Tag Archives: Robbie Curtis

Represent Springfield Soccer

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First High School game of the season is coming up this evening for me, in the meantime let’s check out a few local’s and see what’s up:

Robbie Curtis (Ozark 2008) got the game-winner for Lincoln Memorial in OT against Asbury. It’s s wonderful goal, all the better because it was captured in HD. Click on the link to check it out and send Robbie a message.

Ryan Schlichtman (Cassville 2008) scored for Colorado Christian at 7:43 of the first half off a feed from freshman Grant Terzian, in the Cougar’s first win of the season.

And looking forward, the SLU Billikens open the regular season by hosting the New Mexico Lobos this evening at Hermann Stadium. At St Louis, Devon Newport got his 2nd start of the season in SLU’s loss to Memphis last week and Ryan Moses played 25 minutes off the bench. For New Mexico, Andrew Parson’s (Glendale 2006) has played in the wins against Tulsa and Southern Colorado.

PDL Soccer: Springfield Demize Hold Spring Tryouts

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PDL Soccer: Springfield Demize Spring Tryouts

Ah, March weather. Despite the rain, I was able to track down our local PDL franchise as they held Spring tryouts for the second weekend in a row. I heard numbers as high as 74 mentioned in terms of overall registered participants. There was a crowd out on Saturday afternoon as evidenced by the photo above (missing all of the Drury Panthers who were part of the scrimmage). Some familiar faces, with local MSU students including Mike Gow (Lebanon), Andrew Vorce and … A number of other familiar faces, including Adam Legg (Hendrix/Kickapoo) from their PASL and Reserve squads, Robbie Curtis (Lincoln Memorial/Ozark), Quincy Conduff (Hendrix/Kickapoo), Matthew Gow (Mid America Nazerene/Lebanon) and others.

As you may have noticed, I’ve also been capturing more video to share with you and Saturday’s visit was no different. Here are a couple of short videos to give you a feel for how the afternoon was progressing and the attendees. They are both in HD so be certain to click that HD button for the best quality views.

Represent Springfield Soccer

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Robbie Curtis (Ozark 2008) has played in 9 of the 10 games at Lincoln Memorial University (D2, South Atlantic Conference). He’s scored one goal, the game winner against Sheperd University, which is described below:

In the 87th minute, freshman Robbie Curtis (Ozark, MO) who had recently checked into the game for the first time used a pass from teammate James McLeish (Amprior, Ontario, Canada) and Willian Moura to find the back left corner which gave the Railsplitters a 2-1 lead. As fate would have it, the goal turned out to be the game-winner and the final blow in LMU’s victory over Shepherd University.

The Railsplitters are 7-2-1 overall, 2-0 in the SAC and are ranked 8th nationally.

Maggie Schrier (Glendale 2008) has started 4 of the 8 games this season for the Hendrix College Warriors (D3, SCAC), while playing in all 8 games. She is playing both outside Midfield and Defense. The Warriors record is 4-4, 1-3 in the Conference.

Adam Legg (Kickapoo 2008) has started 7 of the 8 games for the Hendrix College Warriors (D3, SCAC), as the team has opened the season with a 3-5 record, 1-3 in the Conference.

Quincy Conduff (Kickapoo 2008) is also a member of the Warriors (D3, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) and has played in 5 of the 8 games this season.

Jason Matthew Taylor (Ozark 2008) helped lead Rockford College (D3, Northern Athletics Conference) to their first victory in four years on September 12th when the Regents defeated Marantha Baptist Bible College 2-1. Jason has started all six games and already has 51 saves as the team is 1-0 at home, 1-5 overall.

Michael Handley (Webb City 2008) is now the starting center back for the Ashford Saints (NAIA, Midwest Collegiate Conference ), starting 8 of 10 games including the past seven games. The team is 6-4 overall, 1-2 in the MCC. He cracks a lineup that lost only one starter last year.

Jacob Plocher (West Plains 2004) has played in 11 of the 13 games this season, starting 3, for the William Penn Statesmen (NAIA, Midwest Collegiate Conference) while scoring a pair of goals.

Matt Saner (West Plains 2006) joined Jacob at William Penn this year, transferring from Neosho CC. He has played in 5 games this season, starting 1. They’ll play at Ashford on October 15th.

Chris Shuler was named the MVC Defensive player of the week for his play in the non-conference games against Cal-Northridge and SLU.

Northridge managed just six shots in the 1-0 Bluejay shutout last Wednesday, while Schuler helped slow a talented Billiken attack Saturday at SLU. SLU striker and Hermann Trophy candidate Kyle Patterson managed only one shot in the match, with Schuler marking the gifted attacker. Schuler was given the second captain’s armband before the SLU match and responded with great leadership and terrific defensive plays.

Springfield Demize Season Wrap

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PDL Soccer: Springfield Demize host Colorado Rapids U23OK, how many of you attended a Demize game this season? And if you didn’t, what kept you away this summer?

The Demize had a difficult season, as measured by their 0-16 result. There were 8 goals scored, 48 surrendered. Tough numbers to reflect on but only part of the story of the team and the season. On the other hand, fans also got to see the PDL Champion Thunder Bay Chill twice this season in Springfield. The first game was a narrow 1-2 loss on June 14th and the second an 0-3 loss on July 2nd. 6 times the Demize were beaten by a single goal, out of a total of 16 games. This is a tough Conference, with the 2005 Champion Des Moines Menace, Colorado Rapids U23′s and St Louis Lions setting a very high level of play.

After 4 years of tracking PDL soccer, both here and throughout the region, I’ve come to appreciate how difficult PDL soccer is for the teams and participants. Once again this year, only two of the six teams in the Conference had winning road records (Chill and Rapids) and only one had a positive goal differential on the road (Chill). The Demize scored 6 of their 8 goals at home while surrendering 19. The games were hard fought battles against familiar opponents who also turnover 50% or more of their team year-to-year due to the nature of the league. Important facts but mere background in the bigger picture.

I’ve commented in the past about how much I enjoy the PDL season and this year was no different. It offers some of the highest quality play we can see in the region and a chance to see the continuing development of players we are familiar with in many cases. I talked to Armen Tonianse, Head Coach and Sam Blair, who handles the Reserves, about their experience this year as well as their plans going forward. The first topic of discussion was competition and here is what Armen offered:

The key this year was our effort to bring in committed players. That offered two immediate benefits, the first a higher level of competition with 25 or more players regularly practicing and working to earn playing time. The other thing we accomplished was offering our Reserve players the development opportunities that come from working and playing in a competitive environment like this.

The competitive environment described by Armen and Sam is something I have come to appreciate as an important aspect of any teams development. The most successful teams in my experience are practicing at game speed and building a team environment that supports that effort and competitive spirit. The Demize have also taken the time to explore the successful programs in the region. Thunder Bay’s win this year follows a 2-11-3 season only two years ago. One key for them has been consistency on the roster. Toniase addressed that topic as well:

A key commitment the team made from the beginning is the Reserve team. The Demize see the team as the future of the primary squad and there were several young men who benefited from that opportunity this year.

Sam Blair expanded on the topic:

The Demize made a commitment to the development of the Reserves this year with a couple of key steps. We took them on two road trips, including a trip to Colorado for our games against the Rapids U23. In addition, we see several of them as the future of this team, players like Robbie Curtis and Kyler Temple who begin their college career this Fall, and Lane Chapman who is a senior at Kickapoo. Our hope is that their experiences and growth with the Demize will lead to their continued participation in the future and the overall growth of the team.

I mentioned the 2005 Champion Menace earlier. They are a club and a team that set the bar when it comes to developing ties in the community and club programs in the region. Attendance regularly exceeds 2000 and Mediacom broadcasts several games live every season. Toniase described the model:

The key is building the pyramid. The PDL team is at the top, featuring the highest level of amateur play in the region. We want to offer players in this region an outlet to continue playing at the highest level, that is the key. It also requires increasing the depth and breadth of play locally, with the Reserves, the Club program Total Soccer is offering in Springfield and Logan-Rogersville and on-going play during the year.

I saw a lot of growth from the team as the season progressed, both on the pitch and in the area of sportsmanship. I hope that more of you will take the time to come out and support the players and the team in 2009. Look for more on the Demize and Total SC in the days to come.

PDL: Springfield Demize Open Season Tonight Against Rapids U23

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Springfield DemizeThe first home game will feature the Rapids U-23 squad, a PDL team based in Boulder CO.

The game is being played at the Cooper Soccer Complex, field 1 and tickets are $5, children under 6 are free. Game time is 7:30 pm and the forecast looks good.

The team is an international squad with professional aspirations. Games can match the quality of the Division 1 games we enjoy during the Fall and the team includes a good mix of local boys as well. I’m especially looking forward to cheering for Chris Murphy (Glendale 2004/Central Arkansas), Danny Curro (Nixa 2007/Avila University) and several recent graduates including Robbie Curtis (Ozark 2008/Lincoln Memorial) and Kyler Temple (Kickapoo 2008/Drury) along with Erik and Lane Chapman (Northeast Oklahoma and Kickapoo respectively). In addition, Eduardo Conde and Brett Thomas (2007 leading scorer) return.

The PDL is part of the United Soccer League and is equivalent to Single A baseball in that there are three more tiers to make it to the Majors, or Major League Soccer in particular. Unlike baseball, soccer is an equal opportunity employer and our local boys are competing in a national tournament known as the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The U.S. Open Cup, which is recognized as U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 93 consecutive years dating back to 1914. Like Golf’s US Open, there are regional qualifying games that can lead to an amateur team like our boys competing at the highest levels.

Eight teams will participate from the PDL, where 60 teams are eligible to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup. The top two teams from the Central Conference, which includes the Demize, will advance. Tonight’s game is opening night of the qualifying round and our boys will play their four games between now and May 26th identify if they will be one of the two Central Conference squads that will advance from the Professional Development League (PDL).

This one means something folks. Come cheer them on!
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Additional College Soccer Signings Announced in Southwest Missouri

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There is a lot of good news coming out of our area High Schools this Spring regarding players who will be playing soccer in college. My goal is to have a personal interview with each of the players that I am aware of so that we can all learn more about the recruiting process. If we’ve chatted but haven’t completed the process, I apologize. If we haven’t talked yet, feel free to reach out to me so that we can begin the process.

In the meantime, here’s the latest update:

Ozark Tigers Signing CeremonyThe Ozark Tigers had a ceremony Wednesday announcing:
Robbie Curtis to Lincoln Memorial University (D2 National Finals last year)
Josh Maloney to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NAIA)
Nick Robinson to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NAIA)
Seated: Robbie Curtis, Nick Robinson and Josh Maloney.
Standing: Coach Tom Davidson OHS Soccer and Coach John Parrigon, NEO A&M.
Photo provided by the Tigers.

The Glendale Falcons also had a ceremony on Wednesday
Lou Opfer to Truman State University (D2)
Maggie Schrier to Hendrix College (D3)
Megan Garrad to William Jewell College (NAIA)
In addition, junior Devon Newport has verbally committed to play for the SLU Billikens beginning in 2009.

Adam Strong, Lebanon YellowjacketsAdam Strong of the Lebanon Yellowjackets signed on Friday with Central Christian College of the Bible. He’s pictured to the left, in the center with Coach Mike Gow, AD Ron Bandy in the back row and his parents on each side. Photo provided by the Yellowjackets.

The Willard Tigers announced that Patsy Middleton is joining Regina Bodine and Jessie Yach at Missouri Valley. The ceremony will be today.

The Joplin Globe offered a a couple of updates for the Joplin Eagles. Joplin High School seniors T.C. Ross and Christian Hernandez will play on a new team next year. Literally. Ross and Hernandez signed letters-of-intent Wednesday afternoon to play soccer at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. The Golden Norsemen will have an NJCAA-sanctioned soccer program for the first time this fall. Back on February 12th, Stephanie Taylor, a midfielder, and her friend, goalkeeper Randi Russell signed letters-of-intent to join the Missouri Southern women’s soccer program

From Central Missouri, Jeff City Helias girls soccer players, Melissa Young and Caty Newbold, signed with Missouri-Rolla and William Woods University. The Jefferson City Jays have two players signing with William Woods today – Katie Denning and Kelsey “george” Sanders.

The earlier announcement is here.

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