USF match ...

Let us not overlook the Lady Dons! In October of 2006 they came to the Bluff and gained a 1-1 draw against a nationally-ranked UP side.

Go Pilots!

Somehow, I don't see this team letting up. They've worked way too hard to get to where they are. I think they'll be more than ready.

Plus, San Francisco's 0-0 ties with both Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine this past weekend are attention getters.

Will Sophie be back for this one?

According to this week's Beacon (the UP student newspaper): "The Pilots have been without senior Sophie Schmidt the last several games because she is training with the Canadian National Team in preparation for the World Cup qualifications but she should make her return for senior night against San Francisco on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m."

It's not posted on-line yet, but I'll link to the article when it is.

Stonehouse wrote:Will Sophie be back for this one?

According to this week's Beacon (the UP student newspaper): "The Pilots have been without senior Sophie Schmidt the last several games because she is training with the Canadian National Team in preparation for the World Cup qualifications but she should make her return for senior night against San Francisco on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m."

It's not posted on-line yet, but I'll link to the article when it is.

Canada is scheduled to play Trinidad and Tobago Friday night, Guyana on Sunday, and Mexico on Tuesday. Although maybe they would release Sophie from the Guyana game so she can be here for Senior Night (Day), I doubt they would be wanting her playing in the game since the Mexico game on Tuesday is a big one. But, I guess we can hope.

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:
Canada is scheduled to play Trinidad and Tobago Friday night, Guyana on Sunday, and Mexico on Tuesday. Although maybe they would release Sophie from the Guyana game so she can be here for Senior Night (Day), I doubt they would be wanting her playing in the game since the Mexico game on Tuesday is a big one. But, I guess we can hope.

Yeah, I think the reporter got confused or something The next 5 days are the big part of the reason they wanted Sophie to begin with. If they can spare her Sunday, why did they take her out of College?

here's Canada's qualifier games.

08/11/2010 Cancún MEX Estadio Beto Ávila CONCACAF WNT D 0 : 0 TBA
05/11/2010 Cancún MEX Estadio Beto Ávila CONCACAF WNT D 0 : 0 TBA
02/11/2010 Cancún MEX Estadio Beto Ávila CONCACAF WNT D 0 : 0 MEX
31/10/2010 Cancún MEX Estadio Beto Ávila CONCACAF WNT D 0 : 0 GUY
29/10/2010 Cancún MEX Estadio Beto Ávila CONCACAF WNT D 0 : 0 TRI

Mexico is their hardest game, but they need to win the other two also. The top 2 teams from this group move on.

Friday's game is at 3:00 pacific and will be on CONCACAF.com

Group A gets underway on Friday 29 October. Canada faces Trinidad and Tobago at 17.00 local (18.00 ET / 15.00 PT) while host Mexico faces Guyana in the second match at 19.30 local (20.30 ET / 17.30 PT). All Group B matches (29 October, 31 October and 2 November) will be played at Estadio Beto Ávila.

The opening day matches will be broadcast on CONCACAF TV. Canadian Carol Anne Chénard has been appointed as referee for the USA-Haiti match on 28 October. USA is an eight-time CONCACAF champion in women’s football.

All of Canada’s matches will be broadcast on CBC, CBCSports.ca and bold. Canada is the only other CONCACAF champion at this level - a confederation trophy in 1998. Canada has finished runner up to USA on five different occasions.

As part of CONCACAF’s multimedia package, exclusive video content and photo galleries will be available via CONCACAF.com. Fans can also follow the official CONCACAF feed at Twitter.com/CONCACAF.

http://www.canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=4531

Dang, I'd like to see that game, but I'll be headed out to Hillsboro Stadium to see PSU play Sac State for the league championship.

A_Fan wrote:Dang, I'd like to see that game, but I'll be headed out to Hillsboro Stadium to see PSU play Sac State for the league championship.

Thanks for that I was looking for something to do today.

It looks like this is for second as they both have one game left and NAU is already 4 points clear at the top.

When you get back, you can see UCLA play UW on FSC at 8:00.

maybe we'll get a chance to see how Charney is doing.

You are right, it's not for the championship, I mis-read the PSU website. It will affect seeding in the tournament.

The Pilots' release for the San Francisco game says Sophie will not be there.

PSU beat SS 1-0 but they really seemed to run out of gas in the second half and SS had several scoring opportunities, they just couldn't finish.

A_Fan wrote:PSU beat SS 1-0 but they really seemed to run out of gas in the second half and SS had several scoring opportunities, they just couldn't finish.

Yeah, the one perfect through ball was all the Vikings needed. I have to be honest, other than that there were a lot of slighlty aimless longballs.

The PSU keeper, as we have seen, was solid and can make lots of saves. She also seems to be good for one or two drops a game, as we have also seen.

Sitting in a stadium chair on the halfway line is pretty nice. I can see where it would appeal to the Geezer.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:
Sitting in a stadium chair on the halfway line is pretty nice. I can see where it would appeal to the Geezer.

They have dropdown screens hanging from the canopy?

Cool!

Geezaldinho wrote:

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:
Sitting in a stadium chair on the halfway line is pretty nice. I can see where it would appeal to the Geezer.

They have dropdown screens hanging from the canopy?

Cool!

No TV, but the seats are covered.

And behind one goal, if you remove all the temporary bleachers they've set up, you can have terraces.

We'll be talking about them for years to come. 

We'll be talking about them for years to come.

We sure will. I always get real emotional when the seniors are introduced, and this group has been extra special. Let's hope there are further career highlights to come for each of them.

That was a heck of a recruiting year (even considering a couple of redshirt seasons). This is a heck of a year, period.

ppt,
I've been internally thinking about this senior class an trying to remember when there was another class we on the bluff are going to miss more.
Maybe Misaki, Orlandos, Barr and....Who? help me remember who the other seniors were on that team?

fozziewozzie wrote:ppt,
I've been internally thinking about this senior class an trying to remember when there was another class we on the bluff are going to miss more.
Maybe Misaki, Orlandos, Barr and....Who? help me remember who the other seniors were on that team?

Well you know what happened to that senior class. Freshman year they go down and SCU runs them off the field. Four years later they got SCU when it mattered most.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:

fozziewozzie wrote:ppt,
I've been internally thinking about this senior class an trying to remember when there was another class we on the bluff are going to miss more.
Maybe Misaki, Orlandos, Barr and....Who? help me remember who the other seniors were on that team?

Well you know what happened to that senior class. Freshman year they go down and SCU runs them off the field. Four years later they got SCU when it mattered most.

Lots happened to that senior class.

Only 5 of them played the whole 4 years
Besty Barr
Valerie Fletcher
Erin Misaki
Lauren Orlandos
Emily Patterson

Lauren Arase played the last two years after transferring from USC.

But there was a whole pile of players whose first year was 1999 and didn't make it 4 years on the team for one reason or another.

If you recall, Injuries decimated 1999 the team and some walk-ons played. Shelli Wallace, Crissy Marti, and Julie Yates were on the roster for the first time.

Susanna Heikari left after her freshman year because she got homesick and went back to Finland. One can only imagine if she had teamed up with Christine for her last year.
Pardis Ariazand left after one year to marry Chris Brown and be with him while he pursued a pro career.


And Lisa Casagrande was no longer on the roster after 2001, nor was Erin Goodling. Injuries?

So 12 players played their first year in 1999, and 7 played their last year in 2002. I have no idea if any/all those who only played one year were Freshmen or not.

8 of those players started the Santa Clara game in 1999.


Here's a special bonus article:

http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2009/09/17/lisa-is-among-soccers-finest/

As I mentioned earlier on another thread, I will be MIA today because daughter Harriet (Harry-ette) has final OPL game at the same time.

Breaks my heart to miss the senior day ceremonies. Please send the love out to this remarkable group of young women.

Assume I'll get to see them play again at home in the play-offs.

One fan's report on the 2-0 Pilots shutout of USF:
What a gorgeous afternoon as Merlo Field fans said thank-you to the seniors. The Pilots jumped all over the Dons and ran the shot tally to 28-1 before they were done. Michelle C. played attacking mid and looked very strong; Ellen wan not in uniform for the game. Ellie and Kendall were in excellent form attacking and defending on the left -- Kendall looks 100 percent to judge by how she ran back to overtake one USF player and strip the ball. Kendall scored the first one through a maze of legs. (Ellie had a goal called back just 90 seconds into the match, but apparently was offsides.) Taylor and Michaela played very tough and physical. In the 2nd half Dani took her own off-the-post rebound and put it home.

USF had no attack and no answer for the Pilots.

The game ended with all Pilot seniors except the absent Sophie on the field. Thanks to another exceptional class for the memories -- and there is still time for many more.

It was especially nice to get to see Kendra again and without the knee brace.

I thought the officiating was terrible. This is at least the second time that this center ref has been BAD. I didn't think Elle was off-sides and the call at the end of the game was off the netting and not the crossbar. It was right in front of me and the ball took a true bounce not the way it would have off net. Nobody could figure what the call might have been.

Solid game from all the players and good to get to see all the seniors.

A few thoughts:

Kendra looked much more like her old self today, and that's SO good to see. She really looked a little lost at Santa Clara, like she wasn't quite in synch with herself and her teammates. Today, she looked a lot like the player that we have loved over the last 4+ years. If she continues to improve at this rate, she could contribute 20-30 or more high-quality minutes in the tournament--enough to be the difference in a tight contest.

I thought that Michelle Cruz had her best game as a Pilot today. She didn't play a huge role, but was available when her teammates needed her and almost always made the good, safe pass. She had a couple of shots that were a little off target but credit to her for making the space and having the confidence to take them. We'll see great things from her when she becomes a larger part of the attack next year.

The Pilots played most of the match with 3 defenders: Either Elli or Jess was pushed forward on almost every attack. I'm not sure we'll get away with this against the best competition, but it certainly gives the opponents a lot to think about.

Finally, our forwards were getting wider on the pitch today than I remember any time recently. This presents a totally different look by pulling some of the packed-in defense out to the flank and opening up the middle for a midfield player pushing up to score on a cross. It didn't quite connect today, but looked threatening several times.

Based on today's action (admittedly against a far-inferior foe) and the Santa Clara match, I'm cautiously optimistic that this team is peaking just in time for the tournament. Getting Sophie back would be a huge boon under any circumstances, but with the team playing its best football of the year, Kendra coming back into form, and Sophie bringing her special magic into the mix, it seems possible that this team could not only make the final four, but do well once they get there.

Oh, and special kudos to Kendall for her impressive right-footed goal! Defenses have tended to overplay her to the left side because she is so good at crossing the ball. Hopefully all our future opponents will see that she can also attack with the right, and she will start getting a little more space on the left to do what she does so well!