Region I Semis vs. Lansing at STA 28 October (2-0)

GAME 17: Region I Semis vs. Lansing at STA 28 October (2-0)

It was fun to start over here in post season. Most of our players were back tonight from illness and injury (now they might not have been at 100% but it was just good to bring those kids back into the fold).

We did create plenty of attack—I believe we got 32 shots off tonight.  We even built some nice attacks, but for the most part we finished very poorly. Now the Lansing keeper had his part in it as well, but we still should/coulda/woulda scored a few more.

BWhite named Skyler Martin as the BWhite Player of the match as he did create some of those great goal-scoring opportunities. In fact, the winning goal game off Skyler's head flick onto a Younger break. (Both goals tonight show so much growth by the boys in our work on attack the last two weeks.)

We were also able to do pretty much what we wanted to on our set pieces. No, we did not cash any, and a lot of the services could have been a lot better, but we did create them, and we did create chances off them.

Lansing provided a very heady senior-laden team who ran a nice flat back, competed in the air for everything, and who just kept battling the entire match.

We are on to Harmon on Friday night to see if we can snag our 22 regional title. That would be special. 

STATS:  First Half: Shots: 10 (1) Corners:5

22:26 Younger (Martin head flicks it on)

Lansing Shots: 4 (2) Corners: 0

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 22 (12) Corners: 5

6:41 Johnston (Hagenkord slides it over)

Lions: Shots: 0 (0) Corners: 0

Corners Created: Martin 2, Johnston 3, Younger, Heying, Holland, Hagenkord, Brown

BV Southwest @ SW (0-2)

Game 16 @ BVSW 17 October 

Well our skid reached 3 tonight as we fell to the Timberwolves 2-0, and it could have easily been 3 as they missed a shot late that Engel made a nice save on.

We actually looked pretty good first half as we generate some nice chances to pair with 5 corners that we created. SW only got off one shot; of course, it found net as we were told that we kept them onside at outside back for a breakaway goal. (But seriously the video suggests it isn't even close; in fact, the left back is in proper position on the second line with their striker clearly ahead of our centerback by 8 yards just after the ball is played; we do have to extrapolate where Holland is on the touch, but hey we didn't score anyway.)

Second half we made some adjustments to try to create more attack, and we did have the ball in the Southwest end 80% of the time for those first 18 minutes, but then boom it was 2-0 them as they counter us rather easily with a very nice finish.

We are in a free fall right now.  But I think we will be fine; we just need to get our starters back from injury and sickness. We were missing 4 tonight, and despite some very good soccer at times we just could not hold ourselves together defensively enough to give us a chance to win the match.

Matthew Holland was the BWhite Player of the Match at the centerback position. He was still working his tail off while the clock was clicking off the final seconds.

STATS:

STA: Shots: 3 (2) Corners Created 5

BVSW: Shots: 1 (1) Corners: 0

26:55 Gettings (Ball back over the top to solo player)

2nd Half:

STA: Shots: 2 (0)  Corners: 1

BVSW: Shots: 9 (3) Corners: 2

22:58 Tobin (long diagonal switch touched inside to Tobin)

Corners Created: Haggenkord 2, Johnston 2, Holland, Ropson

Washburn Rural @ WR 15 October (0-1 OT)

Game 15 vs. Washburn Rural at Rural 15 October

This match played out pretty much as we expected. We knew goals would be hard to come by. We have trouble anyway so when you remove Kutey and Johnston, starters on the offensive front, for injury and illness it doubles the difficulty. 

We did have a couple of excellent chances off our set pieces but just did not quite get the finish. They got a great clear off the line once even. 

Defensively we were pretty solid all night against the #2 team in the state, former #7 team in the country. Blake Heying played a marvelous match at left back but he failed to tuck-in back side in the overtime. Our tertiary position also was not right.  So one quick diagonal switch and Rural is one-on-one with Engel.

More bothersome is just the fact we never blew the play up once it did not go our way. We have been over it many times. So I won't beat a dead horse tonight. 

This is our second overtime loss 3 minutes in about as we fell to Northwest earlier. 

Nick had to be one tired young man, but his renewed effort in the second half allowed us the opportunity to win the match. He won so many balls in the middle of the field in the air, and he also broke up so many of their deadball opportunities. We blanked them in corners first half, but they created 4 in the second, and Nick broke most of those up winning the service in.  BWhite named Nick as the BWhite Player of the Match,

6A will be a dogfight amongst 4-5 teams and Rural will be one of them. They are the defending 6A champs and they have 17 back from that title team. 

I know we gave them all they wanted, but that really wasn't our objective. 

We have two EKL matches to go before playoffs. We need to get some guys back healthy by playoffs. 

Stats. 

First Half:  STA: Shots. 6 (3). Corners. 2

Rural. Shots. 8 (1). Corners. 0

Second Half and OT

Saints. Shots. 2 (2) Corners. 0

Rural. Shots. 5 (2) Corners. 4

7:36 OT. White (ball moves forward off out free kick until a diagonal switch creates the isolation with the keeper). 

Corners Created. Younger. Heying. 

Capitol Journal Write-Up

BV West @ West High Noon 12 October (2-3)

Game 14 vs. BV West at West @ NOON 12 October

Well, tell me we will have a 2-1 lead on a Saturday where we have been up for breakfast and pregame with the wind and our defense, and I would say we would win the match.

Well, I might not have said that if I had been at the game during the first half as I was.  We were not sharp. Our midfield chose to mostly not defend the entire match whether that be on set pieces or the run of play.  Defending half the time or when you feel like it is really not defending at all.

We are a team who is not going to score many goals. That is just us. We know this. We grab a goal from the field and a deadball in the first half of a match where we are playing against the wind—we have to make that stand. 

We basically destroyed our post season seed today, gave away any chance we had in the EKL, and removed the glitter of the success we had achieved in St. Louis. Now we have to get back to the heady, blue-collar soccer we had been playing or Tuesday will be a long bus ride home from Topeka.

BWhite named Ben Moss his Player of the Match. Ben was one of the few who had his head in the match for close to 80 minutes and who played very good soccer. Colton Ropson was close behind.  We just need more of us getting closer to being 80-minute guys, especially on a Saturday afternoon.

STATS: First Half:

Saints: Shots: 6 (2) Corners: 2

26:54 Younger (Moss carries up from the back before boxing it)
4:15 Hagenkord (D'Adamo bends in a left-footed corner)

Jags: Shots: 6 (3) Corners: 2

21: 29 #15 (long free-kick served in with Engel overrunning it and marking too loose 15)

Second Half:

Saints: Shots: 10 (6)     Corners: 4


Jags: Shots: 6 (2) Corners: 3

21:45 #3 Quick restart gets ball forward for a touch past both our primary and secondary coverage to a shot from 25 yds. out on the ground far post.

19:03 #2 (Free Kick gets ball to the ground for a follow)

Corners Created: Johnston 4, Brown, & Ropson

Senior Night vs. Blue Valley 8 October (3-1)

Game 13 vs. Blue Valley on Senior Night 8 October

Well we could probably have anticipated the Hey-we-can-relax-now approach that we saw in the first half after the grueling, but excellent, weekend the boys put in while in St. Louis.

But I was a little surprised that they could turn that switch to on so emphatically for the second half of the match. We had a character check tonight, and we passed it.

Janet Kutey, with some help, put on a great senior night (how about Jamie's senior video!). But after first half, I was not sure how that reception might go.

Well, the BWhite Player of the Match, Luke Kutey, had something to say about that. He like so many other boys was a focused and determined player during the second half, a half where we completely shutdown the Tiger offense and where we really generated some movement towards goal.

We did move Matthew Brown back to defensive center midfield, a move that really jumpstarted the attack, but a move that would not have worked if Blake Heying did not get after it at the centerback position. Our kids were back in shutdown mode, allowing only one shot the entire second half. (BTW: I need to watch that free kick a few hundred times!)

I am not sure we have had so many of our players all playing closer to their maximum as we did in the second half of the match. Jay attacked the baseline in a way we need him to for the rest of the year. I just wish someone would have finished one of his balls across the face of the goal. They were just excellent.

Brownie Mix did create all 3 second half goals —his highlight real one—but also the chip to Kutey that got the thing tied, and he did start the go-ahead goal that Hagenkord flicked. Brownie puts the ball perfectly into the mix. His movement back to defensive center midfield changed are whole attack for the better as well.  

We can catch our breath tomorrow. But Saturday we will be back at it against BV West. 

Tonight was a key win and a good way to say goodbye to 5 fine young men: Nick Hagenkord, Skyler Martin, Colton Ropson, Ben Moss and Spencer Driscoll. Thank you guys for four great years with STA Soccer.

STATS:

First Half: STA: Shots 5 (1) Corners: 1

BV: Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 1

5:08 McDonald (PK)

Second Half: STA: Shots: 9 (5) Corners: 4

23:45 Kutey (Free Kick from Matthew Brown)

6:39 Younger (Brown free kick for a Hagenkord flick)

0:05 Brown (direct free kick: MY MY)

Corners created: Kutey 2, Ropson, Hagenkord, Johnson
Shots:

Championship of Gateway: Bracket A. (0-2)

Game 12: vs. Jesuit (Sacramento) @ CBC 5 October

I have known Paul Rose for several years, been at the National Conventions when he has been named National Coach of the year, but this was the first time two storied high school soccer programs have ever played. 

And they did get us 2-0, but we played fairly well. We lost Michael Velasco about 15 in and before long we paid the price. 

Ben drew the assignment of marking out Evan Barrett, one of the top players in the country. He lost him for just a blink on a give-and-go shortly after Michael exited. He may well have scored anyway with Michael in there, but I would have loved to have seen it. 

Ben Moss did a great job today. He gets the nod from B for player of the match. Our midfield did a nice job defensively as well as Jesuit builds with precision touches in tight space. Our primary and secondary coverage stood out over the match. 

With our defense limiting one of the top 2-3 teams in the country to a total of 7 shots for the game, they definitely put us in a position to win the match. We just needed better execution on our set-pieces. And, we just have to mark better against set pieces. (We can't allow a kid with his back to the goal from 20 to head-flick a ball into the goal.) 

We did not string much together, nor did we try to. We got balls into our front third quickly and that effort did provide opportunity on corners, throws and other set pieces. 

I can't say enough good things about Eric Stratman who puts this event on. Our kids are so lucky to have this opportunity. And they made the most of it, getting back to the title match after an abysmal tourney last year. 

We look to carry this momentum forward now to finish the year and to continue playing well through playoffs. 

Thank you parents for all your efforts to make this trip special from all the snacks and water to the traditional Friday night dinner with the standing ovation for the boys after their win over CBC. Rich, thanks for the grocery run for that 6:30 breakfast this morning. Geoff requires a serious shoutout for his handling of social chairman position this weekend. 

Great tourney. Student Sports' Take on Last Day

Stats:

First Half: STA:  Shots. 1 (0). Corners. 3

Jesuit:  Shots. 4.(2). Corners. 1. 

17:32 Barrett: finishes off the give and go

Second Half: STA. Shots. 2(0). Corners. 1

Jesuit. Shots. 3 (3). Corners. 1

29:25 Bone (throw-in back headed to far post)

Corners Created:  Kutey 2. Brown. Geist. 

Gateway Classic Semis vs. CBC (1-0)

Game 10: vs. CBC @CBC in the semi-finals of Gateway Classic 4 October

Well, we are now somehow 2-0 on CBC's home turf against them, but for this group who once stood 2-2-2 to come to St. Louis and to move to the Finals of the A-bracket in the best soccer tournament in the country—well, that is an accomplishment.

We looked a little legless early in this one, but we were able to move some fresh legs in and out of the lineup to stabilize the match. We were still 0-0 late in the first when we garnered 7 straight deadballs. And on that 7th, Velasco laid a ball right at Hagenkord's head for a tremendous drive to the back post.  

We diamonded it out for the rest of the match to make that goal stand.  BWhite named Nick Hagenkord the BWhite Player of the Match, but he gave a big shoutout to Michael Velasco and Danny Geist.  And really our entire midfield rotation delivered in this one, and many of them with some old, old legs.

Obviously CBC has one of the most storied programs in the country and is coached by the winningest high school coach in the country: 800 plus. The boys really earned that ovation they received as they entered Patrick's for dinner.  We coaches are so proud of the growth they are making as a team this season.

We take on the highest rated team of the 58 that are here this weekend tomorrow, very early.  Jesuit will be a handful, but we relish the opportunity to play.

Congrats boys.

Post Write-up

STATS:

First half: Shots: 7 (3) Corners: 4

2:01 Hagenkord (Velasco drives the long deadball to just inside the bog box)

CBC: Shots: 3 (1) Corners: 0

Second Half:  STA: Shots: 5 (1) Corners: 2

CBC: Shots: 6 (2) Corners: 1

Corners: Geist 2, Velasco, D'Adamo, Bartlett, Feuerborn

Yes Virginia, they have soccer in Kansas (2-0)

Game 10: vs. Paul VI (Virginia) in first round of Gateway City Classic 3 October

I have to admit I was sort of baffled after the match when their coach asked me if that was a normal level of physicality for one of our matches.  I said it was. Well, that set him off on a rant about how we would never be allowed to play like that in Virginia. 

They had out-fouled us by 10, taken one, maybe shot for the entire match. One. And that is probably one of the reasons that BWhite named Matthew Holland as the BWhite Player of the Match. He was shutdown good, but so was Moss and so was Velasco and so was D'Adamo, and Heying and Pasley back there as well.

We did end up staying in the diamond the entire second half, so the middle was pretty muddled, but we had a two goal lead.  And it wasn't like we did not have opportunities —we missed three or four open nets off our throw-in play, and their excellent goalie made another two very nice saves.

They did have good size, and I have to assume they were fairly skilled but the boys pressured so well tonight that they just did not have any space. They just could not get forward.

We have CBC tomorrow on their home turf. So that is about as tough as it gets, unless we happen to nab a victory and see Jesuit on Saturday.

Good win tonight though, and we are in the winners' bracket of the A bracket of the Gateway Classic. 

STATS:

Saints: Shots: 7 (5) Corners: 4

26:22 Brown: (Holland heaves the long throw towards Nick as the keeper reaches around Nick drops the ball down to Brown's feet)

5:56 Hagenkord: (D'Adamo chips the ball back over the line after the long throw)

Paul VI  Shots 1 (0)

Second Half:

Shots: 7 (5) Corners: 0

Paul VI: Shots: 0 Corners: 0

Corners Created: Velasco 2, Kutey, Haggenkord
Shots:

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