Early nominations for end of season awards

For many of us this weekend could be the last game we see live this season.

Provisional nominees:

Defensive player of the year: Jessica Tsao. Has stepped up to a whole new level. Makes few mistakes. Looking better and better going forward.

Offensive player of the year: Sophie Schmidt. Slow start after Olympics but now playing at all America level at a position she's learning on the job.

Freshman of the year: Michelle Olivier. Calm and capable at center defense. Wins the ball and plays a constructive pass out of defense. Then mid-year is switched to a whole new position, which she now plays well and makes it look easy. Ask yourself how the team would be doing right now if someone else had to play holding midfield.

Most inspirational: Kassi McCluskie. Had to find an award for Kassi. One player who has totally exceeded expectations. Has gotten better as the season progressed. Her stepping up allowed coaches to move Michelle forward.

Player of the season: Megan Rapinoe. We did not know what to expect after two years of surgery and physical therapy. In early games it was apparent that it would be a few weeks before we saw the whole game. First we saw the effort - running and tackling like a crazy woman. Then the shot came. Then she moved to outside mid - coaching move of the season - and her passing and crossing fell into place. Megan and Sophie are the leaders of this team.

Hard to argue with any of those nominees. Copy my vote from yours, Harry.

Also, thanks for all the fun Pilots talk and insight last weekend. You've given me a more educated view of the game and its many nuances. And BTW - wasn't that fun???

Freshman of the year is the only one that I think is debatable, That could go to Olivier for her all around solid performance, and for the solid play moving to a new position, or to Foxhoven for doing exactly what we needed her to do this year and that is score, score and score some more, she has faded a little down the stretch, but still has to be in the convo. Also McCluskie has been great in the middle of the D.

What a great group of freshman! Could we just make it plural and call it the Freshmen of the Year award. If we did that, we'd also have to include Charney in the mix for her sweet footwork and deft passes. As I write this, I'm visualizing her lofted pass to Megan R. that just cleared the Texas defender in last Sunday's game that led to the Pilot's second goal.

I agree, and have also been VERY impressed with Halley with the loss of tres amigas.

I like all the ones named above but I really want to emphasize support for Kassi as freshman of the year. What she has done back there is the reason the team can attack the way they do. She allows both Jessica Tsao and Megan Sweeney to go forward and be so effective in the attack. It's really like having two additional midfielders when the ball goes forward. I think this is the best four-person plus keeper defense I've ever seen. Toss in the contributions by Keelin or Michelle O at holding midfield and this is a very formidable defense. Kassi's been a very big part of that. Best of all, every one of them is back next year.

Are they all back next year? I see that Korie Nicholson is listed as a junior but took part in senior day. Is she back next year? Her presence is the reason that Olivier was able to move up and replace Winters. Nicholson is not as fun to watch as Kassie, but she has been solid.

I do love watching Kassie play. She's so aggressive. There are two or three instances on the video highlights of games where she is locked in seemingly mortal combat with an attacker, gets knocked down, gets back up, and still clears the ball. I like these moments as much as watching the goals we score - well, almost.

Korie is eligible but I don't think she plans to return. (For that matter, Megan R. could probably get another year of eligibility if she wanted it.)

This is presumably where Cloee fits in next year, though with Keelin back we still seem to have a surplus in the middle. I think that Kassie could play on the outside, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Jessica/Kassie outside with Michelle/Cloee inside as one of Garrett's early season lineups.

I don't think Meghan could redshirt again - I think you are limited to one redshirt year.

I was thinking the same thing about the back 4 next year. Another possibility is Keelin moving up to attacking mid and Olivier staying at holding mid.

That's hotstove stuff. LET"S WIN OUT THIS YEAR!!

I was only going on their class status so I'll take your word for it on Korie's plans. Good luck to her and you're right, she's been very solid.

If there's a jam in the back next year (we're not jinxing this year by talking about this are we?) I'd love to see Jessica T. moved up to midfield. I am totally in love with her decision-making and skills. She just has the knack of knowing where to put the ball. She's such a heady player.

It seems that last year, Jessica started out as a winger, then moved back as a result of a need due to injuries. She is certainly capable, as is also seen by Garrett giving her time in the middle during the playoffs as well.

With all the players we have coming back next year, and coming in, there will be a jam up in the back next year, and in the middle, and also at attack. Good position to be in.

This is actually a bit of a "problem" this year, but with two injuries and three gone to Chile it's great. Imagine having Rachael, Kendra, Elli, Michelle E., and Keelin in the lineup. There would be lots of very good soccer players sitting.

In fact, without these absences, I'd say this is the deepest Pilot team ever and that next year's team will be equally deep. Do you all agree?

fan from afar wrote: I see that Korie Nicholson is listed as a junior but took part in senior day. Is she back next year?

had to rub some salt in my wounds, huh?

i was told she will not be back... i would of included her in my red TIFO i made if i had known... but she was listed as a junior so i did not... needless to say i felt bad...

SK - Subtract Rachel (and Meghan) and add in the new players. That's next year, before any injuries. As you say, lots of depth, lots of possibilities for positions.

BW - Didn't mean to rub salt in old wounds. I have thought all season she was a junior, until senior day. Salt is good for wounds, though.

Next year be ready for increased subs and lots of fresh legs... without the common drop off between starter and reserve... sounds dangerous.

Next year's team, 2009, has 2005 potential. Could be one of the greatest Pilots teams ever. IMHO.

fan from afar wrote:I don't think Meghan could redshirt again - I think you are limited to one redshirt year.

I was thinking the same thing about the back 4 next year. Another possibility is Keelin moving up to attacking mid and Olivier staying at holding mid.

That's hotstove stuff. LET"S WIN OUT THIS YEAR!!

Actually, Megan could redshirt again if she wanted, as could korie. Injury redshirts aren't part of the 5 YR clock. Either is a national team redshirt.

I'm betting neither will me back, though. They probably sat down with Garrett and he already used their scholarships on the next generation of Pilot all stars.

there was also a game that garrett played keelin as the center mid an had m.o. as the holding mid. so imagine keelin as center mid, m.o. as holding mid an cloee as a center back with kas? sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

but what sounds even better is that we have an embarassment of riches as far as talent goes next year an the debate of who plays where an when will be lively. i have told several marginal followers of this team that i would be very surprised if this team didn't make the finals next year!! an that is not saying i have lost/don't think this team doesn't have that potential. i just think next years team has that much more

Next season we'll see some lineups and combinations that we haven't yet proposed in words here. A sign of a great coach is one who can find the right player to put in the right position regardless of her past role. Sophie at striker, Jessica at outside back ... those are not the spots they played before last season. Now they are fixtures there, or so it appears. We'll see what happens.

I can't think of a player like Megan coming in. Just as Sinclair was, she will be, the latest pinnacle in Pilot Soccer. Having said that. On paper the Pilots will be at LEAST much deeper next year.

I always wonder about the intangibles, will increased competition for PT make the starters better or will they be looking over their shoulders more. Not being as comfortable and creative as they might if they knew they had a lock down on the position. Make a mistake you will get subbed more easily so you try to play without mistakes. You play more conservatively within yourself instead of playing out of your mind.

Don't get me wrong, I also agree they will be a threat for the Nat. Title this year and next. I hope the magic that has been this year will continue through the playoffs and into next year.

One thing is sure. Garrett has a system in place which allows for different types of players to be successful. The present and future are certainly bright for the Pilots.

Next year's team... man. I agree with FANatic... it could be very, very special.

And the scary thing is that both Megan and Rachael still would have eligibility. But both are graduating and moving on... as someone who spent five years in college, I can't imagine doing it a sixth year.

But yeah... between the players we'll have back and the newcomers... all with a ton of experience... wow.

How many scholarships are there in women's soccer? Returning for a sixth year could also be a financial decision as well. Although a player like Megan probably is on a full scholarship. UP is not a cheap school and if she is not on full, it could be tough to justify staying to take one ballet class (Matt Leinert), or I guess she could pursue a master's degree.

The WPS has arrived. The spots are filling up fast. If you had your degree and were ready to start making money going pro or working...would you really consider hanging around because you had another year of eligibility? I am pretty sure I remember wondering one day as a sophmore at Humboldt State when ...when would I ever get out of school and escape the relative poverty of common university life.

Three years of working and I was ready to go back for graduate school. Ha.
In Megan's case she could be looking at contracts with the WNT as well as the WPS so its no surprise that she would forgo a redshirt.

AP, Humboldt State huh? My Mother and Father in Law both went there as well. I always hated playing football at the redwood bowl.