Comments from Coach Sherry

2004-05

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I write my last press release for the women’s soccer program at Graceland University. As of July 7th I have resigned from Graceland to take up the position of head women’s soccer coach at Western Illinois University, NCAA Division I. I wish to say goodbye to the families of these wonderful players. The main reason why the players have developed so well is down to you, and you must be congratulated on bringing up such great people. Your support of me has also been the greatest of gifts. I would also like to take this opportunity to say goodbye and thank Ivan Joseph, the men’s soccer coach at Graceland. You have taught me so much and your constant support has been a huge help to me. You have influenced me in a way you cannot imagine and for that I am forever in your debt.

I wish to end by using some words from Mother Teresa. It has been my guiding light throughout the four seasons I have had at Graceland University - Goodbye.

“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.”

-- Kevin Sherry

BERRY COLLEGE 0 GRACELAND 0 (3-5PKS)
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY 0 GRACELAND 1
LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE 0 GRACELAND 0 (5-4PKS)

The Final Four – who would have believed it possible? What a season and what a group of young ladies. Graceland University can be truly proud of them. And to top it all …… We could have won the whole thing! It was within our grasp. We had two open goals in the semi final, one of which was in the final five minutes of the game, which would have secured our place in the championship game against a team we KNEW we could beat. What a historic moment that would have been.

Having said that, the experience and the performances put in by the team were exceptional and capped a great undefeated season. I thought the effort of the players in the three games was just phenomenal, against very good teams that were full of talented players from all over the world. We were up against heavily scholarshipped teams with many international players and to come here and do what we did was just remarkable. These ladies are a credit to the university, the alumni and they're a credit to the conference and region they represented.

I have had many great memories and achievements in my sporting life. I have scored a goal playing for Great Britain U-18’s against the Italian National U-18 team, I have won the English national college championship as a player, I have won the London Cup twice as a coach and this achievement with the soccer ladies of Graceland University ranks right up there with these other accomplishments as being one of the proudest moments of my career. I swell with pride about playing a small part in this team’s development and having the privilege to watch them achieve the level of success which no one thought possible. It is amazing to see us play in a tournament where every other team gives out full scholarships to their players and there we were with very little or no athletic scholarships awarded to the players.

In recent seasons Graceland has pursued an NCAA Division III model of participation rather than success in athletics, which makes this achievement all the more amazing. It is almost unfathomable to realize that this team of cast offs could go the whole season undefeated and do battle with the best which this nation can provide, and come away with such success. If you put it all in this context, then this is by far the greatest achievement in my career as both a player and as a coach. This is the kind of stuff movies are made from. All I ask is that George Clooney plays me in the movie!

Two days before we left for Santa Barbara we lost Sabine Schwittay through injury. In one of our last practices Sabine got her cleats caught in the grass and tore her ACL. It was so sad to see and it put a real downer on our last minute preparations. Sabine had been a constant force on the team all season and was a central player in how we played and to lose her so close to the tournament was heart breaking. It brought many of us to tears and made us even more determined to do well at the tournament so as to dedicate our success to her. Sabine came with us and hobbled around on crutches offering her support from the side lines. This support and team fellowship shows the secret of our success. It is at the core of everything we do.

We arrived with a few days to prepare as we had received the number five seeding and therefore a bye through the first round. We used this time to acclimatize to the blue sky and 75 degree sunshine and get some important practice time in.

We had the opening ceremony which was a great event for the players to be part of. It was done the same way as the Olympics, with teams walking behind their banner in lines in front of the applauding fans. It made them feel special and for the first time gave them a sense of what they had really accomplished. Here we were in Santa Barbara, Calif. with the best teams in the nation competing for the national championship. We watched a couple of the first games and it gave the ladies a feel of what was in front of them. They had an extra bounce in their step for the next couple of practices as a result.

We practiced on the field of Westmont College which was a beautiful surrounding to be in. The games were played on the turf of the Santa Barbara City College stadium which was right by the beach, palm trees and ocean. It was an amazing place to watch and play soccer in. During some time off we took the players to the local zoo and they had a good time just being together. The fellowship you see in this team is inspiring and is something anyone who comes into contact with the team always comments on.

After a couple of days the players were becoming anxious to get started. We were one of the last teams to play and the players were desperate to get going. Our first game was against Berry College from Georgia which had been the Region XIII Champions and ranked 15 in the nation with a seeding of 12 for the tournament. This was Berry’s 15th appearance at the national tournament and they had been in the final game on five occasions winning the national title three times. It was going to be tough but you don’t get to the national championships and expect an easy game.

Berry dominated the first part of the game with possession of the ball but didn’t really penetrate our back line with any offensive play. They had a very explosive dribbler of the ball on the left wing which was causing Heidi Beckstrom some early problems but Heidi stood firm and made sure the threat was soon cancelled out with excellent one-on-one defending. Towards the end of the first half Graceland came more into the game and began dictating the pace and flow of the game. Reily Madigan came into midfield after 25 minutes to join Misako Inaba and Julia Prohaska, which enabled Graceland to win more tackles and keep the ball better in the central part of the field. We now had a platform on which to provide our forward runners with opportunities to attack the Berry goal which was defended by a German goalkeeper who was an All-American the previous season. Maria Prieto came the closest with an excellent shot from the right which was pushed round the post by the diving Berry goalkeeper.

The second half was dominated by the Graceland team and the only thing missing was the finish on net. In a game that did not have many scoring opportunities for each team, the opportunities which were created were spurned, either by excellent goalkeeping or a lack of technique from the Graceland strikers. The game finished at 0-0 and then had two 10 minute periods of overtime which went by without any score which meant the game now had to be finished on penalty kicks.

We decided to put Luisa Dibiagio in net for the penalties, replacing Samantha Clark, because of her better speed and agility. It was a gamble but the gamble paid off. Luisa stopped Berry’s first penalty kick attempt and teammates Heidi Beckstrom, Jocelyn Jentsch, Misako Inaba, Calea Bourne and Katrina Sumsion made all of their attempts to advance the Yellowjackets to the next round. It was a brave thing to do to switch Samantha Clark in goal with Luisa DiBiaggio for the penalty kicks after Sam had done so well in net for the whole game. Decisions have to be made by all of us every day; this was just one more decision. We had practiced penalty kicks all week and Katrina Sumsion had been the most consistent and it was left to her to take the all important fifth kick which would ensure victory and she calmly stepped forward to slot the kick home. The players were overjoyed and it was such a relief to win our first game. It meant we were playing Simon Fraser University from British Colombia in the quarter finals.

Simon Fraser is a university of 22,000 students from Burnaby, British Columbia, who had lost only one game the whole season. This was their eighth appearance in the national tournament and had won it twice and been the runner up on two occasions also. The official press release of the game read as follows: “Fifth-seeded Graceland University (Iowa) upset fourth-seeded Simon Fraser University (B.C.) 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2004 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship.

“Graceland sophomore forward Whitney Danner scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute off a cross from Zulema Martinez. The Yellowjackets were out-shot 17-4 in the match, but junior goalkeeper Samantha Clark made five saves in the game and posted her 14th shutout of the season.”

The press release doesn’t say it all. Simon Fraser was an amazing team full of very talented players who were tall, fast, technical, strong and committed. We saw them beat William Jewell 2-0 two days previously and knew we were in for a tough encounter. They seemed to have everything and it was going to take a monumental effort to get passed them. Most of the game was spent in the middle third of the field as each team battled for possession. Neither team were able to get close enough to the opposition’s goal because of excellent defensive work by both teams. Simon Fraser was more than willing to shoot from long distance hence the disparity in shots at goal ratio in the stats for both teams. Sam was able to comfortably control these long distance shots and for the first 70 minutes neither team looked liked scoring.

In the 73rd minute Graceland scored. The ball was played to Jocelyn Jentsch by Heidi Beckstrom on the right side and Jocelyn played a great first time pass down the right wing for Zulema Martinez to run on to behind the left defender. The pass was hit with perfect weight enabling Zulema to look up before hitting a cross first time into the box. Malcolm Guscott, Lara’s dad, is claiming an assist on the goal because he said it was his loud call to Whitney Danner from the bleachers to move into the near post which made the goal happen. Whitney did move across the face of the goal and got to the cross just in front of the near post to flick the ball low and hard past the stationary goalkeeper for a great goal. This sparked the Simon Fraser team into action and as the time started to erode they got more and more desperate with throwing everything at our goal. They pushed extra players forward and started to pump long balls into the box from every area of the field. Memories of the Alamo movie came to mind. Our defenders had to stand up and be counted and they did. Samantha Clark caught everything and Heidi, Amanda, Nav and Chelsea did not give an inch at the heart of the defense.

The last five minutes were not without incident though. The Japanese forward of Simon Fraser had a point blank chance from six yards which looked a certain goal until Samantha Clark did a miraculous finger tip save to push the ball onto the bar and over. It was truly remarkable. With only two minutes to go the same player had a header which went inches past the post and another shot, which was destined for the bottom corner, was blocked by a diving Reily Madigan who threw herself in harms way for the sake of the team. There was a huge sense of relief as the final whistle went because I don’t know how much longer we could have held out. It now meant we were in the final four and had a soccer banquet to attend during our day of rest. Wow!

The next day Westmont College, the hosts of the tournament, held a banquet in their gym to honor the final four teams. It was a nice spread and it was great to see the ladies dress up because the occasion helped them feel special. They are special people and it is so heart warming to see them receive the recognition they deserve. I had to give a small speech in front of everyone in which I said how proud I was of the team and how thankful I was to everyone for putting on such a great tournament. It really felt like the soccer world cup with so many players from all over the world and seeing the best college teams in America competing every day.

I also thanked the organizers for giving the players an experience which will live in their memories for the rest of their lives. They have shared something so special that they now have a bond which will never be broken over time or distance. I also told everyone that winning the national championship isn’t everything, and that the core human values of respect, sportsmanship, loyalty and honor which the players learn and show was the real winner. Our team is built around these core values and they played a major role in our success this season. I wanted everyone in that room to hear that fact because sometimes schools, coaches and players lose sight of the real reason we play soccer at this level. Winning a national title by spending the most money to get the best players from Europe, Africa, Jamaica, etc… proves nothing. Our players are by no means the best there is, but they work hard together and will do anything for each other which enables them to compete on a national level. Mix this with some good coaching and you have a recipe for success which is far more satisfying.

Earlier on in the day we had a very pleasurable lunch at the home of John Whitehurst and Kathy McGuire in Santa Barbara. John was a Graceland alumni and he opened up his home to our team which was so kind and appreciated by all. It was an occasion where the players, staff and families of the players could meet as one outside of the soccer environment to enjoy each others company, eat good food and actually see some video of the two previous games which John had kindly taped for us. A huge cheer went up when we saw Whitney’s goal go in and Whitney’s mom almost jumped through the window in excitement. This could have been fatal because John and Kathy’s home was on a hillside over looking Santa Barbara which gave a great backdrop on the proceedings. The hospitality shown to us was truly wonderful and I know I speak for the players when I say thank you to John and Kathy. Your kindness and hospitality made the Santa Barbara experience even more special.

On the day of the semi-final we spent an hour at the stadium getting used to the conditions of the field and working on one or two things concerning our game plan. We also practiced penalty kicks and who would have thought they would play such an important to play in the result of the game? Each of the kickers took three each and the top scorers were selected to be in the top five of the penalty takers. Surprisingly, Katrina Sumsion missed two of the three and dropped out of the top five which was a shame because it was Katrina who took the all important fifth kick in the game against Berry College. I keep second guessing myself and tell myself I should have kept Katrina in the top five despite the morning misses but like I said before you have to make decisions in this job and then have the bravery to see them through. I was confident in all of the players and I was confident in the sequence of penalty takers chosen.

It was a beautiful day and we took the team downtown Santa Barbara to stroll amongst the stores. Then it was back to our favorite restaurant, Luigi’s, whose owner was a Graceland alumnus from 1976-78. It was totally coincidental that his restaurant would be one minute away from our hotel. He got out his Acacia and got the ladies to sign it for him. He was very hospitable but not so much that he would give us a discount on any of the meals we had there though!! The food was excellent and we highly recommend the restaurant to anyone visiting the Santa Barbara area. Just mention Graceland University and he will proudly show off the signatures of his favorite women’s soccer team!!

The ladies had an afternoon snooze and then we made our way to the stadium for the final four match versus the number one ranked team in the nation, Lindsey Wilson College. We had to wait for the other semi final to finish which went to overtime and Concordia upset the higher seeded Robert Morris College. Having watched Concordia we knew we could beat them but first we had to overcome the number one seeds. Most teams would have been intimidated about playing a team that didn’t field any home grown American players and whose roster was full of the top international players from all over the world. The ladies were not and in fact they were confident they could play against them. We had tied 0-0 at their ground in Kentucky earlier on in the season and we knew we had improved since then.

The game was very open with both teams fighting to control the rhythm and pace of the game. Graceland struck first when a 10th minute thunderbolt from Whitney Danner hit the crossbar from 20 yards. The ball spun off the crossbar and when it fell to the floor it spun backwards missing the far post by inches!! The team noticeably grew in stature from this and really pushed home the advantage the team was having with ball possession and shooting chances. Lindsey Wilson were restricted to long range efforts which never troubled Samantha Clark in goal, whereas Graceland were able to penetrate their back line with through passes for our quicker forwards to use. Unfortunately, we were unable to make any of these good opportunities count. The second half was much the same with Lindsey Wilson having some great passing moves from the back but then faltering as they reached our back line whereas we were able to hit them on the break and create good scoring chances which were not converted.

A good chance came on the hour mark when a high ball into the goal area from Amanda Sundell had the goalkeeper rooted on her line and Maria Prieto moving in unopposed on goal. Maria just had to make any contact on the ball and it would have gone in the goal because she was only two yards out from the goal. Unfortunately, Maria ducked under the ball and the chance drifted over and wide of the far post and crossbar. No one is blaming Maria because no one gave of themselves for the team than she did for the tournament. She ran herself into the ground for the team but just didn’t have that composure in front of goal which the top strikers in the world have.

The frustrations for the team were building. We were holding Lindsey Wilson easily at bay and created many chances for ourselves which were not being taken advantage of. The frustration came to a boiling point when with only five minutes in regular time the ball was played from right to left on a counter attack to find Whitney Danner in front of the goal only seven yards out and with the goalkeeper frozen on her line. The goal was wide open and everyone anticipated that this was the moment we had been working for. Whitney took a touch to control the ball and then made the classic mistake. She took another touch trying to get the perfect position to strike the ball from. This enabled for covering defenders to put pressure on her and therefore had to hurry her shot which meant a hook past the near post and wide. I am sure the pressure of the situation got to Whitney. She had time to think and therefore realized how important this chance was and therefore became too careful.

No one is blaming Whitney but it really highlighted the teams Achilles heel for this season and points the way for what needs to be worked on during the off season. Whitney scored against Simon Fraser University with one touch because she had no time to think about it. With this chance she had time to think which ultimately led to the miss. Whitney was and still is distraught about it but we have told her that she has nothing to be ashamed of. Whitney is a star player who always gave 100 percent and it was her goal which put us in the final four in the first place! The game then went into overtime with neither team pressurizing the opposition’s goal. It seemed as if both teams were content to go to the penalty kick showdown.

We put Luisa DiBiagio in goal again for the penalties and the order for our five kickers was in order – Heidi, Jocelyn, Calea, Nav and then Misako. The Lindsey Wilson players hit all five of their penalties firm and into the corners giving Luisa very little chance. The first four of our takers completed theirs with little fuss although Nav’s went in off the crossbar which caused a few flutters. It was left to Misako to take the fifth. If she scored it would be sudden death starting with the sixth kicker but if she missed the result would be in favor of Lindsey Wilson. The tension and the gravity of the situation obviously got to Misako because her kick lacked the normal confidence and pace which resulted in an easy save by the opposition goalkeeper.

We were out. It is a sad way to lose especially when you see how well we had performed against Lindsey Wilson and had the chances to win easily during regulation. Misako was obviously very upset but we made it very clear to her that she is a star in our eyes and she has our absolute support and love. The team lost this final game not Misako.

We dried our tears and then had our final circle with every team member holding hands. We congratulated ourselves on having such a great season which remained unbeaten because games decided on penalty kicks go down as a tie on the official records. We had achieved something very special by going the WHOLE season undefeated, winning the conference championships and reaching the Final Four of the national championships. We said our goodbyes to our two seniors, Katrina Sumsion and Chelsea Woodger who was our captain. We thanked them for their sacrifice, loyalty, dedication, support and leadership. They will be sorely missed. We looked around the circle to see into each of our eyes and we saw a true team. We saw a team spirit never seen before and we realized right there that we had shared something which we should rightly feel very proud of. The bond we had was sealed at that moment and this bond will never be broken.

We accepted our final four trophies in front of the applauding spectators and then made our way to the vans. We were down but we held our heads high with pride. Many neutrals came up to me to say that the game was the best of the tournament and that we deserved to win. This was nice to hear but the comments which made me the most proud were the affirmation from everyone that the Graceland team were a joy to be around because of the way they supported each other, genuinely cared about each other and how well they treated anyone who came into contact with the team. I was so proud.

I would like to comment on how well we were looked after by our ‘minders’ in California. Athletic Director, Dan Hanton, looked after all the logistics and was our father figure to look up to. Amy Woodruff was our media person who took care of the paperwork and was a friend to all the team. John Bartholomew and Vanessa Martinez took care of everyone’s medical needs and they did an amazing job. We nearly lost Chelsea Woodger one day before our first game but they patched her up and got her out on the field, Chelsea’s determination and desire took care of the rest.

And last but not least I would like to say thank you to Derek Sutherland and Aaron Dempton. They were our bodyguards and like any protective father made sure the ladies never came to any harm. They carried everything, drove the vans, counted in and out the players so as not to lose any and basically made sure the ladies were protected. I know there had been some comments regarding why they should have gone to California and I want to state quite publicly that they deserved to go and once there were a central part in our success. They had worked wonders during the season to make our field one of the best in the region and that alone was enough to get them on the plane to California. Together with the athletic trainers, these two are as important part of the team as the players or me. You were all wonderful in California. Thank you all.

I would also like to thank the wonderful family members and various Graceland people who came to offer their support. We had by far the greatest number of supporters for any team apart from the host team obviously. It gave the ladies such a lift to see so many friendly faces cheering them on. People had to come from great distances to get to Santa Barbara and had to make great sacrifices in order to be there to support. This self sacrifice and desire to help the team is reflected in our supporters as well as within the team. Everyone plays an important role in the success of this team including the families, alumni and supporters. Their role cannot be underestimated and the support given to the ladies gave them a solid foundation of love, caring and trust which enabled them to go out time after time and do their best. There are too many of you to put down in print but we know who you are and we are eternally grateful.

We packed our bags and traveled back to Los Angeles to get our flight. Because of it being Thanksgiving break it meant myself, Dan and Derek couldn’t travel on the same flight as the players and we would travel back some four hours afterwards. The players were met at the airport by a welcoming group with balloons and posters congratulating them on a terrific tournament and year. It was nice to hear that these kind people had made such an effort to welcome them home. I am sure it made the players feel very special. In a way it was poetic justice that the players and I were on separate flights.

We had worked so hard together for a whole year and now it was over. Next year is a new start with new goals and expectations. Players and coaches come and go and next season will be different in so many ways. If this team is to be successful then they need to take on board what they have learned this season and use it to improve for the next no matter who is playing or coaching them. One thing I am sure about is that this team can go on and be one of the very best college teams in America for many years to come.

On returning I was told about how much the university had come together to follow the ladies in California. People would gather round computers to follow the live web casts and it seemed to bring people together who normally wouldn’t be seen together. This is a good thing and I hope this now kick starts the Graceland community to come together more on many other different aspects of Graceland life.

Nav Boparai was selected onto the all-tournament select side which was a real honor and one in which the whole team can take credit for. We did not concede a single goal during the whole tournament and in my eyes every player of mine should have been on that all-tournament team. Every player did themselves proud, whether on the field or off. The ladies played their hearts out and supported each other with every breath. This will be something I will tell any team I coach in the future about. We have made the blueprint for future successes and who knows there may even be a book that comes out of it all.

I want to finish by thanking the most important people in all of this and that is the players. You are so wonderful and you have taught me so much about myself and the power of the human spirit. Together you have moved mountains and I wouldn’t have believed it possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes. You sacrificed so much and completely gave of yourself for the benefit of others. I was a recipient of this giving and support. When I was being attacked professionally and personally from an outside source you closed ranks around me so as to protect me. You gave me the strength to continue and for that I will be forever in your debt. You tell me how privileged you feel about receiving my coaching – believe me when I say this pales into insignificance compared to what you have done for me. Words cannot express the feelings I have for you all and the gratitude I feel for each and every one of you. Thank you – your names and faces are etched into my heart for ever.

--Coach Kevin Sherry
Graceland University Women’s Soccer 2004

What a match to decide the Region V championship. Action at both ends of the field, two over times and then the game decided on penalty kicks which Graceland ultimately lost 4-3. It is a cruel way to lose, especially after working so hard all season, but the sadness is tempered by the fact that we are 99.9 percent sure we have qualified for the national tournament as an at-large qualifier.

We have to await final confirmation tomorrow but I am very confident because of our national ranking of 7th and just coming off an unbeaten season.

What a game this was!!!! By far, the best game of soccer I have seen in women’s soccer. Both teams were excellent in their technique and tactical awareness. They matched up equally and the game was a complete stand off between two great teams. I would have to say that William Jewell edged the first half but Graceland had the better of the play in the second half. It was sad that either team had to lose.

If it had been a regular season game it would have ended as a tie but because this was for the Region V championship it had to go to penalty kicks. We had two saved by the goalkeeper whereas the William Jewell players made sure of theirs.

Heidi Beckstrom scored with the first but Lara Guscott missed with the second. Nav Boparai and Misako Inaba scored but Chelsea Woodger missed with our last penalty to end the game. The players were very upset naturally and before they got too distraught I told them I was absolutely sure we have qualified for the national tournament. They didn’t know this going into the game but I knew from 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.

Their tears of sadness turned to tears of joy and it is only right that this team and that of William Jewell should go to the national tournament. Both teams deserve it so much. I am genuinely happy for William Jewell and very proud of my ladies. This has been the most amazing season and these young people have accomplished so much. It started off slowly with no real expectations and it has just snowballed week after week until now.

The game could have been won by Graceland in regular time and over time with the chances we had. Lara Guscott had a tap-in from six yards which she had to reach for and ended up lifting the ball over the crossbar when the net was gaping open wide. Lara also had a free header from two yards at the near post with an open goal before her but somehow managed to deflect it passed the post. Maria Prieto had a shot from 18 yards which was in all the way but ended up turning at the last second to hit off the far post. These three chances looked like certain goals and I still can’t believe that at least one of them wasn’t converted.

William Jewell had some chances of their own but nothing as clear cut as the Graceland chances and Samantha Clark was only troubled once when a long range shot from midfield hit her crossbar in the first half.

I have never seen so many spectators at the Razz before!! From the gate all the way to the football bleachers it was packed solid with people. I can’t put a number on it but I wish I had a dollar for every person there!! The support was amazing and it illustrated the interest this soccer team has generated in the school and in the community. The ladies were amazed by it and made sure I use this report to say the biggest thank you ever from the bottom of their hearts. I wish we could take you all with us to California for the national tournament.

I am too emotional to give a full report. I need to get home and relax. My next report will be from Santa Barbara, Calif. at the national tournament. This is the first time in the school’s history that the women’s soccer team has qualified for the national tournament and who knows – this team may just go all the way!!

by Kevin Sherry, Head Women's Soccer Coach

It was a beautiful day to behold. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the massed fans were all dressed up in T-shirts and smiles. It was a good day which became even better with a fine 4-1 win against Lindenwood University to clinch a place in the Region V final against William Jewell College here on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.

Goals by Heidi Beckstrom from the penalty spot, an outrageous left footed volley from Lara Guscott, a tap in for Maria Prieto from close in and a Meghan Dunagan strike eight minutes from time sealed the win for Graceland. Lindenwood did get on the score sheet with only five minutes to go but the end result was never in doubt and Graceland can now look forward to the Region V final on Tuesday night.

Last year the lady Yellowjackets lost at this region semi-final stage 4-1 to McKendree College and it is very encouraging to see us take that step forward in our progression as a team. We learned so much about ourselves last season with that loss and we transformed ourselves in the off-season to make sure that those lessons learned were adhered to. The results are there for everyone to see now.

Today was the first time I had seen my team obviously nervous. The warm up was not going well with many passes going astray and players being too careful and analytical about what they were doing. I brought them together and reminded them of all the positive things they had achieved this year and then did some simple breathing exercises to try to get them to relax.

I was even going to tell them the joke about what do you call a man with a sea gull on his head? …. Cliff. This would have been done to help calm the nerves. It is probably a good thing I didn’t as the joke is so funny I doubt they would have had the energy to play after rolling around the floor in hysterics. I’ll keep that joke for my one man stand up act which I will be taking out on a nationwide tour shortly.

The game started with Graceland dominating possession of the ball and creating chances in front of goal. Misako Inaba had a long range effort just go over the bar and Jocelyn Jentsch couldn’t get the ball from under her feet at the critical moment in front of goal when the ball fell towards her after a long free kick into the penalty area. Jocelyn Jentsch also just failed to get on the end of a cross after some great wing play by Zulema Martinez on the right. It is one of the best sights in soccer seeing the winger taking on the defender and trying to get behind them. You could see from the outset that Zulema was determined to stamp her authority on the game and her marking defender which gave our attacking play so much more punch.

The first goal came after 15 minutes when the ball was played into the penalty area down the left hand side and as Whitney Danner collected the ball was sideswiped by the covering sweeper. The official had no choice but to award a penalty kick. Up stepped the dependable Heidi Beckstrom to calmly slot home her second penalty in successive games.

Lindenwood came back into the game after this and took control of the midfield with some fine passing and movement. Graceland were happy to concede this part of the field and protect their own defensive third looking for mistakes with which to counter attack with. The ladies always looked dangerous on the break as the forwards seemed to be much more up for this game than in other games recently. It just seemed they were more prepared to take on the responsibility of taking this team to the next level and it showed in everything they did.

Zulema Martinez was dribbling at her defender at every opportunity and providing some excellent crosses. Jocelyn Jentsch was disciplined in her positioning and holding up the ball so as to play in support players around her and Whitney Danner was willing to run and anticipate every lose ball for the benefit of the team. This commitment didn’t stop when the other strikers came into the game. Maria Prieto, Lara Guscott, Sabine Schwittay, Maniesha Munro and Katrina Sumsion all carried on this excellent work.

The proof in the pudding was provided in the 37th minute when Heidi Beckstrom played a long diagonal ball from the right side of defense to the left edge of the penalty area and Lara Guscott volleyed with her left foot into the far corner of the net from all of 25 yards. It was probably the goal of the season so far from an individual stand point. You rarely see this kind of ‘confidence’ and ‘arrogance’ from a female soccer player and it just shows you what you are capable of if you only trust your abilities and have the confidence to have a go.

The timing of the goal could not have been better as Lindenwood were just inches away from equalizing a few minutes beforehand. A long range effort was high and dipping that Samantha Clark just managed to touch onto the cross bar and the ball fell on the line before gathering it up. It was a reminder of how you can never relax in soccer because it only takes a second to score a goal. This saying has been drilled into every soccer player for centuries. I should know as I was there when soccer was first invented.

At half time we spoke about the need to make better decisions with our passing from the back to our forwards. The ball was being swept up by the Lindenwood defenders and midfield and we were unable to build any consistent attacks as a result.

The second half was a much better situation. Suddenly, we were finding our forwards with excellent hit passes from the back and the strikers were able to hold the ball up to bring in the midfield support players who provided the ammunition for the other forwards to run onto. Maria Prieto did an outstanding job in this regard and it was Maria who provided Graceland with its third goal. Sabine Schwittay ran down the right wing and fought off a strong tackle from the defender and began to cut in towards the opposition goalmouth. Maria ran in to support and Sabine very intelligently rolled the ball across the 6 yard box for Maria to tap into an empty net.

The fourth goal came in the 81st minute when after a terrific goal mouth scramble in which Maniesha Munro had a shot cleared off the line and Sabine’s shot was blocked, Meghan Dunagan was on hand to ram home the follow up from eight yards. I don’t know how she does it but Meghan just seems to always pop up in the right place at the right time to score a goal.

Meghan highlighted the real stars of this team performance today. It was the strength of our ‘bench’ that carried this team to victory today with performances that were truly inspiring. On this team we have no ‘starters’ because in my mind any player who makes the varsity roster is a starter. The schedule is so tough that we need every player to contribute during the season. Also, we have no favorites and people play according to who deserves to play and according to the strengths and weaknesses they bring to the game to compete against our opponent. In our team you may start one game and then suddenly find yourself coming in off of the bench in the next.

The competition for places is hard and if any player was to relax and take for granted that they will play would be in for a very loud wake up call. There are no stars on this team just a group of people supporting and pushing each other to be the best they can be. Maria Prieto, Sabine Schwittay, Meghan Dunagan, Nicole Cummins, Calea Bourne, Katrina Sumsion and Reily Madigan all put in performances which reminded us all of how good these players are.

Maria Prieto gave the front line an energy it needed to pick up any long ball from the back. Sabine Schwittay provided a dependable service of crosses and direct running from the flank, Meghan Dunagan gave the midfield a spark when we lost Julia Prohaska with a concussion, and Nicole Cummins steadied the midfield when it looked like Lindenwood were starting to take control. Calea Bourne gave us that extra speed in defense when it was needed and excellent passing options to our forwards, Katrina Sumsion showed us all what a true competitor looks like when she joined the frey and Reily Madigan helped anchor the midfield with her passing and tackling to stamp out any threat of recovery from Lindenwood.

It makes my job so difficult in deciding who to play and where but it is a nice problem to have. I am sure there are other coaches out there who would want this problem and it is a far cry from when I first took over this program that only had enough players to make a team and no bench to speak of.

Lindenwood did get a consolation goal in the 86th minute when a long free kick went over Erin Creson’s head and the striker lifted the ball over Samantha Clark in goal. It was a sloppy goal to concede but understandable when you consider the timing of it and the game situation. Being the professional and perfectionist I am though means I will be addressing it at practice with those players involved.

As the final whistle went it was great to hear the applause from the packed bleachers of supporters. The crowd was near capacity and their support lifted the players throughout the whole game.

The show moves on to Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. when we meet conference rival William Jewell College here for the right to be called Region V champions. This is going to be a very tough game against one of the best teams in the nation. We managed to beat them at their place 3-2 in overtime to secure the conference championship and you just know they will be desperate for revenge. They have two of the best strikers in the country and our players will have to be totally focused if we are to get anything out of this game. We have a few injury concerns going into the game which we hope the medical staff can cure and I am confident the players will rise to the occasion like they have so many times this season already. It is going to be a cracker jack of a game.

by Kevin Sherry, Head Women's Soccer Coach

We did it!! What more can I say? We actually did it. We have won the 2004 Heart of America Conference Championship, winning all nine games, none more dramatic than this last one away to last years champion, William Jewell College. It took a Heidi Beckstrom penalty kick seven minutes into overtime to finally get the result we have worked so hard for.

I didn’t have the courage to watch the penalty kick but I knew from the look on Ivan Joseph’s face that we had scored. I was overwhelmed with joy for my players. This is an accomplishment that will bond this team together for the rest of their lives. I have won many other titles as a player and as a coach but this one rates right up there at the top. The reason why is because I know how hard this team has had to work to overcome almost insurmountable barriers to get even within a sniff of success.

I have witnessed the blood, sweat and tears the team has shed and it makes me so proud to see them get the reward they so richly deserve, against the most incredible odds. This is not a team of great individuals; I think they would be the first to admit this. The success lies in the fact that they are one. The team is a collection of young people who came together and decided the best route to success was to work together. This they did with self-sacrifice, giving up many of those things the average college student takes for granted, a commitment to honor and respect each other, a determination to understand their role on the team on and off the field of play, to put in the necessary hard physical work on their own and to support each other at every turn.

The game started off in a frenzy. We could have been two goals behind within the first five minutes if the excellent William Jewell forwards had not had their scoring opportunities blocked at the last second by the Graceland defense. Just as the William Jewell forwards were preparing to attack our goal again we scored against the run of play.

With almost our first attack in the 7th minute Jocelyn Jentsch hit a terrific left footed curling shot into the bottom right corner from the opposite edge of the penalty area. The ball was played into the penalty area via Heidi Beckstrom and Julia Prohaska to Zulema Martinez who had drifted in from her left wing. With one touch Zulema laid the ball off to Jocelyn Jentsch who instinctively swiveled on her standing foot and bent her body around to fire in a one time shot that caught the goalkeeper unawares. It wasn’t hit with a lot of pace but it was hit with very little back lift and early enough to make sure the goalkeeper could not anticipate the shot. It was a classic center forward goal.

The William Jewell team reacted like the champions they are and responded almost immediately. On nine minutes Amanda Sundell gave away a needless free kick just a few yards outside the penalty area. Up stepped Allison Mallams, whose play has lit up the NAIA on a national scale for William Jewell, and slammed the ball into the roof of the net with real venom. It was a great goal but between myself and Samantha Clark in goal we know we could have given ourselves more of a chance to save it.

This was only the third goal Sam has let in all season and we have set high standards for her now and she knows this. She is by far the best goalkeeper in the conference and region and has a great shot at All-American honors this year but even she has room to improve.

The rest of the half was dominated by William Jewell as they were able to keep possession of the ball and use both wings to provide ammunition for two of the best strikers in the game at this level in Allison Mallams and Kristen Neher who has just become the all-time career points leader in college soccer history with 348 points. Neher broke the record in the Cardinals' 4-0 victory against Grand View College (Iowa), surpassing the previous mark of 340. Neher has played in 76 career games at William Jewell and is averaging 4.58 points per game. Through her career, Neher has recorded 135 goals and 78 assists, including 28 goals and 23 assists this season.

We knew of this offensive threat going into the game but we didn’t get too carried away with our preparations with how to handle them in the days leading up to the game. We decided to concentrate on our shape as a team and how to play the whole team of William Jewell. I believe this approach played a major role in deciding the outcome of this game.

As I watched the first half I made notes on various aspects of the William Jewell play and couldn’t wait for half time so that I could talk to my players. They were under the cosh towards the end of the first half but I didn’t want to stand there and shout instructions to them from the side lines for two reasons: 1) I had every confidence in their ability to adapt to the situation and 2) when you shout instructions from the side lines you usually cause a lot of confusion amongst the players and they need an opportunity to think for themselves to help solve any problem presented to them.

I saw Misako see the problem and how she sacrificed her normal central midfield role to help cover and squash the potential threat. This was something that she did not enjoy doing but she knew she had to do it if we were to keep William Jewell away from our goal. At half time she came straight up to me and before she could speak I said I knew exactly what the problem is, thanked her for her sacrifice and that I would put it right during the half time. It is a joy to coach such intelligent players.

I gave them a few minutes to hydrate and gather their thoughts before I spoke with them. I pin pointed the main area of concern for our defense and what to do to correct this problem. I have never seen such concentration on the faces of a group of young people before!! I knew by looking into their eyes that they fully understood what I was saying and were prepared to put these words into action.

For a coach, this is what you work all of your life for. I also reminded them of some offensive options that we had been working on during practice which may help towards us getting a foot hold back into the game. That was it and it was now down to them and boy did they come through.

The second half was a much more open game with both sides having periods of good possession and goal opportunities. Half way through the half Heidi Beckstrom put a free kick from 40 yards into the penalty area for Maria Prieto to jump for. Maria attracted two defenders and the ball fell to Lara Guscott behind. With one touch Lara controlled the ball on her chest in order to face the goal and then with one touch shot across the goal with the outside of her foot for the ball to nestle into the far corner of the net for a great goal. Immediately I took off Maria and put in Calea Bourne to stifle the attacking play of Allison Mallams.

Watching the game develop from then on, I was absolutely convinced we could see the game out. The players were handling everything with great composure and intelligence. It would only be a mistake that would let William Jewell back in and so was the case in the 75th minute.

Kirsten Neher turned Nav Boparai and as she entered the penalty area Chelsea Woodger had moved across to cover. Before Chelsea could get her block in Nav did the one thing a defender must never do in the penalty area and attempted to tackle from behind. She did so and Kirsten went down. The ref had no choice but to award the penalty kick.

Nav will learn from this and become an even better defender than what she already is. Nav and Chelsea are the rocks on which this team’s defense has been built on and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe Nav just wanted to make the game more exciting. Anyway, Kirsten stepped up and slammed the ball into the bottom left of the goal giving Sam no chance to make the game 2-2.

The game got to full time with only three real incidents of note. Lara Guscott was pulled to the ground in the area for a certain penalty that wasn’t given and Samantha Clark did the most remarkable reactionary save to deflect a rocket of a shot from Mallams. I turned in disbelief to the bench and asked if Sam had actually saved it because it was so quick. Luisa DiBiagio looked at me and with great pride on her face said, “Yes, it was amazing!”

Right there I saw it all unfold in front of me. Luisa is the back up keeper to Sam and I saw right there Luisa taking great pride in the efforts of her fellow goalkeeper. They are a team who work side by side everyday with Fred Wagenaar our goalkeeper coach. They push each other to get better and fight for that starting position, but once it has been given they give every support and encouragement to the other from the bench. I saw in Luisa’s eyes a sense of pride that Sam’s save was part of her because they are as one. Right there I realized how much we had grown as a team and I knew right there that we would be fine.

With only two minutes to go a long ball was played down the left for Lara Guscott to control and then cut back across goal. The goalkeeper missed the ball and it was between Zulema Martinez and her defender as to who would win the ball. Any touch from Zulema would result in a goal because it was only four yards out. Unfortunately, Zulema turned away from the ball as the defender came in at the critical moment. Maybe Zulema was in cahoots with Nav and wanted the game to reach a more exciting conclusion – who knows?

Full time was called and we prepared for overtime. We didn’t talk much because we knew we could achieve this win. We reminded ourselves about the trust we had in each other and to go out there and do your best. What more could you ask of them? They responded with the winning penalty kick after only seven minutes of overtime when Zulema was pulled down by the Jewell goalkeeper.

Of all the people in the stadium Heidi Beckstrom was probably the calmest. She reminds me so much of the old tennis player, Byorn Borg from Sweden. Ice cold in her temperament and calmness personified. She later confessed to her father that she was indeed nervous but to look at her approaching to take the penalty kick you would not have thought so.

Despite my confidence in Heidi I didn’t have the nerve to look. I turned away and waited with baited breath. Seeing Coach Joseph jumping up and down with a huge smile and a roar was enough to tell me we had done it. I jumped for joy and then composed myself to shake the hands of William Jewell’s players and coaches to thank them for a great game. I shook the hands of the officials and then went to my team.

After retrieving Heidi from the bottom of a pile of players we got in a circle to remind ourselves who we were – we had become the 2004 Heart of America Conference Champions. With a roar we went to share our joy with the fans who had come to support us.

The support was amazing. We had President Menzies, Athletic Director Dan Hanton, plus other faculty there to watch. George Knotts brought with him his usual white chair and set up to the side of our bench right by the pitch side. No one said anything because people thought he was one of the coaching staff!! Hilarious. He told me he wanted to get the best view of the game – well he couldn’t get much closer unless he put on a uniform and got out there to play! God bless him. George has hardly missed a women’s soccer game, varsity or jv, all season. He is one of us.

Priscila Eppinger and Jerry Hampton were also there as well as other faculty members who I didn’t get to see. Aaron Dempton and Derek Sutherland, who look after the soccer fields, were there to offer their support. They are a valuable member of this program and we recognize the amazing work which they do on our fields. Aaron even helped by taking the video camera and recorded the game for us. We are a true family where people contribute anyway they can to help. We are understaffed and under resourced but because of a true team effort with many people contributing in so many different ways we get by.

We also had the Jentsch, Beckstrom, Creson, Cummins, Clark, Woodger, Dunagan, Danner families there to support us. We had players from the JV team there which was great to see. We had soccer alumni there in the shape of Jennifer Holm, Kacey Loving, Tina Knights, Carrie Robinson and Christine Allen and maybe more that I am unaware of. We had a bus load of students who had organized themselves to get there. Their vocal support carried us through the game and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You inspired us. Our support was amazing and I am convinced we would not have managed to achieve what we have without it. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for you all.

As we gathered to offer our congratulations and thanks I was surprised as to how calm I was. Maybe it was shock because usually I am very emotional at such occasions. Who was I kidding? Very soon the emotion was going to show itself. My wife, Isabel, saw me and came running towards me. As we hugged she started to cry and that just set me off. The tears were running down both of our cheeks as we hugged realizing the enormity of what this team had achieved. My wife has been at my side every step of the way and I want to thank her for being in my corner for every battle I have ever fought.

Looking around me I saw people hugging, laughing and I thought this moment is very special. I drank it in because I never want to forget this night for as long as I live. Seeing the joy on all of the faces of the players made everything worth it.

All the struggles, the pushing and shoving to get people to change their attitudes, the early mornings and late nights, the countless days on the practice field, the good times and the bad were all worth it because it produced a night of sheer joy that is very difficult to surpass. I am so proud to be a part of it.

We started this journey in August 2001, taking over at team that had not won a single game and in the same way you climb a mountain we took it step by step in order to reach the ultimate peak of success by winning this conference championship. All the players who were involved over the years have played a major role in getting this team to where it is today. If the team of 2001 had not done as well as it had it would not have enticed the next generation of players to come and so on. Carrie, Christine, Abbey, Claudia, Heidi, Kelly, Jennifer H, Katie, Rie, Michelle, Stephanie, Jennifer W, Kacey, Meghan, Julie, Cadey, Laura, Reagan, Rachel, Shemille, Angela, Amy, Nicole, and any others I have left out, if you are reading this – thank you.

My last words of thanks goes out to my team. You are a truly remarkable group of young people that have achieved something most people would not have thought possible. Let me give you some facts which highlight what you have achieved. In the last two seasons you have only lost one regular season game. This season you went the whole season undefeated. You scored 105 goals in 18 games and only conceded 5. You won every single conference game to win the championship. You tied the number one team in the nation, Lindsey Wilson, in Kentucky 0-0. You won 16 games and tied two with no losses. You didn’t concede a single goal in the first 11 games of the season. You are currently ranked as the number # 7 team in the nation and this could go up on Tuesday. Your average GPA last year was 3.4. You are the warmest, kindest and most dedicated group of players I have ever been associated with.

I wish to offer my thanks and gratitude to Chelsea Woodger our graduating senior and captain of the team. Your leadership has been inspirational to all of us. To all the players past and present: Thank you for letting me be part of this team. WE did it!!

---Kevin Sherry
Head Women's Soccer Coach
Graceland University

A 28th minute goal from Julia Prohaska booked Graceland’s place in the last game of the season to decide the conference championship against William Jewell, with a 1-0 victory at home to brave Baker University.

I will sleep a little easier after our side avoided this potential banana skin with some degree of comfort. With the potential for players’ minds to be looking past this game, it was therefore not beyond the realms of possibility to anticipate an upset. However, the ladies did themselves justice with the kind of gritty display fans have grown to expect in our own back yard, and this young Graceland side possessed more of a cutting edge in the final third of the field - which was epitomized by the fact that Graceland out shot Baker 30 - 4. All that was lacking was that piece of luck or technique to put the ball in the net.

Graceland went about their business admirably and made a promising start and fashioned many chances in the game before Julia Prohaska scored. Prohaska, who had not scored all season long, banged in a cracker from 30 yards which flew in over the goalkeeper’s head. Graceland had 28 legitimate good goal scoring chances and could only take one. It was not through a lack of effort or desire; it was just another one of those days.

This has been the story of the second half of the season. Dominating games, creating very easy chances and failing to put them away, whereas, at the start of the season we were scoring with almost every chance. It is a confidence thing and it is my job to raise their confidence level before Saturday. I wouldn’t be surprised if we score with every chance on Saturday to counter balance what happened today.

Here is a list of the chances created in sequence:
1 – Long ball over the top for Maniesha Munro to run on to and hit wide when presented with a one-on-one with the Baker goalkeeper.
2 – Julia Prohaska shot from 12 yards saved by the keeper’s feet.
3 – Amanda Sundell shot over from 25 yards.
4 – Maniesha hooked a left foot shot wide from 7 yards.
5 – Misako Inaba shot over with a toe poke from the edge of the penalty area.
6 – Lara Guscott hit the post after a dribble.
7 – Julia Prohaska shot over from a missed clearance.
8 – Julia scores in the 28th minute with a long looping 30 yard shot over the keeper after a pass from Zulema Martinez.
9 – Lara fails to direct a cross from Zulema goal wards at the far post.
10 – Jocelyn Jentsch flicks a header from a Heidi Beckstrom free kick into the arms of the goalkeeper.
11 – Lara Guscott shoots over the bar.
HALF TIME
12 – Zulema Martinez has a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and hits it straight at the goalkeeper.
13 – Amanda Sundell runs onto a pass and hits the crossbar with her shot.
14 – Amanda has a one-on-one chance and has the shot saved by the keeper’s feet.
15 – Lara Guscott dribbles around her defender and shoots straight at the keeper.
16 – Amanda shoots wide.
17 – Amanda shoots wide after a through pass put her in behind the defense and with the goalkeeper coming out of her goal.
18 – Lara Guscott volleys over from a right wing cross provided by Calea Bourne.
19 – Whitney Danner plays in Lara who toe pokes her shot over the bar.
20 – Whitney plays in Zulema this time for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and Zulema hits her shot at the goalkeeper.
21 – Whitney Danner misses the near post with a 10 yard shot.
22 – Sabine Schwittay shoots over the bar from the right.
23 – Misako shoots wide from 15 yards.
24 – Whitney Danner’s shot is saved by the goalkeeper.
25 – Sabine Schwittay follows up at the far post to poke a ball towards goal only for the goalkeeper to make a terrific reflex save.
26 – Sabine hits a shot wide.
27 – Amanda is put through again and hits the crossbar with her shot.
28 – Nav Boparai hits over form 8 yards after Baker fail to clear a corner.

The other two shots we had were not realistic goal chances but these 28 were. Baker had four shots of which two could have resulted in goals with the ball only missing the post by inches on each occasion. This will give you some idea of the dominance we had over the game and illustrate our misfortune in front of goal.

We knew that this was always going to be a tricky tie but the ladies went about their business with an air of superiority all evening. I am understandably pleased to have avoided a potential upset and now we can prepare for our final game away at William Jewell knowing that the conference championship is on the line.

It's nice to be in this situation as the team has never won a conference title before in its 11 year existence. Who would have thought this would be possible three seasons ago when I first arrived, taking over a team that had not won a single game?

Tonight was a special night because we said goodbye to two special ladies in Katrina Sumsion and Chelsea Woodger. They are the graduating seniors from the varsity team this year and tonight was their last official regular season home game. Chelsea’s mom, dad, brother and two sisters flew in to watch Chelsea play and I am so relieved we got the win we wanted.

When I first arrived in Lamoni in August 2001 I was coming from Japan and only knew of one person in the States. His name was MJ Tate from Utah and he ran a soccer club out of Provo. I called him up and asked if he had any players for me. He sent me four and of the four Katrina and Chelsea have stood the test of time to be the backbone of a very successful varsity team. I asked MJ to send me some comments for tonight’s celebration:

“Ladies, Time waits for no man. Your last home game has crept up on both of you like a thief in the night. I am honored to have coached you both and thank you for your dedication to the game, whether as a player or a camp coach.

When all the Utah girls left to go to Iowa, I would have bet my house that Chelsea and Katrina would stand the test of time. They were always the most dedicated and consistent of all the players on the team, always at training and games. But more important than that - they were both leaders! You were both very instrumental in moving forward the girls program in my soccer club.

Katrina (midget) - I knew you would graduate. If every player had your heart and effort championships would be won. Use this experience as a stepping stone for life and your future, it will keep you grounded. Congratulations. Good luck and God bless

Chelsea! Chelsea! Chelsea! Chelsea! (in song) - With a good London name like that I knew you were destined for greatness. Seriously, you were always the natural leader. Always the most mature of my players on and off the field and I’m glad that you have been a valuable asset to the Graceland program. Good luck and God bless.

Many thanks to Kevin and the Graceland program for taking care of Katrina and Chelsea, for teaching them values for life and to advance their soccer abilities.”
--M-J TATE (TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - INTER FC UTAH)

It was very sad to say goodbye tonight, especially to Chelsea. She has been at my side every step of the way and it was fitting to have President Menzies on hand to give away her framed 15 jersey with an inscription which read:

CHELSEA WOODGER
GRACELAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S SOCCER 2001-2005

"Hope is like a road in the country; there never was a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence."
Lin Yutang

You came to this program in August 2001 after the team had lost every game of the 2000 season. You were the rock of inspiration that helped turn this program completely around. You were the one who made the first steps on this ‘road’ to success and the team followed. You set the example of hard work, self-sacrifice, encouragement to others and loyalty that gave our team hope and then the self belief that they could be successful. So much so that as you graduate in 2005 as the captain of the Graceland University Lady Yellowjacket soccer team, we are now ranked as one of the very top college soccer playing teams in the nation. This achievement would not have been possible without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Head Soccer Coach: Kevin Sherry”

Maria Prieto shot Graceland in front after four minutes and added a neat side-foot volley late in the game. Maniesha Munro clipped in a neat finish at the near post midway through the first half as Graceland dictated the pace of the game. Reily Madigan finished off the scoring for Graceland in the 62nd minute with a near post shot after a neat one-two with Whitney Danner.

The game was just four minutes old when Chelsea Woodger played a ball down the left wing from defense that skipped off the wet surface and passed the Avila defender for Amanda Sundell to run onto. Amanda took it to the Avila goal and as the sweeper came across to cover she played a nice pass across the face of the goal for Maria Prieto to receive. Maria controlled the ball, shielded it from the marking defender, faked to go one way and then spun the other before rifling in a shot from 12 yards that found the bottom corner of the net.

Maniesha Munro had the ball in the back of the net after 28 minutes with an impressive first time flick at the near post. Sabine Schwittay broke free down the right wing and her excellent cross found the on rushing Maniesha Munro to edge the ball across the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the goal.

Sabine Schwittay was proving to be a handful down the right wing and she was the provider of the next shot at goal when she let rip from 20 yards, this time held by the Avila keeper. Meghan Dunagan won the ball in midfield shortly after and played it through for Lara Guscott. Lara was presented with a one-on-one situation against the goalkeeper and unfortunately her shot was saved by the keeper’s feet.

They were the most clear cut chances of the first half for Graceland which is fewer than normal for us. Avila came with a very determined game plan and they would not let our team settle for an instant on the ball. They competed for every lose ball and at times played some very nice passing soccer, particularly down their right wing. Samantha Clark in goal for Graceland was rarely troubled but the team knew, as they came in for half time, that they could not relax.

The second half was only five minutes old when the ball was in the back of our net to bring the score to 2-1. A left wing cross was met by a determined striker who guided the ball across Samantha and into the far corner of the net for a very nice goal. Sam had no chance of stopping it. The beauty of the goal was in the quality of the cross. Hit firm and bending away from the goal that was so inviting for any forward to get on the end of.

Avila began the second half in combative mood and my side did not enjoy the space and time they had in the opening 45 minutes. After the Avila goal Graceland fashioned an opening soon after and Sabine Schwittay raced through the left of the Avila defense to chip the ball over the advancing defender for Maria Prieto to head goalwards with ferocious power. It had goal written all over it but unfortunately it went straight into the goalkeeper’s midriff. A yard either side and it was a certain goal. Avila did have chances but a shot from 20 yards was comfortably saved and any high ball played into the area was easily handled by the defense.

Reily Madigan calmed the nerves of the team when after 60 minutes she slipped the ball into the net after playing a fine give and go with Whitney Danner on the left side of the penalty area. I remember Reily scoring on this ground two years ago in overtime to secure a hard fought 2-1 win. It must be Reily’s lucky ground. This goal was also the team’s 100th goal this season and will mean that we will enter the NAIA record books as one of the highest scoring teams in regular season play. It won’t be the highest ever but it will be up there near the top.

The impressive Maria Prieto capped a fine individual display with a clever close range finish, when she latched on to Amanda Sundell’s 63rd minute cross. For me, this was the goal of the season so far. It started with Avila on the attack and our defense winning the ball. After two quick short passes the ball was played up to Whitney Danner on the front line on the left wing. Whitney controlled the ball and cut inside the field of play before playing a diagonal pass to the other wing for Amanda Sundell.

Amanda took the ball in her stride and then cut an early pass across the face of the goal where Maria Prieto calmly controlled with one touch and with the next slotted the ball into the corner of the net. It was a real work of art and highlighted the importance of quick play. Each player in the sequence had no more than two touches each and the ball was played from the edge of our penalty area and into the Avila goal within a few seconds. The movement, the technique, the speed and the decision making was of the highest order. It was a great team goal.

Nav Boparai was to hit the top of the cross bar from a free kick later on, but in truth the game was dead and buried and the Graceland team saw the remaining minutes out with a sound professional performance. It wasn’t our best performance by a long way but it was a solid performance against a very robust Avila team that showed the heart and character of this team. They had to stand up to some fierce challenges and not be intimidated. This they did with wonderful professionalism. I was so proud of them all. The whole team played a part and when they were called upon to do their shift on the field they did it with a determination not to let the team down.

Nicole Cummins put in another fine display in central defense and reminded us all what a great defender we have in Nicole as a freshman. Nicole is learning all the time and she has the best teachers in Nav and Chelsea to learn from.

Meghan Dunagan was as solid as a rock today in the center of midfield. Meghan is another freshman who has a very good future at the Graceland soccer academy. She is nowhere near the finished article yet but you can see in her the potential which will dominate this conference in future seasons. Meghan is strong and has the most insatiable desire to play soccer. Meghan loves the game so much and you can see this love every time she steps out onto the field. We are working very hard in training on her speed of play and timing of movements. It takes time to completely master but I know she will and when she does I know I have one of the best midfield players around.

Maniesha Munro showed us all what we have been missing up front today with her goal: That determination to get some part of the body on the ball from crosses. Maniesha has been sidelined for so long with a recurring injury that we worried if she would ever make it back this season. I am pleased to say that she is indeed back and now firing on all cylinders. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end just thinking about the threat she brings to our forward line. A lot of our other strikers are technical ball players and we have been lacking that physical presence up front, especially in the penalty area. In Maniesha we now have a person who we can rely on to be on the end of any cross put into the penalty area and this just adds to our attacking options. It also has an effect on other strikers in the team.

Sabine Schwittay is a fine crosser of the ball and her game has been under some scrutiny because people have not been getting on the end of her crosses. Sabine showed to day that all she needed was a willing target in the area to get on the end of her excellent crosses and Maniesha was that willing target. I was pleased for Sabine because she works so hard in training and deserves this recognition. It was also pleasing to see her play so well in front of her watching father and brother who had flown in from Germany.

Another parent who flew in for the game was Kelly Beckstrom, Heidi’s dad. It was a surprise visit from Utah and it was great to see him there. Heidi put in another Heidi performance: Unflappable and always dependable. Mr. Beckstrom commented after the game on how the team gets along so well. This is something we have worked so hard on and I am convinced is the major reason for our success. The love and respect the players have for each other is awesome.

Luisa DiBiagio was the only player not to get on the field today as she was the back up to Sam Clark in goal and yet her support for the team was second to none. This support was before, during and after the game. That was astounding and very moving. It did not go unnoticed.

Overall, a very professional performance under difficult conditions and very happy to get the win with everyone leaving the field healthy. The only scare we have is that of Maniesha who slipped on the wet grass and did the splits which made my eyes water. I have complete faith in the athletic training department that they will patch her up quickly and have her ready for the next game like they have done so many times for us in the past with all the players. They are as important part of our team as any player.

We now move on to Tuesday night where we meet Baker University for our last home game of the regular season. We met Baker in post season play last year and had an almighty battle, winning 2-1 in the last second of overtime. My heart can’t take another game like that one again. It will be tough and close but I have every confidence in my team that they can get the result they need and say goodbye to Chelsea Woodger and Katrina Sumsion in the best way possible.

Chelsea and Katrina started the very first day I started here in August 2001. Four years has flown by and on Tuesday night it will be our last home game of the regular season together. What a moment that will be. It was so tough saying goodbye to Kacey Loving last year – I dread to think what it will be like saying goodbye to Chelsea and Katrina. Chelsea in particular has been by my side every step of the way. We took over a team that hadn’t won a game all season and we leave it now this season as the 8th ranked team in the nation, unbeaten, scoring 101 goals and only conceding three with Chelsea as its captain.

I don’t want to say goodbye but I know it has to happen. I would really appreciate your support on Tuesday night at 5pm to help me say goodbye to these wonderful people and send them on their way with a roar they will always hear when they think back to Graceland University and its soccer program. We shall honor them after the game is finished and before the very important men’s game which kicks off after ours.

Another dramatic night at the Raz with the Lady Yellowjackets sneaking a late winner in double overtime to overcome the strong Missouri Valley Vikings 1-0. With only one minute 40 seconds left in the second period of overtime Zulema Martinez was upended and a free kick was awarded 22 yards from goal.

Zulema was taken off the field and taken to the hospital for x-rays and we are all very hopeful she is ok. Her legs were taken away as she jumped and Zulema fell on her head which jarred the neck. The trainers have told me that the initial x-rays seem positive and she will have a precautionary neck brace put on until she sees the doctor on Monday.

As I was escorting Zulema off the field I could see that both Jocelyn Jentsch and Misako Inaba were lined up to take the free kick. Jocelyn had taken two earlier with one hitting the cross bar and the other going well over. My gut feeling was to let Misako have a go. I knew she had the technique to get the job done but I also knew from my eight years in Japan that Misako would not take it if Jocelyn wanted to take it.

I could see Jocelyn was all set up so I gave a direct order, one of the very few I ever give, that Misako is to take it. I went to the bench to check on Zulema as the trainers were a little concerned with her condition. Behind me Misako took the free kick and suddenly the crowd and bench jumped up in celebration. Everyone told me afterwards that Misako had hit the ball over the wall with swerve and dip which sailed under the crossbar for a tremendous goal. With only 100 seconds left in the game Misako Inaba had won the game for Graceland with a piece of wonderful skill in what was a titanic battle with Missouri Valley College.

Overall I would say that Graceland dominated the shape of the game and created the better of the scoring chances that were unlucky not to result in goals. Having said that, Missouri Valley created chances of their own and with a little more composure on one or two counter attacks they could easily have scored themselves. Luckily for Graceland the recovering defenders were quick enough to put enough pressure on the player to cause the forward to miss the goal.

During the game Missouri Valley sent long high balls in to the penalty area from free kicks and open play to try and pounce on any mishaps by the Graceland defense. The Graceland defense held firm and were able to pass the ball well enough to get our forwards with opportunities of their own. In the first half Lara Guscott dribbled around the right defender to leave a tight angle for a shot. Lara went for the near post and skewed the shot into the side netting. Whitney Danner had a shot blocked by the legs of the goalkeeper but no one was following up to put away the rebound. Sabine Schwittay had a header that lacked enough power to trouble the goalkeeper after a fine cross from the left wing. Jocelyn Jentsch also hit the crossbar with a 25 yard free kick from a central area.

The second half was much the same with chances being created at both ends. Jocelyn Jentsch hit the frame of the goal again after some fine build up play in midfield. The ball was played to her just inside the penalty area by Julia Prohaska and Jocelyn lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper only for the ball to hit the joining of the post to the crossbar.

Just before this chance, Lara Guscott did an amazing dribble passed three defenders only for the ball to get stuck under her feet at the critical moment. Her shot was blocked and Whitney Danner’s attempted drive with the rebound squirted wide of the goal. Zulema Martinez dominated the right defender of Missouri Valley and time after time she got around her to create shooting chances for her team mates. On one occasion she finished close enough to the goal to have a shot herself but the shot lacked the power to trouble the goalkeeper. A slip by Nav Boparai and Chelsea Woodger let the Vikings center forward in on goal only for the striker to push the shot wide under terrific pressure given by a fast recovering Amanda Sundell.

Amanda was in my mind the player of the game today. She was up against a very talented winger and Amanda had to work very hard on her basic one-on-one defending to keep her in check. Not only that but Amanda covered for her central defenders when they were under pressure and did not shy away from sprinting up field to provide support in attack. There is no way Amanda could have done all this for the entire game in the last two seasons. But Amanda has worked very hard on her conditioning and today we saw the benefits of all that hard work, she was simply awesome.

Another star today was Tara Stavlic in center midfield. Tara controlled the middle of the park with a fine display of heading, tackling and putting out any flames of danger that looked like sparking into trouble for the Graceland defense. Tara has developed in to a very thoughtful, insightful and ultimate team player. She does the work necessary for others to shine around her and often doesn’t get the praise she deserves. Today was her coming out party in which she gave the world notice that she is now a player on the highest of college soccer stages. Tara isn’t the quickest of players around but she has changed her game to compensate and her quick thinking and play ensures that speed is never a factor.

Overtime went past in a whirl and just when it seemed as if the game would end in a tie, Misako Inaba stepped up to give us a dramatic win. With the game ending when the first team scores in overtime, you are always on edge because you know that there will never be time to recover if you concede a goal. Hence, after Misako scored the goal the field was invaded by the players on the bench to congratulate Misako. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. Misako is a one of the sweetest, hard working and unselfish people I have ever met. She deserves this time in the spot light because her work rate and self sacrifice sometimes gets unnoticed. Omedeto Gozaimasu Misako!

This was only the third loss all season for Missouri Valley who proved to be a very tough opponent. Their aggressive nature is such that any team unprepared for this could easily be run over. Fortunately for Graceland we had leaned this lesson last year the hard way against McKendree College and are now always prepared for such tough play. Mixed with this, the Vikings have outstanding technical players who can put the ball on the floor and pass it around. The Graceland midfield and defense had to concentrate for the entire game to ensure these talented players didn’t have the time and room to cause us any more trouble than what they did.

It was nice to see some old friends on the Vikings team play so well and I am sure Missouri Valley will be representing the HAAC conference in post season play come early November. Any coach reading this as part of their preparation to play them must prepare for a real battle. It was a huge win for Graceland and can only add to our growing reputation as a soccer playing college.

It was great to see so many people in the stands enjoying the game and giving the team such great support. We had families, friends, students, faculty, alumni, Lamoni residents and players from other Graceland athletic teams cheering us on and it was great to see. Jennifer Holm was there with her husband and mom and dad even though she graduated last season! It is so nice to have such a wonderful fan base.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all and say that I and the ladies really appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. The day was complete later on in the evening when the men won their ‘must-win’ game against Missouri Valley 3-1. I can now go home and watch that episode of Magnum PI which I have been saving for a special occasion. Yesterday was my birthday and the team gave me the best present I could ever want with today’s win and the manner in which it was done. The ladies showed so much character and were able to dig deep down inside to find what was needed to win.

I would like to dedicate this win to Malcolm Guscott, Lara’s dad. Malcolm is a very keen supporter of this program and when he was here in pre season and at homecoming he helped out with the training of the team and kept the players in high spirits with his funny little stories. Malcolm is at present very sick back home in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada and I want him to know that he is in our thoughts and prayers, and this win is for you buddy. The ladies send their love and hope you recover soon. I know you will be going to the web site every five minutes until this report goes up. Get well soon!

The defense and midfield had a solid night but it was a largely sluggish attacking display today on the road at William Penn today. The reaction of the William Penn players at the end of the game showed what it meant to them.

When we arrive to play teams now, you can see they are very motivated to try and put one over us. With a record like ours and our national ranking it is no surprise - we would be the same. It means therefore that we have to come prepared to play and battle it out for every minute of every game if we are to continue the success. I am proud to say that most of this team does so and they do so with great dignity and poise.

It was a very cold and windy afternoon which normally would have been hard enough to try and over come but you put that with the fact that the field was in atrocious condition too and you have a recipe for disaster. The ball was bobbling everywhere and it was so difficult to get the ball down and play our brand of passing soccer. The wind added to the difficulty of the uneven bounce, and to top it all, the William Penn goalkeeper had the most phenomenal performance between the posts. She held everything and made the most amazing saves.

One particular save in the second period of overtime was remarkable. A shot from Maria Prieto went past the goalkeeper’s right hand and just as we were about to celebrate the winning goal, she fell back on her heels and flew her right hand behind her back to catch and smother the ball. Truly amazing!

The first decent Graceland attack did not come until the seventh minute of the first half when Jocelyn Jentsch tested goalkeeper Cami Bangasser with a low drive. We had to wait until the 20th minute for our next attempt at goal when a slip by an opposing defender threatened a moment of danger for the home team but Amanda Sundell's cross shot went wide and too far away from Lara Guscott on the far post.

This first half was played against a typhoon of a wind and the team did very well to restrict William Penn to very few chances and to even create any for themselves was almost a miracle.

At half time we took stock and congratulated ourselves for getting to the break 0-0 and made plans to attack in the second half. Four attackers were put on to pick up pieces in and around the penalty area as the wind and field would cause confusion and panic in the William Penn defense.

With Graceland in total control, Guscott tested Bangasser with a low drive from point blank range in the 59th minute which was saved by the keeper’s legs. Seconds later Misako Inaba blasted over from the edge of the box when it looked like the ball would dip under the crossbar. Amanda Sundell had a corner kick that flew in from the left with the wind and the goalkeeper did very well to get both hands on it and keep it from spilling out. She actually caught it on the line.

Graceland squandered another great chance three minutes before the end of the second half when Maria Prieto pulled her shot wide after Misako Inaba had released the forward with a superb through ball.

The game went into over time and despite the conditions Graceland dominated both periods of overtime. We bombarded the William Penn goal but got no reward. Further chances quickly came and went with Jentsch, Guscott and Prieto all going close. A cross from the left was only inches away from Sabine Scwhittay’s head at the near post. The merest of touches would have resulted in a certain goal.

Graceland continued to huff and puff in the closing stages but there was little of the fluency which they produced at Lindenwood last weekend. With only seconds left it seemed Maria Prieto had won it with her close range shot on the left of the goal only for the William Penn goalkeeper to once again foil us with a most remarkable save.

Hats off to Ms. Bangasser and the William Penn team, they worked very hard for each other and deserved the tie. It was a shame that the William Penn ‘supporters’ ruined this performance with their constant use of bad language and offensive name calling towards the Graceland players during the entire game. I am sure they will be glad to hear that two of my players ended in tears because of their disgraceful name calling. The words that were used were told to me after the game and I couldn’t believe people could be that cruel. And for what reason? To make a person feel so sad that they begin to cry and therefore be put off their game so your school can win? Champions of character? Do me a favor? It sickens me.

Because I was on the other side of the field I could not hear it all, which was unfortunate, because I would have soon put a stop to it if I had. I see this kind of thing at too many college campuses these days. It saddens me greatly and it saddens me more when I see people connected with the same institution turning a blind eye and ear to it all.

It should be said that the coaching staff and athletic training staff of William Penn were first class and a credit to their team and university. I have nothing but the highest regard for them.

The William Penn goalkeeper was named player-of-the-match but it was not a night that the Graceland forwards will remember with any great fondness. This happens from time to time in a forwards career and we have to put it behind us and move on. There is no point dwelling on it and you don’t turn into a bad player overnight. We had a good chat after the game and we sorted a few things out. I care very deeply about this team and I know the players have that same attitude towards each other. They are a very special group of young people who I am immensely proud to be called their ‘coach’.

We now prepare for Missouri Valley on Saturday and this game is huge. They are up there as one of the best teams in the region and it is going to be a very tense and tight affair. This is not a game for the feint hearted. It is all about passion and determination and I have complete faith and trust in the knowledge that my team will be there, rain or shine, to play.

There is nothing like conceding the first goal of the season in our last game against Culver-Stockton to stir the players into seizing back the headlines, especially on the road at Lindenwood.

We came away with a hard fought 2-1 victory which maintains our winning season and keeps us high in the regional and national rankings. It was so important today to get a positive result but the odds were stacked against us playing Lindenwood who are the size of an NCAA Division I school, with the finances to back it up, and a history of national tournament participation.

Graceland had never beaten this team in its 11 year history and in my first year as head coach we were beaten 5-0. It wasn't going to be easy and so it proved. But the team not only completed a 2-1 victory against Lindenwood with two superb goals that evoked memories of our game against Lindenwood last season but played with a confidence never seen before by a team visiting this ground from Graceland.

Whitney Danner and Jocelyn Jentsch were the star turns on this occasion, fitting into their attacking roles well to be in position to score their goals as if putting the ball in the net was the easiest thing in the world. The engine room of this performance was provided by Julia Prohaska and Misako Inaba in midfield. They played the entire 90 minutes and bossed that area of the field which enabled Graceland to control most of the game. Indeed, they effectively ran the game with their tackling and passing, and with the excellent movement of the forwards in front of them it ensured the relative success of our ambitious ploy of playing three strikers at once and to attack them from the start.

And while Zulema Martinez and Lara Guscott will be mystified as to how they were denied a goal of their own with only having the goalkeeper to beat from close range, it was Jocelyn Jentsch, with her fourteenth goal in nine varsity games, who was credited with putting Graceland en route to victory.

That strike came after just 30 minutes, with Lindenwood still struggling to sort out their defense after an impressive attacking start to the game by Graceland. With Lara Guscott coming into midfield, Amanda Sundell was moved into service at left-back to support Zulema Martinez in front of her, and Graceland took full advantage of this left sided dominance to set up the first goal.

Amanda Sundell won the ball in defense to feed Lara Guscott. Guscott played in a probing pass to Jocelyn Jentsch who flicked the ball to Zulema Martinez on the left wing. Zulema took the ball around her defender before cutting the ball back to Whitney Danner on the edge of the six-yard box and her 'dummy' ensured the pass deceived not only her defender but the goalkeeper too leaving Jocelyn a simple tap in from six yards out. It was a great passing move which had a fantastic piece of vision and intelligence at the end.

For all of Lindenwood's endeavor, Graceland continued to assert their authority thereafter as they simply did not allow the home team to turn this into a blood-and-thunder affair. Misako Inaba was at the heart of all of Graceland's most incisive play, with her influence increased by having a deeper role in midfield. Indeed, one shimmy past an opponent revived memories of Julie Montgomery - the last Graceland midfielder who could actually go past an opponent - for impudence as much as ability.

At this stage, Graceland was threatening to break through with every attack, with most of our attacks coming down Lindenwood's flanks. Whichever attacking trio we put out, they formed a potent blend of attacking talent. With Nav Boparai bringing an air of authority to Graceland's defense on her return from injury, Lindenwood was restricted to just knocking hopeful balls into the penalty area.

Graceland's dominance continued after the break, with Sabine Schwittay's excellent run just stopped by a superb last-ditch save by the goalkeeper, while Guscott volleyed wide from only six yards with the goal completely open.

Still the advantage was just one goal, however, and that carried an inherent danger, with a Lindenwood striker volleying wide at full-stretch after Chelsea Woodger's attempted clearance had been blocked. Fortunately Graceland scored their second goal before Lindenwood could get any momentum going.

The ball was played out to the left with Amanda Sundell and then to Zulema Martinez who crossed to the far post. Maria Prieto jumped for the cross and a Lindenwood defender crashed into their own goalkeeper allowing the ball to spill to a waiting Whitney Danner who calmly finished from seven yards. It was a disputed goal from the Lindenwood side but our bench clearly saw the Lindenwood player run into their own goalkeeper and having looked at the video I can now confirm that this was indeed what happened.

Lindenwood nevertheless started to grow in stature after we scored our second goal on the hour mark, with their central defender working hard to hold her under-pressure side together. With new forwards on, the stage was left to a grand stand finish from Lindenwood, who after a blocked free kick from 25 yards let fly with an effort that soared past Samantha Clark in goal and was going into the top corner when the ball inexplicably came off the inside of the post and out into play.

They almost scored once again soon afterwards, but was denied at point-blank range by Clark, while the follow-up effort was also blocked. They did get onto the scoresheet with only eight minutes left in the game when their striker managed to pounce on a loose ball before Samantha Clark could claim it. Lindenwood were then denied a last minute equalizer when a superb header from their number nine went inches over, but Graceland's victory was complete when the final whistle went shortly afterwards.

Graceland must now play William Penn on Wednesday and then pick up their conference campaign again against high flying Missouri Valley on Saturday. We take each game as it comes and we know that both these games will be very tough indeed.

I played William Penn in my first year as coach here and we lost 5-1. Missouri Valley have only lost twice this season to highly ranked teams and are proving to be one of the top scoring teams of the region. This game will be like a region final with everything on the line. We go into this week knowing it will be tough but confident in the knowledge that we are paying well and have a great team spirit.

Who would have thought that conceding a goal in the 86th minute in our 12th game of the season would get all the headlines? Well it has, despite us winning 9-1 on the road.

We have let our first goal in of the season and I couldn’t be happier!!! It was becoming a burden and a kind of side show that distracted our team and motivated our opposition. Teams were lining up to have a chance to be the first to score against us. Well Culver-Stockton did it with three minutes left of the game and with only their second shot of the game and congratulations to them.

We can now focus on what is important and that is getting ready for a very tough last part of the season. The goal did highlight a weakness in our back line which I aim to fix in the next few days. This single goal should not detract from what was, at times, a very polished performance by the ladies. The hard work on the training field is starting to pay dividends with the fine passing and movement, which is always pleasing to the eye.

Before we set off we decided to leave Samantha Clark, Nav Boparai, Maniesha Munro and Jocelyn Jentsch behind to catch up on injury rehab and to not miss class. It was felt their time would be better spent at the university. We missed them terribly but I believe it was for the best of the team. Playing them would have been a risk we did not feel was worth taking.

The journey in the vans is not one I would like to do every week. Up and down winding roads which takes about three-and-a-half hours. We arrived with only 50 minutes to go and had to prepare quickly. Usually when this happens the team is slow to get out of the blocks but today this was not the case.

The Graceland team took immediate possession of the ball and did not give it up easily. The passing was composed and assured as Culver-Stockton took up base camp in their own half of the field. After nine minutes the ball was in the net from Maria Prieto only for the officials to cancel it out for offside. Even though the goal did not count the mere fact of putting the ball in the net was a pressure release for the team and they knew it could be done and it was only a matter of when and not if.

Three minutes later after some terrific combination play down the middle, Misako Inaba was put through but could only manage to toe poke the ball past the post to avoid the onrushing goalkeeper. The first goal came shortly after. On 14 minutes the Culver-Stockton defense gave the ball away to Zulema Martinez on the right wing and Zulema quickly played the ball into the center where Lara Guscott received it, turned to lose the defender and rifle home a low shot into the net from 12 yards. One minute later we had scored again only for Whitney Danner to be called offside this time.

The Lady Yellowjackets were getting a lot of time and space of the ball especially in wide areas but the delivery into the penalty box was not of the quality required to threaten any defense. This had been something we had worked on in training this week and it is a little frustrating seeing the players go back to bad habits when crossing the ball. I must be patient and keep teaching them the correct techniques so that eventually we can take advantage of the spaces given to us in wide areas by opponents.

Having said that, the next goal came from a great right wing cross in the 28th minute just to prove me wrong. Zulema Martinez received the ball from Heidi Beckstrom on the right, went past her defender and delivered a terrific whipped in cross which caused the defenders a lot of problems. The ball fell lose and Maria Prieto was there to volley home from seven yards.

Two minutes later Maria was the provider of the next goal. Her strength and persistence enabled her to rob the right back of the ball and put in a dangerous cross to the penalty spot. Lara Guscott was on hand to volley home with great technique. On 37 minutes the ladies put on a master class of passing and movement which was very aesthetically pleasing. An attack was built down the left side which started in defense with Nicole Cummins, and went through midfield before finding the forwards and ending up at the feet of Misako Inaba who let rip with an unstoppable 20-yard low drive into the corner of the net. All the passes in the move had been done with one or two touch. The speed and fluidity of the combinations was a real work of art. Misako finished off the half with a great 25 yard free kick, over the wall and into the net with only 30 seconds left on the clock.

At half time we spoke about the need for width in our attack. Too many cooks were spoiling the broth in the middle of our attacks and it was essential to have width to provide our defenders and midfield players more options when it came to passing. You can always count on Sabine Schwittay to put into action what you talk about at half time. With some players it is in one ear and out the other. Not with Sabine, she is intelligent and accepts the role because she believes it is best for the team. Her wide play on the right in the second half was a master class. She tormented the Culver-Stockton defense with her positive dribbling and was always available to receive a pass from either defense or midfield.

On 50 minutes we had the ball in the net again but for it to be called offside again. Not to be deterred the team did get the next goal shortly after when to no one’s surprise it came from the right side and Sabine. Misako received the ball in the center of the park and played it out wide to Sabine. Sabine cut in from the right wing going inside her defender before pulling the ball back towards the far post. The ball went past the goalkeeper and was rolling into the net but Whitney Danner was following up and made sure by tapping the ball in over the line.

Sabine got her goal six minutes later when after the ball had been played forward by the defense, Maria Prieto rose the highest to flick the ball on. It landed at Sabine’s feet and with a shimmy that Elvis would have been proud of she lost her defender and deceived the covering defender with a deft drag back before slamming the ball high into the net from 15 yards for a fantastic goal.

The goals dried up for a bit and we had to wait until the 83rd minute when we were treated to yet another spectacular goal. Calea Bourne crossed the ball in from the left, it ricocheted off a defender and Meghan Dunagan acrobatically volleyed the ball with her left foot, over her shoulder, and into the far corner of the net. Needless to say Meghan was extremely happy about it. It almost midnight now and I think she is still jumping up and down with her arms in the air!

Two minutes later Graceland scored again. Katrina Sumsion won the ball and counter attacked from the left back position. She passed inside to Tara Stavlic who controlled it and then with her second touch played the ball behind the central defenders for Whitney to run onto. Whitney calmly cut across the goalkeeper and placed the ball into an empty net.

9-0 with only four minutes to go and then it happened. The ball fell lose in midfield, the Graceland team were caught daydreaming about what they were going to eat later, and the ball was lofted over our central and left defender. The forward ran on, controlled it and shot weakly at the goal. Unfortunately the ball squeezed through the waiting hands of Luisa DiBiagio in goal to be the first goal conceded in 1096 minutes of soccer played this season. Everyone was shocked. It was as if we had lost the game.

Whitney Danner took the ball from the restart and tried to dribble the ball through the entire Culver-Stockton team. You could see in her face that her pride had been hurt. It says a lot about Whitney Danner. She was tremendous today leading the line with strength, control and effort, and seems to be growing in confidence with every game.

At the final whistle the team walked off very quiet. They knew they had relaxed and got punished for it. One lapse of concentration by taking things for granted was immediately punished. They need to learn to concentrate for the entire 90 minutes whether you are winning or losing.

I did remind them that they had scored nine and it was another conference win but it didn’t seem to help. It shows the character of my team. They way they conduct themselves off and on the field you can see excellence and they take great pride in this. They didn’t like the fact that they had let themselves down. It was bound to happen and I am glad it is finally all over with. We have done amazing to go so far without conceding a goal but we now need to refocus and continue with the hard work that enabled this success to happen in the first place.

There were a lot of positives to be taken from this game. Calea Bourne proved that she is just as effective on the left side of defense as she is on the right. This will enable Amanda Sundell to switch from defense and forward more often because we now have adequate cover in the left back position. Heidi Beckstrom put in yet another flawless performance. Heidi has to be the most consistent players on the team at the moment. She has raised her game to a very high level and maintains this high level week in week out, game after game.

Sabine Schwittay illustrated her worth on the team with terrific old fashioned wing play. She got the ball and ran at her defender. All defenders hate that being done to them. Whitney Danner bossed the front line. Her running off the ball and playing support players in was exquisite. I was glad to see that Whitney was rewarded with two goals for her efforts today in front of her mom, granny and auntie.

Erin Creson proved yet again that she is one of the finest passers of the ball in the squad. It is not just her technical ability with her passes from the center of defense which amazes me; it is her choice of pass. Erin can see passes that other players cannot and almost every time makes the correct decision of who and when to pass.

Misako Inaba, Julia Prohaska and Tara Stavlic are learning all the time and their running to cover so much ground in midfield is inspiring to watch. Maria Prieto is now a very accomplished center forward. Always open to receive a pass, endless running, never giving up on a lost cause, great jumping and heading ability with an eye for goal. Who would believe that Maria came here as a back up keeper, spent a year in JV and is now our main threat at center forward on a team that is ranked 9th in the nation?

We arrived home with Billy Ocean singing “Caribbean Queen” on the radio after a hearty Mexican meal in our stomachs. The team must now rest up and prepare for a very tough end to the season. We start off by traveling to St. Louis to play Lindenwood University on Saturday. It will be a very difficult game indeed as Lindenwood are considered to be one of the top power houses in women’s college soccer. If we have any ambitions towards conference honors and post season play this is a game we must do well in. I believe in my team and they know that they are capable of playing with the best.

May I just finish with yet another big thank you to all those who wrote or called in with such nice words of support and encouragement this week. It meant so much to me and my team. Thank you!

The Lady Yellowjackets put on a fine display of attacking soccer for the homecoming crowd to enjoy. The 13-0 score reflects a dominant display that was put on by the whole squad. The bench was emptied early and every player got significant minutes so as to keep the score down and to provide everyone a chance to show their skills.

We have always emphasized that this year’s success has been built on a team effort and today highlighted that fact. Thirteen goals were scored with 10 different players assisting in those goals. Every member of the squad played a major part of the game and even the player who has been on the injured list for the longest time finally got on the field and played her first game. More about Maniesha later.

Earlier on in the day the women’s JV program played very well indeed to beat the alumni team 3-0. This was the third year the alumni women have played and it is very satisfying to see the alumni women come back every year so as to make this a traditional game in the same way it is for the men. The alumni women this year consisted of 13 players, 9 of whom have passed through during my tenure as coach. It was great to see them all again, although their lack of match fitness leaves a lot to be desired!!

I must congratulate the JV on a very disciplined performance. Coach Jesse Wagenaar really has done a tremendous job in transforming this team into a well organized and soccer minded unit. The passing and movement was first class and this can only be good for the soccer program at Graceland on the whole. I see players developing in the JV program ready to step into the very high level environment of the varsity program. Congratulations to you all and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s game with club Harriers with great interest.

The varsity team was a little nervous going into tonight’s game because they wanted to showcase their talents to the alumni and for them to be proud of them. I constantly tell my players of the history of this program and how lucky they are to be in the position they find themselves in today. I remind them that there would be no program if it wasn’t for the enormous efforts of so many people who went before them. Our success is the alumni’s success and the team so desperately wanted to offer their gratitude with a good result tonight.

The ladies kicked off with a beautiful blue sky as a backdrop and the sun shining bright over the Big G Lake. The crowd was just getting settled into their seats when Graceland struck with venom. Misako Inaba won the ball in midfield and played it to Lara Guscott ahead of her. Lara didn’t waste any time at all to help the ball on through over the opponents back line for Whitney Danner to run after. Whitney cut in from the right wing and gathered the ball as she confronted the goalkeeper. A deadly hush of anticipation came over the crowd before Whitney calmly slotted the ball past her and into the net for the game’s first goal.

Three minutes later Zulema was the provider this time for Lara Guscott to dribble towards the opponent’s goal and finish with a sweet strike to make it 2-0. On 13 minutes Lara Guscott scored again. Whitney Danner chipped the ball from the right wing to the far post where Lara was following up and just managed to redirect the ball into the net before disappearing down the bank of the lake. She reappeared happy as a lark because she had scored a goal and had made friends with a frog which was making a new home for itself in Lara’s hair.

On 23 minutes Graceland had a corner kick on the right which was cleared but only as far as Zulema Martinez. Zulema beat the oncoming defender and put in an excellent low cross to the near post which Maria Prieto met on the volley and the ball whistled past the ears of the goalkeeper and into the net for a terrific goal.

The Graceland team was in full swing and the crowd was enjoying the wonderful passing shapes the players were forming. One such passing combination in the 30th minute provided Jocelyn Jentsch with her first goal of the afternoon. Misako Inaba and Julia Prohaska played a delightful one-two before chipping the ball forward to Amanda Sundell who was coming inside from her wing. Amanda flicked the ball on with her head and Jocelyn raced through to collect the ball, shimmy to the left to wrong foot her defender and smash a low left drive passed the keeper.

Eight minutes later in the 38th minute the hard working and creative Misako Inaba cleverly found a gap to provide Sabine a chance to shoot. Sabine took the ball in her stride and shot low into the left corner from the right for the last goal of the half. The score was 7-0 going into the locker room for the half time segment of orange and a cup of tea was very satisfying.

Maniesha Munro had struggled with a groin injury last season and when she reported in for pre season this year it was still bothering her. Maniesha hasn’t been able to practice with the team properly for more than six weeks as she has had to continue her rehab in the hope the injury will heal. I had Maniesha in my office this week telling me how frustrated she feels not being able to help the team by contributing on the field. Anyone who has been injured can really sympathize with Maniesha. To be out of action for a significant amount of time can be very frustrating especially if you are the type of player of Maniesha who loves her sport and so desperately wants to be part of the team effort.

The athletic trainers had been doing a great job and we decided it was time to let her loose. We knew her aerobic condition was not very good because of the lack of training but we felt it was important to get her out there to at least taste the battle and soothe this aching frustration that had been building up inside of her. Maniesha started the second half and with the advice of the training staff we were only going to give her 10 minutes. Maniesha made full use of those 10 minutes!! She ran everything down, held the ball up to provide our midfield with a springboard to build attacks with, and took about five shots at goal. The fifth shot was very special indeed.

A corner kick was played to Heidi Beckstrom wide on the right. Heidi drove the ball towards the penalty area and it found Maniesha on the edge of the penalty area. Manny controlled the ball, dropped her shoulder to lose the marker, touched the ball out to her right and swiveled on her left foot to drive a right footed shot across the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The bench erupted with pleasure.

The crowd must have wondered why we were celebrating our eighth goal so much. We knew the frustrations and hard work Maniesha had put herself through to even get to this stage and we all felt so happy for her. The tears were running down Maniesha’s face as Jocelyn replaced her and she received many a hug from the waiting players and staff. This happy ending couldn’t have happened to a more deserving or nicer person. Welcome back Maniesha!! Now we get to work on your strength and fitness and this will now provide us with another wonderful attacking player!! Team selection is always difficult, with Maniesha’s return it has become even more difficult but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Three minutes later we had our ninth goal when Zulema Martinez cut in from the left to rifle a shot which the goalkeeper spilled and Jocelyn Jentsch followed up to tap in. On 62 minutes after some breathtaking passing by almost the entire Graceland team Lara Guscott played through Whitney Danner who finished very confidently with only the goalkeeper to beat. On 70 minutes it was Lara’s turn to get into the act. She received a short pass from Julia Prohaska in midfield, spun around her marker and then dribbled passed two defenders before shooting low into the corner of the net.

On the 80th minute a shout came from the bench that this now meant Graceland had not conceded a goal for 1000 minutes. This is a terrific achievement and one which reflects the work of the whole team. To celebrate the team scored the best goal of the game. The defense switched the ball from left to right using the midfield to find Calea Bourne. Calea played a nice pass down the right wing for Sabine Schwittay to receive. Sabine stopped the ball quickly which made her marker to lose her footing and played a hard cross into the penalty area. Jocelyn Jentsch had timed her run perfectly to meet the ball with an acrobatic volley that smashed the ball into the old onion bag at the near post.

The last goal came in the dying seconds when Tara Stavlic crossed the ball in from the right and Whitney Danner connected to direct the ball goal wards. The goalkeeper saved it but couldn’t keep hold of the ball and Whitney followed up to finish with a simple tap in.

The alumni, family and friends who came out to see the team were full of praise for the ladies. It was nice that so many good people who really care about us were able to see a fine performance which clearly illustrated how far we have developed as a team. If you read my reports you will often only hear about the names of players who score or assist with goals. Tonight I would like to recognize those unsung heroines in the team who often don’t get the praise they deserve.

Reily Madigan, Heidi Beckstrom, Amanda Sundell, Katrina Sumsion, Chelsea Woodger, Nav Boparai, Erin Creson, Nicole Cummins and Calea Bourne control our back line with a real sense of composure and focus. They amaze me as to how quick they pick things up and then put them into practice. They communicate well with each other and have a fine understanding of not only their own role in the line but that of the others around them. They protect Samantha Clark and Luisa DiBiagio in goal and provide the midfield or forwards with quality possession with which to use.

Erin and Nicole are freshman and are learning all the time what is expected of a quality defender. They could not have asked for better mentors to learn from than the defensive players we have in the team right now. Chelsea and Katrina are seniors who we will sadly lose next season but we have Erin and Nicole who are more than able to step into their shoes.

There were a lot of players’ families here today to see their daughter or sister play. They all commented on how they enjoyed the game and I am sure they are rightfully proud of the achievements the team is making.

This is a wonderful team made up of the most wonderful people. I was also surprised to hear that the families enjoyed reading these reports so much. They say it makes them feel closer to the game which is important because most of these great people live so far away and can’t get to games. I hope I can continue to make you all feel as if you are there because you are in the player’s hearts when they play and they feel your presence even though you are not in the stands watching.

I have been on the end of many a criticism this season from people who want to bring me down, and it made me feel very warm inside to receive so many compliments about how the team is doing and how they respect the way in which I have looked after the players. Mother Teresa once said: “In the final analysis, it is between you and God: it was never between you and them anyway”. Thank you.

Maria Prieto and Jocelyn Jentsch scored hat-tricks today to earn Graceland their second straight conference win as their fine start to the season continued.

Maria shot home each time from the edge of the six- yard box in the 10th and 30th minutes and added a third after 50 minutes with an impressive shot from a tight angle on the right.

Jocelyn scored the first two of her goals in the final seven minutes of the first half. The first with a rocket shot from the edge of the box and the second with a neat glancing header at the near post from a cross by Zulema Martinez. Jocelyn completed her hat trick in the 72nd minute with her signature rocket shot from 12 yards.

From the very first minute Graceland went on the attack and had the ball in the net from Maria Prieto but the goal was called back for offside which seemed at the time a little strange and harsh. Right from the first whistle the tea