Athletics

Game Summaries

JV Soccer Season 2008

Glens Falls 3–EW 2

After a long trip to Glens Falls Morse Park, the Emma JV girls were ready to take the field on a beautiful day for soccer. A mix of new and old players, the JV squad is already poised to make a significant impact this season and improve on last year’s efforts. Though tested in the scrimmage versus Cambridge, the team worked out some kinks and was looking to improve in their first game. The team started out strong, matching the Glens Falls offense with skill and tact in the back, not allowing any solid opportunities on new goalkeeper Sarah S. Sarah R, Ayesha R, and Emily M held strong with Adeola A stopping in front of them. Any good chances for Glens Falls, Sarah S quickly scooped up and sent back up the field with a powerful punt. It took a bit for the offense to click, but once they found each other’s feet, it wasn’t long before Alyssa L found the back of the net on a cross from her teammate, not giving up as her shot took the goalie back into the goal. Alyssa would again connect on a cross and send Emma into half with a 2-0 lead. The second half was a battle, however, and Glens Falls came back with a vengeance scoring two quick goals catching Emma’s defense on two crosses, the same way Emma had scored their goals. While Emma put together some great drives to net and kept Glens Falls at bay for more of the second half, they would get just one more goal. Despite the excellent outside midfield work of Tiffany L and the offensive drives by Mei Mei X and Louisa H with a late series of opportunities and shots, Glens Falls would go on to win 3-2.

Berlin 5–EW 0

It was another terrific day for soccer in the hills at Berlin High School. Just one day of practice between the game at Glens Falls, Emma Willard knew what they needed to do to improve upon their previous game. Though the score may not reflect it, the skills and tactics worked on in practice the day before were present throughout, demonstrating the girls’ ability to retain information and put it into practice in the game. Appointed by their peers, captains Mei Mei X, Tiffany L, and Rae S played great individual games, but even better, helped to bring the team together for a great team effort. A Berlin match up is always marked by physical play, and this was no different, as Emma fought to maintain control of the ball being muscled off on 50/50 balls often. Despite a quick goal by Berlin, Emma did not lose hope and fought hard keeping it 1-0 until the half. Sarah S stepped up and commanded her defense, guiding Natasha K and Adeola A, who both had an outstanding game. Liana B, Danielle S, and Kelsey K also provided a spark off the bench throughout the game, coming off preseason injuries. In the end, the skill of Berlin’s #7 proved to be overwhelming for Emma’s defense as she drove hard to net with a hard shot and made excellent crosses. The positive attitude and the willingness to fight and play hard through the end is promising for this young team and will pay off in the near future.

EW 0–Schenectady 4

It was another breakthrough game for the JV girls of Emma Willard. Despite the score at the end of the game, the girls remain positive and upbeat. Schenectady came out strong, taking the ball up the field from the kickoff; it was clear they had some very skilled players. Within the first five minutes, #2 was able to penetrate the defense combining with #6 and get on the board quickly. Emma would hold them to a 1-0 score going into the half, as players were moved around into some new positions and stepped up into their roles. Luisa moved back into center midfield and was able to slow down the pace of the game and control the midfield for EW. Rae moved back to stopper, and Adeola into sweeper, both becoming impenetrable walls that Schenectady would struggle to get through the whole game. Liana and Kelsey, both coming off injuries, gave reprieve to Alyssa L and Mei Mei on the flanks, with Tiffany stepping into the center forward role. The three combined for some of Emma’s greatest opportunities and rushes up field with Liana supplying great crosses from the right side. Kelsey’s foot skills faked out a couple of defenders and got her a great shot on goal in the second half, which the goalie barely snatched up. When Sarah S was kicked in the neck on a goal in the second half, Luisa quickly stepped up to fill the vacant goal and stopped a number of Schenectady chances. All around the team played great and gelled together even more; a few more practices and we’ll be ready for the next game!

EW 0–Albany 1

Emma Willard came out strong in another away game versus Albany High. Used to traveling, the bumpy ground that kicked balls up on warm up drills seemed not to faze the team, as they started strong countering Albany High’s attacks. Emma, not big in size, has been able to match these physical teams game after and game, and this was no different. With Rae and Adeloa playing solid defense in the back, squandering most attempts by Albany’s skill center forward and midfield, Sarah S was easily able to corral in the balls that came through. The solid defense allowed for some excellent opportunities by Danielle on the wing, getting her head and taking a good look at goal with a solid shot. Kelsey, running the other wing, also had some great looks at goal, but the Albany goalie scooped them away. In the second half, Emma kept the pressure on constantly, as ball rarely crossed into Emma territory, and if it did, the defense of Sarah R and Natasha controlled it and played it back up the field to the Emma forwards and midfields. Liana had some excellent drives down the sidelines, resulting in crosses that Emma could just not seem to get on the other end of to finish. One drive downfield for Albany resulted in a shot that dropped short of Sarah S. The ball took a funny hit on the ground and trickled past Sarah for the goal. The team bounced back and applied pressure to the Albany defense and goalie the remainder of the game. A few more good chances by Tiffany and Mei Mei, with Emily P controlling the center midfield superbly, but Emma just ran out of time as the whistle blew the end of the game. With Albany in the near future, the entire team is confident that we will have a better result next time.

EW 0–Lansingburgh 1

In another JV game that was fought hard to the end, EW’s girls proved they never give up. It was clear from the first whistle that Lansingburgh and EW were very evenly matched. With a solid offense, Lansingburgh attempted to crack the solid EW defense in the first half, only to find when they eventually broke through, a solid goalkeeper behind them. But Emma pushed back, moving the ball up the sidelines and looking to cross it in, finding the hands of Lansingburgh’s keeper instead. Most of the play was back and forth in the midfield with both teams struggling to control. Near the half, Lansingburgh countered on an Emma offensive and found #2 on a through ball that cut the EW defense. Lansingburgh’s #2 ran on and took on Sarah S one on one. While Sarah cut down her angle, she slipped the ball into the net, right at Sarah’s left ankle, just out of reach. The second half was more in control for Emma as Tiffany and Mei Mei had numerous shots on net. With Emma fighting hard to tie up the game, Luisa had the best opportunity on a breakaway with a solid shot on net that the keeper scooped up. The entire team fought to the end, not stopping until the final whistle blew.

EW 1–Berlin 3

Emma’s best game yet! A warm up that started in pouring rain, quickly turned into a cool fall afternoon on Mt. Ida.  Missing a few players to religious holidays and other commitments, the line-up had to be shaken up a bit for this game. With Liana stepping into left defense, and Emily M again taking up stopper, the girls were confident and playing hard. The first half was a lot of back and forth; down to one end, worked all the way back to the other by the other team, but Emma persisted.  Despite a quick goal that was launched over Sarah S’s head, and one perfectly shot ball that banked in off the post, Sarah S was stopping everything that came her way. She found her groove and was a wall in net.  With Ady continuously proving that she was a force to be reckoned with as sweeper, Liana playing the smartest defense this team has seen, and Natasha’s commanding presence on right defense, it was no wonder the midfield and offense had the poise to work the ball up the field all game. Only improving on the Lansingburgh game, Emma would win the ball, get their heads up, and find teammates either at their feet or a ball ahead that they could run on to and play. Kelsey worked the ball up the sideline numerous times, with Tiffany playing phenomenal at center forward, pressing the Berlin’s back line and often forcing turnovers.

Though down 2-0 going into the second half, Emma completely controlled the ball the entire time, making run after run, and getting chance after chance in the final third of the field. Though Berlin out shot us, the fearlessness of Sarah in goal, her aptitude to know when to attack the ball and when to wait, and a sprawling diving save in the second half kept Emma energized that despite their lack of production, their efforts would pay off—and they did! In the final seconds of the game, rewarded with a corner kick, Rae put the ball into the middle of the mix, Mei Mei headed it on the Kelsey, who took a touch looked up, and found the back of the net with a hard stuck ball to the opposite side. The team celebrated, and rightfully so, because though they lost, they saw their hard work and perseverance pay off. The game would end with one pass from Berlin on the kick-off, but for a team who continually got pressured the last time they played Berlin, Emma JV has turned things around completely!

EW 7–Hoosac School 1

What a game for the Emma Willard JV girls. After only previously scoring 4 goals this season, six different girls scored for the Jesters in this 7-1 victory, the first of their season! It was clear from the start, that our passing and trapping would allow us to move up and down the field with little difficulty. The hard part then became not allowing ourselves to sink back into old patterns of hitting the ball into the other team instead of finding our teammates’ feet. After a few minutes of pressure and a couple shots at the Hoosac goalie, Sarah R broke free of the defense and rocketed a shot into the back of the net. Keeping the pressure on Hoosac, the entire forward line was shooting, being backed up by a solid midfield that did not let the ball pass midfield into Emma’s end more than a few times. Mei Mei, Rae, and Emily P worked tirelessly to give Emma opportunities. Mei Mei would indeed help the effort off and individual effort to get free and a brilliant cross to the waiting Sarah R, who only had to run through the ball to re-direct it into the net. It was clear from that point that we had a scorer hiding back on defense this whole season. Next it was Hannah who would get free from her defender to cross the ball over to Emily P on the opposite side. Composed, Emily got her head up and took a shot at net that sailed by the keeper’s hands. Emma would get one more goal in the first half, another hard driven shot by Kelsey that the keeper had no chance of getting too, sending Emma into the half with a 4-0 lead.

The second half began with Emma working on not digressing backwards and continuing to work to get each of their heads up and make good passes. The half began a few minutes in with Emma working down to the Hoosac box. Shot after shot they challenged the keeper, but she was solid in her net, until Tiffany broke free on the 6’ beating two defenders to shoot it past the goalie for her first goal of the season. Next it was Natasha, who had been shooting well in practice, who was given a chance at forward, and boy did she capitalize! Touching the ball away from the defender she found and opening and hit a hard ball to the opposite side of the goal that the goalie never saw coming. Challenged a bit more by the Hoosac team and with a different line-up, they found they couldn’t just kick the ball through the other team anymore. Hoosac collected one of those balls Emma could not get out of their end and on a breakaway took it to goal. Sarah S made the right choice to come out, but Hoosac’s #2 found the back of the net anyways. Still up 6-1, Emma kept pressing. Luisa collected a cross from Kelsey just on the 6’, turned and snuck a smartly placed shot past the goalie for her first goal of the season. The whistle would blow soon after to end the game. Go, Emma!

Lansingburgh Tournament—Round 1

Emma 1–Lansingburgh 3

Despite being very evenly matched with the Lansingburgh team this season, the Knights have the Jesters figured out. Each game we play we get better and better and closer to finally getting a tie or a win against them, but fall just short. Despite a great game from everyone on the field, Emma could only capitalize just once on their many opportunities. Alyssa had a particularly great game in the outside midfield position, playing with confidence and poise on the ball. Emily M also had a stand out game in the stopper position, not only as a solid defender, but also with her play up field, allowing Rae to spring free in the midfield and generate some great opportunities for us. Emily P also had a great game defending and keeping one particularly physical and skilled player from getting any quality opportunities.

Lansingburgh scoree first, just before halftime. Then on a penalty kick after half, a poised Sarah S did her best to stop the perfectly placed shot, but it got by her to the left corner of the goal. With something to prove after a missed penalty kick opportunity that went just wide, Sarah R cut the lead in half on a great team effort up field, and then an individual effort by Sarah R, but Lansingburgh scored just one more on a pass in front of the net that they tapped in that would put the comeback out of reach for Emma Willard.

Lansingburgh Tournament—Consolation Round

Albany 1–Emma 1

Another team that Emma is evenly matched with this season has been Albany High. In our third game against them the play started with Emma on our heels and Albany attacking. Once Emma controlled the ball, however, the tides turned and for the majority of the remaining 30 minutes, Emma controlled the ball in Albany’s half of the field. Beyond that, we created opportunity after opportunity and numerous corner kick opportunities, none of which we could convert on. Rae had some great corner kicks, and Emily M with an excellent direct kick put Emma on the doorstep with some scrambles, but just could not get it past the Albany keeper.

Remaining 0-0 through half, Emma came out hard again in the second half and again dominated play for the most part. On one break downfield the ref signaled an Albany girl was fouled right outside the box. With the Albany coach yelling for a penalty kick, and Emma waiting for some signal from the referee if indeed that was the case, Albany took advantage of us not stepping in front of the ball and Sarah S not being prepared and kicked it right in. Now facing a 1-0 score, Emma fought back. They rallied and kept pressing the Albany defense and keeper. Just to prove their resilience and skill to their coaches and the fans (and Albany High) one more time, Rae crossed it into the middle and Sarah R took a touch and a shot and found the back of the net with 50 seconds remaining! After the final restart, neither team controlled it for very long. The tournament director made the decision that the game would end there, no overtime, but what a way to tie it up!

EW 5–Hoosac 0

Emma got off to a slow start this game, perhaps underestimating our opponents, who seemed to have improved since our last meeting. Not able to control the ball, the play was back and forth for much of the first 15 minutes. Finally Emma got into a bit of a groove and began to connect passes and work the ball up the field towards goal for some quality shots and opportunities. Mei Mei led the team with shots collecting 7 on the day, followed by Tiffany, Rae, Luisa, and Kelsey all with 3. Alyssa scored the first goal on a beautiful cross by Kelsey. Next it was Adeola who put the ball in the net off a corner kick that sailed over the keeper’s head and hands and landed across the line on the far post.  At half time we had a discussion about not playing down to our opponents level and taking all we had learned and not losing it because the team was less skilled.

After that point, Emma truly started playing like a team. Getting their heads up and finding their teammates, they worked together to move the ball around Hoosac. That created opportunities for them as Hoosac had a handball in the box and Sarah R stepped up to take the PK. She scored, sending the ball over the keeper’s right shoulder. Next it was Tiffany on a breakaway that sent the ball sailing past the Hoosac goalie for her second goal of the season. Last, after taking 7 shots, when Hoosac had another handball in the box, Mei Mei was rewarded with taking the penalty kick. She sent it low and to the corner, out of the goalie’s reach for the final goal of the game.

Emma 1–Troy 1

After Troy High finally sorted out their transportation to get down the road to Emma, the game began about 40 minutes late on a clear, crisp Parent Day. The team was supported by more fans than all who had come to any of our games combined. In a very evenly matched game, the play went back and forth at the beginning. Emma quickly gained their poise and controlled the ball all the way up the field to create an excellent opportunity when the goalie was pulled out of the net, and Sarah R crossed the ball into the middle for Kelsey, who had a wide open net, but shot the ball just wide. Once Emma got into their rhythm, they were making passes around Troy all day, working the ball up the field and taking 14 shots throughout the game, to Troy’s 4. Troy’s keeper was very skilled, and it was going to take more than a simple shot to get it past her. Though Emma kept the pressure on, the score went into half still tied 0-0.

After Troy had been awarded a few direct kicks, it was clear that Troy could very quickly counter on #15’s big foot and #2 and #12’s speed up top. In fact it was #12 who took the ball all the way from half to cross a shot in over Sarah S’s head. At that point Emma turned up the heat, pressing on Troy’s back line and their keeper. In true Emma JV fashion, we came back to tie it up on a cross into the middle from Mei Mei and a scramble in front of the net, where we followed the ball and our shot, and Sarah R kicked it in to tie the game up. We have a history of coming from behind when the game is on the line—a true testament to the entire team. The score would remain tied until the end, and the late start would limit our overtime abilities to just one five-minute overtime as we ran out of daylight.

Troy pushed their skilled sweeper into the midfield that took Emma some time to control. Once we matched her up, we were able to work the ball up for an opportunity. As Kelsey crossed the ball into the middle, the referee began to count down the final seconds, Sarah R tried to corral the ball for a shot, but time expired before she could take one.

Emma had a fantastic season, improving with each practice and each game. Though they could not get this final win, their come-from-behind tie was indicative of the season and their dedication and effort.