U9 team with Coach Katie

After defeating the more talented Pink Ladies U14 team in an overtime thriller on Sunday, Dream Team FC coach Ken Kohlberg could muster only one word: epic.

Indeed it was. Although the Pink Ladies lost a game they coulda, woulda and truly shoulda, heads were held high after the team fought fiercely despite the absences of its most influential March player and its second recent starting ala.

The Goal of the Week comes by way off the Save of the Week — or perhaps Save of the Year? Meghan Majeski stared defeat in the eye as the DTFC striker bared down on a penalty kick late in the match. Fearless as always, she sprang to block the shot, then saved the rebound and quickly the ball was flowing toward the opposing goal, where a scrum of Pink players were heading. Amidst the counterattack intensity was Angela De Sousa, not normally that far up the other end, who banged in a pass from Caoilin Rice to take the lead.

To describe Majeski’s performance as outstanding would be an understatement. Epitomized by the penalty deflection, Majeski’s afternoon was one of the best recent Pink Ladies goalkeeping displays. US National Futsal Team goalkeeping coach Mark Litton recently described goalkeeping mantra as: “Make the saves you’re supposed to. Make a few that you’re not. Don’t do anything stupid.”  This exactly describes Majeski’s Sunday afternoon. She put her team in position to win with all her effort, skill, heart and voice. A fitting Senior Player of the Week.

U11 team with Coach Rabies

Meghan Gibbons’ Saturday tally: 2 goals, 2 assists, 1 league championship victory, 1 cartwheel. The final Junior Player of the Week for the 2012-13 season asked Coach Rabies to give her special goalkeeper training last week to help prepare her to play goal during the first half of the U11 girls final. With hair and effort tinged pink, Gibbons played a hearty goal in the first half, permitting just a single JP goal. Assisting on two of Phoebe Jolly’s (3) goals and contributing her own pair of goal of the week candidates, Gibbons was a driving force in her team’s victory. The cartwheel, it was just part of the infectious fun she was having!

The U11 team’s 5-4 fianls win over JP was an epic back and forth the entire way. It is indeed Match of the Week worthy, as the one-sub squad worked tirelessly together til the end, eeking out one of the greatest Cinderella stories in Pink lore.

U14 team with Coach Jason

Also under consideration for Match of the Week is the aforementioned epic U14 championship madness. That game included all the drama of any all-time memorable competition — heroes and villains, incredible skill, intensity, heartbreak, sure things that surely weren’t, brilliant goals, unbelievable saves.

The U9 team kicked off the weekend in fine finals form against Newton Academy, rolling early and holding on for 4-3 and the first-ever Pink Ladies FC under-nine title. Five players tallied goals or assists in an epic performance by the young team that is certainly a Match of the Week candidate.

Captains Haley and Rabies ride into the Pink sunset victorious in the Adult co-ed division, each having scored and assisted in the epic second half outburst that earned their Coaches team the title, 10-2 (after leading 3-1 at the break). It fittingly concluded their distinguished careers and deserves a chance for Match of the Week.

Coaches team

]]> http://pinkladiesfc.org/1213week14/feed/ 0 http://pinkladiesfc.org/1213week13/ http://pinkladiesfc.org/1213week13/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:20:05 +0000 admin http://pinkladiesfc.org/?p=1065 ... read more]]> Winning can be quantified in different ways:

1. Score more goals than your opponent so as to have a higher total at the end of the game. The U11 team accomplished that in this week’s semifinal match against Arlington, winning their way into the finals 5-3 behind an outstanding team effort in which five of six players scored goals and the sixth player added an assist. And every goal was assisted. This Match of the Week saw Coach Rabies’ team win the highest praise from its mentor: “This was a team that last session didn’t qualify for semi finals, and this session is heading to the finals. They all listened well and were constantly talking. The girls were amazing and played with only one sub, and I’m so, so proud of them.”
2. Play better futsal than your opponent, even if the other team scores more goals. The U12 team demonstrated a shin ball clinic against Brookline Hurricanes but couldn’t muster as many goals (though they did win the post-hitting contest). Said Gabby Walsh after the match, “We won that game!”
3. Compete in one of the most dramatic, exciting games in recent memory. The U13 team came back from an early deficit in a match with LPDA that teetered until the final moments when a Talia Hislop cross-court shin nearly fell for Miriam Feldman to volley home at the death. It was just one of those awesome, amazing, intense, sporting games that all players and spectators were privileged to be a part of.
4. Crushing opponents in doubleheaders, despite being without your second-leading scorer. That’s what the coaches team did, earning its place in Sunday’s league finals — and other than an unfortunate injury to debutante Brenda Rice — it was a bandwagon day for the club elders.

Four Pink Ladies teams will compete in league championships this weekend, starting with U9/KS at 9:30 and U11/EM at 10:30 on Saturday and concluding with Coaches at 8 and U14 at 1 on Sunday. All games will be played in Park 2.

Junior Player of the Week Talia Hislop needed 4 goals to set a new all-time junior goals record, 7 goals to break the single-season junior goals record and 7 points to break the single-season junior points record. So she scored seven goals, broke three records and has her sights set on tallying four points in her final match to break the all-time junior points mark (Caoilin Rice, 113). Hislop’s seven-pack of goals nearly propelled her team into the finals, and it wasn’t a matter of whether she would score but of how many and could she outscore the whole of Lexington!

Additional statistical commendation to Katie Hays, who assisted on four of those goals and broke the single-season junior assist record!

Senior Player of the Week Haley Fradkin scored a top goal of the week candidate with her one-time, low-par-post scorcher in Sunday’s first Coaches game. But her excellent defensive composure is a large reason why the Coaches team won both games to clinch first place and a spot in the league championship match. Though not often on the scoreboard, Fradkin leads in all ways and is the team’s most reliable defensive presence as teammates foray forward to pillage goals. In addition, her effort, attitude and enthusiasm nearly lifted the U18 side to a comeback victory in its semifinal later in the day.

Goal of the Week goes to Darcy Foot, after receiving a pass along the touchline she penetrated down the line and struck the ball across the goalkeeper into the far corner of the goal, her second tally of the season. The goal helped lock up her team’s bid for first place in its group and secure a spot in Saturday’s title game.

Match of the Week: The U13 team has the junior program’s largest roster, including players who are normally giggling at the far end of the Park 2 bleachers well before kickoff. Disappointingly, not only were there only four players present on Saturday but three players were completely unaccounted for. Never fear when your names are Caroline Canally, Katie Hays, Aisling Lavelle and Amy Shipe.

True, they fell into an early 5-0 hole that seemed insurmountable … especially given they were competing with one fewer players than Jamaica Plain. But after a timeout and some regrouping, they stormed the barricades with full résistance, earning back four goals to close the period trailing by only one. Lavelle, Shipe and Hays poured their hearts out on the pitch, while Canally poured heart and tears in the goal. Afflicted with a severe stomach ailment, she valiantly  fought through guttural pain throughout, but succumbed with 14 minutes remaining. Thus, the final stage of the match involved five Panthers and three Ladies. Incredibly, the score during that span was 2-2, with Shipe and Lavelle each scoring from Hays, who had dropped into goal but was playing nearer to the halfway line.

Despite the eventual six-goal loss, the four girls were truly inspirational. Hays and Shipe played the entire match, with the latter on the pitch with no break yet near-constant movement. Hays never showed signs of tiring and her always infectious desire carried the team, adding four assists.  Lavelle fended off injury to score five goals in her breakout performance in Pink. Canally the warrior played strongly in goal despite the awful affliction. Parents and coaches alike are incredibly proud of the effort and attitude of the girls, this weeks first-ever shared Junior Players of the Week.

The U14 side played an upstart Newton Academy side on Sunday and led 2-1 at halftime. Playing without leading scorers Isabelle Fuchs (26 goals, 22 assists) and Caoilin Rice (22 goals, 11 assists) and soon-to-be all-time assist leader Honore Matteson (15 goals, 8 assists) was a tough ask. Goalkeeper Meghan Majeski — also not at the match. So the side struggled at the start, despite great goalkeeping from fill-in Olivia Austin. At halftime, it was suggested that the players be more selfish. The coach looked directly at Madeline Leahy and challenged her to be the dominant player in the second half, asking her to assume the goal-scoring, alpha mentality of her missing teammates. Instead of passing to teammates in the middle channel of the front third … maybe attack the defender and shoot.

The match finished with a 13-5 Pink Ladies victory. Of those 11 second-half goals Leahy scored five (of her six total) and assisted three. With her side leading 6-4 she wins the ball off a Newton turnover and immediately runs toward the goal, slowing only slightly to maneuver around a defender and create enough space that she can stun the ball just inside the far post. Immediately she turns and looks at the coach, challenge fulfilled. A star has been reborn and is shining brighter than ever. Senior Player of the Week and Goal of the Week.

Epilogue: Leahy’s mates also deserve high praise for raising their game — Austin, Sarah Berube, Angela De Sousa and Emma Della Volpe.

There were a few other fantastic goals this weekend, including:

• U14 gives a goal to allow Newton to within 5-4. Immediately from the kickoff Berube to De Sousa to Leahy and never looked back.
• U14′s Austin perfects the matador spin and fires low for final of team’s 13 goals.
• U14 vs U14 boys on Saturday, tic tac toe with Fuchs scoring from De Sousa and Austin.
• U13′s Lavelle bashes in from Hays while playing with three players against five players.
• GHS’ Lily Supovitz hits a screamer from the halfway line from goalkeeper Helen Schmidt.
• U18′s Molly Adams two-times on the run with her toe to the upper far corner to settle with Wolfpack.

It has already been a record-breaking season for Pink Ladies senior and junior programs. The following players are within striking distance of single-season and all-time records with two weeks to play:

The following records may fall over the final two weeks of the season:

• Caoilin Rice, needs 3 goals for all-time Pink Ladies goals record
• Honore Matteson, needs 5 assists for all-time Pink Ladies assists record
• Caoilin Rice, needs 13 points for all-time Pink Ladies points record
• Isabelle Fuchs, needs 8 goals for single-season senior goals record
• Isabelle Fuchs, needs 1 assist for single-season senior assist record
• Isabelle Fuchs, needs 8 points for single-season senior points record
• Talia Hislop, needs 4 goals for all-time junior goals record
• Talia Hislop, needs 11 points for all-time junior points record
• Talia Hislop needs 7 goals for single-season junior goals record
• Katie Hays, needs 3 assists for single-season junior assist record
• Talia Hislop, needs 7 points for single-season junior points record

1. U14s – Isabelle Fuchs drives a long pass up the left touchline to Madeline Leahy, who turns and fires toward the penalty area to a cutting Olivia Austin, who blasts past the Newton keeper for her team’s seventh goal of the game.
2. U11s – Goalkeeper Evie Hamor rolls the ball to Sophie Emde-Gerdine, who controls the ball with her sole and quickly turns to find Phoebe Jolly making a run up the pitch, who then hammers the ball past the helpless Cambridge keeper.
3. U18s – As humorous goals go, little can match Michelle Materna making a long run down the center of the pitch to receive a fine serve from Lisa Lee, but as “Meesh” receives and turns to score the Brookline keeper runs out and the two fall down in a heap. Entangled, they sort of exchange an awkward hug to the glee of the Pink bench.
4. U12s – The team went on an aerial binge this weekend, scoring two headers and one volley, all different players. However, Saturday’s takes the team cake as Gabby Walsh flicked a corner kick over opposing heads to the cutting Hayden Monahan darting toward the goal for the glorious header. And by a hair the winner of the Goal of the Week.

Fabes, Chloe, Lauren, Gabby & Hayden cheered on the coaches team Sunday!

Jolly’s goal was one of five she scored in her team’s 6-2 victory over rival Cambridge Storm. Seldom do players score a quintet in a game, and she has now done it twice in a season. In recognition of her exceptional effort, her quality on the pitch and scoring five goals in a game, Phoebe Jolly is the Junior Player of the Week.

The Senior Player of the Week is one of the most vocal goalkeepers the Club has ever heard from. An organized nonpareil, Helen Schmidt was called “an animal,” and “a monster” by her coach. While such allegorical comparisons might seem harsh, they are apt to describe a goalkeeper who consistently put her body in harm’s way for the betterment of her team on Sunday — one who went “face first” into opponents in order to collect balls and make saves.

No subs. Almost bedtime. Playing a very good team that has ample subs. And your usual coach is not there.

Recipe for getting clobbered, right? Not if you’re Pink Ladies Futsal Club’s first-ever U9 team. If that’s you, you turn in a Match of the Week performance and illustrate your class! And win 7-3.

“Every girl was working hard and pulling her weight,” said Coach Rabies, who aptly filled in for Coach Katie. “Cecily Torres had numerous drives down the line, beating 2, 3, 4 players to take it almost all the way down the court and made a number of Cruyffs and matadors. Charlotte Beakley (3 goals, 1 assist) had some excellent flicks up the line and always looked dangerous on the attack. All three keepers had good distribution. Darcy Foot kept to the line and made good passes up the court. Nia (Hislop; 3 goals, 1 assist) was Nia, powering through everyone. Skylar Smith (1 goal, 2 assists) was awesome on both sides of the ball. They all worked hard with no subs and were energetic the entire game.”

Captain Katie Schmidt, still sorta-kinda held together with duct tape and rubber cement, busting her butt all over the pitch and opening the team’s first match with an early goal. Captain Haley in her first appearance at nationals, leading with voice, spirit and effort throughout. Captain Rabies, changing positions for the semifinal and again showing why she is the best teammate a player could ever have.

Michelle Materna, sassing her way to a pair of assists and a goal on the weekend, pure class and quality on the pitch. Molly Adams, becoming the team’s Yas, playing more minutes in three games than any Pink player ever. Steph Kelley, stepping into a clutch role with a great effort in her first time at nationals.

Nicole Cerulli, bravely keeping a clean sheet at the national championships, only the second time a Pink keeper has ever done so. Lauren Rayson, demonstrating the goalkeeping grace and effort that make her truly Pink to the core. Nicole Souza, locking up the opposing team’s best attacker in two straight games (two opposing stars: 1 goal, 1 assist) while playing major minutes.

Pink seniors 2013

But the player of the tournament was she who barely played in Kansas last year, and was slated for a limited role behind one or two captains at the pivo position this year. Senior Player of the Week Lisa Lee was the team’s most effective pivo in the first match for her patient hold-up play, but it was just a little off. Focused and ready for game two, she was a dominant force setting the stage for her ala teammates especially young ones Adams and Materna, the latter who finished at segundo pau to give the team a 1-0 lead over Winter FC late in the physical first half. In the second half of the tooth-and-neck contest Lee scored the Goal of the Week at the second stick from Adams with just under five minutes to play to secure the Match of the Week victory.

While the big kids were gallivanting in the Midwest, the junior teams were displaying some great futsal back home. A total of 33 goals were scored across the four games, but it was a player who did not score who earned highest plaudits from Coach Brenda, who managed each match.

Jadyn Foot shone on the futsal pitch this week, adding a plethora of fancy moves to her experience. Even though the U11 team went scoreless, Jadyn’s constant effort and hustle threatened the opposing team and kept the game close in a 1-0 game. She led the whole team to try more moves and keep trying. By pulling off matadors, pull-backs, and v-behinds galore, Ms. Foot deserves her title as this week’s Junior Player of the Week.

By the senior numbers — U14 scored 9 goals and U18 added six this Sunday. That’s 23 total goals. If you’re betting, bet on record setting.

The Junior Player of the Week is young miss Darcy Foot, who broke into the scoring columns on Saturday with her first goal and first assist of the season. Working hard on her moves throughout the season, she was a constant positive for the U9 team on Saturday as it gathered a well-played win over Brookline Lions. Foot was not the flashiest or fastest, but her improvement in quality led to her entrance on the stat sheet. Later in the day she helped out the short-handed — but not short-Foot’ed — U11 team and played with similar confidence and aplomb.

Goal of the Week honors go to captain Katie Schmidt, whose effort is unwavering but whose technique and timing are still recovering after missing all of the 2011-12 season due to knee surgery. In the 2010-11 season she was the Senior Player of the Year, as much for her hard work as for her brilliant, “how the heck” goals. The nickname Superman was indeed apt. Thus, her lone goal in Sunday’s U18 match was perhaps a fitting announcement that she may be peaking just in time for her final trip to nationals, where she is goals shy of the Club’s all-time lead on the national stage.

Oh yeah … the goal! Receiving a pass off to the left angle of the goal and facing two defenders plus the goalkeeper, she didn’t panic or pass. Instead Schmidt zigged past the first, zagged past the second and leveled a low strike past the Cambridge keeper. Super!

Talia Hislop may have a chance at Ellery Winkler’s junior program high of 37 goals set last winter. With 17 goals at the midpoint, it will be a challenge but it is possible.

Fitting on a week that celebrates goals that we recognize three goals as Goal of the Week.

1) “Caoilin used to do one thing — blast the ball from wherever she was standing,” recalls Coach Jason. “She didn’t really do much else. It took one brief conversation to convince her to sometimes keep and pass the ball, and from there [as a 10-year-old] she has become a truly elite futsal player. We celebrated her 100th this week, but next week she will break the career scoring record and in a couple years she will probably crack 200 career goals. Amazing”

2) “It was amazing to watch,” remarked Coach Rabies. “The girls got the ball in front of the net and Phoebe [Jolly] took a shot that rebounded to Sophie [Emde-Gerdine waiting] at the half. She stepped right to the ball and blasted it into the top left corner. Everyone erupted. It was brilliant and special to have someone who works so hard score [such a brilliant goal]!”

3) “It was me,” shouted Anna Rollender, “I scored the goal!” … “It was my assist,” argued Emily Rollender.” Both girls were correct, and of late it has been A-Rol scoring the goals and E-Rol assisting, with Sunday’s a technical marvel disappointing only because it was not caught on film. A short flick from a sister on the near touchline over the defender’s head, deflected down by a sister and volleyed sideways into the goal. Pure class. From BOTH.

Coach Haley of the u12 team was unfortunately concussed and unable to lead her team on Saturday, so Lauren Rayson and Brenda Rice stepped up to fill in. But the players were the ones who truly stepped up, challenging tough competitors from Arlington in the Match of the Week. The girls worked as a cohesive unit with great passing; they spread out and communicated increasingly well throughout the entire game.

Their hard work paid off in the form of several goals, some off of the segundo pao! Junior Player of the Week Gabby Walsh was a constant threat to the Arlington goalie, scoring a hat trick just in the first half, and was joined by Katie Faber, Gretchen Carr, Gracie Gernon and Chloe Kidder who all put balls into the net. A great goal, one of many, came from a pass from Gabby to Lauren, and finally to Gracie who finished the play beautifully. Lauren led the team in defensive effort, keeping Arlington away from the Pink goal. Gracie Sampson was a wall in net the first half, followed by strong performances from Chloe and Gretchen in the second half.

In a bit of irony, the Senior Player of the Week did not score any goals. Instead, after bravely deputizing for her fallen comrade in the middle of  the Northeast Regional Semifinal last week, she stepped back between the pipes for the League finals last Sunday. Despite not being a regular goalkeeper, Emma Della Volpe was awesome. She handled her task with great effort, courage and skill, keeping her team in an enthralling contest til the very end. For her selflessness and representing what it means to be a team player — and truly Pink — she is this week’s SPOTW!

Annie Creamer scored three goals, with Jadyn Foot and Sophie Emde-Gerdine adding one apiece, and additional assists coming from Phoebe Jolly, Evie Hamor, Jordan Burton and Lola Koepke. The girls were pulling matadors everywhere, adding in step overs and v’s and making good passes. Their ball movement was at its highest point after continued hard work and improvement. Equally as important, all players were attentive on the bench and on the field. The players took what we practiced this week and put it on the field. “I am immensely proud of them, and thankful to Pink Ladies Academy player Maya Malouf for helping out,” said Coach Rabies.

The Junior Player of the Week comes from the U12 team, and in addition to leaving equipment and clothing behind at nearly every facility, she is also leaving an indelible imprint on her team’s games. Few players thus far have executed as many moves as Katie Faber, whose V and pullback aplomb sets her near the top of the move list. Coach Haley noted that Faber’s leadership and communication has been exceptional, and playing without subs is not a problem because she works so hard.

The Senior Player of the Week and Goal of the Week have not been named yet. Stay tuned …

Her Junior Player of the Week counterpart was every bit as efficient on the attack, scoring a ridiculous nine goals in a lopsided morning friendly where she also chipped in three assists. More importantly, Lola Koepke performed endless V’s, V-behind’s, step-overs and nutmegs in the morning game and repeated her high quality play during her afternoon league match where she demonstrated great patience and composure. Noted her coach, “Lola is always positive and attentive, has great listening skills and an exceptional eagerness to improve!”

With due respect to Rabies’ half-volley goal against Newton for the U18 team, this week’s Goal of the Week comes from a textbook. Turn to page 33, “Kick-ins” and you will find the image of Juliet Taylor taking a kick-in near the halfway line on the right side. Look at the next image and you see her passing toward Aisling LaVelle in the near attacking corner. Keep your eyes moving and you will observe LaVelle one-touching the ball toward the penalty spot to Sofia Sim. The next frame illustrates precisely how to quickly and efficiently receive the ball, turn to the weak side and lay the ball at an angle in front of your cutting teammate. Lastly, the final still show Avery Little stepping into Sim’s pass and smashing it into the goal.

Recently, the U15 side has been scoring goals at an unprecedented clip. Fitting then that it earns Match of the Week not for a double-digit outpouring but for fighting foot and nail to overcome a staunch opponent. Sarah Berube leveled the affair at one and later gave her team the lead with a late goal off a Madeline Leahy corner kick. Unfortunately, Pink turned over the ball and NEFC tied it early in the second.

It seemed like “everything is just a bit off” and the goal seemed to have that once-a-season force field and the soon-to-be all-time leading scorer appears to be wearing ice skates. Never fear, with a brave and talented goalkeeper like Meghan Majeski behind you, chances can be taken. So the team used a new, never-before used (by this team) tactic that led to a 39th minute game-winner by Caoilin Rice from Isabelle Fuchs. Olivia Austin, as recently as early December not interested in having the ball, continued her awesome improvement playing major minutes at the fixo, controlling the game well and defending flawlessly. It was a great team effort and an enormous mental success — one that bodes well with league playoffs and the regional tournament afoot.

The most thrilling game of the weekend was surely the U13 team’s showdown with Charlestown, which teetered back and forth for 48 minutes — neither team trailing or leading by more than a goal. While the entire U13 team stepped up huge, it was U11 siblings Chloe Kidder and Gabriella Walsh who stepped up the most. Not often does a 10-year-old play in a U14 division, but Walsh is not a normal 10-year-old. Alas, Kidder and Walsh along with U13 regulars Miriam Feldman, Katie Hays, Talia Hislop, Amy Shipe and Juliet Taylor fought hard for the duration.

Hislop led the way with five goals while Shipe tabbed two goals and a trio of helpers. Hays and Taylor were their usual awesome defensively, and Feldman’s savvy on both ends helped lift the team to a very high level. Every goal was assisted as the team shared the ball with exceptional placement and timing, but trailed 7-6 with just under 4 minutes to play.

Pink leveled the match with three minutes remaining, Hislop receiving a pass from Hays then turning into space and smashing the equalizer. With just under two minutes it was the promoted Kidder who heroically won the Match of the Week with the Goal of the Week at segundo pau after a perfect pass from Feldman.

Junior Player of the Week Gracie Gernon was instrumental on both ends of the floor for her U12 team. She played hard on defense, winning the ball back many times without tiring. She also ignited the offense with deft passing and clever moves, evading opponents all game long. Gernon recorded two of her team’s three goals while playing nearly the entire game … after having played almost the entire preceding game as well. Hard work and high quality futsal are no surprise for her.

The U18 team fell on its face to start Sunday’s match with Wolfpack Varsity, gifting two goals in the first 4 minutes. Ugh. Insert Senior Player of the Week Michelle Materna, who helped turn the 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead in less than 12 minutes, scoring three times off assists from three different teammates. She was so utterly dangerous that Wolfpack clobbered her inside the penalty area 10 minutes into the second half — they had a better chance stopping a PK than stopping Materna.

At Monday’s Alumnae Game, Team Yas defeated Team Laura, 11-9 as five of six players scored (Yas, Rabies and Molly Adams three apiece, Nicole Souza and Steph Kelley one each). Bia Silva blasted in six for the losing side, which also received goals from Laura, Lisa Lee and Schmidt.