Game 13: Divine Savior

29 April Vs. Divine Savior in final match of TOC (2-1)

 

We accepted the offer to play a second game on the same day as the forecast for tomorrow is just awful. Eric Stratman, who just does a great job of organizing these national events, got some of the teams like the ones in our bracket a place to play Friday night, thus allowing most of the brackets to finish and every team to get at least two games.)

Our girls just had to push themselves to points they just didn't won't to go. Our legs were gone. But we made it out of Dodge with a very, very nice championship of upper bracket of The Tournament of Champions. 

It's our 3rd title, and we have moved our record in this tournament to an unreal 12-3. We are so proud of our girls. In our "rebuilding" year we are now 10-2-1. Wow. 

We got an early goal framing the back post once again with our weak-side center midfielder—this time freshman Kyli Jackson. 

We made 1-0 stand forever until late in the second, when we got yet another tremendous t-ball form Hallie that Katelyn dummied for a Marge finish. 

That late goal became huge as DS turned a mess in front of our net into a late goal. Our defense started their goal by committing the cardinal sin of assuming an offsides would be called, for they stopped playing defense. 

The BWhite Player of the Match was Marge. Yes, she got what was the game winner, but she also played that defense that just destroys team ball movement.  

For the Tournament we go Co-Players of the Tourney: Hallie Klanke and Allyiah Calvert. "Hallie made it happen and Allyiah kept it from happening," as Hamms said. We scored 7 goals in our 2016 TOC run, and Hallie was a key piece of 6 of them. 

This team is forging their identify. Well done girls. 
STATS: 
First Half: Saints  Shots: 9 (4) Corners: 1

37:42 Jackson (Klanke crosses to back post)

Divine Savior: Shots: 3 (1) Corners: 0

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 3 (3) Corners: 1

9:03 Pigott (Klanke t's it through the K. Heying dummy)

DS: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 0

1:02 Lenz

 
Talent Show:

3rd Place: Seniors
2nd Place: Freshmen, "The Debate"
First Place: Juniors: "Boost Warm-up"

Best Costume: Kyli Jackson as Donald Trump
BWhite Award for Best Performer: Itsy McCormick

 

 

 

 

Game 12: St. Charles North

29 April at TOC in second match vs. #12 in US, St. Charles North (3-0)

Hamms told the story of long ago, of seniors gone for prom, leaving behind a few who made the sacrifice and those who were too young for prom, to take on nationally ranked Barrington.  And Aquinas beat them.  Why not us today, he asked?

And my did we respond.  We scored 3 goals in the first half against a team that took down #1 two weeks ago and blew out Divine Savior last night 6-2. Basically, we cashed a corner kick for one, and then Hallie got down the line wide to cross it in on the other two as our girls got the goal nicely framed. 

And yes we knew they could score, but we also knew that our strength all year has been our defense. Maybe we could not shut a team like that out, but we sure could keep them easily under 6. Well, we did shut them out, and Calvert had one of her best matches of the year. I think she saved 3 separate balls on the same attack once. 

The BWhite Player of the Match, though, goes to Meg Loughman who cashed the first corner on a header, hit the post on the third goal that Golubski followed, and who won many a ball in the center of the field. 

No doubt, this was a team victory that ended in a formation featuring Stomp and Heying at defensive center mid with Moss and Klanke taking turns holding the ball in the corner. 

Now we must come back to play again at 3:30. The only bonus is that Divine Savior has to be as tired as we are. Surely. 

Storms are forecasted for all day tomorrow. So we will get our match in this way. 

Congrats girls on your elevation into Aquinas lore. 

 

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 10 (6) Corners: 4 (Klanke 2, Bryson, Janky)

31:45 Loughman (Linder bends the right-footed corner in for the header)

26:15 McCormick (Klanke gets down the line breaks the cross back)

24:50 Golubski (Klanke crosses it with Loughman lacing it off the bar from the slot)

SCN: Shots: 2 (2) Corners: 1

Second Half:

Saints: 8 (1) Corners: 1 (Klanke)

SCN: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 2

Game 11: Visitation

TOC in Burlington first round vs. Visitation (2-1)

 

Well we not only gave up a goal, we gave one up early to fall behind a big, physical Visitation team. But it would be hard to blame Calvert as it was a PK. Romme looked as if she had cleared a tough ball in the box, but it hit Itsy rolled back into the box to the foot of their forward. Crow tried to get there but was late.

But we battled back. Just before half we built a great goal that moved from Itsy to K. Heying to Klanke. Klanke looped back away from the defense before lifting a nice D-ball into the box for an on-running Pigott. Just a great goal.

Marge was named the BWhite Player of the Match even though he was absent. Lots of great text messages, we hear. 

And honestly for as many balls as Vis won, they really did not create many legit opportunities.  Our defense did a great job of taking away space immediately.

Kyli Jackson had a very nice match as well whether she was playing center midfield, defensive center midfield, or left back.

And Hallie may not have had a goal but she was a big part of both goals we scored. We finally cashed a couple of pinpoint crosses. And, yes we did cash a corner. Klanke to Romme (soft half-volley) for Moss' signature reverse head-flick. 

We probably have our toughest match of the season coming up tomorrow as we take on a very good St. Charles North team out of Chicago, the #12 team in the country. What a great opportunity for us.

STATS: 

First Half:

Saints: 8 (3) Corners: 2 (Klanke, Pigott)

4:58 Pigott (Klanke d's it) 

VIS: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 1

21:37 Fontana (PK)

Second Half

Saints: Shots: 8 (3) Corners: (Moss, Klanke)

26:42 Moss (Klanke recenters the corner for a Romme baby chip)

VIS: Shots: 1 (1)  Corners: 0

Game 10: Bishop Miege

26 April at STA on Senior Night vs. Miege (1-0)

Well, both Heying families and the Moss's put on one great senior night. What a spread, gift table, and video. And this event had to be moved up 2 hours because of the weather.  Just very nice. Here is the walk-in.

 

The game itself was, yet another, 1-0 win for the good guys.  Team defense keeps chugging along, as we added a 9th shutout to the stat sheet. 

Now on the stat sheet it seems as if we should score a few more goals. We did generate 10 corners for the match, scoring on none of them. I will say the Miege keeper did make some nice saves, a couple on corner kicks.

And from the field I thought we were really good early. Klanke dropped two or 3 balls on the back post, but for whatever reason, we just could not get the post framed. But again Miege is well organized in the back, and they are difficult to break down. 

And we did create a scary moment or two in the back, one where they had a great opportunity to finish a ball but missed wide.

It is no wonder Miege had gone undefeated in the EKL before tonight.

It was cool to see Colling out there on the kickoff at right back; granted on crutches, but still just for a moment to recognize her great career that has been cut short with her ACL/MCL injury. We also got Sesti in there on the kickoff as well, and she will be back, but for now she is concussed.

Meg Loughman just missed a goal tonight,  with Liz Miller getting a couple of nice opportunities on the back post and Stomp giving us great minutes at defensive center midfield and even a little regular center midfield. Addie did a nice job as well. So we got some nice contributions from our senior class in this win, even if a couple of them were just out there briefly on the kickoff. Watch the first 10 minutes with all of the seniors in together—probably our best 10 minutes of the match. Here it is.

But obviously the highlight of the night was the game-winning goal by Mallory Heying that came off a Klanke checkdown where she finishes the up-back to Itsy who puts on a nice stepover to put herself in position to reverse the field to Mallory who comes from right back into the front third to launch a beautiful bending shot with her left to the back post, upper 90. BWhite named Mallory the BWhite Player of the Game. And why wouldn't you?

We are now off to Iowa for the National Tournament. 


Saints move to 7-2-1.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 10 (6) (Pigott 2, Denning, M. Herying, Romme, Klanke 2, Loughman, Golubski, Stompoly) Corners: 3 (Klanke 2, Romme 1)

Stags: Shots: 1 (0) Corners: 2

Second Half:

Saints: Shots: 6 (4) (Pigott, M. Heying 2, Klanke, Loughman, Romme) Corners: 7 (M. Heying, Klanke 2, Bryson, Loughman, Golubski, K. Heying)

Stags: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 1

27:47 M. Heying (McCormick nicely continues the weakside ball rotation) 

Game 9: PinkOUT vs. St. James

22 April vs. St. James in PINKOUT (0-0, 2 OT's)

St. James did Pinkout up pretty darn well: as you entered you could get up and personal with one healing chair, its founder, and their whole story (what a great charity they lined up); enjoy a photo booth; take on some face painting; or/and load up your plate from a free tailgate.

Each of our girls walked out with a young soccer player who had helped The Healing Chair as well. Mrs. Gress was on hand for her photos of all of the opening hoopla. Very nice. Check it out!

And the game offered up much entertainment. The first half was a pretty even match with St. James getting a couple of offensive thrusts just before half (Check them out!) that must not have sat well with the girls. We played much better in the second half. 

Yes, in the second half I would say we had the better of play, but really were only dangerous a couple of times; James also had a couple of chances where a better shot might have produced a goal.

And then in both overtimes, we unleashed an offensive attack that bodes well for next week. Miller did come up with a couple of nice saves off Golubski rips, but more than not the crossbar saved a few or we just flat out missed or chose the wrong surface to strike the ball with. The lopsided shot totals for the game really come just from the overtimes. Shots and shots on goal were about the same for the game without the OT's.

Thornhill does seem to be a special player. She pretty much is involved in anything St. James sends toward the goal.  So, when BWhite names Bridget Linder the BWhite Player of the Match, he is acknowledging someone who limited her specifically. Linder did that, and she got us forward and only missed the minutes it took for her to wait for reentry after she had to leave the field 2-3 times because she had cramped up from playing so many great minutes.

As I mentioned Miller made a couple of very nice saves, but Calvert also continues to play as well in goal as I have to believe any girl in the area is playing. Her stats are just crazy: a goals-against of .116 with 8 shutouts in 9 games. Now, yes, that is also a magnificent compliment to our defenders and our whole team defense, but we all see the type of saves she makes, her fearlessness through all set pieces, and her instincts and game-reads that move her out of the boxes at just the right level and time. 

Next week will be fun and tough as we bring Miege in for Senior Night on Tuesday. The weekend offers up the National Tournament in Iowa. As much as we would have loved to have more a full compliment for next week, we are not going to have any of our 3 concussions (Galley, Sesti and Woltering) or a day of Golubski, but we should get Mallory back, and that will help us. 

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 2 (1) (Golubski, Klanke) Corners: 2 (Klanke)

Thunder: Shots: 3 (2) Corners: 0

Second Half and Overtimes

Saints: Shots: 14 (5) (Klanke 2, Pigott 3, Denning 2, Golubski 5, K. Heying, Chalabi) Corners: 3 (Golubski, Heying, Klanke) 

Check out some Saints offense: Here

Thunder: Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 3

Game 8 vs. BV Southwest

19 April vs. BV Southwest at Aquinas (1-0)

Ok, we pretty much expected something like 1-0 tonight, not sure who would end up with the one. 

BWhite named that entire back line (Linder, Romme, Crow, Jackson) with Calvert in goal as the BWhite Players of the Match.  To hold a nice Southwest team to zip is quite an accomplishment, but when you pair that result with their season run of giving up 1 goal in 8 games, well that ought to get them a BWhite award.

Honestly, I thought our first half was our best soccer of the year.  And we pulled that off missing 5 starters.  We held possession, moved solidly to goal, and we really did not offer them many sniffs at goal (Here, late in the first, they did get a pretty good one, though.)

Now second half I did think that Southwest got the best of the play, but we did play with some grit and determination, allowing us to dodge a bullet or two and to keep them at bay.

Next year's STUCO President, Itsy McCormick, made her varsity debut tonight, playing not only center midfield, but also a shift at right back. Solid, solid performance.

We did ask a lot of both Meg and Addie tonight without all hands on deck. Addie's possession skills and final ball have always been off the chart, but she is putting in 65 minutes a game most nights right now, playing defense, getting behind the ball. She and Meg both busting their tails in a 1-0 game; well as Coach Hammons said at half is "just fun to watch."

Next up is St. James and PINKOUT 2016 this Friday. It is always quite an event. We just got by St. James the first time this year 2-0, so we should also see a pretty solid soccer match as well. In fact, St. James spanked BV North tonight, 5-2. 

STATS: First Half:

Saints: Shots: 8 (4) (Klanke 6 shots) Corners: 2 (Klanke, Denning)

19:45 Klanke (Denning finds Heying who plays it to Hallie, but the pass is broken up, but Hallie wins it back, and goes Klanke)

BVSW: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 0

Second Half:

Saints: Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 4 (Klanke 2, Loughman, Linder)

Southwest: Shots: 5 (4) Corners: 2

Game 7: Maize South at Maize South

16 April High Noon at Maize South (1-0)

Day 2 in Wichita was much more of a nailbiter as the score stayed at zeros until under 7 minutes to go when Hallie broke through to find twine.

Maize South has good size and organization. They are also strong on the ball, making them quite an opponent.  No, they did not really generate much towards goal.  They did come close on a nice rip off a deadball from 25 out, and we also created a chance for them when we miscleared a ball late. 

BWhite named Mallory Heying the BWhite Player of the Match (and she was very very good) but our whole back line, including our midfield and keeper, have just been stellar all season, and today was no exception. 

Mallory has been playing right back for like two games, so for how quickly she has adapted to our philosophy and how good she is at playing the ball to feet out of that spot has been fun to watch. More importantly, she has become more and more aggressive thwarting attacks to her side.

Whoever covers front post on corners for the Mustangs saved a great attempt at goal from Meg. Meg drove Linder's bender to the floor, but the post knocked it away to save a first-half goal. And the keeper made a dynamite save on Janke's volley at the back post from Klanke's cross. Those plays kept the score at zero at half.

All in all, we had a good weekend, but we are coming on to our annual first-round matchup with BV Southwest. They have been our opponent in the state finals our last two years.  This year they look to be heading back there again, off to a 7-1-1 start.  So Tuesday should tell us a lot about the future.

STATS: First Half:

Saints: Shots: 8 (3) Corners: 4 (Jackson, Loughman, Klanke, Janke)

Mavs: Shots: 3 (0)

Second Half: 

Saints: Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 0

6:13 Klanke (Denning chips it forward, but Hallie displays some tenacity to get to goal)

Mavericks: Shots: 2 (1) 

Game 6: Kapaun-Mt. Carmel

15 April on the road to Wichita at Kapaun (3-0)

We are in the midst of our every-two-year trip to Wichita, a trip set up with the late Alan Shepherd, a trip that has created a unique bond between our two schools. After-game is not just the robotic handshakes most teams go through, but a trip back to Kapaun for prayer, dinner and conversations, and not just for our varsity staff but for all of our junior varsity and all of our traveling parents. Incredible.

As for the soccer match, we did ok there as well. We cashed our first corner of the year when Hania Crow flicked in Linder's nice service. And Klanke and Kaitlyn Heying combined on a goal that ended in just a great finish from Kaitlyn (watch that one). 

In fact, we looked pretty sharp offensively in the opening minutes. Hallie created a couple of t-balls we should probably have finished besides finding a couple of nice through balls as well. BWhite named Hallie the BWhite Player of the Match. Her second-half turn-and-shoot from around the "D" is video for consumption as well.

Natalie Golubski made her varsity debut as did Bella Bryson. Frontline injuries have offered up some opportunity for some of our JV players. The game just gets faster at each level. But both girls got their feet wet tonight, doing a pretty fair job. And they will get more opportunity tomorrow.

Our goalkeeper play continues to be stellar. Granted that back line helps them out a great deal, but both Nicole and Allyiah are making some nice individual plays as well as staying connected to their defense.

Kapaun did have a couple of nice chances themselves as well. We were pretty fortunate to record, yet another, shutout. The girls have given up 1 goal in 6 games. Like Hamms says, "Everyone plays defense."

STATS:

First Half: Saints: Shots: 9 (7) Corners: 5 (Klanke, Heying, Miller, Moss & Golubski)

10:01 Crow (Linder bends the right-footed corner in)

9:27 K. Heying (Marge finds Hallie who finds Kaitlyn)

Crusaders: Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 1

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 6 (5) Corners: 3 (Klanke, Miller and Schiltz)

27:22 Klanke (Bryson finds Moss on the rotation who finds Marge who finds Hallie at the 22)

Crusaders:

Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 1

Game 5 vs. BV North

12 April at Home vs. BV North (1-0)

Wow, we just kept on trucking, and we finally found the net to pull off the nice 1-0 win over a solid Blue Valley North team. The goal itself started with us protecting the back with a nice clear by Romme.  But Marge Pigott wins two different 40-60 balls before Katelyn Heying shows why she was named BWhite Player of the Match. She wins another tough ball, touches it inside and away to create a nice passing lane before finding Hallie's run.

After that we see what makes Klanke special as she blows by the defender and the goalie before she beats the defender again with the shot.

This match began tragically with Kristina Colling having to leave the game early with an apparent bad knee injury. I am not sure anyone has had a better start to this season than Kristina. She has just been consistently brilliant through the first quarter of the season. 

And then a few minutes later we lost Woltering to a concussion. And we had already lost Galley to a concussion from practice. So down 3 starters we trucked on. Kyli Jackson gave us some great minutes at not only right back but also at center midfield. 

Loughman and Sesti and Denning had to take longer shifts tonight, and Alex Moss had to play all 80 minutes at defensive center midfield, as did Romme and Linder in the back.

Bridget Linder was just phenomenal at left back and center back. She just wins balls, blows up plays and finds one of us up field.

We just thought this was a great win against a good team despite plenty of adversity. Keep in mind Hania is playing hurt, and Addie and Hallie are both sick. Yet all 3 gave us their all.

This match does move us to 2-0 in the EKL and set us up for a good weekend hopefully in Wichita. So many girls stepped up to take minutes tonight, some like Chyna Schiltz making their varsity debut.

STATS:

First Half:  Saints:  Shots: 4 (2) Corners: 2 (Klanke) Almost Goal on Corner

Mustangs: Shots: 3 (2) Corners: 1

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 6 (4) Corners: 5 (Linder 2, Klanke, Miller, K. Heying)

9:48 Klanke (K. Heying finds Hallie through)

Mustangs: Shots: 4 (1) Corners: 2

Klanke Hold At End of Match

Bob Durig 2016 Mo-Kan Summary

28 March, Monday

3:30 Lee's Summit North 0 vs. Olathe South 0 OS wins 5-4 in shootout

5:30 Sion 0 vs. St. Thomas Aquinas 0 (Sion wins 3-2 in shootout)

7:30 St. Teresa's Academy 4 vs. St. James Academy 0

29 March, Tuesday

4:30: Liberty 1 vs. Blue Valley Northwest 2

6:30: Saint Thomas Aquinas 0 vs. Lee's Summit North 1

31 March, Thursday 

3:30: St. Teresa's 1 vs. Blue Valley Northwest 0

5:30: Sion 2 vs. Olathe South 0 

7:30: St. James. 1 vs. Liberty 1 (Liberty wins in a shootout, 4-2)

2 April, Saturday

9:00: St. Thomas Aquinas 2 vs. St. James 0

11:00: Lee's Summit North 5 vs. Liberty 1

1:00: BV Northwest 1 vs. Olathe South 1 (Olathe South wins 5-4 on PK's)

3:00: St. Teresa's 1 vs. Notre Dame 1 de Sion (Championship) 2 OT's (Teresa wins 5-3 in shootout)

2016 Bob Durig All-Tournament Team:

1. Caroline Romme, 11, STA

2. Caylee Thornhill, 9, SJA

3. Peyton Trester, 11, LIB

4. Keelie Fothergill, 11, LSN

5. Addison Merrick, 12, LSN

6. Alex Dayton, 11 OS

7. Spencer Shell, 12 OS

8. Kaley Rottinghaus, 11 OS

9. Lauren Beischel, 12 BVNW

10. Elisa Vega 11, BVNW

11. Izzy Romano 12, Sion

12. Stephanie Ostrander, 12, Sion

13. Meghan Frerking, 10 Sion

14. Abby Small, 12, Teresa

15. Macy Trujillo, 11, Teresa

16. Maddy Russell, 12 Teresa

17. Alyssa Seitzer, 12, Teresa

18. Reagan Shatto, 11, Teresa

19. Afton Fennewald,10, Sion

Bob Durig Mo-Kan Keeper of the Tourney: Afton Fennewald, Sion 

Tara Peck MVP Award: Abby Small, St. Teresa's Academy

Game 4: St. James in 3rd Game of Mo-Kan

2 April @ Bob Durig Mo-Kan vs. St. James (2-0)

Well, we got on the board quickly, and as we know it makes a big difference. Mary Sesti took an early shot that she lifted like a pop fly to center. Good enough.

We later converted a PK that came off our throw-in play. But we did show some offense as we put seven shots on goal, with a total of 15 shots.  And as is the trend this year, we continue to limit our opponents' opportunities.

Our back line has just done a great job all year. Today we got another nice game out of all of them: Colling, Romme, Crow and Linder. We also got some nice minutes from Stompoly. Jackson and Moss held down that defensive center midfield as well.

It was no surprise that Caroline Romme becomes part of the All Tournament Team as she put in 3 great matches.  BWhite named Margaret Pigott the BWhite Player of the Match. She returned to her old home at the top of the diamond, and boy did she touch the ball a lot and also disrupt play as she did so well last season.

Calvert and her defense continue their stellar work, picking up their 3rd shutout in 4 games. We have a goals-against of .25.

St. James has a much-improved squad, and they will be in the 5A hunt at the end of the season. We will probably see them a couple of more times.

We don't play again until a week from Tuesday, so we are looking to use a week of practice to get ourselves to the next level. Taking stock after Mo-Kan: We gave up one goal, losing to two teams ranked in the Top 25 in the country: LSN and Sion. And both of them will be right there in their respective state title hunts at the end. We held one of our state contenders to a shot. So, there is light up there in the tunnel of a season. 

It's Prom!

STATS: 

First Half: Saints: Shots: 6 (3) Corners: 2

38:17 Sesti (Klanke hangs the left-footed cross)

14:24 Klanke (PK awarded after Romme's long throw gets knocked down by a defender's hand)

SJA: Thunder: Shots: 1 (0) Corners: 0

Second Half: Shots: 9 (5) Corners: 3

SJA: Shots: 1 (1) Corners: 0