U of O game update

Despite what I was initially told by the University, they now say admission will not be charged for the game against U of O this Saturday. Game time as of right now is still 2:00

Any game reports? News on Kelsey's injury? How were the hot dogs?

Give me something to worry about, people!

For what its worth...it was Pilots 2, Ducks 0. Both goals by Janelle Jacka via crosses from Michelle Enyeart. Nice, easy setups. Janelle would just toe-tap the feeds across the line.

Beautiful, sunny day for futbol at Merlo. No...no hotdogs NinjaPizza. But the icecream...from the Pilot House was a very refreshing treat indeed!

What's to say about the usual suspects?? Michelle, Keelin and Ellie....standouts!! Pretty easy to pick them out of the crowd. They always hustle...and fight for positon/possession!! They're obviously talented and athletic...but...boy..they are also ultra-competitive! They just never seemed to give up on anything today.

Add Jessica Tsao to my list of acknowledgements! She had as strong a performance as the 3 former players named. She had a solid
game this afternoon too.

Kelsey was dressed but did not play. Good sign. She seems to be okay....No crutches, brace or limps that I noticed.

Hallie was fabulous! She had a couple of terrific saves. One in particular was a break-away....a one-on-one shot...which she anticipated well and blocked diving to her left! That save got me on my feet. Nice nice nice job!

Kendra did not play but was also dressed. Must be healing an injury?

Did not see Michelle Scifo there today?

I did not feel any urgency from the team to score or pummel the Ducks. Literally a friendly. And I think Garrett really has the team focused on using the spring games to work on their individual development. The scrimmages are just that....a chance to experiment. And maybe...as a part of the coaches strategy....have them learn and experience each other's positions. Or simply yet, there just isn't enough bodies to field the proto-typical Pilot team. Many of the girls are playing something other than their usual positions.

GO PILOTS!!!

Good assessment GUPhantom. A couple of additions. Kelsey jogged across the field after half time and seemed fine. From something we heard last week, Scifo may now be gone. Since Kendra is listed on the current U-23 camp roster, maybe she is going to play for the U-23s next week. Today's lineup without her may indicate Garrett wanted to go with players who would be playing against the U-23s, with Kendra dressed to play only in case of an emergency.

One thing I've noticed about Janelle Jacka: she manages to get herself in the right position at the right time. Last year and this, she has covered the far post just like she's supposed to do and has been rewarded for it.

The team really misses Sophie. I hope she'll be here for next week's game (I won't).

First half appeared to be Michelle’s show. Second half was Elli’s. She had several runs with some fancy footwork, and stayed on the ball well.

There were several great individual defensive efforts to stop a drive or to keep the ball near the UO goal. Michelle was all over the field and had some fine defensive plays also.

But there were also several miscues by our deep defense, (poor pass, missing a header, misjudging a ball) which set the stage for Hallie’s great saves. I think we may have been out-shot, certainly for the 2nd half, perhaps for the game.

Once again I was disappointed to not see Marta.

Why may Scifo be gone? For soccer or other? I thought there was word that Kroncrite may play in Europe?

A correction: the second goal was scored on a cross from Sara Jackman to Jacka, not from Michelle; but, of course, Jackman had received a great pass from Enyeart and then sent it accross the goal mouth to Jacka.

What a game for Hailee DeYoung . . .

Fun to watch. Thought the Duck contingent was overly sensitive about calls not coming their way but I will learn not to sit too close next time I attend an exhibition. Yellled at the ref on several occassions suggesting he should be wearing a purple jersey--maybe not a bad idea.

I thought the calls were pretty well done with the possible exception of when Jacka was tackled on the right side of the box in the second half. Jacka obviously thought she was fouled and I think had a pretty good case.

I will give this to the Ducks--they were determined and showed some speed. One pass into open space down our right side had Reed racing a Duck forward to the ball--speed on speed. Not many could have matched that forward but Elli did.

Hailee was a difference maker in this game--many other impressive performances, including Tsao and, I thought, the forgotten freshman, Kirsten Kelly from Tigard. Kori Nicholson didcn't back down in a notable effort. . . The Pilots to a player showed toughness against this tough Duck squad.

While I appreciate Smith's approach to a spring game, Michaelson up front may not have been among his best offensive gambits. She did not appear particularly keen on attacking the goal, tiptoeing around the offensive half in an uncharacteristicly tentitive manner .. . but she did play elsewhere during her carreer didn't she?

Go Pilots!

I'll just add that I thought it was fun watching Michelle and Elli chase down players all over the field. I know there are other players doing the same, but these two are just so fast and tenacious and never seem to give up. They switch from playing offense to defense and then back to offense so quickly they are somtimes hard to keep track of. (Their conditioning level must be unbelievable.) I feel like I am watching world-class players.

Spring soccer is its own world, and a great place to visit on a gorgeous day vs. the Ducks. Earlier posts are right on about Hailee -- awesome game in goal on a day when the defense sometimes broke down on long balls to fast-breaking Duck forwards. Coach Garrett Smith was giving more vocal encouragement than I've ever heard him offer in a "real" game, and offering lots of positional directions to his right-side defense and midfield in the 2nd half. He seemed especially keen on advising Megan Sweeney and Jessica Tsao on how they can work together and get into the proper position on the shift from defense to attack. Cheers to Sweeney; she was a fireball the whole game. Tsao seems to be in learning mode, absorbing what Smith tells her. After a strong freshman year as a defender, is she a future midfielder?

Kellie Cronkrite set up Janelle Jacka's first goal with a strong free kick into the goal mouth; who will take those kicks come fall? Kellie's veteran leadership will be missed. She showed no sign of an injury from last week.

On the bench, the Rapinoe sisters were cheering their teammates, especially Korie N.'s powerful tackles and Jacka's two scores. They are overqualified as a cheering section and I hope we see them in their proper place on the pitch soon.

With Michaelson and Jackman as strikers in the second half, it seemed as if the Pilots were focused on learning defensive assignments rather than on adding to their goal tally.

Ellie Reed was awesome either on the back line or attacking from midfield. For the Pilots to have a more diverse attack, she needs to be up the field, even though her speed on the back line is a coach's dream.

Bring on the U-23 national team!