Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Season Awards
For the first time, we decided to do some team awards to recognize our great season.
We sent out a poll to all of our players to vote on who they thought deserved to get each award. Although there are players on our team that receive league and region awards, I think awards that are voted on by your teammates are special in their own way.
Player Of The Year: Chris Taylor
Attacking Player Of The Year: Matt Hamilton. Hamilton had a great year, it might not show it in the stats but everyone on the team knows he did. When we changed formations he was vital to our success and he was immense in the SUNYAC tournament.
Defensive Player Of The Year: John LoGuirato. Logo was a monster this year. This is probably the most competitive award on the team because we have two of the best centre backs in the country and also a phenomenal right back, so to win this award is a great achievement for anyone. The bigger the game the better Logo played and this is a well deserved award.
Newcomer Of The Year: Stepjan Bandov. This was a tough award because it is so hard for a player to come in to our team and contribute right away. Bandov was in and out of the lineup but his quality was evident from the start. His goal in the SUNYAC Play In game was a massive one and he was also excellent in our last game against Amherst, which bodes well for the future.
Most Improved Player: Erik Hakim. This was another tightly contested award because in any college team most of the players improve. In Erik's case, everybody knew he had the talent and ability from the start, it was just a case of finding a place for him. Once we did he was so dominant that other teams would move their best players to other positions just to stay away from him. When Erik played well, the team played well. His ability in the air and composure on the ball were vital. It was a shame that he couldn't play in the NCAA's because he would have made a massive difference but he has got many more big games to come in his career.
Cardinal Award: Steve Zaharczyk. This award goes to someone who showed everything that we want out of a Plattsburgh player. The first day of pre season we found out that Big Steve would not be playing because of medical reasons. It is hard for someone to sit out a season but what Steve did throughout the season was an inspiration to everyone. Most of us can only imagine how it feels to sit out a season but Steve put all of that aside and dedicated himself to the team like no one else has done before. He was at every practice, whether it was sunny or freezing and raining. He was at every game and filmed it for us too. He could have easily shown up 5 minutes before a game and did his job but he was there when the players got there an hour and a half before the game. He supported the team and in turn we treated him like he was on the team because to us he was. Steve will be back next year and the experience of this year will make him better and he will appreciate the team more than any other.
We sent out a poll to all of our players to vote on who they thought deserved to get each award. Although there are players on our team that receive league and region awards, I think awards that are voted on by your teammates are special in their own way.
Player Of The Year: Chris Taylor
Attacking Player Of The Year: Matt Hamilton. Hamilton had a great year, it might not show it in the stats but everyone on the team knows he did. When we changed formations he was vital to our success and he was immense in the SUNYAC tournament.
Defensive Player Of The Year: John LoGuirato. Logo was a monster this year. This is probably the most competitive award on the team because we have two of the best centre backs in the country and also a phenomenal right back, so to win this award is a great achievement for anyone. The bigger the game the better Logo played and this is a well deserved award.
Newcomer Of The Year: Stepjan Bandov. This was a tough award because it is so hard for a player to come in to our team and contribute right away. Bandov was in and out of the lineup but his quality was evident from the start. His goal in the SUNYAC Play In game was a massive one and he was also excellent in our last game against Amherst, which bodes well for the future.
Most Improved Player: Erik Hakim. This was another tightly contested award because in any college team most of the players improve. In Erik's case, everybody knew he had the talent and ability from the start, it was just a case of finding a place for him. Once we did he was so dominant that other teams would move their best players to other positions just to stay away from him. When Erik played well, the team played well. His ability in the air and composure on the ball were vital. It was a shame that he couldn't play in the NCAA's because he would have made a massive difference but he has got many more big games to come in his career.
Cardinal Award: Steve Zaharczyk. This award goes to someone who showed everything that we want out of a Plattsburgh player. The first day of pre season we found out that Big Steve would not be playing because of medical reasons. It is hard for someone to sit out a season but what Steve did throughout the season was an inspiration to everyone. Most of us can only imagine how it feels to sit out a season but Steve put all of that aside and dedicated himself to the team like no one else has done before. He was at every practice, whether it was sunny or freezing and raining. He was at every game and filmed it for us too. He could have easily shown up 5 minutes before a game and did his job but he was there when the players got there an hour and a half before the game. He supported the team and in turn we treated him like he was on the team because to us he was. Steve will be back next year and the experience of this year will make him better and he will appreciate the team more than any other.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Plattsburgh State Cardinals 2010
As hard as it is, I now have to admit that I am apart of the Plattsburgh State Soccer Alumni Club. This club is obviously an unofficial one but I know for a fact that it exists. The amount of ex-players that had contacted the then current ones after we won the SUNYAC championship was unbelievable. After winning the title and then going on Facebook, we immediately saw the love that people still have for this team. I know Waterbury also received a massive amount of e-mails and phone calls too.
I hope that in the future, the group of departing seniors act the same way that many other alumni have done.
It is extremely hard for me to write this knowing that I am no longer a Plattsburgh State athlete, a Plattsburgh State soccer player. Everything that I have done in the last 4 years has been with the team in mind. Almost everyone I know at this school has been through soccer. Everyone I live with, has at one time, worn the red and white of Plattsburgh. I love this team, this school, we all do.
In the words of Waterbury, “I blinked,” and then it was over. I remember the day I came into pre-season as a freshman. I looked at the Long Island guys and couldn’t believe how they were dressed, Pat Jones looked like a 40 year-old man, and Chad was wearing a Chelsea shirt. I remember my first scrimmage, 3 days into pre-season, when Faiella finally realized I wasn’t American. I remember my first game and goals against Johnson State and our first loss against Brockport.
It all seems like just yesterday and now it’s over. Without question, this has been the best 4 years of my life. I wouldn’t swap for anything. Maybe we didn’t play at the most glamorous school in the world but we made it mean everything to us. We gave everything, in the fall, the winter, the spring and the summer. Everything we did was to make ourselves better.
Someone said to me on the day that we lost, “at least you can go out now.” I would stay in for the rest of my life for one more college game.
Since coming here I have met the best goalie I ever played with and the best 2 centre backs I ever played with.
I have also seen the highs and the lows of soccer. The excruciating feeling of missing a penalty kick in a final and losing and the culmination of a career when scoring a penalty kick in a final and winning the SUNYAC championship.
I know this blog has been a bit of an unorganized ramble but it is so hard to put into words what us seniors have been feeling since Saturday when our careers finished at St. Lawrence.
To be a captain at Plattsburgh State has been a great honor, and I hope I did it the justice that the title deserved. To play with 2 All-Americans and others that should have been All-Americans has been a privilege. To play with my best friends for 4 years has been indescribable.
I thought about this yesterday but as a Plattsburgh State player I have achieved the following: 3 SUNYAC finals, 1 regular season title, 1 SUNYAC championship, 2 consecutive years in the NCAA tournament, and too many friends to count.
I hope that in the future, the group of departing seniors act the same way that many other alumni have done.
It is extremely hard for me to write this knowing that I am no longer a Plattsburgh State athlete, a Plattsburgh State soccer player. Everything that I have done in the last 4 years has been with the team in mind. Almost everyone I know at this school has been through soccer. Everyone I live with, has at one time, worn the red and white of Plattsburgh. I love this team, this school, we all do.
In the words of Waterbury, “I blinked,” and then it was over. I remember the day I came into pre-season as a freshman. I looked at the Long Island guys and couldn’t believe how they were dressed, Pat Jones looked like a 40 year-old man, and Chad was wearing a Chelsea shirt. I remember my first scrimmage, 3 days into pre-season, when Faiella finally realized I wasn’t American. I remember my first game and goals against Johnson State and our first loss against Brockport.
It all seems like just yesterday and now it’s over. Without question, this has been the best 4 years of my life. I wouldn’t swap for anything. Maybe we didn’t play at the most glamorous school in the world but we made it mean everything to us. We gave everything, in the fall, the winter, the spring and the summer. Everything we did was to make ourselves better.
Someone said to me on the day that we lost, “at least you can go out now.” I would stay in for the rest of my life for one more college game.
Since coming here I have met the best goalie I ever played with and the best 2 centre backs I ever played with.
I have also seen the highs and the lows of soccer. The excruciating feeling of missing a penalty kick in a final and losing and the culmination of a career when scoring a penalty kick in a final and winning the SUNYAC championship.
I know this blog has been a bit of an unorganized ramble but it is so hard to put into words what us seniors have been feeling since Saturday when our careers finished at St. Lawrence.
To be a captain at Plattsburgh State has been a great honor, and I hope I did it the justice that the title deserved. To play with 2 All-Americans and others that should have been All-Americans has been a privilege. To play with my best friends for 4 years has been indescribable.
I thought about this yesterday but as a Plattsburgh State player I have achieved the following: 3 SUNYAC finals, 1 regular season title, 1 SUNYAC championship, 2 consecutive years in the NCAA tournament, and too many friends to count.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
2010 Men's Soccer SUNYAC Champions!
After 4 years of putting everything we had into this program, it has finally paid off. You could see and feel the emotion coming from every senior on the team after we captured our first SUNYAC championship for the program since 2005.
Coming into this team as freshmen, we heard so many stories about the ‘05 team and how successful they were and how great it is to win a SUNYAC title. Ever since then we have been so close to winning one only to fall in the championship time and again.
The under classmen don’t realize it yet but to have this feeling so early in your career is something special and we are trying to reinforce the notion that they should never take this for granted as we have suffered heartbreak year after year trying to get to this point.
Although we did make it to NCAA’s last year it is not the same as getting in as the conference champion. Nobody can ever take this championship away from us, it’s ours forever.
The way we went about winning was not the easiest, winning every game in a penalty shootout. The games were shown live on the internet and I know a lot of us had family members who couldn’t be there that were nervously watching.
The first game against Oneonta really pitted the two best technical teams in the conference against each other. They are a good side and we respect the way that they try and play but we really should not have let them anywhere near this game. We had the lead twice only to throw it away by using bad habits. Shaughnessy scored 2 nice goals to put us in the lead and usually the attackers get the blame for not scoring if the defense doesn’t do its job. This time we need to place blame on our defending as a team for not getting the job done.
In the end we got through the game and into penalties were Andy came up big with a save and we were perfect again to advance.
Facing Brockport again was something that many of us wanted. They had knocked us out on penalties the two years previous and also given us a spanking at home in the regular season.
We got off to a great start with Shaughnessy again putting us in the lead and we kept them at bay for the first half. They were not dangerous and we looked more likely to score a second rather than give one up. At half time we talked about the importance of attacking them and not sitting back to soak up pressure. Unfortunately we gave up another soft goal that was preventable. From then on Brockport barely touched the ball. We took it to them and they were hanging on for their lives at the end. Their goalie had to make 3 huge saves to keep them in it, one from a free kick and then 2 from the rebounds but we couldn’t get one in.
Off to penalties we went and most of us knew that they had watched us the day before and taken note of which way we shot. Bart and I got us going with the first 2, but then Lojo had his saved because he went the same way as the previous day. It was hard to watch someone like him miss because of his commitment and desire for this team to win but I knew that Andy would save one, he always does. Just like that Andy made one of the most amazing penalty saves I have ever seen. The shot was going for the side netting and at full stretch he somehow caught the ball, I honestly cannot do it justice with my explanation. Then we knew we would finish our pens it was matter of them missing and they did. Their sixth shooter missed wide and Erik, who was our first shooter against Oneonta replacing Bart, was our sixth. To have someone of his ability shooting sixth gives you a great comfort inside. When he scored the celebration was wild and emotional. Byrnes’ dad stormed the field along with a couple of other people and we were jumping around and hugging each other in elation.
It was great to hear some of the younger players that didn’t see much time to say it was a great feeling because it truly was a team championship. We have had a lot of injuries this year and everyone has had a role play. From Ryan Graig and Connors stepping in when Bart was hurt, to JJ, Martin and Levine combining to get the job done at left back, to Hakim becoming one of the best defensive midfielders in the conference, everyone has helped out.
Lojo was the deserving MVP of the tournament and Hamilton was rewarded for his tireless work with an All-Tournament accolade.
The bus ride home was a great time and the feeling is something we will never experience again. I hope this is the first of many for our freshmen because there is no better feeling.
Now we await the draw to see who we play in NCAA’s. We want to go further than last year but every game is a bonus for us now. We are trying to extend our careers as much as we can and I think we may shock a few teams in the national tournament.
A personal message to our ex-teammate and good friend Noel Tipovski out in Korea:
We finally know what time it is Noel, we miss you!
2010 SUNYAC CHAMPIONS
Sunday, October 31, 2010
SUNYAC QUARTER FINAL
I have lost count of the number of penalty shootouts I have been a part of since coming to Plattsburgh in 2007. All I can say is that they usually don’t end too well for us. In 07 we lost in the conference final, in 08 we lost in the conference semi-final and in 09 we lost in the conference final, all on penalties. It is not an easy to win and it is an especially disappointing way to lose. Luckily we were on the right side of the decision yesterday and we advanced to the conference tournament.
Although we beat Geneseo 3-0 in the regular season we knew that it would be anywhere near the same type of game this time. They are one of the hardest teams to play against just because of their high pressure and direct style of play. We wanted to get an early one to settle the nerves a little bit but that was always going to be hard. We were handed a boost with the return of Levine at left back, he had been playing well prior to hurting his hamstring and it gives us a different look with him in the lineup. Also Bart was finally looking healthy and we know we can always count on him to have huge games in playoffs.
I don’t think we started too well in the first 10 minutes but we grew into the game and started to put them under some pressure. We were getting some decent opportunities from corners and our passing was focused towards the corners because their back 3 was extremely narrow. We took the lead after a corner was cleared out but Mart kept it alive in the corner and played it back to me, I crossed one deep to the far post where Bandov headed right back across goal and in. I think the goal was more than we deserved but in order to completely take control we had to push on and try and get another one.
We went into half time feeling confident but we knew that they were going to come after us as neither team was willing to let their season end without a fight.
The second was an ugly and scrappy affair, just the way Geneseo likes it. This type of game suits their style of play because they are a smash mouth team. I mean this in the nicest way and they were the better team in the next half.
We seemed to be happy with our 1-0 lead but that is rarely enough, especially in a playoff game. With about 10 minutes left in the game they had a corner which we didn’t clear too well. Their center back, who was also their last man back started to line up the clearance from about 35-40 yards out and he hit one that was probably going on goal but there was still a crowd on the edge of the box from the corner and it deflected off Bart and went it. There was nothing that neither Andy nor Bart could do. I don’t think Bart had any choice but to try and block it and the wet conditions made it hard.
That goal really took the wind out of our sails and going into to overtime I think they had the momentum. I don’t think they capitalized the way they should have because we were really on our heels. With that being said we definitely had the chance of the overtime. Shaughnessy made a harmless looking flick turn into a cross along the goal line and Bandov, along with a defender, slid in but could not get a touch on it.
So to penalties we went. All of the seniors who played wanted a pen. Lojo, Bart and Payne are our primary takers and then Googz and I said we would take one. We wanted to go first to put some pressure on them and we duly did that after Bart took a great penalty sending the goalie the wrong way. Then arguably Geneseo’s best player hit the post with his. From then on we hit all of our penalties and took the shootout 5-3. It was a nice win but we are disappointed that we let the game get that far. For the seniors it was a bit of a scare because we were extremely close to ending our career’s too early. We don’t expect anything less than playing in the conference championship game. Even then we expect to win it because that is the level of our program. So although we are happy we won we will not be getting carried away because there is a lot of work to be done before we face Oneonta on Friday at their place. It’s all about getting one more game for us seniors. We just want to extend our careers one game at a time. Nobody on the team has a SUNYAC championship and that is our number one goal and we will be doing everything this week in practice to achieve that goal.
It was a great weekend all round with a Plattsburgh win and a Liverpool win. That’s 2 wins in a row and all those people writing us off will soon be eating their words because we will be up there at the end of the season, the fans know it and so do the team it is only outsiders who do not believe. YNWA
Here is Torres' brilliant backheel to set up Maxi for the goal. Oh and by the way, Man Utd are still dirty cheats.
Although we beat Geneseo 3-0 in the regular season we knew that it would be anywhere near the same type of game this time. They are one of the hardest teams to play against just because of their high pressure and direct style of play. We wanted to get an early one to settle the nerves a little bit but that was always going to be hard. We were handed a boost with the return of Levine at left back, he had been playing well prior to hurting his hamstring and it gives us a different look with him in the lineup. Also Bart was finally looking healthy and we know we can always count on him to have huge games in playoffs.
I don’t think we started too well in the first 10 minutes but we grew into the game and started to put them under some pressure. We were getting some decent opportunities from corners and our passing was focused towards the corners because their back 3 was extremely narrow. We took the lead after a corner was cleared out but Mart kept it alive in the corner and played it back to me, I crossed one deep to the far post where Bandov headed right back across goal and in. I think the goal was more than we deserved but in order to completely take control we had to push on and try and get another one.
We went into half time feeling confident but we knew that they were going to come after us as neither team was willing to let their season end without a fight.
The second was an ugly and scrappy affair, just the way Geneseo likes it. This type of game suits their style of play because they are a smash mouth team. I mean this in the nicest way and they were the better team in the next half.
We seemed to be happy with our 1-0 lead but that is rarely enough, especially in a playoff game. With about 10 minutes left in the game they had a corner which we didn’t clear too well. Their center back, who was also their last man back started to line up the clearance from about 35-40 yards out and he hit one that was probably going on goal but there was still a crowd on the edge of the box from the corner and it deflected off Bart and went it. There was nothing that neither Andy nor Bart could do. I don’t think Bart had any choice but to try and block it and the wet conditions made it hard.
That goal really took the wind out of our sails and going into to overtime I think they had the momentum. I don’t think they capitalized the way they should have because we were really on our heels. With that being said we definitely had the chance of the overtime. Shaughnessy made a harmless looking flick turn into a cross along the goal line and Bandov, along with a defender, slid in but could not get a touch on it.
So to penalties we went. All of the seniors who played wanted a pen. Lojo, Bart and Payne are our primary takers and then Googz and I said we would take one. We wanted to go first to put some pressure on them and we duly did that after Bart took a great penalty sending the goalie the wrong way. Then arguably Geneseo’s best player hit the post with his. From then on we hit all of our penalties and took the shootout 5-3. It was a nice win but we are disappointed that we let the game get that far. For the seniors it was a bit of a scare because we were extremely close to ending our career’s too early. We don’t expect anything less than playing in the conference championship game. Even then we expect to win it because that is the level of our program. So although we are happy we won we will not be getting carried away because there is a lot of work to be done before we face Oneonta on Friday at their place. It’s all about getting one more game for us seniors. We just want to extend our careers one game at a time. Nobody on the team has a SUNYAC championship and that is our number one goal and we will be doing everything this week in practice to achieve that goal.
It was a great weekend all round with a Plattsburgh win and a Liverpool win. That’s 2 wins in a row and all those people writing us off will soon be eating their words because we will be up there at the end of the season, the fans know it and so do the team it is only outsiders who do not believe. YNWA
Here is Torres' brilliant backheel to set up Maxi for the goal. Oh and by the way, Man Utd are still dirty cheats.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Potsdam
We are back to winning ways. A nice 4-1 win in our last SUNYAC regular season game against Potsdam. What was especially strange about this game was that our longtime friend and Plattsburgh alum Mark Misiak is now the assistant coach at Potsdam and to see him on the opposition sidelines was strange.
Injuries are really taking a toll on us and we have to shuffle a lot of people around. It was always going to be a difficult game because although Potsdam are at the bottom of the SUNYAC’s they have lost most of their games to just 1 goal and they usually have given that goal up in the last 5 minutes.
The game started out well with us controlling the possession and generally being the more dangerous team. After about 15 minutes we became cagier and started make mistakes. We played like a team that had lost 2 in a row and looked extremely lacking in confidence. We were not playing too well but we were still the better team.
The second half was a different story. We came out with a lot of confidence and we made a change, putting Googz at left back and Martin at right back. Levine and JJ are both still injured so we are desperately searching for a left back. We started to pass and move, this was the way we know we can play and they couldn’t get near us. The game could have been a lot different though as a breakdown in communication at the back gifted them an opportunity. They were awarded a free kick about 20 yards out and they hit one low to the goalie’s side and Andy made a fantastic save to keep the scores level. From then we knew we had to get one to settle them down. After a corner the ball came back out to Googz on the left and he played it first time to me on the side line, I took the space and got the byline and clipped one into the box where Payne scored a great diving header to give us the lead. It was nice to see him score as he got a few early on and they have since dried up a bit, but he played well in this game and definitely deserved one.
We kicked on from there and put some subs in. Cadden put in a deep cross and Tuna rose above the defender and headed it into the bottom corner. His celebration was wild and it gave everyone a few laughs when he did his own personal dance at the half way line. But it is nice to see freshmen score their first goal because you never forget it and when you see one get theirs it takes you back to yours.
We then got a few more subs and gave our starters a bit of a rest. We were still playing some nice stuff and Shaughnessy got a chance to turn his man and put one across where Tuna was waiting to slam home his second. Again more subs came in and after Martin put a free kick in Ryan Graig nodded home his first ever goal too. His celebration was another interesting one with him saluting Buddha.
We were a bit disappointed to give up a late goal with some sloppy defending but in the end we were happy with our performance and a victory. Matt Martin was definitely the man of the match with a very confident performance that he has been telling us for 2 years that he is capable of.
We now know that we will be hosting a play in game for the SUNYAC tournament on Saturday. We play Geneseo and it is do or die for the season and for the seniors, our careers. I have noticed that as we come to the end of our final regular season we reminisce about the past 4 years a lot more. We talk about what life was like as a freshman and who we liked or disliked, who we thought was good and remember games that we played. It is senior night on Wednesday and it will be an emotional night because this program has been a major part of our lives for 4 years. Being away from home this team has been my family and all of my great Plattsburgh experiences and memories are with the team. Hopefully this week isn’t our last as part of the program and we can go deep into post season play for one last time.
Here is the song I have been listening to the most this week:
Taylor
Injuries are really taking a toll on us and we have to shuffle a lot of people around. It was always going to be a difficult game because although Potsdam are at the bottom of the SUNYAC’s they have lost most of their games to just 1 goal and they usually have given that goal up in the last 5 minutes.
The game started out well with us controlling the possession and generally being the more dangerous team. After about 15 minutes we became cagier and started make mistakes. We played like a team that had lost 2 in a row and looked extremely lacking in confidence. We were not playing too well but we were still the better team.
The second half was a different story. We came out with a lot of confidence and we made a change, putting Googz at left back and Martin at right back. Levine and JJ are both still injured so we are desperately searching for a left back. We started to pass and move, this was the way we know we can play and they couldn’t get near us. The game could have been a lot different though as a breakdown in communication at the back gifted them an opportunity. They were awarded a free kick about 20 yards out and they hit one low to the goalie’s side and Andy made a fantastic save to keep the scores level. From then we knew we had to get one to settle them down. After a corner the ball came back out to Googz on the left and he played it first time to me on the side line, I took the space and got the byline and clipped one into the box where Payne scored a great diving header to give us the lead. It was nice to see him score as he got a few early on and they have since dried up a bit, but he played well in this game and definitely deserved one.
We kicked on from there and put some subs in. Cadden put in a deep cross and Tuna rose above the defender and headed it into the bottom corner. His celebration was wild and it gave everyone a few laughs when he did his own personal dance at the half way line. But it is nice to see freshmen score their first goal because you never forget it and when you see one get theirs it takes you back to yours.
We then got a few more subs and gave our starters a bit of a rest. We were still playing some nice stuff and Shaughnessy got a chance to turn his man and put one across where Tuna was waiting to slam home his second. Again more subs came in and after Martin put a free kick in Ryan Graig nodded home his first ever goal too. His celebration was another interesting one with him saluting Buddha.
We were a bit disappointed to give up a late goal with some sloppy defending but in the end we were happy with our performance and a victory. Matt Martin was definitely the man of the match with a very confident performance that he has been telling us for 2 years that he is capable of.
We now know that we will be hosting a play in game for the SUNYAC tournament on Saturday. We play Geneseo and it is do or die for the season and for the seniors, our careers. I have noticed that as we come to the end of our final regular season we reminisce about the past 4 years a lot more. We talk about what life was like as a freshman and who we liked or disliked, who we thought was good and remember games that we played. It is senior night on Wednesday and it will be an emotional night because this program has been a major part of our lives for 4 years. Being away from home this team has been my family and all of my great Plattsburgh experiences and memories are with the team. Hopefully this week isn’t our last as part of the program and we can go deep into post season play for one last time.
Here is the song I have been listening to the most this week:
Taylor
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