Month: September 2012

Catholic Loses, Kickapoo Beats SLUH

The Gateway City Soccer Classic wrapped up yesterday and I got to see a couple of good games featuring top local squads. It was part of nine games I covered during the three day event so I’ll be adding additional photos and game reports over the next 24 hours. I’ll leave you with this appetizer before I head out for a College game today. It’s my birthday so I get to pick and today it’s a women’s match, Missouri Southern at Lindenwood.

Springfield Catholic – 0
Marquette Warriors – 1
The Fightin’ Irish faced the #3 ranked St Louis large school and despite the fact that it was the third game in less than 24 hours for both teams, it was a surprisingly active and well played match.

PHOTO GALLERY – Springfield Catholic vs Marquette Warriors

It was however the teams first loss in almost 23 months as noted by @krash_spgf. An undefeated 2011 that led to their first State title, the boys last loss was to Whitfield in the 2010 State Final November 20th.

more later

Kickapoo Chiefs – 4
SLUH Jr Billikens – 2
The Chiefs faced off against the #4 state-ranked Jr Bills and got the win while controlling much of the play in a game that also lacked focus as the heat and injuries affected both teams. The Chiefs played with Aaron Strunk between the pipes while the Billiken’s best player, Zack Hoffman, missed the majority of the match. Hoffman scored SLUH’s first goal, tying the match when he found space in a crowd yet got off a quick shot that finished just inside the upright. When he was taken down in the box later in the game, teammate … finished the PK to tie the game a second time.

PHOTO GALLERY – Kickapoo vs SLUH

more later

Sterling-Nixa-v-StDominic

Gateway City Soccer Classic, Day Two

Sterling-Nixa-v-StDominic

I’ve created web pages for each of the brackets, click on the highlighted link to be taken to the individual pages and see all of the results from the weekends games.

Bracket D – both Carthage and Glendale advanced to the Winner’s bracket but were shut out by identical 0-1 scores in the second game.

Glendale Falcons lost 0-1 to Morton (Chicago)
Carthage Tigers also lost 0-1 this morning, against Ft Zumwalt South
The 3rd place game thus features Glendale vs Carthage, at 3:00 pm

The Title game features Morton vs Ft Zumwalt South, at 4:45 pm today at Ft Zumwalt South.

Bracket E – Catholic is thru to the winners bracket, Nixa to the consolation bracket.

Catholic gets a 1-0 win against Class 3 Eureka. Goal scored by Evan Craig, per @krash_spgf a deep kick from keeper Straus was followed by a flick header by Mitch Moncada to Craig for a fantastic finish. Scored in the first half.

Catholic will face either St Dominic or Marquette, meaning either the #1 small school or #3 large school in the St Louis metro area.

Catholic falls 0-1 to Marquette on a goal in the 51st minute. It came on a corner kick, headed down between a pair of defenders. I’ll have photos & video Sunday.

Nixa lost to 1-2 to Class 2 Cape Notre Dame. They play against Mt Carmel (Chicago) at 3pm game at Chaminade.

Bracket F – Kickapoo is playing in the consolation bracket while Rock Bridge advanced to the winner’s bracket

Kickapoo defeats Grandview (Denver) with a 2-0 shutout, advance to play #4 SLUH in the Consolation Final!

Kickapoo defeats SLUH 4-2 as Hunter Durham scores a hat-trick. Elliott Williams got the game winner when he pounced on a direct kick the SLUH keeper blocked but it bounced off the upright and Elliott buried it in what looked like a scripted play. Photos and details Sunday.

Rock Bridge defeated Reitz (Evansville) 1-0

Rock Bridge will face Marquette Jesuit (Milwaukee) in their second match of the day.

Bracket B – Jeff City is in the consolation final today, playing against Legend (Parker, CO) at 11:30 am at DeSmet

Willard Tigers logo

Willard Soccer Fall Classic

Willard Tigers logoUPDATED SCHEDULES!! The 2012 edition of the WILLARD SOCCER FALL CLASSIC will run Thursday September 27 through Saturday September 29 and feature primarily Class 2 programs from the area. With three teams from District 11, including the hosts, it should offer a good preview of what we might expect come late October.

Class 2 programs include the Bolivar Liberators from District 10, Hillcrest Hornets, Logan-Rogersville Wildcats and host Willard Tigers from District 11, along with the Webb City Tigers from District 12. From Class 1 are New Covenant Warriors from District 11 and the Monett Cubs from District 12. The Central Bulldogs are Class 3 District 12.

The tournament has traditionally played regular high school rules, which means overtime and pk’s to determine a winner. It’s meant for some long days on-site but the competitive level has also been good traditionally. I would expect that to continue this year.

1st Round Thursday:
Rogersville 2, Bolivar 1 in penalty kicks
Willard 1, Hillcrest 0

1st Round Friday:
Monett 2, Central 3
Webb City 1, New Covenant 2

Saturday September 29
Willard 2, Central 0
Hillcrest 0, Monett 6

Rogersville vs New Covenant
Bolivar 7, Webb City 1 at Hillcrest

12:30 pm: Third place match between Central and Rogersville/NCA loser
12:30 pm: Fifth place match between Monett and Bolivar

2:30 pm: Title game between Willard and Rogersville/NCA winner

reilly-harbach-springfield-catholic-soccer

Gateway Soccer Classic, Day One

reilly-harbach-springfield-catholic-soccer

Update – I’m watching Sporting KC vs Chicago Fire and you should to ( NBC Sports) Photos & report later!

Kickapoo Chiefs lost to Marquette 0-1 in early action.

Rock Bridge vs O’Fallon

Catholic wins 4-0 against Belleville East. A hat trick for Mitch Moncada and one for Evan Craig. They face Eureka Saturday morning. PHOTO GALLERY

Carthage defeats Moline 2-0, face ?

Nixa lost 0-1 to St Dominic, the goal was scored in the 32nd minute when a goal kick was allowed to bounce near midfield and was quickly sent to the right side. The midfielder’s run quickly took him across the top of the box and his shot was untouched as it hit the back of the net.

The Eagles almost equalized two minutes later on a corner kick but the shot rang off the upright and was cleared.

The Crusader’s also hit the woodwork, on a 2nd half corner kick. It was one of several opportunities the Eagles stopped while working hard to get the equalizer.

This team reminds me of the 2010 squad that needed a second reliable option up top when senior K was the primary target. St Dominic adjusted their defense at halftime and effectively denied Robert Neathery the service he needs to make an impact. By the time he started coming farther back to get touches the Eagles didn’t have an alternative up top.

Glendale Falcons defeat the Warriors of Granite City 3-2. Saturday the Falcons will play Morton, Ill on the grass field at 8:30am, at Fort Zumwalt West.
Match stats: Nic 2G; Andy 1G/1A; Derek 2A

gateway-soccer-classic-2012-logo

Ozarks Soccer Squads Competing at Gateway City Classic

gateway-soccer-classic-2012-logoWhat ESPN HS has called the premier Midwestern High School tournament, the 2012 Gateway City Soccer Classic will feature 62 teams this year from across the United States. Included in that list are eight teams from Central and Southwest Missouri that will battle for a Final 4 spot in late October.

Class 1 – Springfield Catholic
The Fightin’ Irish are in Bracket E which includes the Nixa Eagles as well St Dominic, the St Louis #1 ranked small school and a Class 2 Quarterfinalists in 2011, #5 ranked Marquette and Eureka who are receiving votes in the St Louis rankings and compete in a very difficult District. Catholic will open the tournament with a 3:30 pm game Friday against Belleville East. SGFsoccer will be on hand to provide live reports and the best soccer photography available in Southwest Missourah.

Their opponent in Saturday’s first game will be from the Eureka-Mt Carmel (Chicago) game. They are in the opposite bracket from Nixa and could face them in the second match Saturday.

Class 2 – Carthage Tigers
The Tigers, who recently lost a pair of one goal games to Springfield Catholic, head East and will compete with Glendale in Bracket D. An opening game Friday at 3:45 pm will be against Moline (IL) with Saturday’s early match coming from the Ft Zumwalt South – Glenbrook North game.

Class 3 – Columbia Hickman, Columbia Rock Bridge, Jeff City, Glendale, Kickapoo, Nixa

Nixa Eagles – as noted earlier, the Eagles are in Bracket E along with Springfield Catholic. They open the tournament today at 5:15 pm against St Dominic’s, the #1 Small school in St Louis (10-1) who’s only loss came was 0-1 against #4 ranked SLUH. SGFsoccer will be on hand for this game as well, which like the Catholic match is being played at the Lou Fusz facility in Creve Coeur.

Saturday’s initial game will be against either Cape Notre Dame or Marquette, #7 in Class 3 in the recent State poll. If the Eagles are going to challenge Kickapoo’s hegemony, now is the time to do it.

Glendale Falcons – part of Bracket D along with Carthage, the Falcon’s open with Granite City, a team like themselves used to success but still reaching for familiar heights. The 5:30 pm game at Ft Zumwalt West in St Peters will be followed on Saturday morning with either Ft Zumwalt West or Morton (Chicago).

Kickapoo Chiefs – the Chiefs open with Marquette Jesuit (Marquette University HS), a team averaging 3.57 goals per game and ranked #1 in Wisconsin, and unbeaten so far this season. It will be a challenging start! Saturday’s early game will be against either Dunbar or Grandview Heights.

Jeff City Jays – the Jay’s opened the tournament Thursday with a close 0-1 loss to Middleton (WI), ranked #2 in Wisconsin. They play St James Academy, a team that has reached the Kansas large school Final 4 the last four years today at 2:15 at DeSmet.

Columbia Rock Bridge – at #9 the top-ranked program in Southwest/Central Missouri, they are competing in Bracket F along with Kickapoo. They open today with O’Fallon Township (3pm at O’Fallon) before advancing due to a quirk in the schedule to play the winner of today’s SLUH
Reitz Memorial game. SLUH jumped to #4 in the State Polls while Reitz is the top program in Indianapolis.

Check in throughout the weekend for updates from Southwest Missouri’s Soccer Resource, serving soccer junkies since 2005. Accept no imitators!