Hey Eagle Fans!
It’s the second to last weekend of our season, and our last travel trip. We flew to Nashville, TN last weekend to play Belmont University and Lipscomb University. We arrived to chillier weather than we were used to here in the Fort, but it was very well received by most of the girls. Back in our mini vans, we drove from the airport to the Radisson. After we settled into our rooms, it was time for a light jog and stretch around the hotel. As always, we ate dinner at Olive Garden, and as always, it was fantastic. What’s not to love really—the breadsticks, salad and several different ways of eating pasta, marinara sauce and cheese?
Friday morning we ate breakfast in the hotel. They served up a great spread of pancakes, sausage, eggs, cereal, biscuits, fruit and some other great items to indulge in. Soon after breakfast, we travelled to Belmont for a very, very light training. We weren’t allowed on the field because it had been raining heavily recently and it was completely torn up. So, instead of playing our fun circle drill, we warmed up in a grassy spot next to some dorms. Ruby Tuesday hosted us for our pregame meal. While we waited for our food, Amber and Bri pointed out that the Walgreens sign showed the temperature that we would be playing the game in later that evening. The sign read 42 degrees, a fantastic change from the upper 90s.
Everyone bundled up in their Under Amour, sweats and rain gear to stay warm outside while we warmed up before the game. Slowly the layers started to come off, but the puddles on the field made sure our feet were nice and cold. The game started like many others, with us passing well and getting some shots off. Unfortunately, like other games, the goals were not being scored. We led the shot count once again, but couldn’t finish our opportunities; however, Belmont took advantage of their single digit shot count and netted two goals to win the game. It wasn’t exactly how we wanted to start the weekend off. Dinner after the game was provided by the Suchkos and was amazing as always. Mrs. Suchko made club and pizza stromboli’s, pasta salad, fruit salad, gobs, rice crispie treats, dirt cups, balls of heaven, and M&M cookies. Everything was fantastic and we very much appreciated all her hard work. Thank you both again!
Saturday we ate breakfast in the hotel again and then travelled to Lipscomb University for training. I bet you were wondering why a story of us getting lost hadn’t come up yet. Well, that’s because we didn’t until Saturday. I think that may be a record for us. When we get lost though, we do it up big. We were literally on the street w
here the practice field was, but thought we were lost, so we veered off and somehow found the game field where the Lipsomb men’s coach told us how to get to the practice field. After training we went back to the hotel to shower and get ready to hit up the Opryland Mall. We ate at Dave and Busters before we split up to go shopping. After circling the mall, Kirsi, Ashley, Jeannel and I walked across the street to go see the Grand Old Opry. We didn’t take a tour, but we did go into the gift shop, so I’m pretty sure we can all now say we’ve been there. The team reconvened around four to go to the movie theatre to see Law Abiding Citizen. I was fortunate enough to sit next to Jim during the film which was great because at one point a little gunshot sounded and he jumped about three feet in the air. It was very entertaining!
Sunday equaled redeem day. We desperately needed a win to stay somewhere near the top of the ASUN standings and Lipscomb was definitely the team we needed to play. They were second to last and the only team they had beaten was a team that hasn’t won a game all year. We were not about to be their second victory. The whistle blew and we came out pressing hard, looking for our first goal early. Seeing as us having a wicked high shot count was the theme of the season, it continued through this game also. The shot count was 24-6 with us putting away two goals by Amber and Gina to their one goal. Yes we won, but compared to other teams, our goals per shot percentage is far to low.
This coming weekend is our last two games of the season because we can’t go to the tournament. I don’t think we’ll be crowned regular season champions this year, but if we can get the six points we need, we could place second. Its senior weekend and we’re definitely looking to give them a heck of a send off. Come out and support us Friday night at 7:00 when we face the ETSU Bucs and Sunday afternoon at 1:00 when we play USC Upstate.
Until next time—Go Eagles!
Hey Eagle Fans!
The weekend we played Jacksonville and UNF was a very crucial time for us in the point’s standings. The loss to Campbell put us in a very unfortunate situation, but we were ready to fight back against two very good teams from the northern part of the state.
Friday night, October 9th, the Jacksonville University Dolphins stepped out onto the field ready for a battle. And, that’s exactly what they got in return. We were back at home, needing a very important win not only for ourselves, but for all of the parents who came down for our third annual Parents’ Weekend. Per usual, we moved the ball around very well, forcing the Dolphins to chase. The first half ended at a 0-0 tie. With eighteen minutes left in the second half Lindsay Haw found the back of the net to put us up 1-0. Unfortunately, JU scored the equalizer. The half finished with the same score line, which again meant overtime. We played another scoreless twenty minutes, only earning one point instead of our much needed three.
With the game over, it was time for the potluck dinner set up wonderfully by Mrs. McCall and Mrs. Petracco. We had such an array of food brought by many of the parents, from tacos to meatball subs to Chick Fil A chicken fingers and nuggets. There was also a chocolate fountain, which I believe was being used to dip cookies, marshmallows, and assorted fruits before dinner had been served. It was great! When it comes to food, our team never says no. Jim spoke for a little bit, introducing our new Athletic Director and then we moved on to introducing ourselves and our families. All in all, the family dinner was once again a success. Thank you again to all the parents who were involved. We really appreciate it!
Because we only got one point on Friday night, we desperately needed to earn all three Sunday afternoon against the University of North Florida. It was very hot; we dressed in white and them in navy blue. It was the perfect set up for us to run them into the ground. We controlled the ball most of the game. Every once in a great while, the Ospreys passed the midfield line, but because of our team defense in UNF’s half, it didn’t happen very much. The shot count ratio that game was 18-4 and the corner kick ratio very much in a favor as well, 10-1. Despite our best efforts, nobody could find the back of the net. An again after 110 minutes of play, we tied 0-0 to a team that we definitely should have beaten.
With two ties on the weekend, we dropped in the Atlantic Sun standings. A trip to Nashville would be next, where we definitely will need to pick up a crucial six points.Until next time—Go Eagles!
Hey Eagle Fans!
We looked to this weekend as another stepping stone into reaching our ultimate goal of winning the conference. After having two amazing days off—a wonderful reward for beating Mercer and Kennesaw, we went back to work, preparing for the next two conference games.
Saturday afternoon we played the Campbell Camels. They had played Stetson University Wednesday night and had driven four hours pondering on their 2-0 loss. When the whistle blew, we appeared to come out a tad flat, but still possessed the ball the entire half. According to the box score we the shot count was 2-1 in favor of us at halftime. In the second half we came out with a bit more energy, but still couldn’t find the back of the net, even though we had ample opportunities to do so. The only time the Camels crossed midfield, they found the back of the net. 1-0 in the last two minutes of the game. Our entire team was in disbelief as the scoreboard horn blew.
Sunday morning practice was very solemn as the loss the night before was still stinging. Training wasn’t the usual circle drill, heading and a bit of shooting. We scrimmaged each other reminding ourselves how we should have played the night before and how we needed to play against Stetson the next evening. It was tough, but seemed to be necessary. We left the field for the afternoon to pack and hang out before leaving that evening for the four hour drive to Deland, Florida. After a very quick stop to pick up our dinner at Subway, we were once again driving on north on 75 to I-4.
After training Monday morning at Stetson, we ate at one of our pregame regulars, Olive Garden. Their bread sticks and salad are great! It’s just what we needed to rebound from Saturday’s catastrophe. Our fourth conference game started at 6 o’clock on the dot. We played in a new formation and it worked very well. Ten minutes into the game Amber shot the ball which took a deflection off a Stetson defender, lofting into the back of the net. The score stayed at 1-0 at halftime giving us a reason to stay on our toes in the second half. Quick off the bat again we scored eleven minutes into the second half. Lindsay shot and once again took a funny bounce off another Stetson defender and found the back of the net. In another eleven minutes, Stetson scored a legit goal, making the score line 2-1 in favor of the visitors. When the final whistle blew, we had earned our third conference victory.
We went 1-1 on the weekend—not exactly what we had set out to do, but because of other teams who slipped up, we are still second place in the Atlantic Sun Conference, looking forward to playing Jacksonville University and University of North Florida this weekend at home. Friday against JU is definitely going to be a hard fought battle. In our short team history we have not beaten JU ever and this weekend we would like to change that. Come on out and support us at 5:00 on Friday and 11:30 on Sunday!
Until next time—Go Eagles!
Hey Eagle Fans!
On the road again, just can’t wait to be on the road again…okay, I took that a little too far. Thursday morning, September 24, we boarded the bus bright and early at eight in the morning to drive to Macon, Georgia. As always we started the trip with a movie. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was shown. I couldn’t tell you how it was, however, because I fell asleep before the opening scene and awoke after the credits rolled. After several hours, we bombarded a Publix in Ocala to pick up subs for lunch. Back on the bus most everyone listened to their iPods, started weekend homework, or slept some more. Finally around dinner time we arrived to the La Quinta, dropped our belongings into our rooms and walked up a very large hill to Outback. Talk about getting a workout after a wicked long bus ride.
Friday morning we ate breakfast around 8:30 and travelled to Mercer for a light training soon after. We played our lucky circle game, did some shooting and worked on heading because yet again, we were going to play giants in both games. McAllister’s hosted us for lunch, which was a fantastic pregame meal. Pumped and ready to go, we took off to Mercer University for our first conference game. It was definitely time to start the season off with a major win. Because Mercer and Kennesaw played each other previously, Mercer was already 0-1 in conference also seeking their first win. That night was a game of heart and which team had more.
As soon as the whistle blew, we took control of the game. We were working as a fine tuned machine, passing well, making the correct runs and executing our plan perfectly. After stringing a few passes together Olivia received the ball, took a couple of touches and sailed a shot into the back of the net, hitting the fingertips of the keeper’s outstretched hands. Six minutes later the Bears’ right midfielder raced down the end line, crossed the ball and Critter put it in the back of the net. Rookie mistake. Just kidding! Our energy was still high going into halftime and by the time the second half started it was so easy to see how much we wanted to win. In the 63rd minute, Amber scored our second goal of the night which also happened to be our winning goal. We celebrated big on their field—our win and of course Critter’s first college goal!
With a big win under our belt we awoke Saturday morning to donuts provided by Mrs. Haemmelmann. Thank you again! Soon after breakfast and a short jog and stretch around the hotel, we boarded the bus again to journey to Kennesaw. Quiznos provided us with a quick lunch while the Georgia rain fell. Between showers we quickly drove to the field to get in a light training. We did the usual, trying not to wreck the already wet and partially muddy field. A few hours later we ate at Olive Garden to carb up for an even more important game the following afternoon. I swear, all we do on these trips is eat. I’m not complaining though! That night Mrs. Ciesielczyk set up an ice cream social for us during our pregame meeting. It was amazing, thanks again! Later, Jim did his random room checks, but Such and I didn’t hear about that until the following morning. Apparently he forgot about us. Thanks Jim. We were in the only room on the first floor of the hotel, and thankfully we weren’t on the side that had been flooded.
The same buzz from the Friday night lights carried over to the Sunday afternoon sunshine at Kennesaw State University. The warm up music KSU played seemed to pump up our girls more than theirs. If anybody looked over towards our bench before the game, they would have seen some girls just dancing. The energy was unbelievable and none of us could wait until the game started. Again we dominated, passing around the KSU defense, creating opportunities right off the bat. In the 34th minute, Amber put her second goal of the weekend passed the keeper from inside the penalty box. The scoreboard at halftime read 1-0, and even though KSU had one or two good chances in the second half, that’s what it read when the final whistle blew. We were 2-0 in conference, beating the top two teams! Jim threw a set of keys at the end of the game he was so excited.
Because of the two amazing wins, the bus ride all the way home didn’t seem too long. Well, maybe it did, but it would have been longer had we not gotten the results we earned. We arrived back at school early Monday morning around 3 o’clock in the morning, and yes, everyone went to classes the next day, even those at 8 am. It was a great start to the final portion of our season and we are very much looking forward to the next weekend and staying atop of the pack.
Until next time—Go Eagles!
here the practice field was, but thought we were lost, so we veered off and somehow found the game field where the Lipsomb men’s coach told us how to get to the practice field. After training we went back to the hotel to shower and get ready to hit up the Opryland Mall. We ate at Dave and Busters before we split up to go shopping. After circling the mall, Kirsi, Ashley, Jeannel and I walked across the street to go see the Grand Old Opry. We didn’t take a tour, but we did go into the gift shop, so I’m pretty sure we can all now say we’ve been there. The team reconvened around four to go to the movie theatre to see Law Abiding Citizen. I was fortunate enough to sit next to Jim during the film which was great because at one point a little gunshot sounded and he jumped about three feet in the air. It was very entertaining!
