2008-2009 HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TRYOUTS
Sunday November 23rd, 2008
Under 17 & 18 1:00-2:30pm
Under 15 & 16 4:00-5:30pm

Monday November 24th, 2008
Under 15 & 16 5:30-7:00pm
Under 17 & 18 6:30-8:00pm

Lake Country Soccer North Fields
2334 East Pythian Springfield, MO 65802

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Southwest Missouri’s Home Of - MYSA State Cup Champions - Midwest Regional League - Top-Level National College Showcase Events

The Mizzou Men’s Soccer Club has qualified for the National Tournament yet again, ensuring they’ll have the opportunity to defend their 2007 NIRSA Open Tournament Champions title. The boys played a 10 game schedule and finished 7-1-1 (the KU game was postponed due to weather) in the regular season. The beat Oklahoma State 2-0 in the Regional Final to reach Nationals which will be November 20-22 in Alabama. Jacob Basecke and Brian Lindsey, both Glendale 2005, are once again part of the squad. There’s a Facebook page for anyone with questions about tryouts and the team.

Maggie Schrier (Glendale 2008) is a forward! And she’s dishing out assists, with two in the Hendrix Warrior’s recent win over Central Baptist. The Warriors (D3, SCAC ) are now 6-7 and have a 2 game winning streak going and four games remaining.

Hendrix will be hosting Birmingham Southern Panthers on November 9th, which will bring Brice Hunt (West Plains 2008) close to home. The Panthers are having a tough year, with a 2-14 record. Brice has played in 15 of the 16 games and will be looking for some home cooking.

Coach Nick Schmitt did a recent update on Zizzer’s in college, including info on Cody Cody Townsend, Logan Ray, Jacob Plocher, Matt Saner, Stuart Ziegler, Clay Trautman and Kyle Martin.

The Drury Panthers are at home this weekend. Both the men and the women sport identical 6-2-1 records with three GLVC Conference games remaining. The six wins ensure both squads a GLVC playoff spot, the first for the men and the second for the women. Now they are looking to stay in the Top 4, which offers a home game on November 2nd in the first round.

The men play against #21 ranked Lewis Flyers tonight at 7:30 pm. A conservative coach would play for the tie at home, to ensure a point is earned while keeping the Panthers in reach of the #2 team in the Conference. I don’t know that I would classify Coach Bilbao as a conservative coach, or if this team can be reined in in that fashion which ensures a rollicking affair this evening. A win offers valuable confidence points only two weeks from the playoffs, especially against a team with 7 straight wins and ranked just ahead of the Panthers in the Regional poll.

The women’s game is less fraught with significance, except for the fact that Lewis is battling for a playoff spot. Game time is 5:00 pm tonight. Sunday will be more significant as the Quincy Hawks visit, sitting in 6th place two spots behind Drury in the rankings and the regional polls. Sunday’s game’s are at 12:00 pm (women) and 2:30 pm (men).

The Missouri S&T Miners host the Quincy Hawks this evening. For the women, the game matches #6 against #7, both needing points to maintain their position in the playoffs or earn a home game in the first round. Game time is 5:00 pm.

The Miner men sit at #6 while Quincy is at #9 and desperate for points. With games coming up against Drury and Rockhurst, #4 and #1 in the Conference at the moment, next weekend this is a key game for the Miner’s. 5 wins has been key to ensuring a playoff spot in recent years and the Miners sit at 4-2-3 right now. Now is the time to win.

Lake Country Soccer hosts the Thompson Cadillac Fall Classic tournament this weekend. Featuring boys games from U9 up to U14, and girls games from U9 up to U19, it will be the usual active affair at the fields on Pythian. If you’re an Eagle’s fan, you might want to swing by and take part in the Raffle. LCS has a pair of tickets for the Eagles concert at JQH Arena available. $10 gets you one chance, $20 will buy you three chances to win the pair of tickets.

On a related note, Missouri Youth Soccer Association announced this week that Lake Country Soccer will be the hosts for the 2009 State Cup. The dates for the Boys & Girls State Cup are June 6th through 14th, 2009.

And for those of you keeping track at home, High School District playoffs begin two weeks from tomorrow (Saturday). In Class 3, the road to State for teams in this area will go through District 9. The Columbia Hickman Kewpies have established themselves as the team to beat in that district and they are playing the Kickapoo Chiefs this evening at Kickapoo (5pm JV, 6:30 pm approximate Varsity start) and will play the Glendale Falcons on Saturday (10am JV, 11:30 am approx Varsity start). Columbia Rock Bridge is also here, playing Glendale tonight as well as facing Ozark tomorrow (10 am) and Kickapoo (2pm).

Sunday’s game against IL-Blue was a hard fought affair, with the crowd dressed for Fall due to the cool morning and 15-20 mph winds. STLSG Blue went ahead 5 minutes into the 2nd half when they drew a penalty kick that was converted. SSC came back quickly, tying the game on a hard shot from the edge of the box by Elliott Williams on a ball that had been cleared following a fine cross by Josh McCutcheon on a run down the right side. The game winner came late in the game, off of a corner kick. The initial ball was touched by the keeper (pictured) but fell in the box where Braden Mitchell was able to convert.

The boys are now 2-2 on the season with 3 games to play.

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Decided to get out briefly today for some Midwest Regional League games since I only had a small window available to me today.

The U14 West Division White, which includes the Springfield SC 94/95 squad, is holding a series of games here this weekend.

The photo features the Eclipse Select (IL) versus St Louis Scott Gallagher I. There are also photos from the FC Milwaukee vs St Louis Scott Gallagher IL Blue squad. Click on the photo to be taken the photo website.

There are two games on Sunday. St Louis Scott Gallagher I will play FC Milwaukee at 8:00 am followed by the Springfield SC vs STLSG IL Blue squad (formerly Metro United) at 10:00 am. Unless there is lightning the games will go on, at Cooper #1 or #3.

These are important games in that these are the same clubs that regularly reach the Regionals, with Springfield SC’s older squad having competed against Eclipse, Sockers, FC Milwaukee and Gallagher/Metro United in the past. This is the next generation coming up and the quality of play is very good. Middle school age boys who would acquit themselves very well against half of the high school teams in the region.

The MIDWEST REGIONAL LEAGUE (MRL) mission is to provide the highest standard of competitive play for youth teams in US Youth Soccer Region II (the Midwest Region) and to assure the continued growth and development of elite level players.

As usual, free low-resolution photos for download and personal use are available on my Flickr site. Purchase of higher resolution photos in any format you might like are available on my SmugMug site. If you have a Facebook profile, you can find many of the photos on my Facebook page.

Instructions for downloading the free low-resolution photos are available by following this link - How To

I’m going to have to put a poll up one of these days because I think my High School soccer coverage is the most important item for the vast majority of you. But I’ll get to those items in a minute…

The Missouri State women’s soccer team hosts 18th-ranked Kansas Friday night at Plaster Field. The Jayhawks come to Missouri State for the first time since 2003 boasting a 4-0 record on the season. They’ve also outscored their opponents 11-3. If your daughter is thinking about playing college soccer, this is a MUST SEE. The Bear’s lost in overtime last year at Kansas. This is a new and stronger squad that may be developing into the best one I’ve seen outside of Jackie Hood’s senior year (2005). Come support!

The Missouri Southern Lions host regional and MIAA opponent Southwest Baptist on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 pm. This should be an excellent game for folks in Joplin. The Lions lost to Central Missouri in OT on Thursday, as the Mules found a way to keep Nicki Llewellyn without a shot. The Bearcats shut out Emporia State 3-0 in their MIAA opener.

The Drury Panthers host Southern Indiana on Sunday, Women play at noon and the men at 2:30 pm. They’ll be returning from their games on Friday at UMSL.

The Missouri S&T Miners are at home on Friday against Southern Indiana and then host Kentucky Weslyan on Sunday.

Moving onto Club Soccer, I just found out that Springfield SC is hosting some Midwest Regional League games this weekend. The Boys U14 West Division will be playing a series of games on Saturday and Sunday at Lake Country Soccer. Games at 9am, 11am and 3pm on Saturday as well as 8am and 10am on Sunday, the games will feature select teams from Chicago, Milwaukee, St Louis as well as our local boys. SSC plays at 11am Saturday and 10am Sunday if you want to get out and see what this level is like.

Finally, there are more High School games then I can count. New Covenant and Christian County are both hosting tournaments as is Rolla. Check my Calendar for details.

The Springfield Soccer Club traveled to Columbia, MO over the Labor Day weekend to participate in the Carrera 4 Girls Midwest Invitational. The Springfield S.C. 95/95 I Girls captured the Under 13 Division Championship and the Springfield S.C. 91/92 Girls (pictured) playing up in the Under 18 Division also brought home a Championship.

“We chose to attend this event because we received great reviews from participants in 2007 and we were not disappointed with the event. The competition was good the fields were great and the host club Carrera SC did a fantastic job with the tournament.” said Jeremy Alumbaugh Director of Soccer Operations for the Springfield S.C. “This is definitely an event that we will send more teams to next year as each team was guaranteed four games over two days and early in the season it is great to get an extra game under our belts.”

Both teams also compete in the Heartland Soccer Association (Kansas City) League. “Getting good games this early in the season and having success will hopefully allow us to do well in league play. Both teams are in the second division and these games should help us to challenge for league titles.” said Alumbaugh. The Under 17 team has already completed 8 games in the last two weeks including a game vs. Neosho Community College and a team in the Midwest Regional League. Both teams will also compete in the Metro United Girls College Showcase in November, which is rated as the # 1 Girls Tournament in Region II.

Finding the best competition early allows the older teams to be prepared for the heavy schedule of college showcase events in November and December. Giving players the opportunity to compete in front of college coaches is one of the biggest goals for the Springfield S.C. Players from the two teams come from Springfield, Bolivar, Lebanon and Willard.

Front row- Veronica Renner, Emily Boyer, Jessica Maerz, Megan Melugin, Claire Parrino, Erin Fitzgerald, Mindy Moffe, Brittaney Dunn
Back row-Rachel Herron, Coach Jeremy Alumbaugh, Katie Brewer, Shelby Stewart, Emilee Williams, Lindsey Sprouse, Kiley Huslig, Megan Etter
Not pictured-Coach Bryan Murray, Jody McFarlen. Photo provided by Finch Sprouse.

The highlight show features game footage from all 12 championship matches from Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27. In addition to game footage, teams from all around the country will be highlighted through feature stories that will give viewers insight on what it feels like to be one of the top 56 teams in the nation.

We’ve got some great games to enjoy this week to prepare ourselves for the new season. The start of the Olympic games features soccer in advance of the formal opening of the games. There is also a Friendly between Red Bull NY and Barcelona. Here’s the lineup:

Wednesday - 6:30 am - US WNT vs Norway (MSNBC/UHD)
Wednesday - 6:00 pm - Barcelona vs Red Bull NY (ESPN2)
Thursday - 4:00 am - US MNT vs. Japan (MSNBC)
There will also be games between Honduras vs Italy as well as Argentina vs Ivory Coast
Saturday - 04:00 am - US WNT vs Japan (USA)
as well as Nigeria vs Germany (W - MSNBC), Brazil vs N Korea (W - MSNBC)
Sunday - 6:45 am - U.S. MNT vs. Netherlands (USA)
as well as Italy vs S Korea (MSNBC) and Argentina vs Australia (Telemundo)

Other opportunities this week include the USYSA National Championship Highlights Show that will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel at noon on Saturday. See the highlights of the games that were played in Little Rock two weeks ago.

In addition, the PDL Championship will be shown Saturday evening, at a time to be determined. The Thunder Bay Chill, regular visitors to Springfield as members of the Heartland Conference, will face the Laredo Heat. If I hear of a viewing party, I’ll let you know!

And if you’re looking for a final road trip, the KC Wizards will host Chivas USA on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Both teams lost this weekend and are stuck in the bottom half of the table in their respective Conference with 22 points each. Not a ringing endorsement of course but with only 12 games remaining there are only a few opportunities remaining to see our regional team and for them to begin moving up the table.

Unlike many of the players I’ve talked to about their recruiting experience, playing college ball wasn’t necessarily on his radar screen. A bit hard to imagine with an older brother who is part of the squad at Washington University (Bryson, Kickapoo 2007) and a club team that will likely see every single player go onto to college ball, it was just a question of time for this young man. So despite carrying a 30 ACT score into the recruiting fray along with his considerable skills, it’s another reminder that goalkeepers are a special breed.

The wake up call came last year after the Springfield SC U16’s lost to the eventual regional champion Michigan Wolves in the semifinals of the Region 2 tournament. Soon after his return to Springfield he began to receive email invitations to consider attending College Camp programs from half a dozen coaches interested in introducing their program to him (NCAA rules limit the contact to that level apparently). He attended the Goalkeeper Camp at Marquette the summer of 2007 and continued his training with Springfield SC, and more importantly Jesse Miech, now GK coach at Clemson University. It wasn’t until March of this year, following the Dallas Cup, that Northwestern became part of the recruiting picture. It was there that Lenahan first saw him play, on the recommendation of the Akron Zip’s coaching staff who saw the team at the Disney Cup the previous December.

Interspersed among these Showcase opportunities, Tommy had begun identifying programs he was interested in and contacting them. He also took the ACT test. Twice! So when the opportunity arose in Dallas, he was ready. Coach Lenehan saw the first game, a 3-2 win. While that never hurts, the feedback Tombridge received later was that his academic results were a requirement before Northwestern would even talk to him. That, along with the earlier recommendation, are what brought Northwestern to his sideline among the many options available to a coach at the Dallas Cup.

NCAA rules don’t allow direct contact at that point but an invitation to visit the Northwestern campus was extended. Tommy did his overnight visit in April, when the Club team was scheduled to be in Rockford IL for MRL games. April in Chicago can be pretty darn nice (in between the snow showers that are always possible) and the Coaches, team and campus made a big impression on him.

There was still more to be done however with additional discussions continuing with programs like Wisconsin, Bradley, Missouri State and Tulsa among others. And then in April, once Coach Miech arrived on campus at Clemson, Tommy was suddenly on the radar screen for an ACC team as well.

I asked Jeremy Alumbaugh, Director of Soccer Operations at Springfield SC, about Tommy and the recruiting process. He had some very interesting things to offer:

Recruiting is an especially difficult process for goalkeepers. There are always questions. The games at Regionals as well as the Showcase events the boys qualified for this year test the entire team and allow constant evaluation. That plays an important role.

More importantly though, Tommy is a player who is focused on pushing himself to the top. I’ve worked with some excellent goalkeepers, from Matt Modersohn (MSU), Brad Guzan (2 time national champ with the Chicago Magic, now at Fulham) as well as Matt Pickens and Lance Parker. Only Guzan came close to Tommy’s work rate. He just likes to work. The individual effort he has put in has taken his game up significantly and is going to help him reach the next level.

The final decision for Tommy came down to Clemson and Northwestern. ACC or Big Ten. After attending the Northwestern camp in mid-July, he had verbal offers from both programs and a decision to make. It’s the purple of the Wildcats that we’ll be following. His decision was based upon the academic opportunities, with a major still to be determined. He’s not admitting to any need to be closer to home but that’s OK, I’ll accept that answer. The Northwestern home field has to qualify as one of the most scenic in the Midwest. That’s Ann Cook, Springfield native and assistant at Penn State, pictured at a game last Fall I covered. Lake Michigan is located a stone’s throw behind her in this photo, with the campus stretching for a significant distance along the lake.

I also have a better idea of how I’ll be spending my birthday this year. Northwestern renews their rivalry with SLU, playing at Hermann Stadium on Tuesday September 30th at 7:00 pm. They last played to a 1-1 draw in an exhibition game last August. Before that, Northwestern knocked the Billikens out in the 2nd round of the NCAA playoffs in 2006 enroute to a Quarterfinal finish.

So I’m a happy camper. I’m looking forward to watching the battles between Devon Newport and Tombridge in the future. Club teammates now, college foes soon. Now I’m off to figure out who “Explosions In The Sky” is, Tommy’s pre-game music choice. Congrats Christopher ‘Tommy’ Tombridge! UPDATE - as noted, the other Big 10 player (besides Rachel Lavoy at Purdue) will be Graham Basecke who will be playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. That’s what I get for finishing this story at 2:30 am

A 90th minute free kick goal by Solar gave the North Texas team the U-19 National title, beating the Wizards Juniors 1-0. It sucks to lose on such a later goal, but congratulations to the team on a great run to the national title.

The team got a pair of late goals, in the 75th and 79th minute, to win the home leg of the series 2-0. The first goal came as the team slowly wore down their opponent and maintained possession in the offensive end. Winning a 1v1 battle on the far left side of the box allowed x to slot a ball to Justin Alford (MSU/Poplar Bluff) in the six yard box where he confidently buried a one-touch ball into the roof of the net. The second goal came on a corner kick by John Duncan (WashU/Joplin) with Heath Melugin (MSU/Kickapoo) rising above the defense to nod it home.

The game is the final leg of a home-and-away series initiated this year between the two clubs, with the winner earning the Ozarks Challenge Cup hardware.

Game time is 7:05 pm at Cooper Soccer Complex, Field 1.

As a few folks have pointed out to me, it could be the last opportunity to see All-American Patrick Carver (Parkview 2005) play in Springfield prior to the end of his collegiate career at Emory University. Emory will visit Washington University on October 12th when he’ll face off against high school teammate Joshua Florez (and John Duncan, Joplin and Bryson Tombridge, Kickapoo) but that will require a Sunday drive.

The boys are unbeaten in their 7 games this season and really gelling. It will be an enjoyable game. Come out and join us and support the local boys!

The LA Times, where the photo came from, covered the Academy Final which was against LA FC:

Despite his injury, Agorsor, who has a scholarship offer from Virginia but is considering playing professionally in Europe, brought back the Bays with his tournament-leading sixth goal and also drew a penalty kick in the 90th minute that forced the game to overtime.

Chris’ future plans have been the subject of a year of speculation on Big Soccer. The most recent interview comes from the Potomac Soccer Wire who sat down with him last week to discuss his plans which seem to lean towards playing at Virginia.

There’s also a YouTube video from the Gatorade Awards ceremony if you’d like to see more of this young man who currently sits at the top of his peer group. For more action, here’s 4 minutes of highlights the Bay’s win over the Chicago Fire Academy team early in the playoffs.