Spring Schedule

I've found out the spring schedule for the boys:

April 2nd, 2:00PM vs. UW
April 9th, 2:00PM vs. Seattle Pacific
April 16th, 1:00PM vs. OSU
April 23rd, 10:00AM vs. US U-18 National Team @ NIKE

Thanks for posting that...

Quite welcome

UP came to town with a new coach and new jerseys with a racing stripe down the back. and battled The UP men to a 2-2 tie.


UP started Baarts i goal, Barich, Tonkel, Kaqwaluk, and the other Baarts across the backIwalski, Evans,Sleven, and Barbaree in the midfield, and Carrillo and Anderson up front. People changed around a lot, I think Evans played almost everywhere in the fron half of the field.


The game was pretty even, with perhaps UW getting the better chances in the first half, and UP doing slightly better in the second, with some glaring exceptions.

There was a two minute stretch where the mids fell asleep and allowed UW to get numbers on the defense for both goals, and again later when UW got a 1v1 against Baarts, which he shut down.

There were some nice combinations by UP, though and they are trying passing combinations, but the two scores were individual plays. one by (I think) Iwalski from outside the box who turned a couple of time and beat the defense for a nice shot on the keeper.

Steven Evans also was a presence all day. The second goal was him beating the defense out wide and making a nice cross to (I think) Hemphill for thew finish in close.

Yeah, I know, I gotta stop socializing so much.

But Evans created several other chances, too, including two shots that had to be saved off the crossbar and a great opportunity where ha challenged the keeper at the edge of the box, won the ball, but didn't manage to convert for a score.

Entertaining game. they have a ways to go, however.

I hope we make some strides this year. I hate to say it, but, it's going to be tough to continue to improve if we keep reloading with 3 star recruits instead of a few 4 or 5 star guys... I can't wait to see what Steven Evans does this year though.

Honestly, it's tough for UP to attract 5 star recruits, because those guys normally go to schools in the Pac-10 if they stay on the West Coast or to schools in the ACC etc.
The team is relatively young though, with only Kawoluk, Nielsen and Barbaree as the seniors, so they're going to experience a few growing pains especially in spring games where the coaches are trying to play guys in some different positions at times

A couple of clips to from the spring match versus UW

How to trip a DAWG!

Tackle, Steal and Shot!

GO PILOTS!!!

Can't let the day go by without mentioning that the Pilots lost to division 2 Seattle Pacific.
It could easily have been 4-1
In fairness, we didn't play a couple stars (specifically, Evans sat).

And even though an SPU player got red carded, "Spring rules" kept the squads even at UP coaches request.

But UP played a listless game and a fine SPU team made them pay. They had better organization, challenged better and put together many more chances. They just wanted it more.
About the only category we matched up in is the retaliatory slide tackle to the legs.

I hope they had a good time at that party last night. Maybe I can get a party schedule so I can avoid the next day's consequences.

I think the game was a pretty classic case of what happens in spring soccer with the men's side. Seattle Pacific probably geared up all week for this game, making sure all the players were coming in fit and fresh. The boys probably had a pretty hard week of training, because they just looked a little bit slow and tired for the first 75 minutes of the game. I know the coaching staff purposely doesn't cut back on the intensity level of training sessions in the spring just because a game is coming up, perhaps with the idea of trying to simulate one of those sunday afternoon games during the season where legs are already a bit on the sluggish side. I very highly doubt that it can be blamed on the partying though, the guys know the seriousness of the games and would never do that
With evans out, and also starters in mike nielsen and keith grubisich they weren't at their best.
I was pretty disappointed at the manner in which they kept possession all game. They cannot afford to give the ball away as much as they did today. When playing against competition like SPU, I believe UP should dominate in that category but the movement and precision wasn't there today.

It looks like we will get an early look at incoming recruit Mitchell Lurie when UP plays the u18 squad later this month ( the 23rd).


He was named to the team today
http://www.portlandpilots.com/news/2011/4/11/MSOC_0411113902.aspx?path=msoc


It'll be a busy day shuttling between Ronaldo Field and the CCSC to see the women.

Life is good