Saturday Recap
***Highlights updated below***
The 5th/6th grade girls started the day off on a high note winning their first game of the year, and the 5th/6th grade boys followed suit with a nice game of their own, scoring a goal for the first time this year in a 1-1 tie. Not so good news for the 7th/8th grade boys soccer team as only 7 players out of 11 showed up, and the team had to forfeit.
Going into this game, there should've been at least 10 players, and three were no shows. And to my count, there are 7 boys in the 8th grade at St. Mary's who don't play for whatever reason, Hartman being the only one who does. And in the 7th grade there are 4 boys who have chosen not to play as well.
So if we could've gotten just 2 out of the 11 boys to play soccer, we would've had a game today.
And even with 7 players, the team lost the scrimmage 2-1, with one goal by the other team a questionable one with a player who was potentially offside.
Thank you to those who are playing on the team and the families who took the time and possibly wasted their afternoon. At the end of the day, I wish we had more of this type of dedication.
Full recaps of each game are below. Highlights to follow tonight.
5th/6th grade team score first goal, settle for tie
Look no further than the 5th/6th grade soccer team as en example of how night and day this year's soccer season has been and is going to be compared to the past.
Off Dante's corner kick in the second quarter, Joseph, the twin, had a ball bounce right to his foot in the box, and he banged home the team's first goal of the year.
After losing 3-0 in last week's opener, the boys settled for a 1-1 tie in this afternoon's contest. In CYO soccer, there is no overtime during the regular season.
This was one of the best games a St. Mary's soccer team has played in close to two years, and they were only playing with 10 players as Garrick, one of the most aggressive players on the team, was out with a knee injury. Even though there was only one goal scored, there were so many unsung heroes from the game that played their best game to date.
Ryan Kwong, who is playing in his fourth year, was at his best on defense, making strong kicks and getting in good positions to limit the other team's offense.
Nick, who is new to the team, Raymond, and Joseph seemed to be everywhere on the field. Wherever the ball was, it was a safe bet to say one of those players was there.
Jason Hou and Zhao were both great on defense, and the stellar play of goalie Thomas held up enough for the draw.
The only goal they gave up was the type of goal that haunted them last week at almost the exact same time. With only a minute left to play in the first half, the defense was unable to chase down a ball that was playable, and the other team took the ball in for a breakaway to tie the score.
Right now, the team is at a level where one mistake could be the difference between a win, loss or a tie, and that one mishap might've cost this team their first win.
However, a foot might've been the difference between a win and a draw as well. Midway through the fourth, Joseph came loose again, and just got his foot on the ball to chip it by the other team's goalie. The ball trickled toward the goal, only to hit the outside of the post and the game remained at 1-1.
Raymond made a nice move late in the game, centering the ball to Joseph and Dante, but Dante didn't get contact on the ball, and it fluttered toward the goalie, who made an easy save.
Nonetheless, quite a turnaround for our soccer program, and if this afternoon was an indication of things to come, it'll be an exciting fall out on the pitch.
GAME NOTES: Joseph became the first player in his class to score a goal. Last year, the current 6th graders played on a team that scored one goal the entire year, and that goal didn't come until the last game of the season...With the 5th/6th graders playing with 10, the other team dressed 16...This will mark the fourth consecutive season a St. Mary's soccer team has played to a tie. Last year's 8th grade team played to a 1-1 tie also.
5th/6th grade shake off slow start, dominate in straight sets
In the blink of an eye, the 5th/6th grade girls were trailing 4-0 and that oh so familiar feeling for anyone who has attended a St. Mary's volleyball game in the last few years returned.
Here we go again.
However, the ending to the script was different this morning at Salesian for the 5th/6th grade girls.
Once they got the ball and were able to serve, they turned it around, and in convincing fashion, won their first game ever as a team in straight sets, 25-17 and 25-11.
The three girls who have played for two years were clearly more experienced and a notch better than the rest of the girls on the court.
Victoria, Fiona and Edwena, who have all played for two years looked composed and poised, something you can only game with experience. All three of them were more than solid on their serves, and were fantastic getting to balls on the returns.
In her St. Mary's debut, Kaela returned a ball after the girls trailed 4-0 to get St. Mary's on the board, and from that point forward the girls never looked back.
In a flashback to last night, both times when the girls won their sets, they looked confused and weren't too sure what was happening.
This team is playing in a 6th grade division with more than half of the girls still in the 5th grade.
A normal 5th grade game would have the girls serving at a line 10 feet from the end line, so our 5th graders Alexis, Ivy and Alexandria all have to serve from the normal spot 6th graders do.
But with time and practice, they should be able to get the balls over as comfortably as the other girls.
For the last two seasons, the three girls who are in the 6th grade were forced to play with current 7th graders Cynthia and Isabella. So in a refreshing change of scenery, those three can now play against girls their own age, making it easier for them to compete.
Edwena, with her proud parents watching from the sidelines, gave the Wongs a lot to cheer about, when she served 10 straight balls over in the second set, turning a 7-7 tie into a 17-7 lead.
Midway through her 10 straight serves, there was a great rally by both teams that ended when Alexandria got to a ball by the net and just got enough contact to get it over to the other side. The other team hit it into the net and Edwena continued her streak of serves.
On match point, the other team faulted on their serve, giving the 5th/6th grade girls their first victory of the season, as well as their first win as a team.
GAME NOTES: The win marks the first time in St. Mary's Athletics modern day history in which both volleyball teams have started the season with a victory...Victoria served every single one of her balls over...Marissa made her coaching debut...Mr. Yu did lines.
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