controlled much of the play and generated the same number of shots.
This last weekend took us to Valley Fields for the Milwaukee Cup with New Mexico, Auburn and Marquette. Friday night’s game was against New Mexico. The first half of the game was not one of our best performances and we are definitely capable of better. Despite this, the score heading into the second half was tied at 0-0. New Mexico then scored early on in the second half and lit a bit of a fire under our butts. We still lacked the same play we showed during our first two games but managed to score an opportune goal to bring the score level. Mary sent a ball in off of a free kick and after a bit of chaos in the box, Laurel finished it off. The score remained at 1-1 through the rest of the second half and two overtime periods.
We then met Auburn on Sunday. Our possession throughout the first half was not as good as what we’re capable of, lacking crispness and quality of passes. We entered halftime down 1-0. We stepped things up a little bit in the second half and took control of the game a bit more. Then in the 68th minute, Laurel sent a ball to me in Auburn’s box. I played it off to Mel and, after a deflection of an Auburn player; I sent it into the net. Unfortunately, against the run of play, Auburn scored a second goal and the game finished 2-1.
Looking back at the weekend it’s frustrating not to have come away with two wins against teams we are capable of beating. We have a week of quality training ahead of us before trying to earn some redemption in the three tough games ahead in the next two weeks.
Nov 8, 2009
Week 10: Nicole Sperl
Horizon League Semifinals - Loyola
Friday was just our second game in almost three weeks, and we were ready to play. Not only was it our first conference tournament game, but it was against Loyola—a team we typically have a hard-fought battle against for 90 minutes. Both teams came out with high energy, but we were able to stay focused and control the play of the game and finally squeaked a goal in the 25th minute by Kenzie (Gillaspie). We knew it wouldn’t be enough to deflate Loyola’s energy. We went into halftime knowing they were capable of coming back and causing chaos. We came out at halftime and just had intense ball pressure. Apple (Hagen) finally found the back of the net in the 75th minute from Laurel (Ragalie). We were able to keep them away from our goal… only giving four shots for the whole game.
Horizon League Championship - Valparaiso
The league championship game was Sunday and we were ready to make history being the first number one seed to win the championship (since the top seed was awarded hosting rights). It was a really nice Sunday afternoon and just being around the team you could tell everyone was ready to go. It didn’t take long for Apple to score her first of four goals, within the first 10 minutes. Which, last time we played Valpo she also had four goals! She scored again in the 13th, 25th and 58th minutes. Apple got MVP of the tournament again for the second year in a row. Forbes, Kenzie, Megna, and myself made the all-tournament team. I think we have really grown as a team, and we are ready for the first round of the NCAA tournament. We find out who and where we play on Monday. We will be at Harry’s Bar and Grill and we will be our gold travel tops!
Oct 19, 2009
Week 9: Nicole Sperl
Friday - Detroit
We had to leave for Detroit on Thursday afternoon, and thankfully our trainer Chad had brought “The Proposal” for us to watch. Otherwise, our assistant coach Chris picks out the worst movies ever for us to watch (no offense Chris). We woke up Friday and ate a good breakfast and we were ready for the game. We were especially pumped for the game because Mike didn’t make us go on a walk after breakfast! We got to their field and the weather was deceiving. The sun was out and when the wind died down it was actually very nice considering the weather we’ve already played in. We came out a little slow, but we got a free kick a little outside the 18 on the left side of the field. There was a quick start and Megna took the ball down the line and had a hard serve, and Apple came crashing in with a diving header. Once again Megna served a ball into the box and Apple ever so calmly tucked it away. Jamie Forbes came up big for us with a one handed save on a breakaway.
Sunday - Wright State
After the Detroit game we drove back home, preparing for Sunday. It was our Pink Out game, Senior Day, possibly the last game at Engelmann for the year, and we could clench the conference title. Everyone was pretty excited for this because a lot was riding on it and we got to wear pink and white jerseys. This was probably one of our toughest games we have faced this year. In the first half we both had some chances, but in the second half we were on the prowl. We out shot Wright State 21-2, but only found the back of the net once. Keara hit the cross bar, so typical. Megna and Apple hooked up again in the 77th minute. And then, we were able to hold them off, especially in the last two minutes when they pressured us hard. This is the 10th-straight year we have won conference. We travel to Green Bay on Friday to finish up regular season.
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