Tuesday, September 29th, 2009:
Sorry for the delay in writing this post about our game on Sunday, against Hendrix College (conference foe), but is was for us Jews, the Holiest day in the year....Yom Kippur. That is the Day of Atonement, in which we ask forgiveness for all our sins of the past year and perform a 24 hour fast as part of the atonement. It was a good day, ending with family at our home for a break the fast dinner. It was great!
Now, on to the re-cap from Sunday's game. The field was still an issue, due to over 10 inches of rain during this month (the most in our recorded history). We scored first with a terrific goal. Nico Reitmeier play a ball through to Tyler Evans, who finished a perfect goal to make the score 1:0. The rest of the half was a repeat of Friday night, where we just could not get into any type of rhythm to create our flow. We kept pressing, but the score would end 1:0 at the half. We came out to start the second half, like we finished the first...not in a rhythm at all. We certainly foud some chances but all for naught. Then in the 80th minute, Tyler Evans was sent through on the outside and he made a cut around the end and played a perfect up, back and through ball back toward the 18 yard box, where Kenan Le Parc dummied the ball and Tony Crocker put an exclamation point on the game with a wonderful right footed finish to make the score 2:0! That is how the game would end, with our record now standing at 7 wins 1 loss and 0 ties with 5 shutouts in our first 8 games!
I would not call that win a pretty win, but sometimes good teams find ways to win "ugly". We certainly mastered that on Sunday. Overall the week-end, despite the weather and field conditions, was a great week-end and start of conference play for us. We have told the team, that last year we "Hoped" to win and beginning this year we "Thought" we "Could" win and now we told them we now "Know" we "Will" win! We have moved from 'Hope" to "Thinking" to "Knowing". It is the right way for this team. We must continue to work harder each and every day and not take anything for granted. Every team we play, takes special pride in wanting to beat us. This has not changed since we played in the NAIA to NCAA Division I and now to NCAA Division III. We are the spoiled boys of BSC. That is okay, as long as we continue to remember where we came from in order to get to where we are going and realizing that we are indeed spoiled, but we know how to deal with it......Winning!!
We will travel to play Sewanee on Friday night and then Oglethorpe on Sunday at noon. We must play better and keep up our "Knowing"!!!!
So, until this week-end, I will say, have a great week.
Best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Birmingham, Alabama
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009:
Today, we had a warm down session at 9 AM, after a tough game last evening against Rhodes College, in our first Conference game of the year. Before the game began, the bottom fell out and the heavy rain made the field just about unplayable. The game started and we took the ball and went on attack, only to have the ball stop in a puddle on a break away, that most assuredly would have put us up 1:0. But, as the weather continued to deteriorate, so did the field. We have had so much rain, that the field was past the saturation point. Normally, our field will not hold water and drains really well. However, due to so much rain over the past few weeks, it just was not the same. We continued pressing and finally, in the 15th minute, Andrew Shelton, took a hard shot right at the keeper, who bobbled the ball and Tyler Evans finished it off to give us a 1:0 lead. From that point on we were really on our heels and did not do our usual pressuring. That type of play made for their goal in the 38th minute, when a bad clearance allowed them to get a shot off and score the equalizer. So, at half, it was now 1:1.
In the second half, we began playing a bit better and created a few good chances that saw them block one with their hand, that would have been a sure goal and it was not even called a hand ball. We also had one just go wide in an easy scoring opportunity. Then they had a great shot from about 35 yards out hit the crossbar. We were extremely luck to have the score remain 1:1 at that moment. They also missed a clear chance a little bit later, that saw their shot go just wide. Again, luck seemed to hold for us. Then on a really good counter attack, one of our players was taken down in the box and a penalty kick was called. This happened with about 8 minutes remaining in the game. Scott Shelton, stepped up and calmly put us ahead 2:1. The game would end that way! Our record now stands at 6 wins and 1 loss and 0 ties. Sop far so good on this young season. We must remain resolute in our purpose and keep our focused channeled on each game. If we continue doing this, we could very well have a great season and a terrific turn around from last year.
What we found out last night, was that we could indeed adapt to bad circumstances and conditions and hold fast in taking care of our game and making sure we came out on top. In horse racing parlance, we were truly "Mudders" last night!
Sunday, we play Hendrix College at noon in another conference game. Hopefully, we will stay focused and resolute in our purpose. Until then, I will say have a great weekend and I will write again tomorrow.
Best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Birmingham, Alabama
Today, we had a warm down session at 9 AM, after a tough game last evening against Rhodes College, in our first Conference game of the year. Before the game began, the bottom fell out and the heavy rain made the field just about unplayable. The game started and we took the ball and went on attack, only to have the ball stop in a puddle on a break away, that most assuredly would have put us up 1:0. But, as the weather continued to deteriorate, so did the field. We have had so much rain, that the field was past the saturation point. Normally, our field will not hold water and drains really well. However, due to so much rain over the past few weeks, it just was not the same. We continued pressing and finally, in the 15th minute, Andrew Shelton, took a hard shot right at the keeper, who bobbled the ball and Tyler Evans finished it off to give us a 1:0 lead. From that point on we were really on our heels and did not do our usual pressuring. That type of play made for their goal in the 38th minute, when a bad clearance allowed them to get a shot off and score the equalizer. So, at half, it was now 1:1.
In the second half, we began playing a bit better and created a few good chances that saw them block one with their hand, that would have been a sure goal and it was not even called a hand ball. We also had one just go wide in an easy scoring opportunity. Then they had a great shot from about 35 yards out hit the crossbar. We were extremely luck to have the score remain 1:1 at that moment. They also missed a clear chance a little bit later, that saw their shot go just wide. Again, luck seemed to hold for us. Then on a really good counter attack, one of our players was taken down in the box and a penalty kick was called. This happened with about 8 minutes remaining in the game. Scott Shelton, stepped up and calmly put us ahead 2:1. The game would end that way! Our record now stands at 6 wins and 1 loss and 0 ties. Sop far so good on this young season. We must remain resolute in our purpose and keep our focused channeled on each game. If we continue doing this, we could very well have a great season and a terrific turn around from last year.
What we found out last night, was that we could indeed adapt to bad circumstances and conditions and hold fast in taking care of our game and making sure we came out on top. In horse racing parlance, we were truly "Mudders" last night!
Sunday, we play Hendrix College at noon in another conference game. Hopefully, we will stay focused and resolute in our purpose. Until then, I will say have a great weekend and I will write again tomorrow.
Best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Birmingham, Alabama
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009:
been
Today we completed our road trip with a win at Fontbonne University. After Friday's lack of intensity and commitment to purpose for 90 minutes, today was a little better. Again we played on turf and it was pretty good as it had been raining most of the morning, so not having mud to contend with was a bonus. Our intensity seemed better at the start, as was our commitment to our purpose. However, our passing, touch on the ball and communication both on and off the ball was certainly not where it needed to be in order to sustain a complete game.
The game started uneventful, with our team trying to regain what was lost on Friday against Washington University....our balance, rhythm and flow to the game! In the 10th minute we struck with some great combinations, resulting in a great through ball by Tony Crocker to Tyler Evans for our 1st goal. 6 minutes later, Sean Head hit a great shot from about 25 yards out that went in the upper 90 of the goal, to make the score now 2:0. The first half ended that way. In the second half we started controlling the tempo of the game, thus creating our lost rhythm. We had many nice combinations and finally in the 80th minute, we finished a nice cross from Tyler Evans to Andrew Shelton, to make the score now 3:0. We had some other really good chances, only to see them either go just wide or right to their keeper. The game ended 3:0 for our 4th shutout of the season. One of our freshman goalkeepers, Charlie Boles stepped in quite ably for Shachar and our other freshman keeper, Clint Lum finished off the shutout for us. Our record now stands at 5 wins, 1 loss and 0 ties. We will begin conference play this coming Friday at home against Rhodes College and on Sunday, against Hendrix College.
We must continue to improve and stop playing without intensity or a sense of purpose. We must also take better care of the ball, improve our communication on and off the ball, as well get into our rhythm earlier in order to create our type of flow that will continue to make us successful. It was nice to see how we responded today after hitting rock bottom on Friday. We started our bounce back up, but not all the way or as high as we need, in order to dominate from start to finish. I know it is there! I told each of them about what I always say to my daughter before she competes in her running or pole vaulting..."believe in yourself and trust your ability"! Once they start believing in that, we will be able to accomplish great things together as at team of one!
So, until this coming week-end games, I will say good-bye from the road home on our team bus.
Best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from the road home
been
Today we completed our road trip with a win at Fontbonne University. After Friday's lack of intensity and commitment to purpose for 90 minutes, today was a little better. Again we played on turf and it was pretty good as it had been raining most of the morning, so not having mud to contend with was a bonus. Our intensity seemed better at the start, as was our commitment to our purpose. However, our passing, touch on the ball and communication both on and off the ball was certainly not where it needed to be in order to sustain a complete game.
The game started uneventful, with our team trying to regain what was lost on Friday against Washington University....our balance, rhythm and flow to the game! In the 10th minute we struck with some great combinations, resulting in a great through ball by Tony Crocker to Tyler Evans for our 1st goal. 6 minutes later, Sean Head hit a great shot from about 25 yards out that went in the upper 90 of the goal, to make the score now 2:0. The first half ended that way. In the second half we started controlling the tempo of the game, thus creating our lost rhythm. We had many nice combinations and finally in the 80th minute, we finished a nice cross from Tyler Evans to Andrew Shelton, to make the score now 3:0. We had some other really good chances, only to see them either go just wide or right to their keeper. The game ended 3:0 for our 4th shutout of the season. One of our freshman goalkeepers, Charlie Boles stepped in quite ably for Shachar and our other freshman keeper, Clint Lum finished off the shutout for us. Our record now stands at 5 wins, 1 loss and 0 ties. We will begin conference play this coming Friday at home against Rhodes College and on Sunday, against Hendrix College.
We must continue to improve and stop playing without intensity or a sense of purpose. We must also take better care of the ball, improve our communication on and off the ball, as well get into our rhythm earlier in order to create our type of flow that will continue to make us successful. It was nice to see how we responded today after hitting rock bottom on Friday. We started our bounce back up, but not all the way or as high as we need, in order to dominate from start to finish. I know it is there! I told each of them about what I always say to my daughter before she competes in her running or pole vaulting..."believe in yourself and trust your ability"! Once they start believing in that, we will be able to accomplish great things together as at team of one!
So, until this coming week-end games, I will say good-bye from the road home on our team bus.
Best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from the road home
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Saturday, September 19th, 2009:
Well, today we are recovering from perhaps the worst performance of the year. Yesterday, we lost to Washington University 1:2. It was remarkable that we were able stay that close, knowing how poorly we played for the entire game. We were out shot 2-8 on goal and really never threatened to score after the 8th minute, when Tony Crocker scored on a direct free kick to tie the score at 1:1. From that point on, we were never in the game.
The game started and a goal by Wash U. 30 seconds after kick-off. Our wing was certainly not paying attention and they were able to down the flank and get the ball in for the goal. So, we came back and scored in the 8th minute as I said above. In the 34th minute they scored, what would prove to be the winning goal after a corner kick, that was not cleared properly again (just like the goal we gave up against Washington and Lee last week). The first half ended with the score wash U 2, BSC 1!
At the half we tried to address the issues that were problems for us and hoped that we would correct them quickly. It never happened! In the 60th minute, Shachar Hovan, came out for a 60-40 ball and wrapped it up in his hands, only to be kicked in the face and suffer a bad broken nose. Their player was ejected, so we were now a man up. Did that motivate or cause us to have a stronger sense of urgency about the game? Absolutely not. We continued our passive, lethargic play for the rest of the game with a man up advantage. Of the 4 strikers we played, not one had a shot on goal. It was a terrible game for us.
Where do we go from here? Well, that will be quickly determined tomorrow against Fontbonne University at noon. The mark of a potentially great team, will be determined by how they address their poor performance and how high they will bounce after hitting the absolute bottom. We certainly have the potential to be a great team, but consistency must become priority number one! If we can be consistent each and every time we step on the field, we can overcome many obstacles, but not being consistent, we will never be able to recover!
So, until tomorrow, I will say goodbye,
Coach Goldfarb from St. Louis, MO.
Well, today we are recovering from perhaps the worst performance of the year. Yesterday, we lost to Washington University 1:2. It was remarkable that we were able stay that close, knowing how poorly we played for the entire game. We were out shot 2-8 on goal and really never threatened to score after the 8th minute, when Tony Crocker scored on a direct free kick to tie the score at 1:1. From that point on, we were never in the game.
The game started and a goal by Wash U. 30 seconds after kick-off. Our wing was certainly not paying attention and they were able to down the flank and get the ball in for the goal. So, we came back and scored in the 8th minute as I said above. In the 34th minute they scored, what would prove to be the winning goal after a corner kick, that was not cleared properly again (just like the goal we gave up against Washington and Lee last week). The first half ended with the score wash U 2, BSC 1!
At the half we tried to address the issues that were problems for us and hoped that we would correct them quickly. It never happened! In the 60th minute, Shachar Hovan, came out for a 60-40 ball and wrapped it up in his hands, only to be kicked in the face and suffer a bad broken nose. Their player was ejected, so we were now a man up. Did that motivate or cause us to have a stronger sense of urgency about the game? Absolutely not. We continued our passive, lethargic play for the rest of the game with a man up advantage. Of the 4 strikers we played, not one had a shot on goal. It was a terrible game for us.
Where do we go from here? Well, that will be quickly determined tomorrow against Fontbonne University at noon. The mark of a potentially great team, will be determined by how they address their poor performance and how high they will bounce after hitting the absolute bottom. We certainly have the potential to be a great team, but consistency must become priority number one! If we can be consistent each and every time we step on the field, we can overcome many obstacles, but not being consistent, we will never be able to recover!
So, until tomorrow, I will say goodbye,
Coach Goldfarb from St. Louis, MO.
Monday, September 14, 2009
September 14, 2009:
Today is Monday and a day after we won the Kyle Rote, Jr. Invitational Soccer Tournament at The University of the South in Sewanee, TN. We won the game and tournament by defeating Emory and Henry College by a score of 6:0! The score sounds good, but the storyline of the game was in two halves. The first half we played like we were sleep walking for 45 minutes. Finally, Tony Crocker scored our first goal with 8 minutes remaining in the first half. That seemed to energize us just a bit going in to halftime. At half, for the first time this season, they had a lesson in anger....my anger!!! We went over again what we discussed before the game about denial defense and high pressure. We also covered about concentrating more, especially as you become fatigued. Our passing was terrible, our touch was worse and our thought process and movement off the ball was non-existent! Our goal in every game is to play at our level and standard and not to drop down or play at our opponents level or standard. Unfortunately, in the first half that is all we did. We made a few defensive adjustments to our pressure and told then to play like they were capable of playing.
The second half began and we scored 4 minutes after the start. Nico Reitmeier scored on an assist from Garner Shivers. In the 57th minute Garner Shivers scored the 3rd goal on an assist from Nico Reitmeier. The 4th goal was also scored by Garner Shivers in the 58th minute on an assist from Tyler Evans. Garner Shivers completed his hat trick with his 3rd goal in the 64th minute on an assist from Andrew Shelton making the score 5:0. In the 75th minute Kyle Sherrin a freshman from Fairhope, Alabama scored our 6th and final goal on an assist from another freshman, Jonathan Alexander, from Birmingham, Alabama. We out shot them 19 to 3 with shots on goal. The final score again was BSC 6, Emory and Henry 0!
Needless to say, our halftime discussion made our players start "thinking" again. I am proud of how they recovered and got back on track. I must also admit, that the circumstances surrounding this tournament were very unique for us. First we had the 1 1/2 hour delay on Saturday and then had to turn around and play a second game in less than 24 hours, which made this game even more difficult. I also must mention that the field was very narrow. It was actually about 15 yards narrower than ours, so another adjustment had to be made. It is in these type of circumstances that we must compensate by concentrating even more. These type of games determines the character of a team and which direction they will choose to travel. I believe our team answered that in the second half of Sunday's game!
Another highlight to the week-end was the awards our players received. Tyler Evans was awarded the Offensive MVP while Andrew Stein was the Defensive MVP. making the All-Tournament team was Evans and Stein along with Garner Shivers and Nico Reitmeier. Congratulations to them all. I usually do not mention individual awards, as I believe that the "Team is the Superstar" and not the individual. But, because of last season, I felt this was necessary and warranted enough to mention.
I believe that champions are made out of difficult situations and how they adjust to them. I think we are on the right path at the moment. This coming week-end will be another difficult week-end for us. On Friday afternoon, we will play Washington University in St. Louis, on their artificial turf. Wash U is always a top 20 team and a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament each and every year. Fontbonne University also is a tournament participant most years and both will be a great test for our young team. I believe we can win both of these games if we play like we are capable of playing. We can not have any lapses and must stay focused for 90 minutes and execute our game plans to perfection. This can be a memorable first three weeks to the season if we take care of business this week-end. It was 10 years ago that we had another great start to the season. In 1999, we started off with 7 straight victories and we can get to 6 in a row this week-end. I know we will do whatever is necessary to continue our winning formula.
So, until this week-end I will say take care and best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Birmingham, Alabama
Today is Monday and a day after we won the Kyle Rote, Jr. Invitational Soccer Tournament at The University of the South in Sewanee, TN. We won the game and tournament by defeating Emory and Henry College by a score of 6:0! The score sounds good, but the storyline of the game was in two halves. The first half we played like we were sleep walking for 45 minutes. Finally, Tony Crocker scored our first goal with 8 minutes remaining in the first half. That seemed to energize us just a bit going in to halftime. At half, for the first time this season, they had a lesson in anger....my anger!!! We went over again what we discussed before the game about denial defense and high pressure. We also covered about concentrating more, especially as you become fatigued. Our passing was terrible, our touch was worse and our thought process and movement off the ball was non-existent! Our goal in every game is to play at our level and standard and not to drop down or play at our opponents level or standard. Unfortunately, in the first half that is all we did. We made a few defensive adjustments to our pressure and told then to play like they were capable of playing.
The second half began and we scored 4 minutes after the start. Nico Reitmeier scored on an assist from Garner Shivers. In the 57th minute Garner Shivers scored the 3rd goal on an assist from Nico Reitmeier. The 4th goal was also scored by Garner Shivers in the 58th minute on an assist from Tyler Evans. Garner Shivers completed his hat trick with his 3rd goal in the 64th minute on an assist from Andrew Shelton making the score 5:0. In the 75th minute Kyle Sherrin a freshman from Fairhope, Alabama scored our 6th and final goal on an assist from another freshman, Jonathan Alexander, from Birmingham, Alabama. We out shot them 19 to 3 with shots on goal. The final score again was BSC 6, Emory and Henry 0!
Needless to say, our halftime discussion made our players start "thinking" again. I am proud of how they recovered and got back on track. I must also admit, that the circumstances surrounding this tournament were very unique for us. First we had the 1 1/2 hour delay on Saturday and then had to turn around and play a second game in less than 24 hours, which made this game even more difficult. I also must mention that the field was very narrow. It was actually about 15 yards narrower than ours, so another adjustment had to be made. It is in these type of circumstances that we must compensate by concentrating even more. These type of games determines the character of a team and which direction they will choose to travel. I believe our team answered that in the second half of Sunday's game!
Another highlight to the week-end was the awards our players received. Tyler Evans was awarded the Offensive MVP while Andrew Stein was the Defensive MVP. making the All-Tournament team was Evans and Stein along with Garner Shivers and Nico Reitmeier. Congratulations to them all. I usually do not mention individual awards, as I believe that the "Team is the Superstar" and not the individual. But, because of last season, I felt this was necessary and warranted enough to mention.
I believe that champions are made out of difficult situations and how they adjust to them. I think we are on the right path at the moment. This coming week-end will be another difficult week-end for us. On Friday afternoon, we will play Washington University in St. Louis, on their artificial turf. Wash U is always a top 20 team and a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament each and every year. Fontbonne University also is a tournament participant most years and both will be a great test for our young team. I believe we can win both of these games if we play like we are capable of playing. We can not have any lapses and must stay focused for 90 minutes and execute our game plans to perfection. This can be a memorable first three weeks to the season if we take care of business this week-end. It was 10 years ago that we had another great start to the season. In 1999, we started off with 7 straight victories and we can get to 6 in a row this week-end. I know we will do whatever is necessary to continue our winning formula.
So, until this week-end I will say take care and best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Birmingham, Alabama
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009:
Well, our season continues to unfold in a most positive manner. Yesterday (Saturday, September 12), we defeated a very good Washington and Lee University team 2:1 at the Kyle Rote, Jr. Invitational at Sewanee, TN. The game did not start as planned, as we had a one and one-half hour delay, due to the officials for our game not showing. So, instead of starting at 12 noon, we kicked off at 1:30 PM. We had our pre-game meat at 8 AM giving us our 4 hour window before the game and had our 30 minute warm-up as usual, only to find out we must wait for the officials. Well, they never showed. The game officials for the 2nd game showed at 1:15 PM, so we used them.
The game kicked off and we started off quite well and scored in the 21st minute off a nice ball played by Tony Crocker to Nico Reitmeier, who then sent a ball through to a cutting Tyler Evans, who finished off to make the score 1:0. We kept up the pressure and had some more great opportunities, with one hitting the crossbar by Sean Head. The half ended at 1:0. We started the 2nd half the same way and scored in the 57th minute off a corner kick from Andrew Shelton to Tyler Evans, who took a half volley and put it away in the upper ninety of the far post. It was a beautiful goal. That made it 2:0. Now, we seemed to be rolling, until the wheels started coming off. We started making some very bad mistakes defensively in and around the midfield area and finally, Washington and Lee scored in the 68th minute off a throw-in and a very poor clearance by us to the 18 yard mark to one of their players, who put it in the goal to make the score 2:1. We were able to hold on a take our 3rd win of the season and giving up our very first goal. We out-shot them by a margin of 10-2.
We must now learn how to play on a very small field and not make so many unforced errors, especially defensively. Our thought process and touch and passing was very poor today probably because we only had one true training session last week due to the field being unplayable due to all the rain we had. Again, we have to learn how to have more concentration, especially under these circumstance alluded to above. If we can do this, we have the potential to become a very good team.
In closing, I would like to thank our parents who were in attendance for getting our team some snacks while we were waiting for an hour and a half for the game to start. It certainly helped our guys get some much needed nourishment. So, again thank you very much. It is a tribute to our guys, who faced the adversity of a long game delay and lack of training last week, to come out on a small field and do what was necessary to overcome these odds and win the game to remain unbeaten on this young season.
Today, we play Emory and Henry and hopefully, with less than 24 hours rest, we will have a good game and continue our winning season in a positive way. I will rec-cap this game and preview our upcoming trip to St. Louis tomorrow. So, until then keep us in your thoughts.
With my very best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Sewanee, TN
Well, our season continues to unfold in a most positive manner. Yesterday (Saturday, September 12), we defeated a very good Washington and Lee University team 2:1 at the Kyle Rote, Jr. Invitational at Sewanee, TN. The game did not start as planned, as we had a one and one-half hour delay, due to the officials for our game not showing. So, instead of starting at 12 noon, we kicked off at 1:30 PM. We had our pre-game meat at 8 AM giving us our 4 hour window before the game and had our 30 minute warm-up as usual, only to find out we must wait for the officials. Well, they never showed. The game officials for the 2nd game showed at 1:15 PM, so we used them.
The game kicked off and we started off quite well and scored in the 21st minute off a nice ball played by Tony Crocker to Nico Reitmeier, who then sent a ball through to a cutting Tyler Evans, who finished off to make the score 1:0. We kept up the pressure and had some more great opportunities, with one hitting the crossbar by Sean Head. The half ended at 1:0. We started the 2nd half the same way and scored in the 57th minute off a corner kick from Andrew Shelton to Tyler Evans, who took a half volley and put it away in the upper ninety of the far post. It was a beautiful goal. That made it 2:0. Now, we seemed to be rolling, until the wheels started coming off. We started making some very bad mistakes defensively in and around the midfield area and finally, Washington and Lee scored in the 68th minute off a throw-in and a very poor clearance by us to the 18 yard mark to one of their players, who put it in the goal to make the score 2:1. We were able to hold on a take our 3rd win of the season and giving up our very first goal. We out-shot them by a margin of 10-2.
We must now learn how to play on a very small field and not make so many unforced errors, especially defensively. Our thought process and touch and passing was very poor today probably because we only had one true training session last week due to the field being unplayable due to all the rain we had. Again, we have to learn how to have more concentration, especially under these circumstance alluded to above. If we can do this, we have the potential to become a very good team.
In closing, I would like to thank our parents who were in attendance for getting our team some snacks while we were waiting for an hour and a half for the game to start. It certainly helped our guys get some much needed nourishment. So, again thank you very much. It is a tribute to our guys, who faced the adversity of a long game delay and lack of training last week, to come out on a small field and do what was necessary to overcome these odds and win the game to remain unbeaten on this young season.
Today, we play Emory and Henry and hopefully, with less than 24 hours rest, we will have a good game and continue our winning season in a positive way. I will rec-cap this game and preview our upcoming trip to St. Louis tomorrow. So, until then keep us in your thoughts.
With my very best regards,
Coach Goldfarb from Sewanee, TN
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sunday, September 6th, 2009:
Today was the second game of the BSC Labor Day Classic with Sewanee defeating Blackburn College 6:0 in the first game of the day. In the final game BSC defeated Mississippi College by a score of 3:0. This win assured us of winning the tournament and starting our young season with a 2-0-0 record. It has been an awfully long time since we have begun the season with two straight victories, let alone 2 straight shutouts. Boy, does it feel really good, especially after last season. We still have a very long way to go to reach our full potential, but we are on the right path at the moment. Nothing ever makes me happier than seeing our team execute a game plan to perfection, especially defensively. Today, we learned what it meant to have some luck! Yes, it is the same luck we always talk about..."when opportunity meets preparation". Today we were prepared for those opportunities and succeeded in having our "luck"!
Now, to the actual game and how we played. We started off a little sluggish, but were able to re-group and score a beautifully executed goal in the 16th minute. Tony Crocker received a great ball from Stephen Rumble and beat his man on the end line and played a perfect ball to an on rushing Tyler Evans, who put a perfect finish to a terrific ball and make the score 1:0 BSC. The score remained that way until half. We certainly started finding our rhythm and balance and started creating a great flow to our attack. Our defense was super, with our marking backs, Andrew Stein and Michael Alfano completely neutralizing their strikers, to the point of great frustration on their parts. Our sweeper, Scott Shelton was always in the correct position to shut down any impending attack through the middle. Shachar was up to the test in goal and make great saves to keep us with a 1:0 lead until the 60th minute when Nicolas Reitmeier played a through ball to Garner Shivers for our 2nd goal. 8 minutes later Andrew Shelton sent Tyler Evans a terrific ball which Tyler put in the back of the net for a 3:0 score, which would prove to be the final tally of the game. During the second half, there was about a 15 minute period when we were completely out of rhythm, but again we bounced back and finsihed the game game off with another clean sheet. This team is learning about Pride and what the Tradition of this program has meant to so many former players. I believe we can do great things this season, if we continue to believe in ourselves and each other and continue to learn and work even harder. It si very easy to work hard when you are losing in order to try and make things right, but it takes a greater amount of work in order to continue to build and keep winning. Losing makes you say "I did my best", but it takes "winning to always strive to do more than your best". We are learning what it takes to win and I truly believe this is going to be a very special season for our young team. We must work harder than ever before and make sure we have always done more than our best.
Now, we will take tomorrow off and then get back to training Tuesday afternoon in preparation for another tournament at Sewanee this coming week-end. On Saturday, we will play Washington and Lee University at 12 noon and then on Sunday, we will play Emory and Henry at 12 noon as well. This will be a tough test in that we must play 2 games in 24 hours. We have not done this in the regular season since our NAIA days. We can do it, as I believe we are in great condition. Today, that fitness level of our team was the determining factor in our victory. I felt Mississippi College was not very fit through-out the game.
On a special note, I would like to thank all our Alumni who came out to support us this week-end. It is always very special seeing my former players and knowing how much loyalty they always continue to show to our program. Today was a very special day for me personally, as we won our 300th game since we started the program in 1983. It was a great milestone, but I certainly did not win all those games by myself. My players were the ones that put that number up for me. I was just the lucky one to have been on the sideline and coaching them for all these victories. They are the ones that deserve all the credit. This milestone would never have been possible if were not for the love and support of my wonderful family, who have been by my side from the beginning. They are my Heart!! I must also thank my Athletic Director, Joe Dean for all his support and especially all his Loyalty to me over the years. It was quite special to have him present for this milestone and having him share it with me was even more special. I would be remiss if I did not thank the one person to whom I am most grateful for giving me this opportunity 27 years ago...Dr. Neal Berte. If were not for him, none of this would have ever been possible. Now, the person I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart is Greg Vinson. He has been with me as a player since 1991 and a fellow coach since 1996. He has seen all milestones as either a player or coach from the 100th win to the 20oth win and now to the 300th win. I could never have done this without his help. He is very, very special to me as a person, a friend and fellow coach. Thank you Greg for all your help, support, loyalty and especially your friendship. It has been quite a journey and hopefully, this present journey is only beginning!
So, I will say goodnight and thank you to my present team, for such a wonderful week-end that will always be such a special day for me and my family. Thank you! Now, let's keep the Pride intact!
Coach Goldfarb from BSC
Today was the second game of the BSC Labor Day Classic with Sewanee defeating Blackburn College 6:0 in the first game of the day. In the final game BSC defeated Mississippi College by a score of 3:0. This win assured us of winning the tournament and starting our young season with a 2-0-0 record. It has been an awfully long time since we have begun the season with two straight victories, let alone 2 straight shutouts. Boy, does it feel really good, especially after last season. We still have a very long way to go to reach our full potential, but we are on the right path at the moment. Nothing ever makes me happier than seeing our team execute a game plan to perfection, especially defensively. Today, we learned what it meant to have some luck! Yes, it is the same luck we always talk about..."when opportunity meets preparation". Today we were prepared for those opportunities and succeeded in having our "luck"!
Now, to the actual game and how we played. We started off a little sluggish, but were able to re-group and score a beautifully executed goal in the 16th minute. Tony Crocker received a great ball from Stephen Rumble and beat his man on the end line and played a perfect ball to an on rushing Tyler Evans, who put a perfect finish to a terrific ball and make the score 1:0 BSC. The score remained that way until half. We certainly started finding our rhythm and balance and started creating a great flow to our attack. Our defense was super, with our marking backs, Andrew Stein and Michael Alfano completely neutralizing their strikers, to the point of great frustration on their parts. Our sweeper, Scott Shelton was always in the correct position to shut down any impending attack through the middle. Shachar was up to the test in goal and make great saves to keep us with a 1:0 lead until the 60th minute when Nicolas Reitmeier played a through ball to Garner Shivers for our 2nd goal. 8 minutes later Andrew Shelton sent Tyler Evans a terrific ball which Tyler put in the back of the net for a 3:0 score, which would prove to be the final tally of the game. During the second half, there was about a 15 minute period when we were completely out of rhythm, but again we bounced back and finsihed the game game off with another clean sheet. This team is learning about Pride and what the Tradition of this program has meant to so many former players. I believe we can do great things this season, if we continue to believe in ourselves and each other and continue to learn and work even harder. It si very easy to work hard when you are losing in order to try and make things right, but it takes a greater amount of work in order to continue to build and keep winning. Losing makes you say "I did my best", but it takes "winning to always strive to do more than your best". We are learning what it takes to win and I truly believe this is going to be a very special season for our young team. We must work harder than ever before and make sure we have always done more than our best.
Now, we will take tomorrow off and then get back to training Tuesday afternoon in preparation for another tournament at Sewanee this coming week-end. On Saturday, we will play Washington and Lee University at 12 noon and then on Sunday, we will play Emory and Henry at 12 noon as well. This will be a tough test in that we must play 2 games in 24 hours. We have not done this in the regular season since our NAIA days. We can do it, as I believe we are in great condition. Today, that fitness level of our team was the determining factor in our victory. I felt Mississippi College was not very fit through-out the game.
On a special note, I would like to thank all our Alumni who came out to support us this week-end. It is always very special seeing my former players and knowing how much loyalty they always continue to show to our program. Today was a very special day for me personally, as we won our 300th game since we started the program in 1983. It was a great milestone, but I certainly did not win all those games by myself. My players were the ones that put that number up for me. I was just the lucky one to have been on the sideline and coaching them for all these victories. They are the ones that deserve all the credit. This milestone would never have been possible if were not for the love and support of my wonderful family, who have been by my side from the beginning. They are my Heart!! I must also thank my Athletic Director, Joe Dean for all his support and especially all his Loyalty to me over the years. It was quite special to have him present for this milestone and having him share it with me was even more special. I would be remiss if I did not thank the one person to whom I am most grateful for giving me this opportunity 27 years ago...Dr. Neal Berte. If were not for him, none of this would have ever been possible. Now, the person I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart is Greg Vinson. He has been with me as a player since 1991 and a fellow coach since 1996. He has seen all milestones as either a player or coach from the 100th win to the 20oth win and now to the 300th win. I could never have done this without his help. He is very, very special to me as a person, a friend and fellow coach. Thank you Greg for all your help, support, loyalty and especially your friendship. It has been quite a journey and hopefully, this present journey is only beginning!
So, I will say goodnight and thank you to my present team, for such a wonderful week-end that will always be such a special day for me and my family. Thank you! Now, let's keep the Pride intact!
Coach Goldfarb from BSC
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009:
Well, our season has begun in earnest. Last evening we opened our season against Blackburn College from Illinois and it could not have been a better start to the 2009 season. Playing against Blackburn brought back a wave of memories, not about playing them particularly, but playing once again against one of my oldest and best friends in soccer coaching...Aydin Gonulsen. We go back a very long way and had some great battles playing each other almost every year and especially in the NAIA National Tournaments, when he was at Illinois-Springfield. It is always such a special treat for me to play against my friends from coaching and it certainly makes the game that much more enjoyable. We will always battle as warriors, but in the end we will always hug and remind ourselves of our great friendship, forged through these battles! Tonight was no different. My only regret is that one of his players broke his leg in 3 places and had to have surgery last night. He is doing well after surgery and we wish him a very speedy recovery. His name is Andrew Leonard.
As I said, last night could not have gone better. It was the first time in my career that we played 26 players in a game. We are carrying 28 players on our roster and the only reason the 27 and 28th players did not play was because one is injured and the other was not ready yet. The game itself began with a goal in the 8th minute by Garner Shivers, a sophomore from Oxford, MS with an assist from Tyler Evans, another sophomore from Panama City, FL. Our 2nd goal came in the 17th minute by Tyler Evans on an assist from Nico Reitmeier, a freshman from Stadtallendorf, Germany. The 3rd goal was again scored by Garner Shivers with another assist from his counterpart up front, Tyler Evans in the 28th minute of the first half. The 4th goal was scored by Tony Crocker, a sophomore transfer from Appalachian State and a Birmingham resident, with an assist again from Nico Reitmeier. The 5th and final goal of the first half was scored by Nico Reitmeier, with an assist from Tony Crocker. So the score at half was BSC 5, Blackburn College 0! Blackburn did not have a shot on goal during the first half and our defense, with Shachar Hovan in goal had a clean sheet thus far!
The second half began with our starting team now back in the game after a good rest, including the 15 minutes of halftime. We did make a change in goal with Charlie Boles, a freshman goalkeeper from Florida starting ther 2nd half in place of Shachar. Charlie played 23 minutes and was replaced by another freshman, Clint Lum, from Pearland, TX. Their goalkeeper came up really big, with some great saves. Finally, after making more substitutions, we scored again in the 68th minute, with a goal from Jonathan Alexander and an assist from Jared Brookins. Both are local Birmningham freshmen playing in their first intercollegiate game. That was great to see! The 7th and final goal was scored in the 80th minute by Stuart Weekes, a freshman from Bridgetown, Barbados, with an assist from Brice Hunt, a sophomore from West Plains, MO.
So, our final score was BSC 7, Blackburn College 0! Overall, it was a good result for us in our opening game. We now play Mississippi College a 3:0 winner over Sewanee in the first game of our tournament. This will be a really good test for our very young team. Mississippi College is a very talented team with a great striker who scored all 3 goals against Sewanee. last year they beat us 6:3, in a game we could have done a lot better in. Now it is time for payback and we must come out determined to influence the flow and direction of this game. We have talked about restoring the great Pride our tradition has instilled in the program through the years. We must take Pride in the Jersey we wear; take Pride in doing whatever it takes to make something happen in a positive way; take Pride in knowing you can do your best each and every time we step on the field; take Pride in limiting our unforced errors; take Pride in not allowing your opponent to beat you and take great Pride in winning as many individual battles against your opponent that you can in order to make sure we win the war! Pride is an individual thing in each of us and those of us that have this Pride will always be successful!! BSC through the years has always had great Pride in the Jersey, representing our College, our families and most importantly our team! Tradition and Pride will always be evident in everything we do as team, never forgetting the past Traditions of this program and always striving to forge new Traditions and Pride in ourselves, our team and our history!
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our constant and wonderful sponsors Jim 'N Nick's Bar-b-q and PUMA and all that they do to help keep our Tradition and Pride alive. Jim 'N Nick's has been with us since 1984, Buffalo Rock (Pepsi) since 1987 and PUMA has been with us since 1992. Our program could never have accomplished all that we have over the years,without their constant support and loyalty to our program. So, on behalf our our team, once again, thank you so very much for always being so loyal to us!
So, until Sunday, I will say goodbye. Have a great week-end and we hope to see all of you at our game at 2:30 PM tomorrow.
Coach Goldfarb from BSC
Well, our season has begun in earnest. Last evening we opened our season against Blackburn College from Illinois and it could not have been a better start to the 2009 season. Playing against Blackburn brought back a wave of memories, not about playing them particularly, but playing once again against one of my oldest and best friends in soccer coaching...Aydin Gonulsen. We go back a very long way and had some great battles playing each other almost every year and especially in the NAIA National Tournaments, when he was at Illinois-Springfield. It is always such a special treat for me to play against my friends from coaching and it certainly makes the game that much more enjoyable. We will always battle as warriors, but in the end we will always hug and remind ourselves of our great friendship, forged through these battles! Tonight was no different. My only regret is that one of his players broke his leg in 3 places and had to have surgery last night. He is doing well after surgery and we wish him a very speedy recovery. His name is Andrew Leonard.
As I said, last night could not have gone better. It was the first time in my career that we played 26 players in a game. We are carrying 28 players on our roster and the only reason the 27 and 28th players did not play was because one is injured and the other was not ready yet. The game itself began with a goal in the 8th minute by Garner Shivers, a sophomore from Oxford, MS with an assist from Tyler Evans, another sophomore from Panama City, FL. Our 2nd goal came in the 17th minute by Tyler Evans on an assist from Nico Reitmeier, a freshman from Stadtallendorf, Germany. The 3rd goal was again scored by Garner Shivers with another assist from his counterpart up front, Tyler Evans in the 28th minute of the first half. The 4th goal was scored by Tony Crocker, a sophomore transfer from Appalachian State and a Birmingham resident, with an assist again from Nico Reitmeier. The 5th and final goal of the first half was scored by Nico Reitmeier, with an assist from Tony Crocker. So the score at half was BSC 5, Blackburn College 0! Blackburn did not have a shot on goal during the first half and our defense, with Shachar Hovan in goal had a clean sheet thus far!
The second half began with our starting team now back in the game after a good rest, including the 15 minutes of halftime. We did make a change in goal with Charlie Boles, a freshman goalkeeper from Florida starting ther 2nd half in place of Shachar. Charlie played 23 minutes and was replaced by another freshman, Clint Lum, from Pearland, TX. Their goalkeeper came up really big, with some great saves. Finally, after making more substitutions, we scored again in the 68th minute, with a goal from Jonathan Alexander and an assist from Jared Brookins. Both are local Birmningham freshmen playing in their first intercollegiate game. That was great to see! The 7th and final goal was scored in the 80th minute by Stuart Weekes, a freshman from Bridgetown, Barbados, with an assist from Brice Hunt, a sophomore from West Plains, MO.
So, our final score was BSC 7, Blackburn College 0! Overall, it was a good result for us in our opening game. We now play Mississippi College a 3:0 winner over Sewanee in the first game of our tournament. This will be a really good test for our very young team. Mississippi College is a very talented team with a great striker who scored all 3 goals against Sewanee. last year they beat us 6:3, in a game we could have done a lot better in. Now it is time for payback and we must come out determined to influence the flow and direction of this game. We have talked about restoring the great Pride our tradition has instilled in the program through the years. We must take Pride in the Jersey we wear; take Pride in doing whatever it takes to make something happen in a positive way; take Pride in knowing you can do your best each and every time we step on the field; take Pride in limiting our unforced errors; take Pride in not allowing your opponent to beat you and take great Pride in winning as many individual battles against your opponent that you can in order to make sure we win the war! Pride is an individual thing in each of us and those of us that have this Pride will always be successful!! BSC through the years has always had great Pride in the Jersey, representing our College, our families and most importantly our team! Tradition and Pride will always be evident in everything we do as team, never forgetting the past Traditions of this program and always striving to forge new Traditions and Pride in ourselves, our team and our history!
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our constant and wonderful sponsors Jim 'N Nick's Bar-b-q and PUMA and all that they do to help keep our Tradition and Pride alive. Jim 'N Nick's has been with us since 1984, Buffalo Rock (Pepsi) since 1987 and PUMA has been with us since 1992. Our program could never have accomplished all that we have over the years,without their constant support and loyalty to our program. So, on behalf our our team, once again, thank you so very much for always being so loyal to us!
So, until Sunday, I will say goodbye. Have a great week-end and we hope to see all of you at our game at 2:30 PM tomorrow.
Coach Goldfarb from BSC
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