HBU: THE GEM OF THE CITY (Blog date Dec 21, 2012)

Houston Baptist University were the gem of the city. Their emphasis on speed and transition made the Huskies a joy to watch. Sophomore center forward Natalie Hager spearheaded an offensive drive that constantly moved the ball and moved it fast. Of all the center forwards I had the pleasure of observing this year, Natalie was the most consistently effective. She's great in the open field, getting to the ball often not just on the run, but on a sprint leaving many a defender struggling to recover. At the top of a build-up, Natalie was equally effective, her lightning-quick feet able to create moves and cuts that made her dangerous even in a crowd. For the past two seasons, Natalie has lead the Huskies in goals scored, this year with eight, recognized with a second straight selection to the All-Great West Conference First Team. 

Of course, Natalie would never have been able to do it without a midfield that could keep up with her. Fellow All-Conference junior Molly Missimer anchored a midfield prolific at sending through-balls and crosses for Natalie and Canadian striking partner Taylor Gibson to connect with deep in opposing territory. Together, Natalie and Taylor produced 15 of HBU's 31 goals on the season, enough to earn both of them two of the three forward spots on the All-GWC First Team. 

But many of the most effective offensive drives implemented by HBU did not originate in the midfield. They were created by the Huskies' inspirational senior captain Arielle Rodriguez, who, in the opinion of this observer, was the top defender inside the Beltway. Employing extremely high level cognitive skills, Arielle routinely turned defensive takeaways from her right back position into instant fast breaks with the highest quality first touch I saw all year. With her speed and control, she could take forward space, and then deliver a devastating pass to punish opposing teams scrambling to get back. A veteran of the HBU squad that won the Great West Conference championship two years ago, Arielle's leadership and on-field architecture will be difficult to replace, as she graduates and moves on to bigger things, such as a mission to build water wells in poor communities in Costa Rica over spring break, for which she was fund-raising with bake sales on the sidelines.

Arielle will surely be missed on the back line, but the core of HBU's offense will remain intact next season, with Natalie, Taylor, and Molly all returning, along with junior Amina Radoncic, who finished tied for second on the team in assists. I surmise that next year's Husky squad will be even quicker. 
 

HBU captain Arielle Rodriguez (4) confronts Delaware State's Danielle Valente (23)...

...and turns a defensive takeaway into an instant fast break. The best defender inside the Beltway, Arielle was a key to HBU's transition game.

A split second after I snapped this shot, Natalie Hager (13) finished this HBU counter-attack with her next touch, blasting the ball past Delaware State goalkeeper Katelyn Koslosky into the far corner of the net. The sophomore striker lead the Huskies with eight goals on the season. 

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)

U of H: QUALITY BELIES FINISH (Blog date Nov 27, 2012)

Although a clear underdog this year to their crosstown rivals Rice, the University of Houston Cougars had plenty of quality that belied their eighth place Conference USA finish. Two of my favorite defenders, Danielle Muñoz and sweeper Kaci Bush, anchored their back line. Kaci's sheer grit and tactical intelligence made her the Coogs' most solid and most consistent defender, while Danielle was highly effective in disrupting an opposing drive in the middle third of the pitch. However,  the Cougars were most vulnerable whenever Ciara Slayton would venture forward into the midfield from her left back position. Ciara did provide the Coogs an offensive spark with her speed down the line, but the defensive rotation pulled Kaci to the left and Danielle had to drop to cover the center, taking both of them out of their element. During those instances in transition when Ciara couldn't quickly get back from a deep offensive drive was when I felt Houston was most precarious, as the back line would at times be outnumbered and out of position.

While Kaci's graduation will leave a big hole to fill in the middle of the defense, center-midfielder Kylie Cook will enter her senior year looking to expand her coverage of the pitch, a strength no doubt which helped to earn her a third team All-C-USA spot. Standing at 5'10" Kylie was not only excellent in the air, but she also had no trouble bringing the ball down in a crowd, finding space with creative ball-control and producing opportunities with precise feeds to the likes of speedy forward Katelyn Rhodes, and Jasmine Martinez who led the Coogs with eight goals on the season.

Offensively, Houston is looking really good next year. With Kylie the midfield general, and Jasmine the offensive threat returning, Head Coach Chris Pfau will have a stellar senior core to work with. Surrounding them will be upcoming juniors who have made their mark with some valuable playing time - Alexis Weaver, Kayla Walker, and my candidate for 12th Woman of the Year, Kelsey Zamora coming off the bench for some game-changing minutes on top.

With two starters graduating from the back line, I am looking for second team All-C-USA keeper Cami Koski, Sami Sackos, an Academic All-Conference selection with a 3.82 grade point average in mathematical biology, and Danielle, as the seniors in the back, to step up, take charge and inspire the defense to prevent a repeat or worse of this year's -6 goal differential. This will be the key to Houston's return to the post-season. If they can do that, the Coogs are in good position to better their eighth place Conference finish.

Two stellar center-midfielders face off at Robertson Stadium - Rice's Quinney Truong (21) and U of H's Kylie Cook (2).

The Cougars' Kaci Bush (4), Danielle Muñoz (3) and Sami Sackos (11) push back the Rice Owls' Holly Hargreaves (12) and Lauren Hughes (7).

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012) 

RICE OWLS: THE FURTHEST TO FALL (Blog date Nov 10, 2012)

To any Houston soccer fan, it should be a shame that the fourth largest city in the country, with seven universities in the area having prolific women's soccer programs, has not a single representative in the national tournament. Rice University provided the biggest hope of the season for the city of Houston. The Owls had doubled their wins column from the previous year when they made it to the Conference USA tournament quarter-finals. With five returning seniors, including two-time All-Conference defender Lauren LaGro, a stellar center-midfielder in sophomore Quinney Truong, and Gabi Iribarne, fresh from representing Argentina at the Women's U-20 World Cup held in Japan last August, the Owls were poised to fare considerably better in this year's edition of the post-season. But the Owls, with the highest expectations in the greater Houston area, suffered the same fate as the other three Division I schools inside the Sam Houston Beltway - out in the first round and no invitation to the big soccer dance - falling to Southern Methodist whom they had defeated in the regular season.

It was an anti-climactic ending to the Owls season, to say the least. Only a sophomore and already named All-Conference first team, Quinney Truong was the most effective center-midfielder I observed this year, the quintessential workhorse in the middle of the offense. She had the knack of taking over the midfield at the right moments, not least because of her unparallelled work ethic on the pitch. She hustled constantly and lead many of Rice's drives with the most consistently creative distribution of the ball. With Gabi on her left, C-USA Freshman of the Year Holly Hargreaves on top, and Academic All-Conference senior Julia Barrow bringing her 3.92 grade point average to the right, Quinney had plenty of options as Rice racked up eight Conference USA wins.

Next year, Quinney, Gabi and Holly will be a season more experienced, faster, quicker and stronger, along with sophomore keeper Amy Czyz, freshmen Jasmine Isokpunwu and All-C-USA second team forward Lauren Hughes. Ranked among the highest in GPA, Coach Nicky Adams will be fielding one of the smartest teams in the nation. I am thus confident that they will find a way to overcome their underachieving woes.

(In her off-season, Gabi Iribarne keeps busy working for the organization she co-founded with her older sister Futbol 4 Dreams, which collects soccer gear and ships it to refugee camps and orphanages around the world, a mission she has been working on since she was a player at Laguna Hills High School in Mission Viejo, California. For more information, go to http://futbol4dreams.weebly.com/.)

Rice center-midfielder Quinney Truong (21) takes on Colorado College defender Alexis Long (6) along the left baseline.

Quinney was all over the field all season long.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)

TSU: RISE OF THE TIGERS (Blog date Nov 5, 2012)

I was first introduced to the Texas Southern University Tigers women's soccer team on a hot early-September afternoon, as they hosted St. Mary's University visiting from San Antonio. Standing on the sidelines of the Alexander Durley Stadium, the intense heat reflected off of the field's artificial surface, making for some harsh soccer conditions. But the high temperatures did not seem to thwart the intensity of the match; the way these women played was hotter than the sun's rays that day. It was a terrific back-and-forth end-to-end passionately fought game, the visitors eventually prevailing 4-3.

Despite fielding a very young roster this year, TSU finished a respectable second in the Southwest Athletic Conference West. Third-year coach Tamura Crawley-Marigny had just two seniors and four juniors on her roster of 26 to work with. The rest were sophomores and a freshman class that, out of all the teams I have seen live this year, holds the greatest promise. Four of those freshmen were regular starters in the Tigers' rotation, including center-midfielder Marlyn Campa, who played all 90 minutes or more in every TSU match I went to see. A standout on the San Antonio Macarthur High School squad that finished ranked #5 in the area with a record of 17 wins, two losses and three draws in her senior year, Marlyn's quickness, creativity, speed and tireless hustle is going to be key to the TSU game for years to come. She has tremendous vision and a never-ending work ethic in all thirds of the pitch. She is most effective on the run with the ball up the middle, drawing defenders and then dishing it off on the break. Marlyn can execute this kind of drive in brilliant fashion, like she did against Prairie View A&M, using her quickness and excellent touch to weave past several defenders across midfield and then deliver a perfect pass to forward Sarah Glenn flying down the open right flank. Marlyn then received Sarah's cross to bury the goal that handed PVAMU their only conference loss of the season, perhaps Marlyn's biggest goal of her young NCAA career.

TSU center-midfielder Marlyn Campa (3) takes on Chantal Lynch (24) and the Southern University defense.

Coach Tamura however will be hard-pressed to find a replacement for All-Conference defender Florence Onyera, one of the two seniors graduating this year. An alumnus of Alief Elsik High School in the Houston area, Flo has been the Tigers' most solid defender, a confident presence in the back, and probably the smartest player on the field. Coach Tamura did an admirable job of assembling this current generation of freshmen, and there is no reason to doubt that she will be able to recruit again to fill Flo's shoes. She will have to in order to fulfill the Tigers' potential.

All-SWAC defender Florence Onyera, solid in the TSU back line, and the smartest player on the field.

Flo (14) took many of TSU's free kicks. She scored three goals on the season.

Very effective receiving in the air, Marlyn (3) goes sky-high against Southern's Jazmine Harrell (23).

Marlyn (white 3) defends against high-stepping SU forward Jami Blackston (blue 3).

I look forward to watching Marlyn Campa and her freshman classmates mature and develop over the next couple of years, particularly goalkeeper Liliana Hernandez and midfielders Yadira Gonzalez and Deisy Fernandez. When Marlyn learns to tame her sometimes volatile temper and apply it constructively, which I am confident she will eventually do, this midfield will dominate - and so will TSU. I'm predicting a SWAC title within two years - in Marlyn Campa's junior season.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior soccer in the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.

"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)



 

THE END AND THE BEGINNING (Blog date Nov 4, 2012)

It is a sad day to be debuting this blog. But in retrospect, it is the best way to honor those who have inspired it - namely the women's soccer teams of Texas Southern University, Rice University, the University of Houston and Houston Baptist University.

I thought that I had already come to discover everything there was to appreciate about the sport of soccer. I had been studying and analyzing this game for decades, following its evolution, expanding my knowledge with coaching education and through its application as a gang-intervention mentoring program for economically-disadvantaged kids in middle schools, and as an avid spectator of domestic and international systems. I embrace the sport's value from a social development framework, to an intense exercise in team collaboration, to a medium of communication that transcends linguistic, political, economic, social and religious barriers. I thought I had learned all the aspects to be learned about this game - until the women of the NCAA opened up a whole new world for me. Since September of this year, I have been witnessing the women's home matches of these four universities, following them through struggle and victory, discovering an entire dimension of the game that is often obscured by the men, yet played with just as much heart and intensity, if not more.

I can go on and on with comparisons between the men's and the women's games, but that is not what this blog is for. This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women.

So why is it a sad day to be debuting this blog? All four of the women's soccer teams representing the major institutions of higher learning within Houston, Texas were eliminated over this past week in their respective conference post-season tournaments - TSU at the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC), U of H and Rice at Conference USA, and HBU at the Great West Conference. The most heart-breaking part of this is that three out of the four went into their tournaments seeded second in the conference and were dealt first-round exits by lower-seeded teams whom I watched them beat in the regular season. I'm not going to dwell on this disappointment though, because I am too eager to get started on the glorious seasons they each had, and the fantastic games and players I was blessed with the opportunity to watch on the pitch live and in person.  

Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.