Ohai considers Portland

Another Blues Player from the Ranch. They play nice soccer there she should fit right in.

The unheralded players are good, and there are also the heralded players who can finish, and the locals who have chemistry too. I enjoyed watching the '76ers...who had played together for years. Does anyone remember that group?

Would be sad to miss out to SC or UCLA but would really suck if she chooses UNC.

In a shocker, wait for it, wait for it.......she is coming to Tallahassee to play her college soccer at Florida State University! I can only dream, we have a higher probability of beating UNC 4 straight years than landing a recruit from the west coast.

As a professor at a college without athletics whose research has occasionally wandered into the realm of college choice, I can only wonder about the balance between soccer, academics, and college environment in making these decisions. It seems to me (but I'm biased, of course) that choosing on soccer alone would bring every recruit to Portland. But some may not want to live in a wet climate, some may not be a good fit for UP's academic strengths, etc.

Have any of you sages-of-the-site had enough conversations with players over the years to shed any light on this?

Have any of you sages-of-the-site had enough conversations with players over the years to shed any light on this?

The way it (the choice) is presented to many young athletes by the people who coach them is: "if you were to have a career-ending injury and couldn't play your sport anymore, would you still be happy with the school (academia, location, size, living, etc.)?" So basically, take soccer out of the equation. Would you still go to the school you are looking at?

ok

There are a number of intangibles which come into play for Pilot Recruits on the academic side. One is class size. You will get a tenured professor in your first year as a teacher in a class of maybe 28 as opposed to a lecture by a TA in a class of 300 at a UCLA.

Another factor is the friendliness of the locals, the approachability of all the administration (read you don't need a two week reservation for a meeting). Each Pilot recruit is vetted to determine suitability so each player who is invited to the team knows she has been preapproved as a person and a player so there are no surprise incompatibility problems later on.

You mention the weather. That is two edged sword. You like the green, the forests, rivers, hiking, fishing, etc. Portland is a great choice but you get weather with it. If you must be tan and need the beach maybe USC, UCLA or San Diego are choices? Got your heart set on a degree in Nursing or Education? Portland is outstanding for both.

Do you like community service? If so UP is a good choice to play. They are involved with the community. Do you want to play for the best fans in college soccer? Enough said.

And...get a very cool nickname....

The "Sickle" cometh....Class of 2010!

Auto Pilot wrote:GU the Hammer and Sickle has a kind of old soviet union kitsch to it. Maybe we can get some old MIGS to do fly bys over the game JK. Actually what excites me most about Kelia is her form in the second pic. Notice she has her toe pointed on the shot. This keeps the ball from sailing way up high over the goal which occurs much too often. With that kind of form I bet she hits her target alot.

4 goals in this state quarter final game. The shot in this picture not only went past the defender but over the head of the charging keeper into the net..The bad news is Jill Ellis/UCLA was there and to put it mildly was blown away..

No way would her sister let her play at UCLA (Older sister Megan plays at USC). It is simply an impossible situation. "Say it aint so Joe" (Shoeless Joe Jackson).

Good point AutoPilot! Kealia's choices are USC, Portland, UCLA and UNC. I knew her sister was a Trojan but....did not think of the obvious.....the USC-UCLA rivalry! I think the odds are getting better for Portland! Oh yah!!

No worries about Jill Ellis and UCLA then? I think its safe to say that Kealia will continue to blow them away anyway...hopefully with her wearing a Pilot uniform!

There tucked away in Newton's laws of physics, the NCAA Bylaws, the Declaration, the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address and, all the laws of this natural world is the statement; "never shall any relation of family closer than third cousin play simultaneously at both UCLA and USC"

Any violation of the above-reference rule will result in immediate state of chaos for all things sporty.

Oh man...that was so so good Auto! That got me laughing hard!

One of things I've been wondering about Kealia's resume was her exclusion from the U17 WC roster! I've looked through rosters and lineups of the team in 2008. She seemed to be a fixture on the team but I guess when it came down to it...ended up on the bubble. The final WC roster had 4 forwards...one even had to drop out at the last moment due to injury. What was strange was the replacement was uncapped. Its curious to me why Kealia wasn't the replacement? She was experienced and capped so...no guarantees I guess? EC any inside info on why she didn't make the final roster?

Yes..she had a hamstring injury that kept her from some of the U-17 training but was ready to go if needed. it was a grave mistake on U-17s part as he went with his more established U-17 players..I saw her play this summer 10 minutes against the U-20's when they were in Utah..That's all her club coach would let her play as they felt she was too young..She blew through the enitre defense got in the box and if not for a great save by the keeper it's a goal..we all stood there in awe as it looked like the U-20's were in slow motion next to her. they pulled her out right after that.By the way one of her best friends is Elli Reed...

What is it with the speed coming out of Utah? Send me some of the water.

Definitely love to hear that we're recruiting some speed!

I think I wrote about this before, but from my point of view one of the big difference between the Pilots with the Three Amigas and without them is team speed. Enyeart and Reed can flat out burn, and that can really change to complexion of the Pilots offense and ability to break down opponents. Without them, I feel like we are a bit slow out there. Not detrimentally slow, but definitely unable to use speed to our advantage.

We've been spoiled with having so many quick players over the years (who could forget Sinclair's amazingly effective loping gait or - of course - the great Tiffeny Milbrett?), and I really notice our lack of team speed when we play without the Amigas.

So yeah... bring Ohai right on in!

Stonehouse, you are right on about the need for team speed, and how Pilots are not as quick without the Amigas. It seems to me in their absence the Pilots play very deliberately with more passes side to side or front to back when on the attack. Schmidt and Foxhoven are strong finishers and adept at receiving the ball with their backs to the goal. They also thrive on passes from the touch line that they can run onto. The team does miss its "turn and burn" players Enyeart and Reed, who can outrun the defense for breakaways and deke at full speed. Those two can change a game in one run. Some fans in the stands vs JMU were grumbling about the Pilots' methodical upfield movement, but, lacking breakaway speed, it makes sense at times to attack with numbers and get people forward before sending the ball in. Pilots are also compensating by making their set pieces count.

PH..I've always loved your analysis. Concise and Precise. You, KFTC and AutoPilot are excellent at telling it like it is. I've usually found myself agreeing wholehearted with your posts! But ...well...it takes me pages to try to frame and echo the same thoughts! Beautiful. I marvel at all you folks efficiency!

Enyeart, Reed and Ohai on the same pitch? OMG! When I put myself in an opponent coaches' shoes....its a frigthening lineup to try to matchup against. I'm trying to be unbiased! HA!

GO PILOTS!!!

GUPhantom, let's form a mutual admiration society. Thanks for your kind words. Most of the time I try to be very precise and accurate -- it's the nature of my day job. Sometimes I devolve into loose impressions that can't be backed up by facts. I'll be ready to see the Pilots turn on their twin (or triple) afterburners again next season.

GUPhantom wrote:
Enyeart, Reed and Ohai on the same pitch? OMG! When I put myself in an opponent coaches' shoes....its a frigthening lineup to try to matchup against.

This isn't fantasy league.

Enyeart will be a senior next year. Ohai, if she came, wouldn't arrive until the following year.

Ack! I slap myself back into reality!

....I need another beer, eh Geez?

GU I gotta LOVE that.

a very hardy brew that's well conditioned, has good hoppyness and a great finish....