NORTHWESTERN STATE CUTS OFF HOUSTON BAPTIST STREAK: Huskies 1, Demons 2 (Blog date September 28, 2013)

Houston Baptist Huskies 1, Northwestern State Lady Demons 2
W-D-L: 1-1-7                         3-1-6                                          
September 27, 2013
7:00 pm @ Houston Baptist University, Houston

Many of the most productive and hard-working athletes in the world have gone through slumps every now and then. Even the best ones. Michael Jordan's shooting slump in 1992 lasted several games. LeBron James went through a memorable slump in the middle of the most recent NBA championship series against the Spurs. Maria Sharapova has been struggling as of late. The greatest woman golfer of all-time Annika Sorenstam went through a notorious slump in the middle of last decade. Alex Rodriguez, Leo Messi, Brett Favre, Tiger Woods - and these are just a few of the best in history. Even Manny Pacquiao has been described by his faithful as being currently in a slump. HBU's junior forward Natalie Hager, one this blog's favorite strikers, has some distinguished company. Natalie finished at the top of the team's goal-scoring table each of her first two years as a Husky - netting eight last year and seven as a freshwoman straight out of Port Neches-Groves High School. By this stage in the 2012 schedule, Natalie had already chalked up five on her way to a second straight All-Great West Conference first team selection. Now going into the current conference schedule, Natalie has seen the back of the net just once in eight games. 

Despite the goal-production deficiency however, Natalie still remains a critical component in the Huskies' offensive scheme. What the stat sheets never show are the multitude of soccer's intangibles, aspects of the game which are nearly impossible to quantify, that can only be seen through the prism of a holistic qualitative sensibility. How would one statistically compute, for example, that when Natalie is on the point, the epicenter of HBU's offensive drives move deeper into opposing territory by a good, I would say, 10-15 yards average? Natalie's innate ability to find effective spaces inside the box, and get there quickly, takes HBU's offensive sequences closer to goal, thus forcing defenses to execute more often in recovery positions, leaving her striking partners with more time. Great players naturally find alternate ways to contribute.

The Northwestern State Lady Demons' twenty returning letter-earners, including ten starters, eight seniors and every one of their top five goal-netters, came to the bayou city seeking to avenge last year's 3-1 home loss against Houston Baptist in which two goals were struck by - guess who - Natalie Hager. As a matter of fact, NSU had lost both previous outings against the Huskies, and needed to find a way to cut this streak off, now that HBU is in the Southland Conference and this matchup actually means so much more. It took two of their top scorers, including Guyana international Ashlee Savona, who netted the golden winner in overtime after Cassandra Briscoe answered Allison Abendschein's first half goal to end regulation in a 1-1 tie. Northwestern State and their Ontario contingent, comprising seven of their starters, welcomed their new conference-mates by erasing the memory of a 5-1 aggregate deficit over the last two seasons.

Ashlee Savona (9) runs the midfield for Northwestern State, creating some key possessions, and scoring the winning golden goal. Ashlee is one of seven Demon recruits from the province of Ontario. She was capped by Guyana for 2010 Gold Cup action, in which she logged extensive minutes during Caribbean qualification and the group stage in Cancún.

Rebekah Tovar (21) and Amina Radoncic (26) are a critical presence in the middle of the HBU offense.

Danielle Harding (10), Shannon Danku (19) and the Lady Demons' defensive line take tremendous pressure from Alessia Dal Monte (9)...

...and Natalie Hager (13).

Natalie (13) often finds space deep in opposing boxes. When Natalie is on the point, the median center of the HBU offense moves forward significantly...

...forcing defenders like Taylor Mulnix (22) to make plays from positions of recovery.

Striker Molly Missimer (12) takes on Taylor (22) and Jackie Strug (5).

 

The pressure pays off for the Huskies, as freshwoman Allison Abendschein (10) scores her first goal as a Husky.

Chelsea Schaeffer (26), Brooke Eastburg (8) and Cassandra Briscoe (7) bring the Lady Demons offense to life after the interval. Cassandra's goal sends the game into overtime.

The performances of goalkeepers Shelby Horn (30) and Jessica Danku (00) keep the game even.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

The consensus from sports psychologists out there seems to be that athletic slumps, when not caused by injury or trauma, are largely a mental thing. The most commonly recommended remedy to get out of such a slump seems to be relaxing and stop thinking about it so much; too much forethought, it seems, causes players to overwork themselves to an unnatural state. So if Natalie is reading this blog, hopefully she forgets everything I just said, and just go out there, continue to work hard and perform the way she naturally does. She will find her target I'm sure. All great athletes do. 

UPCOMING MATCHES OF THE WEEK: 

Sunday Sep 29 Rice (#134) @ UTSA (#234) 1:00 pm (Conference USA)

Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#140) @ U of H (#232) 7:00 pm (American Athletic Conference)

Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#24) @ Rice (#134) 7:00 pm (C-USA)

Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#12) @ U of H (#232) 7:00 pm (AAC)

Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#325) @ TSU (#327) 7:00 pm (SWAC)

Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#174) @ Rice (#134) 1:00 pm (C-USA)

Thursday Oct 31 LSU (#55) @ Tx A&M (#56) 7:00 pm in College Station (Southeastern Conference)

Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#284) @ HBU (#242) 5:00 pm (SLC)

Monday Nov 4 Conference USA Tournament 1st Round @ Rice 4:30 and 7:00 pm
Wednesday Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals @ Rice 4:30 and 7:00 pm
Thursday Nov 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals @ Rice 4:30 and 7:00 pm
Saturday Nov 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Saturday Nov 9 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final @ Rice1:00 pm
Friday-Sunday Nov 15-17 NCAA Division I Tournament 1st Round @ Campus TBA
Sunday Nov 24 NCAA Division I Tournament 3rd Round @ Campus TBA
Friday-Saturday Nov 29-30 NCAA Division I Tournament Quarter-Finals @ Campus TBA
Saturday Dec 7 NCAA Division III Tournament Final @ Blossom Stadium, San Antonio 1:30 pm


(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend. Schedule subject to change.) 

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)

DUEL OF THE GOALKEEPERS: Huskies 0, Cougars 0 (Blog date September 17, 2013)

Houston Baptist Huskies 0, Houston Cougars 0
W-D-L: 1-1-5                         1-3-2            
September 15, 2013
7:00 pm @ Houston Baptist University, Houston

Seven Division I teams in the greater Houston area, spread out over four different conferences. Since the realization of my dream that a tournament pitting these universities against each other will in all likelihood never materialize, I am willing to settle for a pseudo-league system to arrive at a champion of the city. They play each other, do they not? So I will just compile a table of their records against each other.

The next match in the "Bayou City League," if you will, features U of H at Houston Baptist University, two of the four Division I schools located inside Beltway 8, by and large an unheralded crosstown derby. If you did your pre-game homework, you would have anticipated one of the most exciting matchups this city has to offer. As new members of their respective leagues, both are determined to galvanize their form and gain momentum as the conference segment of the season looms just around the corner. It is doubtful that either team has been very satisfied with their form thus far. Houston Baptist, looking to replicate their success in 2010 when they won the Great West Conference Tournament championship in their debut year, must certainly be dissatisfied with their offensive output. Going into this match, the Huskies have been able to post only one win, scoring just three goals in six outings, half of their production by the same time last year. It has been a disappointing start for returning seniors Amina Radoncic and Molly Missimer and junior Natalie Hager who spearheaded the HBU attack in 2012, the latter two combining for 14 goals. Likewise, the Cougars have tallied three in five matches prior to this showdown. Defensively, both teams have been struggling to find stability after key components in their backlines graduated last May. Houston Baptist has allowed seven goals against and U of H is looking for a solid combination to take into their new conference. 

Given their respective defensive woes, and both offensive units hungry for goals and determined to reach their potential before conference play commences, we were bound to see an attack-filled game, with constant exchanges of deep penetrations and lots of shots on goal. The goalkeepers thus were deciding factors, holding their respective opponents off with save after save after save through double overtime - 19,  to be exact, logged in the official stats sheet. 

Eleven of those saves were made by Sydney George, a performance that earned her the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week Award, a career first. Sydney arrived in Houston two years ago as a redshirt sophomore transfer from the University of New Mexico where she saw little playing time. With Cami Koski playing at all-conference level, Sydney got limited time in goal for her first two years as a Cougar. Now a senior, Sydney is breaking into the regular rotation, proving to Coach Pfau that she can be counted on as more than just Cami's backup. This stellar performance against a very attack-oriented HBU squad comes just in time for the conference series about to begin. The other eight saves in the match were credited to junior Stephanie Castellon, busting onto the scene after sitting out for a redshirt season, prior to which she saw action with the Guatemalan national U-20 team in the 2012 CONCACAF tournament. This hard-earned shutout draw against the Cougars primes Stephanie for a good Southland Conference run. 

Junior striker Natalie Hager (13), HBU's leading scorer last season, takes aim but is denied three times by UH keeper Sydney George. 

Natalie has plenty of touches against a Houston defense that has been working on stabilizing their back four that includes Courtney Dudley (26), Sydnie Green (12) and Shayne Clewett (4).

Sophomore transfer Lexa Green (30) is an aggressive addition to the Cougars' defense. Lexa brings speed, quickness, physical strength, intelligence and power to the backline. The Coogs have found a left back.

Rebekah Tovar (21) and Kelsey Missimer (2) meet Lexa Green (30).

Lexa (30) races back to catch attacker Kristi O'Brien (4)...

...cutting Kristi off as she turns into the box...

...sacrificing her left knee in the process. This tackle takes Lexa out of the game for some crucial minutes.

Alexis Weaver (5) and Jasmine Martinez (21) are very busy on the Cougars' offensive end.

Senior captain Amina Radoncic (26) and freshwomen Alessia Dal Monte (9) and Allison Abendschein (10) provide some key possessions for the Huskies.

Allison Abendschein (10) is confronted by Natalie Juncos (25) on the right flank. Natalie is pulled back into the defensive line to fill in for Lexa Green who goes off for some minutes to tend her left knee after a serious tackle.

Rebekah Tovar (21) sends the ball through against coverage by Danielle Muñoz (3). The only returning starter from last season's defense, Danielle's aggressiveness and intelligence has been essential in keeping the rebuilt Cougar backline solid and cohesive.

Kelsey Missimer (2) slows Kelsey Zamora (7) just enough to allow Guatemala U-20 international Stephanie Castellon (22) to make one of her eight saves on the night.

Senior Houston goalkeeper Sydney George (in white) has come into her own. She tallies a career-high 11 saves in the face of intense pressure from, among others, Allison Abendschein (10) and prolific striker Natalie Hager (13). After this performance, Sydney is named Goalkeeper of the Week by the American Athletic Conference.

(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)

KOKOY'S BAYOU CITY CUP         W     D     L     Pts     GF     GA
Sam Houston State Bearkats             2      0      0       6        9        0
Lamar Cardinals                              1      0      1       3        8       -5
Rice Owls                                       1      0      0       3        5       -3 
Houston Cougars                              0      1      0       1        0        0
Houston Baptist Huskies                    0     1      0       1        0        0
Prairie View A&M                            0      0      2       0        2       -6
Texas Southern Tigers                      0      0      1       0        0       -6  
(As of results through September 22)

UPCOMING MATCHES OF THE WEEK: 

Sunday Sep 22 South Carolina State University (#292) @ TSU 1:00 pm

Friday Sep 27 Northwestern State University (#260) @ HBU* 7:00 pm (Southland Conference)

Saturday Sep 28 Mississippi College (DIII) @ CTX (DIII)* at St. Stephen's, Austin 2:00 pm (American Southwest Conference)

Sunday Sep 29 Rice @ UTSA* 1:00 pm (Conference USA)

Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#227) @ U of H* 7:00 pm (American Athletic Conference)

Friday Oct 11 TSU @ Prairie View A&M University (#303)* 7:00 pm (Southwestern Athletic Conference)

Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#50) @ Rice* 7:00 pm (C-USA)

Sunday Oct 20 Mississippi Valley State University (#275) @ TSU* 1:00 pm (SWAC)

Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#20) @ U of H* 7:00 pm (AAC)

Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#322) @ TSU* 7:00 pm (SWAC)

Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#97) @ Rice* 1:00 pm (C-USA)

Thursday Oct 31 LSU @ Tx A&M* 7:00 pm in College Station (Southeastern Conference)

Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#233) @ HBU* 5:00 pm (SLC)

Monday Nov 4 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Wednesday Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Thursday Nov 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals* @ Rice 
Friday Nov 8 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Saturday Nov 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Saturday Nov 9 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park 
Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final* @ Rice
Friday-Wednesday Nov 15-20 NCAA Tournament 1st Round @ Campus TBA

(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend. Schedule subject to change.) 

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)