Congratulations to the Eagles on a fantastic finish to the Spring season.  On a night when we almost had to take the field with 8 or 9 players due to cross-town traffic, the entire team played really hard and made a decisive statement after three draws in the past five matches.

Finishing the season 7-0-3 with 24 total points (7 more than the next best team), the boys took control of the game early and kept it for most of the time, with Jack getting the first goal within the first few minutes.  The second goal came later in the first half on a PK by Jack after Alex was taken down in the box on a likely scoring opportunity.

The team was a little flat after half-time and gave up a goal to Gahanna, but then we regained momentum, and Pete put the game away on a huge put-back goal from 30 yards out - a screamer into the top of the net!  The keeper never stood a chance.

Marshall was on top of his game as usual, making several great saves and telling the other players where he needed them to be.  In fact, the communication all over the field was very effective, with lots of great combinations and much better passes than we had last weekend.  Not to mention all the great crosses and serves into the box - just like you see on TV. 

Bradley and Raffi both played really well from the outside defensive position - winning most of the balls that Gahanna tried to dump into the offensive zone, while Matt and Jamie were equally solid in the middle.

In the mid-field, Pete, Ethan and Alexei did a much better job of controlling the ball and getting it to Jack, where he, Juan and Alex did a great job getting penetration and making the Arsenal defense work hard.  Zach and Hassan did a great job keeping the pressure up when they were on in relief as well.

What a way to end a really great season of league play!

After a tough three games in four days, the Eagles are still undefeated and in first place going into their final match of the season.

It all began on Friday evening with an extremely exciting game against the Piranhas - the only team we had not yet beaten.  We took an early lead on a couple of goals including a beauty by Matt from about 25 yards out, off of a perfect pass back from Pete. With a 2-0 lead at half-time, the boys came out after the break a little flat and let Dublin back in it. Most of the second half was a very fast-paced back-and-forth, with Marshall and the defense doing some great work. The deciding goal came from Juan on a ball that it seemed the keeper had stopped. When the whistle had blown it was a 4-3 victory.

Next was Saturday's game against the Dubliners.  This was almost a carbon copy of the previous Saturday's game.  Our team seemed a little spent from the all-out effort the night before, and the Dubliners scored first.  Despite numerous opportunities and unluckly bounces (two off the cross bar and one off the side post - what are the odds?), we were able to get a truly gritty goal late in the game by Alex to tie the game and provide the final score. Although the Dubliners had the time of possession advantage, we clearly had more scoring chances and near misses, however, the tie preserved the unbeaten record and left us alone in first place.

Finally, came the Monday evening match up with Worthington.  I wasn't at the game, but I understand that the boys fought hard with goals from Alex and Ethan (with lots of other opportunities).  Add in an unlucky own goal off one of our defenders, and the game ended 2-2. However, with one game left, we have clinched the division with 21 points.

So lets go out this Thursday and finish the season with a win as we head into the post-season tournaments.

A great second half surge secured a tie and almost brought home a win in a hard fought match with the Piranhas.  Unfortunately, we were unable to take advantage of several opportunities to score, except for the lone goal scored by Hassan - his first of the season.

And what a goal it was.  It was a testament to second effort and not giving up when it seemed that the goalie had the ball.  It also gave the entire team a wake up call and sense of urgency, which almost lead to a late victory after falling behind early in the second half.

Also, Marshall made some incredible saves, especially the one late in the game that he had to jump up to tip and then belly crawl to get control of the ball.

All in all, it was a solid effort with just some unlucky bounces on the offensive end of the field.  If we could convert more of those scoring opportunities, we would be untouchable in league play.

This one was a little too close on the score sheet, but in the end the boys persevered, with Jack putting in the deciding goal around the 49th minute (give or take). Congratulations to the boys for staying with it and getting the win despite totally dominating the first half and coming away with no goals.

Worthington came out attacking much better in the second half, but our defense held tough and set up the opportunity for a single goal victory. We had so many chances and shots on goal, we could have easily won by 3 or 4, but in the end it was still 3 points and no goals allowed.

It seems that the extra conditioning is paying off, since most of the boys had to play the full 60 minutes. I would have a really hard time singling out any particular players for their performance, given that everyone played so well and worked together as a team.

Finally, thanks to Kyle for coming out to cheer on his team, despite the fact that he had to stand by and watch the others get the job done. Here’s to a speedy recovery and getting you back on the pitch. 

Another awesome team effort this week against the OFC Dubliners.  I cannot say enough about the improved communication on the field; not to mention the way the boys are moving the ball around, switching the field and working together as a team.

There were lots of highlights, so I am going to apologize in advance for any that I don't mention.  After several near goals recently, Jack got on track in a big way putting two shots in and nearly getting a hat trick.  Alex continued his scoring trend, and Ethan put in a beauty from beyond the 18 yard box (don't you love it when the mid-field or defense scores?).

Bradley and Juan continued working the sideline like a well-oiled machine, and Marshall earned a well-deserved shut-out making a gutsy slide tackle to thwart a one-on-one scoring opportunity.  Otherwise, for the most part, the defense did a nice job of minimizing the penetration by the OFC offense.

I was amazed at how many times a pass was placed in a good position for a teammate to pick it up and advance the ball upfield.

Keep up the great work Eagles!

Congratulations to the Eagles on the awesome team effort this past Monday in their 3-0 shut-out against the Arsenal.  This game showed some marked improvement in team work, passing and communication on the field.  

There were some great 1-2 combinations between Bradley and Juan, and Jack and Alex were definitely on the same page.  Also, great work by Alex and Peter to be in position and finish off the goals (Jack almost had one as well).  Also, kudos to the back line for recovering and stopping what seemed like several easy one-on-one goals.  

But the “man of the match” would have to be Marshall who was on fire in the goal mouth.  Stopping the P.K. and making a host of other great saves, kept the team motivated and even carried them through the beginning of the second half, when they were playing a little too soft and content for a 2-0 lead.

Way to go Eagles!

Congratulations to the boys on their first win of the Spring season.  There were some really great takeaways from the game.  First, the passing and communication on the field were much better.  Second, there were players going for the ball instead of waiting for it to come to them.

Sure there is still room for improvement, but it was nice to see how the team has evolved since the start of last Fall.

A couple of highlights from the game: First, was the way Kyle was really hustling and attacking the ball, not to mention his great spin move and serve into the box where Alex was in perfect scoring position.  Second, was the one true save of the game on a break away late in the second half.  Hassan charged the ball and blocked what would have likely been a goal, preserving the shutout. 

There were far too many great moments to list here (like Jack's pass back into the box or Ethan's awesome goal), but suffice it to say, everyone played very well.

Also, you have to give credit to the WASA team for not throwing in the towel.  Even though they were short-handed and greatly out-manned, they fought to the end.

Way to go Eagles!

The boys just wrapped up their indoor season with several impressive showings - nearly beating Hilliard and fighting back to almost beat Delaware among others.  In the process, the team showed several improvements in the areas of passing and teamwork. Hopefully, they can take that momentum into the outdoor season and launch a successful campaign.

Also, please join me in welcoming Marshall to the team. It's great to have him on our side.

The Spring schedule should be up-to-date with tournament information coming as soon as it's available.

Congratulations to the Eagles on a great showing this past weekend at the Fall Ball tournament in Cincinnati!  The boys really played hard and came a long way in their progress toward working together as a team.

They were in every game and could have beaten each team had we capitalized on a few more offensive opportunities.  It seems like they are turning the corner and are on their way to bigger and better things to come.

Special thanks to Zach who carried a majority of the load in goal and made some great plays on the ball to keep us in the games.

We are truly proud of the effort that everyone gave in the record October heat!  Lets carry that momentum into the remainder of the season.

Go Eagles!

Great job last night against the previously unbeaten (and tied for first place) Canal Winchester Pride.  Everyone played hard and didn't quit, which resulted in the equalizer coming late in the second half. 

Some might say the effort was inspired by the guest coaches who started the game, but I think it was just the team starting to come together and execute what Willy has been teaching them :-).

Good work in goal by both Bradley and Zach, better hustle to the ball by everyone, and good pressure up front by Juan and Alex to finish and get the goal.

Congratulations on the first goal of the season!  Lets make it the first of many.

Congratulations to the boys on finishing second in the Gahanna Fall Open.  It was good for them to be out on the field and get some real live experience working together in a game situation.  For their first time out, they looked pretty good.  Now they have a couple more weeks to get ready for the season.

Special thanks to Matthew and Travis for helping us out, and kudos to Bradley, Alex and Jamie for stepping up and playing in the goal.