So now we know. It has come down to Thursday. Well, I suppose something strange could happen, a few losses that we don’t expect could happen. But really, I think we have been expecting this game for a few weeks now. Thursday night in Eau Claire; Hudson @ Memorial. Not quite a winner take all, but basically. The winner will take hold of the BRC lead and in all likelihood, the BRC Title. Could Rice lake get a win or tie against Hudson, Could Rice Lake get a win or tie against Memorial, could North surprise Memorial if they are caught looking ahead, yes, yes and maybe yes……….. but if form holds then this will decide the title. A big game for sure.

Let’s take a quick look at the results the past week in Big Rivers play to see how things are developing.

Games on 9/26: Rice Lake over Chippewa Falls 7-0. Hudson defeated Nort 2-0 and River Falls took down Menomonie 9-0.

Games on 10.1: Memorial 10 -0 over Chippewa Falls, North 2-1 over Menomonie and Rice Lake and River Falls play to a 2-2 draw.

This was a big win for North. After going down early, they fought back for 2 goals, the second in the 84th minute, and earned their first BRC victory of the year. They might yet still have something to say about the BRC title is they can play big against Memorial next week. Also, I have been surprised about River Falls. Felt like they played Memorial tougher than Rice Lake, but in their first game, Rice Lake took the win. This made more sesne to me, a 2-2 game as I felt River Falls was a bit better than they showed the first game..

Games on 10.3: Memorial cruised past River Falls 4-0, Rice Lake with a hard fought 2-1 win over North. Again…North playing better. Hudson taking down Menomonie 7-0. As well, Hudson stepped out of conference this week and faced off with a strong New Richmond team. They beat them 3-0. That’s an impressive win against a team ranked #9 in D2. Hudson is playing well and full of confidence.

Memorial stepped out of conference against Wauwatosa East and Oshkosh West over the weekend. Another chance to build a resume and some confidence heading into the final part of the season. The Wauwatosa game was fun to watch. Memorial had the better of possession and chances created, but the game stayed close throughout. You felt the constant pressure would lead to a goal at some point. Early in the half on a set play, the first goal almost came, the header just wide of the mark.

And then this happened. After a long run of possession with the ball switching fields and then being played down the right side, a pass is dropped and a ball is fired into the box. Only one player is in the area, but that one player is a bit of a daredevil and also a bit fearless with his body, Garrett Woodford.. If you watch the video closely or maybe rewind and rewatch a few times….you’ll see this is quite a goal. A flying, both feet of the ground, glancing header into the corner of the net to beat a GK who is also leaving his feet and trying to stop it. So glad he didn’t.

We almost made it 2-0 just before the half on a bang bang play near the 18. It would have been nice, but the team played well in the second half, had a few more chances and finished off a well deserved 1-0 win. On Saturday they fell behind early in the half 1-0 in a game they should definitely win. They continued to play their game and were rewarded with a Mason Sherman goal to go level at the half. More steady play and chances were rewarded with a Peloquin goal late in the half to secure the win and fisnish off a strong weekend. This should have them feeling good about North and Hudson this week.

Big Rivers Standings

1. Hudson 6-0-1 19 Points
2. Memorial 6-0-1 19 Points
3. Rice Lake 6-1-1 19 Points (still 3 games against Hudson/Memorial)
4. River Falls 3-4-1 10 Points
5. North 1-6-1 4 Points
6. Menomonie 1-7-1 4 Points
7. Chippewa Falls 0-5-2 2 Points

Games on Thursday: North @ River Falls, Hudson @ Chippewa Falls, Menomonie @ Memorial.

High School Coaches Poll

Marquette continues to hold the top spot in D1 again this week. Followed by Arrowhead, Verona, Madison West and Madison East. Now you know why we go to Madison for non-conference games. Uff da. The BRC jumps into the Top 10 with EC Memorial at #6 and back in the poll after their big weekend last week is Hudson at #7. Oconomowoc, Neenah and Homestead finish off the top 10.

Rice Lake holds onto #10 in D3 and New Richmond has the #9 spot in D2.

MLS Update

Minnesota United is currently in the MLS Playoffs with the #4 spot in the Eastern Conference. Playoff soccer in Minnesota….let’s go check it out this fall! Quick Update, Seattle beat Minnesota 1-0 today…not surte if Minnesota is out but doesn’t look good.

Did I mention there was a big BRC game this week?

Hudson and Memorial took an opportunity to step out of BRC play and face a few tough non-conference opponents this weekend. The top two teams in Big Rivers went south to Madison to face perennial D2 top dog Oregon, last years State Champs at D2 and also face off with Middleton, a Top 10 team in the recent coaches poll.

Regardless of results, it is critical for these two teams to face off with some difficult opponents as they head toward the State Playoffs. The competition in BRC is good, but not the level to prepare a team for a deep run in the playoffs. River Falls and Rice Lake get the opportunity to play Memorial and Hudson twice each year and these teams represent exactly what they need to prep for the D2 and D3 state tournaments. For Memorial and Hudson, heading south to Madison or Milwaukee is the ticket. It was mixed results for the two teams, Husdon with likely their best back to back performances of the season and a real confidence boost for the rest of the season. They ended the weekend with a hard fought 1-0 win over Oregon on Friday night and an impressive 4-1 win over a top 10 team Middleton on Saturday afternoon. They will come out of the weekend buzzing and full of energy.

For Memorial, I think it was a little disappointing weekend. I know they will take a lot of positives away with the quality of their play, but it was not a weekend of results for them. Friday night they face doff against Middleton under threatening skies. An early foul against the Memorial GK led to a 1-0 lead by Middleton on the successful PK. As if to even things out, a late call against the Middleton GK, led to a Nunez converted PK and a 1-1 tie at halftime. Memorial continued to pressure Middleton and look for another goal, but the weather would not cooperate. At the 65th minute the game was called early due to weather in the area. It felt like Memorial was the better team, better possession and better chances for the winning goal. The stats support that as well. for the game, Middleton had just 6 shots on goal while Memorial had 14. That’s a bunch of chances and if I had seen that stat prior to seeing the final score, I would have predicted a 3-0 or 3-1 win. As well, you just feel like if they had played to full 90 minutes, Memorial wears them down and gets another goal or two.

Saturday’s game was much more competitive, but equally frustrating. Oregon took an early lead on a blocked shot, that was put away on the rebound. It stayed that way for awhile and then Memorial had a chance to get even, but was denied. A PK opportunity was saved and kept Oregon clear by a goal. As Memorial was pressing for a late goal to earn a draw they were left a bit exposed and Oregon scored on a late counter attack for the 2-0 final. Shots on goal was another interesting story. Oregon with 8 shots on goal but Memorial with 11 shots on goal. If you had shown me the shots on goal before the game, I would have predicted a 2-1 game or maybe Memorial wins 1-0. For this weekend, it was just not meant to be. There were plenty of shots, plenty of opportunities, but maybe just not clinical enough, and maybe some good GK play for the opponents. Just not a weekend of results. It was the first loss on the season for Memorial. You want to win them all, but there are times a loss can be productive for a coach. If you don’t play your best….. if you don’t finish your chances…..it you take a team lightly…..these are the common phrases. It just gives a chance to refocus a team. Now starts the push for playoffs. Now the resolve gets tested. Now we find out about our team. This is why you head south and play difficult non-conference games. Better to learn the lesson now than at playoff time. Hudson is flying high, but you also don’t want to peak early….Memorial played well enough to win both games, but will now have the chance to use this weekend as motivation the rest of the year. Time will tell.

The theme of the weekend was PK’s. Let take a look at 20 of the most famous PK’s of all time. Most made, some not. Many of these were in Champions League finals, or World Cup games. Enjoy!

First impressions of Memorial’s game against Chippewa Falls…..an image of a wave coming at you….a big wave….and you just can’t get out of the way. Or if you are Chippewa it must have felt like running in sand. You are trying so hard, but you are just not getting anywhere. It was relentless for the first 20 minutes. I was very curious about the shape and positions, who would fill the open spots, etc. Coach Kite has a bunch of op[tions this year and so far, it looks pretty good. I recapped in the last blog their early season start, so let’s focus on the recent BRC game.

Memorial came out fast and quick and just blitzed Chippewa falls. The scored early and often and in a variety of ways. These are clearly two programs in a different place. Chippewa Falls is a program that won a conference title and went to state in 2011. But they are in serious rebuild mode currently with new leadership and it will take some time. Memorial doesn’t rebuild, they reload as they say. They have a deep roster with talented players who play fast and with physicality, but not knock you down physicality, just quick, talented athleticism.

The goals came from everywhere. Lui Shi Xiong netted his first goal for Memorial with a blast from outside the 18. Quickly followed by Ryan Biwer getting a few set play goals and Jared Nunez hitting a rocket bar down for a goal. Pretty quickly it was 4-0. Subs came in but the goals kept coming. A nice ball into the box was finished by Will Jolley….trying to see if he can catch big brother in the scoring column the next few years….and another goal from newcomer to varsity Cole Piltz with a goal from his left back position. I think that’s 6. A Rosenberger Pk was followed by the goal of the night for me (sorry Jared, but you did get the assist)….a sweet corner kick and header by Junker. That dude was thumped into the back of the net. Then a crazy ping pong goal….I am pretty sure it was headed three times before bouncing off Ryder Woodworth’s shoulder? Regardless, a goal is a goal is a goal. 9-0. It could have been 10-0 before half with another few chances. I decided it was time to check out JV. In my absence, another second half goal by Nunez and a goal by Evan Smith to open his Memorial account. 11-0 at around the 50 minute mark. What to do….game over….play on….it was decided to keep playing until the 60th minute, the traditional point at which a game is considered complete.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. The team looks a bit different than in past years…and that’s a good thing. I can remember years with big, strong Center Backs and big, strong Midfielders. Memorial would bully teams in midfield and play a physical brand of soccer. They were very successful at it. This year feels different to me. The physicality is not in size and bulk, but in speed and athleticism. Every player seems to have top notch skills, great feet, good vision, and the ball moves quickly. It was fun to watch!
2. The shape still looks like Memorial’s traditional 4-2-3-1, but the midfield, wingers and forward seem to interchange more, are more fluid up top. The movement off the ball, the passing, the switching of fileds, all keeps a defense off balance. No more having one player take a ball near midfield and try to beat a defense and score. Much more of a collaboration on offense. And it looked really good. Again, it was really fun to watch.
3. Dominant Midfield. The midfield is exciting. I knew with the returning players it would be a strength. Nunez and Woodworth form a pretty strong duo but was curious who would fill that third spot. Wow….a big surprise. An all conference player in Lui Shi Xiong. Not a bad drop into the line up. These three really control the midfield space and win possession back quickly. And they score goals, 4 so far this year from the group….and they assist with 5 so far this year. A pretty impressive group and when they sub out the replacements are pretty strong as well.
4. Press, Press, Press. If you win a ball, you better get ready, because a Memorial player will be on you really fast. There is no room for the timid. You asre going to get pressed, maybe from multiple players. You better have some confidence with the ball at your feet or ypou are going to lose it. The outside backs press up aggressively and get into the final third consistently. I didn’t time it, but there were a bunch of times Chippewa won a ball on defense and within 2-3 seconds the ball was back in Memorial’s control.
5. Team Focus. I really love how they played, the combination play, the passing, the ball movement, the fluidity of play. Impressive. Barcelona like. Rosenberger seems to be the go to offensive player, but he plays so unselfishly, that it works, He can take over when needed, but there are so many weapons with Nunez, Peloquin, Smith, the midfield we discussed. The overlapping fullbacks. It was good stuff and very fun to watch…have I said that yet!!

Last, the team looks scary on set plays. It looks different this year. The balls are pinging in low and hot and the field players are attacking the ball with vengeance. Oh my! Get your kids and get out of the way!!

Okay, enough of that, lets get to the highlights.

With Biwer getting injured late last year, was really cool to see him net a few goals. You could see the joy in his celebration. Well deserved.

Not sure what happened here. A little Apple I-Phone issue, but then I thought, it was a perfect analogy for the game. This must have been what it felt like to be a defender for Chippewa. The fog, the daze, where are the Memorial players, I cant even see them , it’s all moving so fast….and then out of the fog…boom…a Jolley goal!

Okay, I have to admit I have a soft spot for all Junkers. A great family and I have seen Logan play from an early age. An impressive player, a captain I think I heard and a really really good soccer player. He plays the right way. I love his quiet confidence. Had to give him the goal of the match with this header.

A really fun night to watch the Abes. I know, I know, it was Chippewa Falls. There will be more tough games ahead, but if they keep focused and train hard, this could be a fun year! Go Abes!

So, this was my first time to watch Memorial this year. New Year, New Team, and I was very curious to see how they would look. But….before we get started on the game tonight, Memorial vs. Chippewa Falls, let me take a quick look back at my post following last season. Curious what I was thinking….I know you are as well.

2019 Season Preview–original post 11.18.18

So lets take a quick look at what is returning in 2019 and how the team is taking shape.

Attacking: The loss of Brenner will hurt.  He was a dynamic scoring threat and had 37% of the goals.  Who will step into that role.  In the Forward spot there is no obvious choice.  Peloquin has played there, but his scoring dipped in 2018 and he played more on the wing late in the season.  This will be a developing story…who will step into this important role in the 9 spot.

Wing Play: Some better options here.  It feels like Hartman and Smith are ready and able to take on these spots.  Scoring ability, crossing ability and good team play make them dangerous out wide.

Midfield: Memorial will be dynamic in this area.  Returning Rosenberger, Nunez and Woodworth makes this maybe an All Conference Midfield, except for that darn Kolton Prater at Hudson and maybe Lui Shi Xiong at North.  A bunch of goals may need to come from midfield pending the development of a high scoring striker.  All three are capable and dominating midfield may be the key to next years team.

Back Four: Another area of strength.  Returning 3 starters along with All Conference player Logan Junker will make the back four tough to beat.  Throw in Matt Gyorfi, a healthy Ryan Biwer and fill in that 4th spot with a developing Sophomore or experienced Senior and you have a nice situation on the back line.

GK: Hard to replace a 3 year starter and Co-Conference Player of the Year.  Scott Knowlton likely assumes the spot and he will have big shoes to fill.  A strong back 4 and dynamic midfield will need to protect him a bit as he grows into the role.  Tyler covered up a bunch of defensive hiccups with his GK play and sweeper keeper mentality.  A stronger, more experienced defensive group will certainly help the new keeper.

Reserves: Memorial loses 10 Seniors and will need the next wave to step up to fill important roles on the team.  The JV squad was dominant all year, so who will step in to take those open spots.  Can we find enough scoring , midfield play and defense to round out the team.  Can we find that chemistry to build around.  Can we make a deep run and get back on top of the BRC.  Hudson had it a year, time to take it back!  Go Abes!

The New Season Begins

So let’s get a few things out of the way quickly. Memorial 11 v. Chippewa Falls 0. Oh my….two teams going in two completely different directions. Memorial looking to have a special year while Chippewa is just trying to begin the rebuilding process with new leadership. It’s going to take some time to get competitive again. I plan to write a full blog on the game tomorrow, so please be patient with me. I do have a few thoughts about the games leading up to this point. So hang on, here we go. Memorial’s early season non-conference games are always difficult. Coach Kite takes the approach to use these games as a measuring stick for his teams as well as expose them to the quality of soccer that will be needed to go deep in post season. Other than Hudson….Memorial will not face state tournament quality teams very often in the Big Rivers. Memorial has consistently been a Top 10 program….so play big games to get ready is the mantra. This season is no different. They started with a traditional rivalry from Minnesota…Park High School in Cottage Grove. I think this is the Battle for the Paddle….did I get that right coach? Memorial is on a pretty good streak against Park and this year continued that trend with a solid 2-0 win. Both goals scored by Luke Rosenberger. Next up, a difficult two game swing over the weekend to Green Bay area. They played perennial State tournament teams Appleton North and Green Bay Preble. A hard fought 2-1 win over Appleton and a very competitive 0-0 game against GB Preble. A bit of a revenge game against Appleton North who knocked Memorial out of the playoffs last year in an OT and Penalty Kick thriller. Still a bit painful. A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE START. 2-0-1 leading up to their BRC opener tonight.

Early Season Top 10 Division 1

Given the fast start, what do the state coaches think about Memorial. Here is the High School Boys Week 1 Rankings.

1. Marquette 2-0-0 (shocking—you might already know how I feel about private schools competing against public schools in D1)
2. Verona 2-0-0
3. Middleton 2-0-0 Memorial plays Middleton Friday Sept. 27th
4. Madison West 1-1-0
5. Arrowhead 3-0-0
6. EC Memorial 2-0-1
7. Hudson 1-1-0
8. Sun Prairie 1-0-2
9. Kettle Morraine 1-1-0
10. Sussex Hamilton 1-1-0

Memorial also plays Oregon-ranked #7 in D2 and Wauwautosa East–#8 in D2.

BRC Title; Memorial or Hudson Again

This could get interesting. It certainly looks like these two teams are going to fight it out for the title. Early games indicate it will be a Battle Royale. Hudson season to date; Loss to powerful Woodbury (MN) 0-1. A win against Green Bay Preble 1-0 (yes the same team we tied 0-0), and a tie against Appleton North 0-0 (yes, the same team we beat 2-1). Mark your calendar. Memorial plays at Hudson on Tuesday September 17th and then again at home on Thursday October 10th. That game might decide the BRC Champ.

End of the season posts are tough. No more possibilities to get on a run and win a few games, no more “next game” to look forward to…..especially for the seniors and especially for the parents of seniors. For the parents, we just love watching our kids play and watching the team. It’s pretty harsh, it just ends for most seniors who will never play another competitive game of soccer and for parents who will never watch their kids play another game of soccer….after watching them every year since they were 5-6. AYSO, ECU, High School…and then…BAM….nothing!! I lived it twice. The first was a bit easier as we had one more player headed to High School. The second was tough, that was the hard one, no more kids, no more soccer. Ugh! So what to do then…..well, maybe start a soccer blog and try to share the love of the game and watch the next generation step up each year. That sounds okay I guess, not quite having your kid play, but helps me scratch the itch.

Memorial Season Ends in Round 1

They had been on a nice roll, winning 8 of the past 9 games and looked like they might be dangerous in the Playoffs….but it was not meant to be. A 4-1 loss to DePere in the opening round ended the Old Abes season. I don’t have all the details, but sounds like the team was missing a few key players for the game….and that maybe sums up the season. Multiple line ups, injuries, key players missing time….and that all adds up to the inability to find rhythm and flow during a season. Continuity, consistency, comfort, and confidence….it felt like the team was just getting there, but fate would not work in their favor. Lots of talented and hard working players make up the team and the 9 seniors will be missed. They all saw time as starters and all played significant roles over their time in the program. Congratulations to all they accomplished over their careers and thanks for all their hard work over the years. I know a few injuries and players fighting back to get on the field. You feel for all the players, you know they wanted a few more games together, you know they wanted to go a bit deeper into the playoffs and make one last big run. We will always have the great memories, but sports can be tough, will and determination are not always enough and the Abes will now look to build on this year and try to get back to the top of the BRC.

How do we Rate Hanson’s First Season

Second place in the BRC….not bad. An 8 game winning streak late in the season…pretty good. Managing thru some tough challenges as a first year Varsity coach was impressive. Adjustments to the roster and formation were strong as well. She absorbed some tough losses and had her best weekend of the season late, winning two non-conference games in the midst of the 8 game streak. I think you call it a success, although I am confident she wanted more and is feeling she left a few games out there, but that’s good. Let’s give her time to build the program she wants and develop the players in her mold and her style of play. And by the way, she is following two really strong coaches… I mean really strong…. who had massive success at Memorial. That is tough. With a full off season of training and development, we will have a much better idea of her program next year. The future is bright and replacements are coming for the departing seniors.

Season Recap and Highlights

Small disclaimer….getting results is hard and so there might be a little margin for error in the following….but hey, my statistician is me, an unpaid, part time blogger, so you get what you pay for! But where else do you get this type of coverage for High School Girls Soccer!!

Overall Record: 13-7-1 League Record: 11-2-1 Second in the BRC

Best League Win: 5-2 against River Falls. It started to come together.

Best Non-Conference Win: 3-0 vs. Notre Dame during their 8 game winning streak. Was getting excited about then!

Goals Scored: 70 Goals Allowed: 28 Shut Outs: 9

14 Players Scored Goals: L. Carmody 14, Kison 10, J. Beaudrie 8, Etzel-Steines-Gross-Hanson 6 each, Sorenson 3, Graaskamp-Priem 2 each, B. Beaudrie-Thompson-Ivey-Hinden 1 each.

12 Players had Assists: L. Carmody 8, Kison 7, J. Beaudrie 5, Steines 4, Lindsay-Hanson-Etzel 3 each, Gross-Graaskamp-Thompson 2 each, Priem-Hower 1 each.

Scoring by Year: Seniors scored 46% of the goals. Juniors 43% of the goals. Sophomores 7% of the goals. So that means 50% of the goals return….that’s a pretty good start to next year.

Top Goal: Here is the best goal I saw this year.

Thank You Seniors

Jacquelyn Beaudrie, Madison Etzel, Molly Grasskamp, Madelyn Green, Leah Hujik, Ava Kison, Claire Steines, Elayna Chambers, Sarah Lindsay. Quality players and quality young women. You will be missed. Best to all of you!

Looking Ahead to 2020

So, always a bit tricky looking ahead, but heck, why not take a shot. The team will need to replace about half the starters next year. Big losses with Kison and Beaudrie out wide. Wing play will be critical to replace next season. Chambers turned into a rock at CB and Hujik was a two year starter at GK. As well, a bunch of starts and minutes with Grasskamp, Green, Steines, Etzel and Lindsay. That’s a ton of minutes in midfield, defense, wing play and some as forward. So where do we start for next year. The core spine looks pretty solid. Feels like with L. Carmody, C. Carmody, Gross Jochimsen, and Hanson you have a pretty strong core. Who will fill those open spots in the starting group. Who will step up and whose game will blossom. That’s the big question every year. There are 13 returning Varsity players and 5-6 open spots. Plus you have maybe 6-8 JV players moving up, pending how many they want to carry on Varsity next year. Will there be some surprise players take a starters spot, or will the new V players be role players and developing for the future. All great questions. That’s the fun part of the off season. Who will put in the work and earn their spot. JV is loaded. I think 1 tie and might not have lost a game. 11 Sophomore/Juniors and 11 talented Freshman ready to challenge. That competition will serve the program well. A few freshman called up to V might give us some clues but it’s wide open. I can’t wait! Another year for Hanson to build her program, another year for players to develop their skills. Tons of talent, but you still need to find a team. I am pretty confident it will be fun and could be real fun. One question–can we find some more goals and a few more dynamic offensive threats….I am pretty sure the midfield and defense will be stout. Plus–who steps into the GK spot. Some interesting questions as we head into the off season.

LET’S GO ABES. 2020 is the Year

State Tournament Update

Sectional 1 games this week: #1 Kimberly v. #5 Appleton East and #2 Bay Port v. #6 Appleton East. The BRC is out of the tournament with Hudson’s loss to Appleton East. In the other sectionals, all the #1 Seeds are still Alive: Arrowhead, Waunakee and Muskego. Not many upsets yet. Seeds remaining are:

Sectional 1: 1-2-5-6

Sectional 2: 1-2-3-4

Sectional 3: 1-2-3-5

Sectional 4: 1-2-3-4

So, here we go. The Big Rivers season has ended their season and now we move on the the State Tournament.

Big Rivers Conference

1. Hudson 13-0-0 39 points
2. Memorial 11-2-1-0 34 Points
3. River Falls 7-3-2 23 Points
4. Rice Lake 5-5-4 19 Points
5. North 5-5-3 18 Points
6. Menomonie 4-9-1 13 points
7. Superior 2-11-1 7 Points
8. Chippewa Falls 0-14-0 0 Points

Hudson rolled thru the league undefeated this year, an impressive feat, no matter the competition. Their toughest battle this year, a hard fought 1-0 win over Memorial last week, on a late second half goal off a corner. It was definitely a sign that Memorial has improved and also a sign that Hudson earned their title. Let’s take a look at the seedings as we go forward.

Chippewa Falls #17 already played #16 Superior as a play in game. First time I have seen that. Superior won 4-1 and now wins the right to play top seeded Kimberly…uff daa for Superior.

No respect for the Big Rivers this year. DC Everest gets the #3 seed and the top BR team, Hudson gets the #4 seed. Pretty sure Hudson beat DC Everest 1-0 in the EWEC Tournament. What the heck! Although at 18-1-1, DC Everest has been very consistent all year. But Hudson is 18-2 and beat DC Everest….I don’t get this one, oh well. Other seeds in the D1 tournament include: Memorial #10 seed and North #14 seed. A litle more love for the Big Rivers in D2 where River Falls is the #1 seed in Sectional 1 and favored to get to State. As well in D3, where Rice Lake is the #1 seed in Sectional 1 also. A great chance for a few teams to go deep. I think Memorial and Hudson may surprise some of the other teams in their Sectional, not sure Hudson is getting any respect at all.

Memorial vs. DePere

Big game tonight for the Old Abes. Based on theor recent run of play and some confidence they built in the last third of the season, I expect them to play well and have a chance to advance. Hard to predict these type of games but we do have some common opponents to five us some clues. Both teams played DC Everest and Kimberly. DePere lost both games, 0-1 and 1-4. Memorial also lost both games, 1-3 and 0-3. I will say, memorial is playing much better than during this 2 game tournament stretch. If they played both teams again, I would expect much closer games. DePere played Bay Port, #2 Seed to a 0-1 game as well. What can we learn…..DePere has a really good defense with only giving up 1 goal in games against DC Everest and Bay Port. Can Memorial get some goals with their new confidence and late season adjustment on player positions. It feels like a pretty close match up to me. My hope….that the Memorial girls have a chip on their shoulder having been given a #10 seed. They come out with a bit of attitude that we have something to prove. That the recent good form continues and they build on that tonight.

http://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2019_Soccer_Girls_Div3_Sec1_2.html

I tried to drop in the link to Tournament Bracket but not sure if it will launch. You can check it out at wiaawi.org. Click on the link to Tournaments, then Girls Soccer. There is an Assignments/Brackets box on the left where you can launch D1 bracket with all the scores and teams advancing for each sectional.

Big Game tonight. Go Abes!

We enter the final stretch of the season in Big Rivers, just a few league games remaining. Things are pretty well defined at this point. Hudson continues its undefeated season and looks like a lock for the BRC title. I think that will be the first in 5-6 years. Memorial has found some late season rhythm and has strung together a nice series of wins. They had an impressive win over River Falls and seem locked into the #2 spot in the league.

The surprise for me is Menomonie. They have found something in their program and have become competitive in the lower half of the league. Even against the top teams, the results are promising. Recent wins over Superior and Chippewa Falls give them some confidence and a promising future. They are knocking on Norths door for the 5th position in league. Chippewa Falls is also a surprise,…they have hit some tough times with their program and are winless this year, and not very competitive in most games.

Big Rivers Conference

1. Hudson 11-0-0 33 points
2. Memorial 10-1-1-0 31 Points
3. River Falls 7-3-2 23 Points
4. Rice Lake 5-4-3 18 Points
5. North 4-4-3 15 Points
6. Menomonie 3-8-0 9 points
7. Superior 1-9-1 4 Points
8. Chippewa Falls 0-11-4 0 Points

Week of 5.20 Schedule

Tuesday Games: North @ Memorial, Hudson @ Rice Lake, River Falls @ Chippewa Falls, Superior @ Menomonie

Thursday Games: Chippewa Falls @ North, Memorial @ Hudson, Rice Lake @ Menomonie, River Falls @ Superior

Memorial Old Abes

So, a few interesting results this week we need to talk about. As a season progresses, you get a chance to determine progress along the way. Playing teams twice gives you some instant feedback as well. For Memorial, we are starting to see some nice improvement in the past week of results. What gives? A few thoughts. The Carmody Effect: No question that having both Lauren and Cameron in the line up consistently makes Memorial a better team. That’s the easy one. Dropping Elayna Chambers into a Center Back role to me has been the other big move. She is big, strong, fast and physical. A natural Center Back. That allows Hanson to play out wide, that allows Kison a bunch of time as a winger, and that has created much better possession, flow, and scoring opportunities, etc. Combine the Carmody playing time with the Chambers move, throw in some added time for Jaiden Ivey in midfield and things are starting to look better for the Abes.

I had the chance to attend the River Falls game this past week and the team was noticeably better. The ball moved better, there was improved shape, the attack looked crisper, the defense looked stronger. The players seemed more comfortable. The first game against river Falls was tough. Down 2-0 early and 3-1 late, the Abes had to fight back for a hard fought 3-3 tie. Thursday was a completely different game. Out of the gate quickly and up 3-0 for a good portion of the game. A direct kick closed the gap to 3-1, but Memorial responded to go up 5-1 before a late River Falls goal finished the scoring at 5-2. Same two teams but significantly different results. Progress Memorial. River Falls was ranked 5th in D2 in the recent poll, so this is a quality result for the Abes. Maybe the best they have played all season.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

Ava Kison was a beast in this game. Her energy is infectious. She just plays so hard! Two goals and almost a third. Memorial needs her scoring to become a great team.

I think the best goal I have seen Memorial score this year. Top quality soccer. It starts in the back with a step and steal for Hansom who advances with a few dribble and then the fun starts. A wide ball to Beaudrie, an early ball into Carmody who makes a great touch forward. Carmody tracks down the ball and calmly lays off a one time pass across the box to Kison, who takes a nice one touch into the back of the net. Great 1-2 touch soccer. From defense to offense and a goal in 6 easy touches. A great goal!! No really, a really high quality goal. A great sign for the future.

Another dangerous player is Beaudrie. Early crosses and pinpoint crosses lead to 2 goals along with her scoring the 4th goal. She can be sneaky fast and she has a pretty dangerous left foot.

Sometimes in the playoffs, you just need a player that can get a goal. When nothing is happening, you just need a moment to get a win. You need a player who can create that moment. I think Lauren Carmody has a little bit of that in her game. A nice goal and reminiscent of Abigail Stow.

You also need to find ways to get goals when the offense is struggling. Set plays can be the difference in advancing or your season ending. With Hanson from deep and Carmody in the box….you have a chance.

A big week ahead for Memorial. they get cross town and improved EC North and then the game that will give us the best clue to their recent run of positive play, Hudson away on Thursday. Building on their league performances, Memorial had a strong weekend, winning games 3-0 against Notre Dame and 1-0 against Assumption. Notre Dame ranked 5th in D3, so a quality opponent. I think the first two non-conference wins on the season. Another good sign. It’s that time of year, the playoffs are looming, time to find your mojo and reach your potential. We’ll learn a lot on Thursday. Go Abes.