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.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
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
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