As some of you are aware, from next season Cordova Bay and Gordon Head U13-U18 players will be merging to play under a new banner. Names and colours have yet to be confirmed, but whatever they are the plan is for there to be no individual GHSA or CBSC full field teams from next season. Both clubs minis (U5-U12) will run autonomously and both clubs will retain their adult men's and women's programs.
The intent and hope is that current Cordova Bay and Gordon Head players will wish to stay within this new, larger club. However I appreciate some Storm players have eyes for Metro while others have already signalled their intent to move to a new club once this season is over.
For those of you interested in sticking around, the new club will be running joint player assessments in early April. Here are the tentative dates:
1996 (next years U14) scheduled for April 6 and 8
1997 (next years U13) scheduled for April 7 and 9
I expect that the location for these sessions will alternate between Lochside and Tyndall turfs. I will confirm locations within the next week or so.
If you have any question about these assessments or the plans for the new soccer club please feel free to call, email or speak with me at an upcoming practice.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
No Game :-(
I never did hear back from Bays United, so there will be no game on Saturday.
Hope everyone has a nice, warm weekend and we'll see you next Tuesday on Turf.
Hope everyone has a nice, warm weekend and we'll see you next Tuesday on Turf.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday Practice
We will practice tomorrow at 7pm as usual, but we will be on Field 2 (grass) instead of turf. So wear your multi-studs and not your turf shoes (for those of you with both).
Please check the blog or club website for field conditions before you leave for practice tomorrow afternoon. They're predicting some white stuff tomorrow so the grass field might be closed if field conditions worsen.
Please check the blog or club website for field conditions before you leave for practice tomorrow afternoon. They're predicting some white stuff tomorrow so the grass field might be closed if field conditions worsen.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Update!
I just received the game schedule for this weekend and I can confirm we don't have a league game.
BUT I have contacted a GU14 team from Bays United about a possible exhibition match 12:30pm Saturday at Lochside Park. Hopefully they want to play so stay tuned!
I can also confirm that we've been bumped from the Turf for our Thursday practice. We can still practice at 7pm on Field 2 (the grass field) so send me an email to let me know if you want to have a practice.
BUT I have contacted a GU14 team from Bays United about a possible exhibition match 12:30pm Saturday at Lochside Park. Hopefully they want to play so stay tuned!
I can also confirm that we've been bumped from the Turf for our Thursday practice. We can still practice at 7pm on Field 2 (the grass field) so send me an email to let me know if you want to have a practice.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Game this weekend?
I should know for sure tomorrow, but odds are we do not have a league game this weekend.
I'm basing this on the fact that Gorge and Juan de Fuca are playing their outstanding league game and both Gordon Head and Lakehill have had a bye in the past two weeks. So it makes some sense that if an exhibition game is scheduled, it won't involve the Storm.
Stay tuned!
PS. I should also know tomorrow if our turf time has been pre-empted this Thursday.
I'm basing this on the fact that Gorge and Juan de Fuca are playing their outstanding league game and both Gordon Head and Lakehill have had a bye in the past two weeks. So it makes some sense that if an exhibition game is scheduled, it won't involve the Storm.
Stay tuned!
PS. I should also know tomorrow if our turf time has been pre-empted this Thursday.
Good Experience
From the post-match chatter it was clear not everyone enjoyed our game against the U13 Boys, but I believe it was good experience for you all. I also think it might just make a difference in an upcoming game where we're first to the ball and stronger in the tackle.
Good points first. Our first 10-15 minutes was good and we had good energy. We kept our shape and competed very well for the ball. There were some crunching tackles and good, measured aggression. We even managed to foul them a couple of times, which was what I hoped might happen :-) We tried to play the way we were facing and tried to keep it simple, but this was made much harder by a team that was overall quicker in their anticipation of the ball and their decisions when they had it.
After their first goal was when some of our bad habits started making a re-appearance. We made some poor decisions - passing when we had time to dribble, turning with the ball when we needed a knock-down - and many of their goals came from an inability to clear the ball or anticipate the shot or rebound. None of their goals were very special and on most they came as a direct result of us losing possession too easily, then failing to defend properly. I expected them to score goals, just not quite in the manner they did. Late on in the game we resorted to boot-ball, which was never going to work against a faster, bigger team, but this was understandable given your desire not to give-up any more goals. One final thing was our communication - or lack of it. Did you notice how much they talked too each other?
I hope the boys don't give you much ribbing at school. A rematch is not entirely out of the question, and if we do play I think one of our strategies should be to keep a low profile and learn from our mistakes. So don't whine or make excuses, just focus on what you need to do as an individual to complete with them for 60-minutes, not just here or there.
Remember, the scoreline is irrelevant. Instead, what's important is what you learned about yourself and how you apply that in your next game.
Good points first. Our first 10-15 minutes was good and we had good energy. We kept our shape and competed very well for the ball. There were some crunching tackles and good, measured aggression. We even managed to foul them a couple of times, which was what I hoped might happen :-) We tried to play the way we were facing and tried to keep it simple, but this was made much harder by a team that was overall quicker in their anticipation of the ball and their decisions when they had it.
After their first goal was when some of our bad habits started making a re-appearance. We made some poor decisions - passing when we had time to dribble, turning with the ball when we needed a knock-down - and many of their goals came from an inability to clear the ball or anticipate the shot or rebound. None of their goals were very special and on most they came as a direct result of us losing possession too easily, then failing to defend properly. I expected them to score goals, just not quite in the manner they did. Late on in the game we resorted to boot-ball, which was never going to work against a faster, bigger team, but this was understandable given your desire not to give-up any more goals. One final thing was our communication - or lack of it. Did you notice how much they talked too each other?
I hope the boys don't give you much ribbing at school. A rematch is not entirely out of the question, and if we do play I think one of our strategies should be to keep a low profile and learn from our mistakes. So don't whine or make excuses, just focus on what you need to do as an individual to complete with them for 60-minutes, not just here or there.
Remember, the scoreline is irrelevant. Instead, what's important is what you learned about yourself and how you apply that in your next game.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Soccer This Week
Here is our practice and game schedule this week:
Monday - 5pm vs U13 Boys Gold
Tuesday - NO PRACTICE
Thursday - There is a possibility our practice may be pre-empted by a cup game. I should know for sure late Monday.
Saturday - still unsure whether we have a game. Again, I should know for sure Tuesday.
Monday - 5pm vs U13 Boys Gold
Tuesday - NO PRACTICE
Thursday - There is a possibility our practice may be pre-empted by a cup game. I should know for sure late Monday.
Saturday - still unsure whether we have a game. Again, I should know for sure Tuesday.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bays 1 Storm 0
An improved second half saw us threaten to score, but in the end Bays ran out deserved 1-0 victors and the rights to play Peninsula in a one-game, winner-take-all final next week. The winner goes to the Island Championships.
On balance I think Bays is the stronger of the two teams. They certainly play to their strengths and utilize strong kicks from their central defender and very aggressive play from their midfielders. I think they ended up as leading scorers in the league and allowed the fewest goals, but I don't rate their strikers or keeper very highly. So for me it's toss up whether they beat Peninsula. The two teams play very similar styles (moving the ball quickly up field with long kicks) so it might come down to who can grind out a goal or who capitalizes on the others mistake.
We came out very flat today and Bays took full advantage of our early inability to a) get to the ball b) clear the ball or c) find our check. It wasn't pretty to watch and we had some world-class mis-kicks out there. After about twenty-five minutes we found something of our passing game, but overall Bays was the hungrier team and did a better job of doing the things we couldn't (or wouldn't).
The second half, particularly the first fifteen minutes, was much improved. Your showed a lot of character standing up to Bays and we dictated the play for long stretches. We did this because we started winning the ball higher up the field. And when you won the ball your passing got better. And we had scoring chances. And their parents and coaches got nervous.
We also gave their defenders far less time on the ball and caused them to lose possession just by hustling and closing them down. We might even have snuck a tying goal as twice Emma was denied from close-in and then Paige had a chance with virtually the final kick of the game. Bays seemed relieves at the end of the game, which is testimony to hwo well you battled in the second half. As I have said to you time and time again, if you can match other teams for desire, then you possess the skill to beat them.
Our trouble today was we only did this for 35 minutes.
Have a good weekend ladies and rest up for the BOYS!
On balance I think Bays is the stronger of the two teams. They certainly play to their strengths and utilize strong kicks from their central defender and very aggressive play from their midfielders. I think they ended up as leading scorers in the league and allowed the fewest goals, but I don't rate their strikers or keeper very highly. So for me it's toss up whether they beat Peninsula. The two teams play very similar styles (moving the ball quickly up field with long kicks) so it might come down to who can grind out a goal or who capitalizes on the others mistake.
We came out very flat today and Bays took full advantage of our early inability to a) get to the ball b) clear the ball or c) find our check. It wasn't pretty to watch and we had some world-class mis-kicks out there. After about twenty-five minutes we found something of our passing game, but overall Bays was the hungrier team and did a better job of doing the things we couldn't (or wouldn't).
The second half, particularly the first fifteen minutes, was much improved. Your showed a lot of character standing up to Bays and we dictated the play for long stretches. We did this because we started winning the ball higher up the field. And when you won the ball your passing got better. And we had scoring chances. And their parents and coaches got nervous.
We also gave their defenders far less time on the ball and caused them to lose possession just by hustling and closing them down. We might even have snuck a tying goal as twice Emma was denied from close-in and then Paige had a chance with virtually the final kick of the game. Bays seemed relieves at the end of the game, which is testimony to hwo well you battled in the second half. As I have said to you time and time again, if you can match other teams for desire, then you possess the skill to beat them.
Our trouble today was we only did this for 35 minutes.
Have a good weekend ladies and rest up for the BOYS!
Friday, February 20, 2009
White Jerseys Tomorrow
A gentle reminder that we're wearing our white jerseys tomorrow against Bays Utd.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Parking at Henderson Park
Bays United has asked that I pass on a message to Storm parents that they should park at either Henderson Park Recreation Centre or Uplands School and not on the side streets around Henderson Park.
Apparently area residents purchased their houses in the summer when no one was playing on the fields so they get a tad upset when someone actually uses it.
Hope to see you all there around Noon.
Apparently area residents purchased their houses in the summer when no one was playing on the fields so they get a tad upset when someone actually uses it.
Hope to see you all there around Noon.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
District Cup Game on March 14
I have received information regarding the U13 Gold Girls District Cup. Our first round game is March 14, opponent and location TBA.
As this is the first weekend of Spring Break (for public schools anyway) I need to get an idea as to whether we will have enough players. We cannot use Silver or underage players in the cup so we will need to win it with the thirteen we have! The semi-finals are on March 28 and the final is April 4 in Sooke.
Please complete the poll on the blog ASAP.
Also, I am hearing that LISA has scheduled exhibition games for us the weeks of February 28 and March 7. I suspect Juan de Fuca and Gorge will be our opponents. I will confirm this as soon as possible.
As this is the first weekend of Spring Break (for public schools anyway) I need to get an idea as to whether we will have enough players. We cannot use Silver or underage players in the cup so we will need to win it with the thirteen we have! The semi-finals are on March 28 and the final is April 4 in Sooke.
Please complete the poll on the blog ASAP.
Also, I am hearing that LISA has scheduled exhibition games for us the weeks of February 28 and March 7. I suspect Juan de Fuca and Gorge will be our opponents. I will confirm this as soon as possible.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Boys U13 Game Confirmed
When: Monday February 23, 5-6pm
Where: Lochside Park
What to Wear: White "Storm" Jerseys
What to Bring: Attitude
Anyone not able to play should let me know ASAP. This is meant to be a fun run-around, but we should view this as a good warm-up for our upcoming cup games.
Where: Lochside Park
What to Wear: White "Storm" Jerseys
What to Bring: Attitude
Anyone not able to play should let me know ASAP. This is meant to be a fun run-around, but we should view this as a good warm-up for our upcoming cup games.
Storm 3 Gordon Head 0
My correspondent at the game tells me it was a very solid effort from the Storm in a 3-0 victory against Gordon Head. This was confirmed by several GHSA parents I spoke with this evening who assure me it wasn't all one-way traffic and that our defenders and goalkeepers had strong games and played a big roll in the victory.
I was also pleased to hear (through mostly crackly cellular waves - Salt Spring might as well be near Pluto!) that Kristina joined the list of 2008-09 goalscorers with a good finish from close-in. Equally, I understand Brooke' s was a howitzer from twelve yards that threatend to tear the net off the goal posts and that Chloe's was a boomer from all of 80 yards! Excellent stuff, just what we practiced on Thursday night ;-)
So it sounds like we put that loss against Lakehill behind us. Congratulations to Coach Rob! Now we need to finish the league season on a high with a win against Bays. It's a huge game for Bays as they are tied with Peninsula for first place going into the last weekend of the season. Should be interesting.
Hope to see you all at practice Tuesday.
I was also pleased to hear (through mostly crackly cellular waves - Salt Spring might as well be near Pluto!) that Kristina joined the list of 2008-09 goalscorers with a good finish from close-in. Equally, I understand Brooke' s was a howitzer from twelve yards that threatend to tear the net off the goal posts and that Chloe's was a boomer from all of 80 yards! Excellent stuff, just what we practiced on Thursday night ;-)
So it sounds like we put that loss against Lakehill behind us. Congratulations to Coach Rob! Now we need to finish the league season on a high with a win against Bays. It's a huge game for Bays as they are tied with Peninsula for first place going into the last weekend of the season. Should be interesting.
Hope to see you all at practice Tuesday.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
U13 Boy's Exhibition Game
Not quite sure how a team with thirteen players can cast eighteen votes, but the majority appears to want a game against the Boys U13 Gold. I will speak with their coach this week but my guess is we're probably looking at two Monday's from now - February 23rd. I will provide an update next week.
Monday, February 9, 2009
World Cups 2009 Registration Open
Registration for this year's World Cups Festival is now open. This year's event runs from Friday April 10 through Sunday April 12th.
Link to online registration is here http://worldcups.cordovabaysoccer.org/index.php?fuseaction=league.form&league=World%20Cups
Link to online registration is here http://worldcups.cordovabaysoccer.org/index.php?fuseaction=league.form&league=World%20Cups
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Lakehill Reminders
Game time is 11am at Braefoot #2 and we are wearing our maroon jerseys. Get a good rest Friday night and please be at the park for 10:30am.
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