Storm Clearing

For most of us, we started this journey a couple of years back with August kick-arounds at Lochside Park. We started the season off with victory at the Labour Day Tourney on the Turf where we battled against Lakehill, but I suppose our first official game as the Storm was a 1-1 draw against Gorge at Bullen Park.

I remember getting to the park late from Erin's game to find out we were already down 1-0 to the bad guys. Soon enough Olivia evened the scoring with a free kick and our first points were won. That season we enjoyed more success on the field than I imagined we would, but in hindsight given how well we've played this year I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise after all. We had some ups and downs but we earned a reputation as a team who could pass the ball and was tough to beat.

This season was also a huge success, despite results not going our way the way we would have liked. There wasn't a single game in which we were comprehensively outplayed by the opposition. In fact some of the games we lost (JDF 0-2, PSC 2-3, Bays 0-1) I think it's fair to say we were the better team. Luck just didnt seem to smile on us this season. In between we finally got one over on Lakehill (5-0) and Peninsula (3-0), two teams that seemed to have the hex over us. Both were sweet, but I'll probably remember the latter longer because it confirmed that on our day we could beat anyone. Now, if only the crossbars were round instead of square at JDF, we would have got the win against them too :-)

We also had the privilege of playing on the nicest turf field in the city. Spoiled doesn't begin to describe what we've become after practicing and playing games on that since November. Did any parents actually have to wash tehir daughter's jersey? I guess the downside was everyone had puddles of back rubber on their linoleum!

It's been a lot of fun for me coaching and getting to know each of you. I hope you enjoyed yourself and learned something along the way. Some of you will be off to pastures new next season and I wish you the best of luck on your ventures. I'm sure our paths will cross again on the field somewhere soon enough. To Lily and Olivia best of luck on your travels with the Super Y team.

A big thanks to Rob and Willie for all your help and laughs we shared, and to Derek and Josh for running the lines during many of our games. Much appreciated.

Thanks also to parents for their support for me and their child's soccer development. Attendance at practices and games was always excellent and the girls behaviour was good from start to finish.

Take care and enjoy your spring and summer!

Gordon Head Jamboree Wrap-Up

After a bit of confusion Friday as we got to know how each other played, we hit our stride Saturday with two wins and then dominated Vancouver Dunbar on Sunday to win the Recreational "A" Championship at the Gordon Head Jamboree. Unfortunately no trophy to parade, but then I think quite a few players were probably too tired to stand at the end anyway.

Our final was played on a lumpy, bumpy, cow pasture of a field, which made passing the ball difficult and controlling it next to impossible. So it was important that we got to the ball first, and you didnt let yourselves down there. It seemed to me we got to almost every ball first, and if we didn't we got stuck-in and didn't let them turn with the ball. Our midfielders did a great job in the trenches (Maddie, Marissa, Olivia and Emma in particular) and our defenders (Lily, Margaret, Annabel, Katherine) dealt with everything they threw at us. Didn't matter if it was in the air or on the ground, you beat them like rented mules!

It was zeroes at half, but that's only because Olivia kept hitting the blasted crossbar! Ping! Ping! Their keeper was probably tone def after twenty minutes! We also had a couple of other efforts fizz just wide from Bri and Marissa, and there was a couple of times their keeper spilled our cross but no one could get position on the ball to shoot.

Pretty much the same story in the second half as the field tilted towards their goal. Chloe seemed to get more space and service out wide and we won several corners which came to nothing. And then out of nothing Emma connects with the ball from twenty yards and it nestles into the bottom-right corner. Shortly after Maddie wins the ball in midfield, passes wide to Chloe who then finds Kyra streaking in on goal. Kyra slips the ball under their keeper with a calm finish and it's game over. We even had time to enjoy a third after Emma connected with an up and under which their defender and goalie combined to deflect into their goal. Then it's officially game over.

To be fair to our opponents I guess I should add that Dunbar did have a scoring opportunity when it was one-bagel, but the girl rang it off the upright. Anyway, Cassie had it covered ;-)

Some highlights from earlier games include Annabel's goal and Cassie's phenomonal saves (including a penalty shot)to get us a share of the points against a determined Gordon Head; Olivia's deft flick past the keeper from Annabel's cross and then Sydney's top corner shot in our win against Kerrisdale; and Bri then getting the final touch to a cross from Sydney/Marissa (???) to dispatch Dunbar on Lochside Turf.

On behalf of the Storm, my thanks to Bri, Cassie, Katherine, Kyra, Maddie, Marissa and Sydney for joining our team for this tournament. It was a pleasure coaching each of you this weekend and I hope you enjoyed wearing the Maroon and Black. Despite what Coach Jay said, I think it suited you!

Best of luck to the Super Y girls on their travels this spring. I look forward to hearing from Lily and Olivia about all of your hotel pillow fights and bus adventures. And my best wishes to Kyra and Katherine - hopefully I see you both playing Bays Gold come this September.

For the rest of the Storm, hopefully we see you at player assessments over the next couple of weeks.

PS Sorry about the blurry picture. I'm a soccer coach not a photographer.

Jamboree Finals

Our game tomorrow is 12:15pm at Lambrick Park Field Hockey Field.

Please be there a half-hour early.

Updated Player Assessment Schedule

A third player assessment for U14 (1996) girls has been added to the schedule. The extra assessment is next Thursday (April 9), 7-8pm at Lochside Park Turf.

Welcome to the Storm!

A couple of our recruits for the weekend jamboree may be at practice Tuesday. So please remember to give Katherine and Kyra a warm welcome when you see them. Katherine and Kyra play with the Bays Silver team that defeated Gordon Head in the District Cup and subsequently gave Juan de Fuca a hard game in the semi-finals.

Speaking of Juan de Fuca, a couple of the Warriors will be joining us for the tourney as well. We've had excellent battles against JDF this season, so it will be nice to have Bri, Cassie, Jessica, Maddie and Marissa on our side for a change! They have their District Cup Final in Sooke early Saturday afternoon, so hopefully they can make the other three tournament games.

We're also being joined by Sydney from Gorge. Sydney is an all-action player who always impressed me when she played against us. Sydney also goes to Royal Oak and attends DDC so she shouldn't need much introduction to several Storm players.

A warm welcome and thanks to all our recruits - I hope you enjoy your weekend of soccer with us!

More Changes to Jamboree Schedule

Here is our new game schedule:

Friday - Gordon Head @ UVic, 7:35pm
Saturday - Coquitlam @ Torquay School, 11am
Saturday - Dunbar @ Lochside, 5:15pm
Sunday - TBA @ 12:15pm, either Lambrick Park or Reynolds Field

Reminder to everyone to bring their $25 to practice tomorrow or to our game on Friday night.

What a game!

I think everyone would agree today's game against Bays United just about sums up our season. Once again we out-play our opposition, dominate possession, do everything but score, but end up losing to a single goal. And in this case, it sounds like the goal should have been called back. Marissa apparently had both hands on the ball but the Bays player kicked it in anyway. When I asked the ref at the end of the game what he saw he said he didn't see anything. Funnily enough, that was the answer I was expecting!

As Rob said to me after the game, why would we expect anything to change now? We've had so little luck this season it's not even funny.

Bays didn't know what hit them in the first half. Right from the kick-off we swarmed all over them and they never got into their stride. What I really liked was how high up the field we played. As a result we won many second balls and intercepted many of Bays defensive clearances. We had some good looks at goal but their goalie gobbled everything up when she had to.

In the second-half we were doing fine until their goal. The wheels fell-off for a while as we struggled with positional play, but we found our rythym again and had some pretty good chances late on. I know Olivia would probably like a do-over for that free kick, but we had chances after that we just couldn't squeeze-in. At the final whistle you were still running and competing hard. You left absolutely everything on the field today and that's all any coach can ask. So if one can be happy with a loss, then that's how I feel right now.

Next up is the Gordon Head Jamboree with a game against Lakehill on Friday at UVic. But first a practice Tuesday at Lochside at 6pm.