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
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Buffalo/Fredonia
As a four year player here at Plattsburgh, I have never lost 3 regular season games. It was inconceivable to think that I would lose 3 conference games in a season but it is now a reality. It is hard thing to take for some of the seniors. I am not saying that the younger players aren’t hurt by the defeats but the teams that they come from or the teams that they have friends on are ok with 3 losses. To most teams 3 losses is still a good season, not this team. By no means are we having a bad season as all of our goals are still attainable but we are not having the season we are capable of.
The Buff State game was not as easy as the score line suggested because of the weather. It was a blustery day there, as per usual, and it was hard to play to play the ball around but we tried to keep it on the deck as much as possible. We went into the break up a goal after Shaughnessy deflected Erik’s shot in. After the break we got one from Lojo with a nicely timed header and then Byrnes finished it off late with a rare goal. His was actually nice a one as he chipped the goalie from outside the box. I am still unsure of where the goalie was standing and it was a bit of a gift that most people wouldn’t even count but Byrnes will take it.
The next day we played Fredonia who are a very good team and have played a very ambitious schedule. This is why they are below .500 overall but they are a much better team than that record suggests. Their whole field/complex is a joy to play at. The surroundings are amazing and it’s a lovely pitch with a great stand. We played well in the first half and Hamilton finished a one on one that he created all on his own. His hard work closing down the defender resulted in him blocking a clearance and then he knocked one in off the post. We felt somewhat comfortable at the half and felt we could slip one or two more in before the end. Unfortunately we had gotten ahead of ourselves again and Fredonia came out with an intent and purpose. Our team defending was poor and their forwards are very dangerous. When you don’t defend them properly they will punish you and they did just that. At 1-1 I wasn’t overly concerned and thought we could go back ahead but a long hopeful ball from them caused havoc in our defense and one of their players headed the ball over Andy. I think on behalf of everyone I can say that they were two goals that were extremely preventable just by keeping good habits and doing the right things. We can get a bit complacent and take shortcuts with our team defending sometimes and in the past we have gotten away with it but a lack of communication and closing down really hurt us yesterday.
After that we lost two players to injury that list is an ever growing one as, and we had to make some changes. It is hard for some of us to play two games in two days. I certainly took a while to adjust to it and it still takes a huge toll on your body. There are a few of us who play almost every minute and we can’t sustain a high level for all of it unfortunately. I don’t care what anyone says, you will get tired at some point. The changes kind of made us unorganized but they were changes we had to make. To sum up our second half performance we took too many touches on the ball, didn’t look to pass to feet and didn’t keep good habits.
We now are looking at a play in game for playoffs which is something I have never experienced. It is not as bad as it seems though. When you get a bye for playoffs you are looking at 2 weeks without a game, now with a play in game we can keep playing. With a 2 week layoff we tend to over analyze ourselves and practice too much. Without games I don’t think it helps.
We go back to work on Monday knowing we have a huge game on Wednesday against St. Lawrence. They are a team that I respect more than most because of their style of play. They pass the ball around beautifully and play the way the game is supposed to be played. If we are still in contention for an at-large bid into the NCAA’s then this is a must win game. They have a great record this year and it will go a long way to making people forget our losses if we can get a good result. With all of our injuries there will be a lot of people needing to make a statement in practice this week because they will have a legitimate shot at playing.
One last thing, I know Liverpool lost the derby against Everton but we are officially under new ownership and that means we can move on from the terrible few years under those cowboys. I now all of you who are Red Sox fans will now convert to Liverpool fans now, do the right thing.
Oh and here is Dinho, he's back!
Til’ next time,
Taylor
The Buff State game was not as easy as the score line suggested because of the weather. It was a blustery day there, as per usual, and it was hard to play to play the ball around but we tried to keep it on the deck as much as possible. We went into the break up a goal after Shaughnessy deflected Erik’s shot in. After the break we got one from Lojo with a nicely timed header and then Byrnes finished it off late with a rare goal. His was actually nice a one as he chipped the goalie from outside the box. I am still unsure of where the goalie was standing and it was a bit of a gift that most people wouldn’t even count but Byrnes will take it.
The next day we played Fredonia who are a very good team and have played a very ambitious schedule. This is why they are below .500 overall but they are a much better team than that record suggests. Their whole field/complex is a joy to play at. The surroundings are amazing and it’s a lovely pitch with a great stand. We played well in the first half and Hamilton finished a one on one that he created all on his own. His hard work closing down the defender resulted in him blocking a clearance and then he knocked one in off the post. We felt somewhat comfortable at the half and felt we could slip one or two more in before the end. Unfortunately we had gotten ahead of ourselves again and Fredonia came out with an intent and purpose. Our team defending was poor and their forwards are very dangerous. When you don’t defend them properly they will punish you and they did just that. At 1-1 I wasn’t overly concerned and thought we could go back ahead but a long hopeful ball from them caused havoc in our defense and one of their players headed the ball over Andy. I think on behalf of everyone I can say that they were two goals that were extremely preventable just by keeping good habits and doing the right things. We can get a bit complacent and take shortcuts with our team defending sometimes and in the past we have gotten away with it but a lack of communication and closing down really hurt us yesterday.
After that we lost two players to injury that list is an ever growing one as, and we had to make some changes. It is hard for some of us to play two games in two days. I certainly took a while to adjust to it and it still takes a huge toll on your body. There are a few of us who play almost every minute and we can’t sustain a high level for all of it unfortunately. I don’t care what anyone says, you will get tired at some point. The changes kind of made us unorganized but they were changes we had to make. To sum up our second half performance we took too many touches on the ball, didn’t look to pass to feet and didn’t keep good habits.
We now are looking at a play in game for playoffs which is something I have never experienced. It is not as bad as it seems though. When you get a bye for playoffs you are looking at 2 weeks without a game, now with a play in game we can keep playing. With a 2 week layoff we tend to over analyze ourselves and practice too much. Without games I don’t think it helps.
We go back to work on Monday knowing we have a huge game on Wednesday against St. Lawrence. They are a team that I respect more than most because of their style of play. They pass the ball around beautifully and play the way the game is supposed to be played. If we are still in contention for an at-large bid into the NCAA’s then this is a must win game. They have a great record this year and it will go a long way to making people forget our losses if we can get a good result. With all of our injuries there will be a lot of people needing to make a statement in practice this week because they will have a legitimate shot at playing.
One last thing, I know Liverpool lost the derby against Everton but we are officially under new ownership and that means we can move on from the terrible few years under those cowboys. I now all of you who are Red Sox fans will now convert to Liverpool fans now, do the right thing.
Oh and here is Dinho, he's back!
Til’ next time,
Taylor
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Oneonta/New Paltz
Sorry I took so long to write a new entry but the holiday weekend got in the way.
A lot has happened since Friday, notable we have had two games, an extended weekend and the mighty reds of Liverpool have moved a step closer to getting new owners.
Let’s start with the important stuff of SUNYAC footy. On Friday we hosted Oneonta in a huge game. Not only were they top of the standings in the conference but they are consistently one of the better teams in the conference and region. It is always a tough game but they are the ones we came to Plattsburgh to experience. We were coming off a good week of training in which Waterbury, Spear and Kelleher had installed this new discipline system that consisted of lots of running and punishments. Nobody is complaining about the system as we are working a lot harder and there is more competition that is apparent now.
We started the game like a house on fire, we were all over them and that was in large part again to Erik, his ability to win every header stops the other team from getting out of their own half. Early in the game we won a free kick and I sent one in, Lojo and a couple of their players all collided and the ball fell to Shaughnessy and he tucked it away to give us the perfect start. For the rest of the half we kept the pressure up but couldn’t find the second G.
We knew that the next goal would be important and we needed one in the second half to finish them off. Again, early in the half we got a free kick and I decided to have a go and luckily it went in by sending the goalie the wrong way. Byrnes has pointed out that I can’t score from open play but that’s ok because he can’t score from inside the 6 yard box.
After that goal we had a couple of scares with Oneonta having some scrambles in our box and Martin took one to the face from point blank range to preserve the clean sheet. Martin then went up the other end and crossed it to Chad who took all of 9 touches to control the ball and then lashed one into the side netting for his first goal of the season. His celebration was a bit weird though when he sort of jumped on me and then lost balance and that started an impromptu piley-on. Chad has been working hard this season after missing the last one with an injury and he adds a little something to the team, it’s nice to have him back.
Worm got some minutes up top and he didn’t disappoint when he finished a clear breakaway to make it an emphatic 4-0 win. There is nothing like smashing one of your rivals to send a message to the rest of the conference. Some teams think they already have it wrapped up but there is a long way to go and we have a chip on our shoulder at the moment and I don’t think anyone wants to play us.
The next day we had New Paltz coming to town and they are always a tricky opponent. They actually try and knock the ball around, something I respect, and they can cause some problems. We knew that only a positive result would be acceptable otherwise the Oneonta game would be for nothing. I tried to put that into my pregame speech but Payne had told me the day before that although my speeches start well sometimes I ramble on and he now has the job of nudging me when he has had enough of my spiel.
We were playing against a strong wind but we started well and played some quick passing combinations but we could get that goal. They were also causing us some headaches with their deep crosses and we needed to get into half time either level or in front. Near the end of the half Martin capped a good individual weekend with his first ever goal. I took a free kick and just tried to put it in the POMO (position of maximum opportunity) and he leapt the highest to nod it in. it was a really important goal as they were dangerous and it knocked them back down to size a bit. We were a lot more settled in the second half and seemed to control the game more. Our pressure paid off after we put a ball in the box and after another scramble Shaughnessy knocked it in. he always seems to be there for the easy goal and none of us understand how he does it but he does. With a 2 goal cushion the game was a little more comfortable and we finished it off with 3 minutes to go. We were awarded a free kick in our own half and I drove one into the box and Hamilton flicked it on for an amazing goal, it was truly a brilliant finish. That marked my 33rd career assist and I broke the schools all time record for assists. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone I played with. Every single one of them helped me set this record in one way or another and it is a great honor and I am definitely full of pride.
Everyone took a break for Columbus Day, I went to Boston and bumped into Jay Sousa, arguably the programs greatest player, and he had some kind words to say about the record and the team and hopefully we can make more of our ex-players proud by our achievements this year.
In huge news Liverpool won their court battle and is now free to sell the club. It looks like the owner of the Red Sox is going to buy us and although I am skeptical about more Americans (no offense) I am also excited about the future of our club.
We leave tomorrow for Fredonia and Buff State in another huge weekend. We need to get another 2-0 weekend and keep the pressure on the other SUNYAC teams.
Til' next week here is a wonder G by one of my new favorite Liverpool player's, Raul Meireles:
A lot has happened since Friday, notable we have had two games, an extended weekend and the mighty reds of Liverpool have moved a step closer to getting new owners.
Let’s start with the important stuff of SUNYAC footy. On Friday we hosted Oneonta in a huge game. Not only were they top of the standings in the conference but they are consistently one of the better teams in the conference and region. It is always a tough game but they are the ones we came to Plattsburgh to experience. We were coming off a good week of training in which Waterbury, Spear and Kelleher had installed this new discipline system that consisted of lots of running and punishments. Nobody is complaining about the system as we are working a lot harder and there is more competition that is apparent now.
We started the game like a house on fire, we were all over them and that was in large part again to Erik, his ability to win every header stops the other team from getting out of their own half. Early in the game we won a free kick and I sent one in, Lojo and a couple of their players all collided and the ball fell to Shaughnessy and he tucked it away to give us the perfect start. For the rest of the half we kept the pressure up but couldn’t find the second G.
We knew that the next goal would be important and we needed one in the second half to finish them off. Again, early in the half we got a free kick and I decided to have a go and luckily it went in by sending the goalie the wrong way. Byrnes has pointed out that I can’t score from open play but that’s ok because he can’t score from inside the 6 yard box.
After that goal we had a couple of scares with Oneonta having some scrambles in our box and Martin took one to the face from point blank range to preserve the clean sheet. Martin then went up the other end and crossed it to Chad who took all of 9 touches to control the ball and then lashed one into the side netting for his first goal of the season. His celebration was a bit weird though when he sort of jumped on me and then lost balance and that started an impromptu piley-on. Chad has been working hard this season after missing the last one with an injury and he adds a little something to the team, it’s nice to have him back.
Worm got some minutes up top and he didn’t disappoint when he finished a clear breakaway to make it an emphatic 4-0 win. There is nothing like smashing one of your rivals to send a message to the rest of the conference. Some teams think they already have it wrapped up but there is a long way to go and we have a chip on our shoulder at the moment and I don’t think anyone wants to play us.
The next day we had New Paltz coming to town and they are always a tricky opponent. They actually try and knock the ball around, something I respect, and they can cause some problems. We knew that only a positive result would be acceptable otherwise the Oneonta game would be for nothing. I tried to put that into my pregame speech but Payne had told me the day before that although my speeches start well sometimes I ramble on and he now has the job of nudging me when he has had enough of my spiel.
We were playing against a strong wind but we started well and played some quick passing combinations but we could get that goal. They were also causing us some headaches with their deep crosses and we needed to get into half time either level or in front. Near the end of the half Martin capped a good individual weekend with his first ever goal. I took a free kick and just tried to put it in the POMO (position of maximum opportunity) and he leapt the highest to nod it in. it was a really important goal as they were dangerous and it knocked them back down to size a bit. We were a lot more settled in the second half and seemed to control the game more. Our pressure paid off after we put a ball in the box and after another scramble Shaughnessy knocked it in. he always seems to be there for the easy goal and none of us understand how he does it but he does. With a 2 goal cushion the game was a little more comfortable and we finished it off with 3 minutes to go. We were awarded a free kick in our own half and I drove one into the box and Hamilton flicked it on for an amazing goal, it was truly a brilliant finish. That marked my 33rd career assist and I broke the schools all time record for assists. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone I played with. Every single one of them helped me set this record in one way or another and it is a great honor and I am definitely full of pride.
Everyone took a break for Columbus Day, I went to Boston and bumped into Jay Sousa, arguably the programs greatest player, and he had some kind words to say about the record and the team and hopefully we can make more of our ex-players proud by our achievements this year.
In huge news Liverpool won their court battle and is now free to sell the club. It looks like the owner of the Red Sox is going to buy us and although I am skeptical about more Americans (no offense) I am also excited about the future of our club.
We leave tomorrow for Fredonia and Buff State in another huge weekend. We need to get another 2-0 weekend and keep the pressure on the other SUNYAC teams.
Til' next week here is a wonder G by one of my new favorite Liverpool player's, Raul Meireles:
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Chris Balducci
I just read on our sports website that a former Cardinal soccer player will be inducted into the hall of fame here at Plattsburgh.
I just want to say congratulations to Chris Balducci on behalf of the team. The reason his name stands out to some of us who play here 17 years after he did is that one of our former teammates broke the records that he set. As a freshman and a sophomore I had to honor of playing with John San Filippo or Gino as he is known. Gino is still to this day the best goalkeeper I have ever played with and I have played with some brilliant ones. I know it took him a long time to break Chris’ records and that shows how good of a goalkeeper he must have been.
To set records here at a place like Plattsburgh is no small feat. Goalkeeping ones can be especially difficult as you are relying on your team to provide the defensive cover in front of you. Now that Gino has broken his records it is nice that he now has his place in the hall of fame because people can often forget the old record holders and that is a shame.
It is always nice to see ex-players get recognition and I know there will be many more in the future because our program has had and still has that many great players.
Congratulations Chris,
Sincerely from the 2010 Plattsburgh State Men’s Soccer Team.
I just want to say congratulations to Chris Balducci on behalf of the team. The reason his name stands out to some of us who play here 17 years after he did is that one of our former teammates broke the records that he set. As a freshman and a sophomore I had to honor of playing with John San Filippo or Gino as he is known. Gino is still to this day the best goalkeeper I have ever played with and I have played with some brilliant ones. I know it took him a long time to break Chris’ records and that shows how good of a goalkeeper he must have been.
To set records here at a place like Plattsburgh is no small feat. Goalkeeping ones can be especially difficult as you are relying on your team to provide the defensive cover in front of you. Now that Gino has broken his records it is nice that he now has his place in the hall of fame because people can often forget the old record holders and that is a shame.
It is always nice to see ex-players get recognition and I know there will be many more in the future because our program has had and still has that many great players.
Congratulations Chris,
Sincerely from the 2010 Plattsburgh State Men’s Soccer Team.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Oswego/Cortland
I still don’t know the answer but I am now in my senior year and I have only beaten Oswego once and I barely played that game. We beat them my freshman year and I spent most of that game stuck in the training room.
For the second year in a row we lost to them in overtime. We know that a lot of teams live to beat Plattsburgh and Oswego definitely circle us on their schedule every year. I have to give credit to them, they are doing something right against us and I still can’t figure it out. I think the less said about this game the better but after getting out of a hole last week we have firmly put ourselves right back in it. Two losses in conference is a hard thing to take. I know we will bounce back from this and we will be in the mix at the end of the season but the chances of us hosting the SUNYAC tournament appear slim. The one thing I can count on is that anyone in this conference can beat anyone on any day.
The Cortland game was a much better performance from us. We switched our formation back to the old 4-4-2 and I think it will really change us as a team. We were playing a 4-5-1 and I personally loved it, I got hours of time on the ball and there were always options. Unfortunately we were not playing it the way it was supposed to be played and we gave our opposition too much time on the back at the back. Going back to two strikers is going to help our strikers more than anyone. I think Shaughnessy will benefit from not having all of the workload and there will be more opportunities for the forwards to make it onto the field. Hamilton started up top and was nothing short of sensational. He worked his backside off, made runs and was a target. That is something we needed up there. I think a lot of teams we have faced have had an easy ride at the back physically and that ends when Hammy is up there. I also moved further up the field to my old attacking mid position and it was nice to be back among the attackers, I liked the amount of touches I got at holding mid but there is nothing better than attacking. I even felt I had a bit more energy despite my old legs and gut. Although Hammy was a revelation up top, no one was better Saturday than Erik Hakim. We have all known he had the talent, I remember the first day of pre-season last year when he was a freshman and he scissored someone and curled one top bin, it was beautiful. Sometimes he gets in his own head and tries to do too much, but when he does his job he is brilliant. That is exactly what he did on Saturday; he stayed at holding mid and bossed it. They had to switch people on the other team just so they could try and win headers against him and it still didn’t work.
The first half was all us; we know we played well because coach didn’t make a sub until about ten minutes left in the half which must be some sort of record for him. We were getting chance after chance and we really have to start putting them away. You will not get too many chances in conference games and teams will punish you if you don’t take them. We went into half time feeling great everyone was happy and smiling but I think we stepped off the gas in the second half. Andy even had to come up with a brilliant save to keep us in it. I always knew we would win this match it was just a case of when we would score. Going into overtime I still knew that we would come out with the win and Hamilton got the goal that he deserved. Someone played a ball into him with his back to goal and he laid it off to me and took if forward and played in Payne who cut inside and used his chocolate leg to get a shot off, the keeper spilled it and Hamilton was right there to knock in the rebound.
I think he is going to go on a bit of a run in the way of goals now and so will one of our other forwards. It only takes one sometimes and the confidence just flows. Next weekend is another massive weekend against Oneonta and New Paltz. Oneonta are probably desperate for a piece of us after we ended their season last year and we are desperate for a piece of them. New Paltz is a team that can definitely give us problems and we have to stop the complacency that we becoming known for.
Also a little mention for Champions League that we play in practice on a Monday. Waterbury creates “random” teams and we play about five games that last seven minutes, you get points individually if your team wins and if you score. So far I definitely have to be up there because I am playing target man and netting G’s. I have been on the same team as Googz both weeks now and we have dominated although Binder has had a couple of decent weeks as well. I will post the chart when Waterbury finally decides to make it up.
And here is this weeks Showboat from Soccer AM
For the second year in a row we lost to them in overtime. We know that a lot of teams live to beat Plattsburgh and Oswego definitely circle us on their schedule every year. I have to give credit to them, they are doing something right against us and I still can’t figure it out. I think the less said about this game the better but after getting out of a hole last week we have firmly put ourselves right back in it. Two losses in conference is a hard thing to take. I know we will bounce back from this and we will be in the mix at the end of the season but the chances of us hosting the SUNYAC tournament appear slim. The one thing I can count on is that anyone in this conference can beat anyone on any day.
The Cortland game was a much better performance from us. We switched our formation back to the old 4-4-2 and I think it will really change us as a team. We were playing a 4-5-1 and I personally loved it, I got hours of time on the ball and there were always options. Unfortunately we were not playing it the way it was supposed to be played and we gave our opposition too much time on the back at the back. Going back to two strikers is going to help our strikers more than anyone. I think Shaughnessy will benefit from not having all of the workload and there will be more opportunities for the forwards to make it onto the field. Hamilton started up top and was nothing short of sensational. He worked his backside off, made runs and was a target. That is something we needed up there. I think a lot of teams we have faced have had an easy ride at the back physically and that ends when Hammy is up there. I also moved further up the field to my old attacking mid position and it was nice to be back among the attackers, I liked the amount of touches I got at holding mid but there is nothing better than attacking. I even felt I had a bit more energy despite my old legs and gut. Although Hammy was a revelation up top, no one was better Saturday than Erik Hakim. We have all known he had the talent, I remember the first day of pre-season last year when he was a freshman and he scissored someone and curled one top bin, it was beautiful. Sometimes he gets in his own head and tries to do too much, but when he does his job he is brilliant. That is exactly what he did on Saturday; he stayed at holding mid and bossed it. They had to switch people on the other team just so they could try and win headers against him and it still didn’t work.
The first half was all us; we know we played well because coach didn’t make a sub until about ten minutes left in the half which must be some sort of record for him. We were getting chance after chance and we really have to start putting them away. You will not get too many chances in conference games and teams will punish you if you don’t take them. We went into half time feeling great everyone was happy and smiling but I think we stepped off the gas in the second half. Andy even had to come up with a brilliant save to keep us in it. I always knew we would win this match it was just a case of when we would score. Going into overtime I still knew that we would come out with the win and Hamilton got the goal that he deserved. Someone played a ball into him with his back to goal and he laid it off to me and took if forward and played in Payne who cut inside and used his chocolate leg to get a shot off, the keeper spilled it and Hamilton was right there to knock in the rebound.
I think he is going to go on a bit of a run in the way of goals now and so will one of our other forwards. It only takes one sometimes and the confidence just flows. Next weekend is another massive weekend against Oneonta and New Paltz. Oneonta are probably desperate for a piece of us after we ended their season last year and we are desperate for a piece of them. New Paltz is a team that can definitely give us problems and we have to stop the complacency that we becoming known for.
Also a little mention for Champions League that we play in practice on a Monday. Waterbury creates “random” teams and we play about five games that last seven minutes, you get points individually if your team wins and if you score. So far I definitely have to be up there because I am playing target man and netting G’s. I have been on the same team as Googz both weeks now and we have dominated although Binder has had a couple of decent weeks as well. I will post the chart when Waterbury finally decides to make it up.
And here is this weeks Showboat from Soccer AM
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Brockport/Geneseo Weekend
It has been a long and emotional weekend for all of the boys. We opened conference play against two of the tougher teams in the league, Geneseo and Brockport. Anyone who has ever played in a SUNYAC game knows that these games are like no other. The physicality and intensity is through the roof and if you don’t come prepared then it is likely that you will be in for a rough ride. That is exactly what happened to us on Friday.
The last time we saw Brockport was when they were celebrating on our field with a SUNYAC championship. That was last year after they had beaten us in pens and most of us hadn’t forgotten it. We talked and talked about what it means to get off to a good start in conference and how we owed them something from last year. For some reason we really weren’t there mentally or physically and we got everything that we deserved and more.
From the first moment Brockport took it to us and we couldn’t get anything going. They beat us to every loose ball, won every 50-50 and seemed faster than us. They outworked us and gave us a lesson in how to play with heart and intensity. After 35 minutes we were down 2-0 courtesy of two long range strikes from their center back. Both goals were absolutely preventable, we didn’t clear our lines from a set piece and we gave them too much time on the ball around our box and then the second was a result of atrocious marking on our part from a throw in.
The scary thing is that we could have gone into the half tied up at 2-2. We had two golden chances to equalize or at least pull them back to within one and we wasted them. In conference play every goal is a huge momentum swinger and we had a chance to get a foot hold back in the game.
At half time we talked about raising the intensity and some of the older had their say about the performances we were seeing out there. A lot of us knew we needed to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves if we were representing everyone to the best of our ability. The worrying part of this is that after all the talk at half time we came out in the second half and were arguably worse than the first. They put another one in after an hour and it was over for us. We didn’t have the heart to come back. Coach decided to empty the bench for the final half an hour and some people went out there and made some noise. There are some people on our team with big reputations who didn’t live up to them on Friday. It was the people who came in at the end who put some of us to shame.
It was a long night for us and I personally didn’t sleep at all because I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I was embarrassed and felt I had let the team down because of my own performance and I know a few others felt this way too. It is a good sign that we were hurting so badly after a loss and we know we don’t want to feel that way again.
The next day didn’t get any easier for us with Geneseo coming into town. They are one of the most physically tough teams around and we have never had an easy game against them.
We didn’t need any motivation or any pumping up, we knew what we needed to do. Coach mentioned that this was as close to a must win game as it comes but I really believe that this was a must win game. To go 0-2 on this weekend would have been a disaster and it would really hurt our chances of hosting SUNYAC’s.
We didn’t start too well and Geneseo played vertical and tried to put us under pressure. After about 10-15 minutes we started to move the ball a little bit and possess with some composure, something we have lacked lately. When we kept the ball moving they couldn’t touch us and we had times were we played them off the park.
With heir direct style they put our goalie, Andy, under pressure but he has grown a lot in confidence this year and is a totally different player from last year. He stood strong and took a couple of hits from them but they just bounced off of him.
Towards the end of the half we got a free kick on the edge of their box and I hit one off the crossbar. Hamilton was looking for the rebound and he headed one in to take a load off our shoulders. Going into half time up 1-0 is something we are used to this season. We usually then sit back and absorb the pressure but Geneseo is a team that you don’t want to do that against. Their direct and physical approach can pay off if you let them do it. We came out for the second really well and pinned them back in their own half. They couldn’t get out and we probably should have had one or two penalties awarded. In the end we were awarded a free kick which I put in, I catch a bit of stick from Waterbury about my free kick taking and although he is probably right it gets on my nerves and he knows it so I was happy to stick one away. After the second goal we didn’t let up and kept them on their heels and it paid off when Googz went on a great run and hit Shaughnessy with a pass, he made a fantastic turn and pulled one back from the end line, Byrnes dummied the ball and Hamilton slid in his second of the game.
Although some of the usual players get the credit and the headlines I think a few unfamiliar names made the difference in this game. Erik Hakim played the most minutes of his season and was a great physical presence in there, also Joe Aratari or Tuna as he is known, was a surprise coming in off the bench but he was outstanding. His pace and tenacity caused problems and he certainly didn’t look out of place. Last of all a special mention has to go to Ryan Connors. He replaced Bart at center back and although you are always going to miss a player of Bart’s standard, Connors was very good in both games. Despite the score line against Brockport he played well and was even better against Geneseo.
It’s a positive sign that players like Tuna, Erik, Connors, Caden and Greene are playing well and getting minutes because they are the future of the program. We are going to lose a lot of excellent players after this year and they have some big shoes to fill but everyone has the confidence that they can do that.
We leave on Thursday for Cortland and Oswego. This is going to be another tough weekend and we have to start making 2-0 weekends part of our season. Oswego has beaten us twice in the last two years and we just can’t figure them out but I am confident that this time will be different. Despite us not hitting our stride yet I know that this team can make it to the NCAA tournament and then make some noise there, it is just a matter of showing up mentally to every game.
The last time we saw Brockport was when they were celebrating on our field with a SUNYAC championship. That was last year after they had beaten us in pens and most of us hadn’t forgotten it. We talked and talked about what it means to get off to a good start in conference and how we owed them something from last year. For some reason we really weren’t there mentally or physically and we got everything that we deserved and more.
From the first moment Brockport took it to us and we couldn’t get anything going. They beat us to every loose ball, won every 50-50 and seemed faster than us. They outworked us and gave us a lesson in how to play with heart and intensity. After 35 minutes we were down 2-0 courtesy of two long range strikes from their center back. Both goals were absolutely preventable, we didn’t clear our lines from a set piece and we gave them too much time on the ball around our box and then the second was a result of atrocious marking on our part from a throw in.
The scary thing is that we could have gone into the half tied up at 2-2. We had two golden chances to equalize or at least pull them back to within one and we wasted them. In conference play every goal is a huge momentum swinger and we had a chance to get a foot hold back in the game.
At half time we talked about raising the intensity and some of the older had their say about the performances we were seeing out there. A lot of us knew we needed to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves if we were representing everyone to the best of our ability. The worrying part of this is that after all the talk at half time we came out in the second half and were arguably worse than the first. They put another one in after an hour and it was over for us. We didn’t have the heart to come back. Coach decided to empty the bench for the final half an hour and some people went out there and made some noise. There are some people on our team with big reputations who didn’t live up to them on Friday. It was the people who came in at the end who put some of us to shame.
It was a long night for us and I personally didn’t sleep at all because I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I was embarrassed and felt I had let the team down because of my own performance and I know a few others felt this way too. It is a good sign that we were hurting so badly after a loss and we know we don’t want to feel that way again.
The next day didn’t get any easier for us with Geneseo coming into town. They are one of the most physically tough teams around and we have never had an easy game against them.
We didn’t need any motivation or any pumping up, we knew what we needed to do. Coach mentioned that this was as close to a must win game as it comes but I really believe that this was a must win game. To go 0-2 on this weekend would have been a disaster and it would really hurt our chances of hosting SUNYAC’s.
We didn’t start too well and Geneseo played vertical and tried to put us under pressure. After about 10-15 minutes we started to move the ball a little bit and possess with some composure, something we have lacked lately. When we kept the ball moving they couldn’t touch us and we had times were we played them off the park.
With heir direct style they put our goalie, Andy, under pressure but he has grown a lot in confidence this year and is a totally different player from last year. He stood strong and took a couple of hits from them but they just bounced off of him.
Towards the end of the half we got a free kick on the edge of their box and I hit one off the crossbar. Hamilton was looking for the rebound and he headed one in to take a load off our shoulders. Going into half time up 1-0 is something we are used to this season. We usually then sit back and absorb the pressure but Geneseo is a team that you don’t want to do that against. Their direct and physical approach can pay off if you let them do it. We came out for the second really well and pinned them back in their own half. They couldn’t get out and we probably should have had one or two penalties awarded. In the end we were awarded a free kick which I put in, I catch a bit of stick from Waterbury about my free kick taking and although he is probably right it gets on my nerves and he knows it so I was happy to stick one away. After the second goal we didn’t let up and kept them on their heels and it paid off when Googz went on a great run and hit Shaughnessy with a pass, he made a fantastic turn and pulled one back from the end line, Byrnes dummied the ball and Hamilton slid in his second of the game.
Although some of the usual players get the credit and the headlines I think a few unfamiliar names made the difference in this game. Erik Hakim played the most minutes of his season and was a great physical presence in there, also Joe Aratari or Tuna as he is known, was a surprise coming in off the bench but he was outstanding. His pace and tenacity caused problems and he certainly didn’t look out of place. Last of all a special mention has to go to Ryan Connors. He replaced Bart at center back and although you are always going to miss a player of Bart’s standard, Connors was very good in both games. Despite the score line against Brockport he played well and was even better against Geneseo.
It’s a positive sign that players like Tuna, Erik, Connors, Caden and Greene are playing well and getting minutes because they are the future of the program. We are going to lose a lot of excellent players after this year and they have some big shoes to fill but everyone has the confidence that they can do that.
We leave on Thursday for Cortland and Oswego. This is going to be another tough weekend and we have to start making 2-0 weekends part of our season. Oswego has beaten us twice in the last two years and we just can’t figure them out but I am confident that this time will be different. Despite us not hitting our stride yet I know that this team can make it to the NCAA tournament and then make some noise there, it is just a matter of showing up mentally to every game.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Look-a-likes
I thought I would do a little midweek blog because we don’t have a game until Friday and I don’t want all the blogs to be game recaps.
One thing that has been talked about several times this year is our new pictures for the online roster. There are some suspect fashion statements going on throughout the team ranging from Payne, Lojo and Chad’s facial hair to myself and Hamilton’s attempts at haircuts.
By far the funniest photo online is Payne’s.
His uncanny resemblance to Edward Norton in American History X is a great find.
Lojo is going for the so called Rick Ross look.
Hamilton is a Neymar attempt gone seriously wrong.
Then there is Byrnes who not only looks like Lance Bass but acts strangely like him too.
Levine and Stepjan both look the same and spend all their time together so it’s hard to differentiate.
Binder is our answer to Drake.
Andy looks remotely like a child superstar.
If you have any other suggestions comment on the blog.
One thing that has been talked about several times this year is our new pictures for the online roster. There are some suspect fashion statements going on throughout the team ranging from Payne, Lojo and Chad’s facial hair to myself and Hamilton’s attempts at haircuts.
By far the funniest photo online is Payne’s.
His uncanny resemblance to Edward Norton in American History X is a great find.
Lojo is going for the so called Rick Ross look.
Hamilton is a Neymar attempt gone seriously wrong.
Then there is Byrnes who not only looks like Lance Bass but acts strangely like him too.
Levine and Stepjan both look the same and spend all their time together so it’s hard to differentiate.
Binder is our answer to Drake.
Andy looks remotely like a child superstar.
If you have any other suggestions comment on the blog.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Skidmore
Last night we travelled down to Saratoga to play Skidmore College. We beat them 3-2 last year at home after being 2-0 after 20 minutes so we knew that would be on their minds and in their team talk.
We changed our lineup for the game mainly because of health issues concerning Hamilton and Bandov. Hamilton didn’t even travel with the squad and that was a bit of a blow because he is such a hard worker, it is always nice to have someone like him. Joey Jones and Tom Greene came into the lineup and it must have been a big occasion for them making their first collegiate starts. Tommy even had his own fan club in the stands with his high school team attending and making some noise for him.
After the last few games we have talked about the importance of scoring early and often. We are confident that most teams will not be able to score against us because we defend so well but you have to score to be able to win games.
Skidmore had a nice crowd there and they made themselves known with some creative chants and chirps. I think for most of us that sort of thing makes us play better and we started the game with some great passing and moving. We knocked the ball around smoothly and got in behind them. They had to resort to fouling us and we got a lot of free kicks. We are extremely dangerous from set pieces because usually Bart or Lojo get on the end of them but our first goal came from JJ. He was one of the smallest players in the box but he scored a bullet header and was smiling from ear to ear with his first ever goal. It’s always nice to see someone score their first goal because you never forget it. We were talking about it on the way home and we all remember our first goal, how we scored it and who it was against.
After the goal we kind of took our foot off the gas and they pushed forward a little more and they were receiving what we felt were very generous calls from the referee. We saw out the half as even if teams do have possession against us they aren’t generally dangerous because we defend well.
At half time we talked about getting the next goal and how big that would be but it didn’t go the way we wanted. They changed up their formation and they took away our extra midfielder which really changed the face of the game. We did have opportunities to keep the ball but we lacked composure and confidence and needlessly gave it away. In the end we finished the game out and got another win to go into conference play undefeated.
I think this is a big psychological boost to us and the longer we go undefeated the better. SUNYAC’s is a totally different game to the non-conference games and we really need to bring our game every week because everyone’s goal at the start of the season is to win the conference and we are due a title.
We play Brockport on Friday and they are the conference champs so it’s a big game for us, we are aiming to stay undefeated and hopefully that can happen.
We changed our lineup for the game mainly because of health issues concerning Hamilton and Bandov. Hamilton didn’t even travel with the squad and that was a bit of a blow because he is such a hard worker, it is always nice to have someone like him. Joey Jones and Tom Greene came into the lineup and it must have been a big occasion for them making their first collegiate starts. Tommy even had his own fan club in the stands with his high school team attending and making some noise for him.
After the last few games we have talked about the importance of scoring early and often. We are confident that most teams will not be able to score against us because we defend so well but you have to score to be able to win games.
Skidmore had a nice crowd there and they made themselves known with some creative chants and chirps. I think for most of us that sort of thing makes us play better and we started the game with some great passing and moving. We knocked the ball around smoothly and got in behind them. They had to resort to fouling us and we got a lot of free kicks. We are extremely dangerous from set pieces because usually Bart or Lojo get on the end of them but our first goal came from JJ. He was one of the smallest players in the box but he scored a bullet header and was smiling from ear to ear with his first ever goal. It’s always nice to see someone score their first goal because you never forget it. We were talking about it on the way home and we all remember our first goal, how we scored it and who it was against.
After the goal we kind of took our foot off the gas and they pushed forward a little more and they were receiving what we felt were very generous calls from the referee. We saw out the half as even if teams do have possession against us they aren’t generally dangerous because we defend well.
At half time we talked about getting the next goal and how big that would be but it didn’t go the way we wanted. They changed up their formation and they took away our extra midfielder which really changed the face of the game. We did have opportunities to keep the ball but we lacked composure and confidence and needlessly gave it away. In the end we finished the game out and got another win to go into conference play undefeated.
I think this is a big psychological boost to us and the longer we go undefeated the better. SUNYAC’s is a totally different game to the non-conference games and we really need to bring our game every week because everyone’s goal at the start of the season is to win the conference and we are due a title.
We play Brockport on Friday and they are the conference champs so it’s a big game for us, we are aiming to stay undefeated and hopefully that can happen.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Castleton State
This past Wednesday we hosted Castleton State. We play them every year and usually they are a tough game but in the end we have too much for them to handle. Our troubles in front of goal hurt us a lot in this game. We had so many chances to score in this game but we lacked composure inside the 18. I think if we had scored an early goal then we would have gone on to score 3 or 4 but the longer it went on the more pressure we felt to score. We all thought Byrnes would continue his hot streak in front of goal but he blasted one straight at the goalie from 3 yards out. As the game progressed we started pushing more numbers forward and we left ourselves exposed a few times, one time inparticular they had a clear breakaway but the ref pulled it back for an earlier foul by Lojo (John LoGuirato) and he let us off the hook big time. We went into overtime and some of us got the feeling of here we go again because we have played so many overtime games in the last few years. We dominated again in the extra periods and the pressure finally paid off when Bart scored a magnificent header from a corner. It was a big win for us but we cannot keep letting games like these become close, when we have the chances we have to finish them otherwise teams will punish us.
Baruch
The next day we played against Baruch, we didn’t know much about them but we felt that if we could handle playing against Manhattanville then we could handle anyone at the time. A bit like the Norwich game, this one didn’t exactly go to plan. We looked tired from the day before and played very slowly against a team that looked willing to sit back and let us attack. We made mistakes that I don’t think we would have if we would have been fresh. We went into half time a goal down after they scored a nice free kick. This was the first goal we had conceded this season and it was our first challenge to come from a goal down to try and win. The 2nd half was a much better display from us, we had a heated talk at half time and it seemed to light the fire under some players.
3 minutes into the 2nd half (Danny) Byrnes scored off a nice pass from Bandov. You could tell that he doesn’t score often because of his terrible celebration. Once we got one goal we knew that we could go on to win it but the goal didn’t come immediately like we thought it would. After probing away for a while we got a corner that Bart (Misiak) wanted taken early, so I did and he got a head on it but the goalie managed to save it right into the path of (Pat) Shaughnessy who scored one of his trademark close range goals. The rest of the half wasn’t the prettiest from us and we were slightly disappointed that we didn’t kill the game off like we have been able to do in past years but a win is a win.
3 minutes into the 2nd half (Danny) Byrnes scored off a nice pass from Bandov. You could tell that he doesn’t score often because of his terrible celebration. Once we got one goal we knew that we could go on to win it but the goal didn’t come immediately like we thought it would. After probing away for a while we got a corner that Bart (Misiak) wanted taken early, so I did and he got a head on it but the goalie managed to save it right into the path of (Pat) Shaughnessy who scored one of his trademark close range goals. The rest of the half wasn’t the prettiest from us and we were slightly disappointed that we didn’t kill the game off like we have been able to do in past years but a win is a win.
Manhattanville
After a short break we travelled downstate to Manhattanville College for a tournament that they were hosting. We were desperate to do well in it because of the disappointment at Norwich. A lot of our players are from the area around Manhattanville and so it was a great trip for people to see friends and family. It is hard for athletes sometimes because they don’t have the spare time to visit home like regular students do and so trips like this can do wonders for morale. Our first game was against the hosts Manhattanville, we knew they were going to be good but we didn’t realize how good they would be. The first half was an eve affair and in some ways we probably edged the momentum. We managed to score a fortunate goal after Stejpan Bandov raced in behind their defenders and crossed it to Mike Payne. Payne then took a shot that bounced off the ground and somehow beat the goalkeeper, it was a huge goal and it was only around 20 minutes into the game. Payne has already scored three times this year and he can be a big player for us if he stays healthy.
The 2nd half was almost like two different teams came out as they absolutely dominated us from the start to the finish. We started to sit back and just try and absorb the pressure but they just kept coming and their movement off the ball was tremendous. They had some terrific individual players who caused us a lot of problems. In the end Andy (Heighington), our goalie, had a brilliant game and so did our defenders. It took a complete team effort to pull out the win because our backs were against the wall for a long time. Players like JJ (Joey Jones), Chad (Shennett) and Matt Martin gave us some good minutes in positions that they weren’t used to.
The 2nd half was almost like two different teams came out as they absolutely dominated us from the start to the finish. We started to sit back and just try and absorb the pressure but they just kept coming and their movement off the ball was tremendous. They had some terrific individual players who caused us a lot of problems. In the end Andy (Heighington), our goalie, had a brilliant game and so did our defenders. It took a complete team effort to pull out the win because our backs were against the wall for a long time. Players like JJ (Joey Jones), Chad (Shennett) and Matt Martin gave us some good minutes in positions that they weren’t used to.
Norwich
In the first two games of the season we managed to score a combined 9 goals. I put that down to the standard of opposition that we played, both were below 500. teams. Since then it has been an uphill battle to score goals. We travelled to Norwich University last week, usually we come out on top against them but playing at their home field it a very difficult experience. They play on one of the smallest fields allowed and the grass isn’t exactly in great condition. Two years ago when I was a sophomore we went over and took a beating from them, which was one of the worst performances I have been a part of here at Plattsburgh. With the memories of that performance still in most of the senior classes minds we really wanted to pay them back for that. Unfortunately it didn’t go according to plan. Norwich had a game plan that they executed to a tee. They had decided they wanted to pack it in on defense and challenge us to break them down and we couldn’t. Their goalie had a great game and our attack did not. We ended up tying the game 0-0 and now our senior class is going to leave having never won a game at Norwich. That is a huge disappointment for some of us because we pride ourselves on being the best and having many teams hate playing against us but Norwich have a great coach and they do what they have to do to get the better of us.
New Blog - the season so far
Hello all, I am Chris Taylor and I play for the men's soccer team here at Plattsburgh State. I am a journalism major and so I have taken over the blog from Coach Waterbury in order to get some more writing experience. Hopefully I can do a better job than he did and give you a little insight into our team after games and when we are on road trips.
I thought I would just give a little recap of the how the season is going so far since this is my first post and we are 6 games into the season.
At the moment we are still undefeated with a record of 5-0-1 and we hope to keep that record up going into conference play.
If anyone has any question just comment on the blog post and I will be happy to answer them on behalf of the team.
I will start the blog off with a short recap of the last few games.
I thought I would just give a little recap of the how the season is going so far since this is my first post and we are 6 games into the season.
At the moment we are still undefeated with a record of 5-0-1 and we hope to keep that record up going into conference play.
If anyone has any question just comment on the blog post and I will be happy to answer them on behalf of the team.
I will start the blog off with a short recap of the last few games.
Monday, March 8, 2010
April Alumni soccer weekend
We are very excited about the upcoming weekend of April 17th and 18th. We will be having our first ever Soccer weekend in the spring. Any and all past players and guests are more than welcome to attend.
Details: April 17th
11:00 AM Plattsburgh Varsity vs Clarkson University and Lyndon State college
3:00 PM Alumni game
6:00 PM Happy hour Alumni room in the campus center.
7:00 PM Sit down dinner banquet featuring a roasting of Chris Waterbury after 25 years at Plattsburgh.
We will be looking for about 5 guest speakers willing to be a "roaster".
The next day, the 18th, we will have an informal round of golf where I am sure we will turn into a competition of some sort.
My entire e-mail and mailing list is not complete, I have lost track with many players and would be thrilled to reach out to everyone, please feel free to forward this information out to any one you still are in contact with.
I really would like to make this a great weekend. I hope all of you will consider attending. Playing in the alumni game is optional, hecklers are equally welcome.
Please return your confirmation asap, we need to get firm head counts for the dinner and reservations for golf.
Cost is $40 dollars which includes Dinner and an alumni soccer shirt and a complimentary beverage.
Children under 12 are $17 dollars for dinner only.
Guests are more than welcome.
Please make checks payable to Plattsburgh State Men’s soccer.
NAME_______________________________________
Yes I will attend_______________________________
Shirt size_____________________________________
Yes I will golf__________________________________
Please consider me for a speaker: yes______ no______
Please mail your confirmation to:
Chris Waterbury
212 Memorial Hall
Plattsburgh NY 12901
Questions:
518-570-7727
waterbcp@plattsburgh.edu
Details: April 17th
11:00 AM Plattsburgh Varsity vs Clarkson University and Lyndon State college
3:00 PM Alumni game
6:00 PM Happy hour Alumni room in the campus center.
7:00 PM Sit down dinner banquet featuring a roasting of Chris Waterbury after 25 years at Plattsburgh.
We will be looking for about 5 guest speakers willing to be a "roaster".
The next day, the 18th, we will have an informal round of golf where I am sure we will turn into a competition of some sort.
My entire e-mail and mailing list is not complete, I have lost track with many players and would be thrilled to reach out to everyone, please feel free to forward this information out to any one you still are in contact with.
I really would like to make this a great weekend. I hope all of you will consider attending. Playing in the alumni game is optional, hecklers are equally welcome.
Please return your confirmation asap, we need to get firm head counts for the dinner and reservations for golf.
Cost is $40 dollars which includes Dinner and an alumni soccer shirt and a complimentary beverage.
Children under 12 are $17 dollars for dinner only.
Guests are more than welcome.
Please make checks payable to Plattsburgh State Men’s soccer.
NAME_______________________________________
Yes I will attend_______________________________
Shirt size_____________________________________
Yes I will golf__________________________________
Please consider me for a speaker: yes______ no______
Please mail your confirmation to:
Chris Waterbury
212 Memorial Hall
Plattsburgh NY 12901
Questions:
518-570-7727
waterbcp@plattsburgh.edu
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Community Service
At this point we have logged over 160 hours amongst the team in the community. We have been committed to several different youth organizations giving soccer clinics to many different groups. We have also been very active with the Adirondack food shelf which helps the homeless. A very nice project we have done yearly is working with the Juvenile Diabetes program. The team had a lot of fun with it and it has been amazing how many of the different organizations have come to follow us at all of our home games.
This has been a great way for our team to come together and also give back to our community.
This has been a great way for our team to come together and also give back to our community.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hello everyone:
As many of you know Plattsburgh men's soccer and many of our alumni have been working hard to help Matt Fyfe (past Cardinal player) whose family has been going through some very difficult times. Matt's wife Liz has been battling brain cancer. This has been an incredibly difficult time for them and their 2 children both emotionally and financially. We have had several fundraising events to benefit their family and additionally our alumni soccer players have really stepped up to the plate big time. We sent Matt and his family a check for $2,400 right before Christmas and since then the money is still coming in.
I was so incredibly touched to read the many notes and letters of past players who did not even know Matt but were willing to contribute. Since then we have recieved over another $1,100 dollars for the family. It is amazing how often players wrote "once a Cardinal always a Cardinal". It really made me proud to be a part of this program and to have been associated with so many special people.
I have enclose a letter Matt wrote that I would like to share with you all.
Dear Coach Waterbury, staff, current players and fellow alumni:
I would first like to thank you for your time and generosity. One hundred dollars would help us right now but $2400 will give us the ability to pay a number of bills and give our kids a better Christmas. I can’t thank you all enough. It means a lot to me and my family that you took the time and put in the effort to help us in our time of need. So again, thank you for all you did and thank you to Coach for taking the lead on this matter.
Secondly, I just want to say a few words to the current players on the team. You probably have never heard my name before, nor have we ever met. I am not the all time leading goal scorer, the assist leader or the leader in minutes played. I was a role player. My job was to go and create scoring chances for the rest of the team by beating on the other teams’ defenses. I think that I led the team in yellow cards my junior year and body checks (which I am very proud of). I doubt coach keeps those stats, but none of that matters right now. What matters is that we are part of the same program. We have a bond; even though we have never played together we are all on the same team. Teams and teammates stick together in tough times.
Thirteen years ago when I was where you are right now I couldn’t have imagined what my life would be like. I always thought that one day I would get married and have kids. Never did I think that 6 months after my second child was born my wife would be diagnosed with brain cancer. She would then have brain surgery, go through radiation and chemotherapy and lose her job because she couldn’t return in time due to her illness. In addition, Liz would spend a week in the hospital because her platelet counts were so low, the doctors were afraid she could have a brain hemorrhage and die. We may have to sell our house because we can’t afford to live here on one salary. Yes, thirteen years ago I was just worried about where the next party was going to be and if there were going to be girls there.
I tell you all this because one day your life may be turned upside down, as mine was. I would never wish this on anyone. But the reality is that it happened to me. So it is possible that it can happen to anyone. Just know that your teammates will always have your back. No matter how long it has been since you’ve played and no matter if you have never met some of the members on the team, they will always be there for you when you need them. It is reassuring to know this. It feels good that you are not forgotten and that people still care after so many years. So thank you again for taking the time to help a former Cardinal. Good luck and never feel that you are alone. Your teammates will always be there for you.
Lastly, to the alumni, thank you for your generosity. I have to tell you that I miss playing with you. I miss the bus trips, playing cards, the stretching circle, all the stories and Draper. Oh God, do I miss Draper! What I don’t miss is chasing Coach through Plattsburgh on his mountain bike, the three-a- day practices during preseason, the six-pack sprints around the field and midterm madness. I really never liked running. I still don’t! I loved being part of a team. I have not seen or spoken with many of you in a very long time but I really appreciate the fact that you thought enough to send a donation. Thanks. This will help immensely right now. I hope in time that we can get together and reminisce about the old days. I really think that that would be a good time.
I hope this letter finds you all in good health. Wherever life takes you, just remember that you will not be forgotten. It speaks volumes about the character of a program and the people that have been part of this program through the years when one individual needs help and others are willing to be there for them. To borrow a line from a couple of the alumni that sent in donations, “Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal.” From one Cardinal to all my former teammates and all of you that I have never met- Thank you! Thank you from my wife, my kids and myself.
Sincerely,
Matt, Liz, Zoe and Angus Fyfe
As many of you know Plattsburgh men's soccer and many of our alumni have been working hard to help Matt Fyfe (past Cardinal player) whose family has been going through some very difficult times. Matt's wife Liz has been battling brain cancer. This has been an incredibly difficult time for them and their 2 children both emotionally and financially. We have had several fundraising events to benefit their family and additionally our alumni soccer players have really stepped up to the plate big time. We sent Matt and his family a check for $2,400 right before Christmas and since then the money is still coming in.
I was so incredibly touched to read the many notes and letters of past players who did not even know Matt but were willing to contribute. Since then we have recieved over another $1,100 dollars for the family. It is amazing how often players wrote "once a Cardinal always a Cardinal". It really made me proud to be a part of this program and to have been associated with so many special people.
I have enclose a letter Matt wrote that I would like to share with you all.
Dear Coach Waterbury, staff, current players and fellow alumni:
I would first like to thank you for your time and generosity. One hundred dollars would help us right now but $2400 will give us the ability to pay a number of bills and give our kids a better Christmas. I can’t thank you all enough. It means a lot to me and my family that you took the time and put in the effort to help us in our time of need. So again, thank you for all you did and thank you to Coach for taking the lead on this matter.
Secondly, I just want to say a few words to the current players on the team. You probably have never heard my name before, nor have we ever met. I am not the all time leading goal scorer, the assist leader or the leader in minutes played. I was a role player. My job was to go and create scoring chances for the rest of the team by beating on the other teams’ defenses. I think that I led the team in yellow cards my junior year and body checks (which I am very proud of). I doubt coach keeps those stats, but none of that matters right now. What matters is that we are part of the same program. We have a bond; even though we have never played together we are all on the same team. Teams and teammates stick together in tough times.
Thirteen years ago when I was where you are right now I couldn’t have imagined what my life would be like. I always thought that one day I would get married and have kids. Never did I think that 6 months after my second child was born my wife would be diagnosed with brain cancer. She would then have brain surgery, go through radiation and chemotherapy and lose her job because she couldn’t return in time due to her illness. In addition, Liz would spend a week in the hospital because her platelet counts were so low, the doctors were afraid she could have a brain hemorrhage and die. We may have to sell our house because we can’t afford to live here on one salary. Yes, thirteen years ago I was just worried about where the next party was going to be and if there were going to be girls there.
I tell you all this because one day your life may be turned upside down, as mine was. I would never wish this on anyone. But the reality is that it happened to me. So it is possible that it can happen to anyone. Just know that your teammates will always have your back. No matter how long it has been since you’ve played and no matter if you have never met some of the members on the team, they will always be there for you when you need them. It is reassuring to know this. It feels good that you are not forgotten and that people still care after so many years. So thank you again for taking the time to help a former Cardinal. Good luck and never feel that you are alone. Your teammates will always be there for you.
Lastly, to the alumni, thank you for your generosity. I have to tell you that I miss playing with you. I miss the bus trips, playing cards, the stretching circle, all the stories and Draper. Oh God, do I miss Draper! What I don’t miss is chasing Coach through Plattsburgh on his mountain bike, the three-a- day practices during preseason, the six-pack sprints around the field and midterm madness. I really never liked running. I still don’t! I loved being part of a team. I have not seen or spoken with many of you in a very long time but I really appreciate the fact that you thought enough to send a donation. Thanks. This will help immensely right now. I hope in time that we can get together and reminisce about the old days. I really think that that would be a good time.
I hope this letter finds you all in good health. Wherever life takes you, just remember that you will not be forgotten. It speaks volumes about the character of a program and the people that have been part of this program through the years when one individual needs help and others are willing to be there for them. To borrow a line from a couple of the alumni that sent in donations, “Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal.” From one Cardinal to all my former teammates and all of you that I have never met- Thank you! Thank you from my wife, my kids and myself.
Sincerely,
Matt, Liz, Zoe and Angus Fyfe
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