khornetsoccer

Games/Finally!

2011-08-31T20:34:00.001-07:00

Return 2 Kzoo

2011-08-29T18:58:00.001-07:00

FULL SIDED AND R&R

2011-08-26T20:09:00.001-07:00

Beach Baby

2011-08-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

We've Been Busy/Updates Soon

2011-08-22T20:26:00.001-07:00

Ready to Rock'n'Roll

2011-08-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Players On Campus=Check
Players Moved In=Check
Team Meal=Check
Rules Meeting=Check

KNVB, AZ, Amsterdam

2011-05-04T21:37:00.002-07:00


Photo at the entrance to the KNVB

On the left, trip coordinator, Scott Flood, on the right Ruud Dokter, KNVB instructor

Bay Arena and Leverkusen Academy

2011-05-03T12:24:00.001-07:00

#11 Stefan Heissling

#4 Sami Hyypia

Coaching staff briefs the team prior to the start of training

#13 Michael Ballack, leaves the field after training

Myself with Leverkusen manager Jupp Heyneckes

Inside the Bay Arena home to the the first team

Participants on the Leverkusen making tactical adjustments on the Leverkusen bench

Inside the visitors changing room

Herr Tot, the Leverkusen Academy strength coach

U9 Academy Players

U13 trainer making a point to his players

Day with the DFB

2011-05-02T14:28:00.003-07:00

Coaches discuss their observations of Sunday's match

The Olympic Training Center in Hennef

1st Presenter

Match condition training

DFB A License

The youth team preparing to train

Passing activity

Details..Details..Details

Afternoon in Eindhoven

2011-05-01T12:24:00.035-07:00

A beautiful afternoon in the Eindhoven city center

Another beautiful European day greeted us as we boarded the bus for Eindhoven. The match on Sunday was between PSV Eindhoven and Vitesse. PSV is consistently one of the top teams in the Dutch league and Eindhoven is located in southern part of the Netherlands. We arrived a little bit more than 2 hours before the match. Several of us walked around outside of the stadium. After checking out the stadium gift shop, a number of us headed down the city center which was buzzing on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. There were hundreds of people, socializing, eating, and shopping in the city center.

Phillips Stadion-Home to PSV Eindhoven

PSV warming up prior to the match

The stadium gradually began to fill up as kick-off approached. Vitesse needed a win just a much as Cologne did the previous day to remain in Holland’s top division. At the game in Germany on Saturday, both team’s line-ups were listed as 4-5-1. It was interesting as each team played within this set up. On Sunday Vitesse would follow in the 4-5-1 vein but more attack and aggressiveness shown by PSV with a 4-3-3. Immediately from the start the game packed more offensive punch than the match the day before. Each team registered a shot within the first minute of the game. PSV was consistently looking to get the ball wide to their wing players to create attacking opportunities. They had several superb chances that just missed wide. Vitesse feeling the pressure to keep PSV off the board and stay in the top division, tried to stay compact an organized in their own half. This often left their sole target player to battle 3-4 PSV defenders when the rare opportunity presented itself to get a touch on the ball. Often times when a team sits back on absorbs pressure they become guilty of playing on their heels which often results in fouls in and around the goal box. Throughout the first half Vitesse conceded several free kicks near their own goal but PSV was unable to take advantage. In the 37th minute PSV would break through as their right winger was able to break through and place the ball past the right side of the Vitesse keeper into the goal. The game would enter halftime 1-0. To begin the 2nd half neither team made too many adjustments and PSV continued to push the pace of the game. In the 63rd minute their persistence would pay off as an early cross was played in from the left side to one of PSV’s Brazilian, central defender, Marcelo, who had moved up into the attack. He would head the ball home and staked the home team to a 2-0 advantage. The pace of the match slowed a little but Vitesse began to try and push their attacking center midfielders forward now that they needed a goal. Vitesse’s Spanish holding center midfielder, Jordi Lopez was able to find a goal after getting behind the PSV defense. This goal with less than in the 79th minute and with 11 minutes to play gave Vitesse some life, however it would be PSV with the best chances, missing several opportunities to to regain the two goal advantage. The match would conclude 2-1 PSV.

Vitesse defending one of the numerous free kicks conceded near their box in the first half

Final Score: PSV 2 Vitesse 1

When the group returned to the Hotel the participants divided up into two teams to discuss observations from the match. Questions addressed included, what type of system of play was a team using? What may have been their game plan for the match? What could they have done differently. Each group would make a short presentation on Monday morning before heading off to one of the Olympic Training Centers in Germany.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to hear presentations on coaching education and player development from the Deutsche Fussball Bund. I think it is a day many of the participants are looking forward to. The German team has finished no worse than 3rd at the past three World Cups. Hopefully, Monday will provide insight in how they are achieving such noteworthy performances.

Matchday In Cologne

2011-04-30T21:26:00.004-07:00

First stop on the agenda for Saturday was a stop at 1. FC Köln to meet with their youth director Klaus Pabst. Klaus oversees the youth programs at 1. FC Köln and also has his own soccer training company based in the city as well. He also one of the editors for Success in Soccer, a popular coaching magazine found throughout the US. We meet with Klaus for about 30 minutes at which time he presented some of his club’s philosophies on youth development.

A couple take home lessons from the presentation included
-1. FC Köln is the 4th largest club in Germany in terms of supporters
-They have teams ranging from U8-U23 (reserve team) in the academy
-U16 is when the players sign their first contracts
-Youth U15 and under pay 43 Euros to train at the club
-The club has extensive season long and weekly plans for each team

Q & A with 1. FC Köln youth director Klaus Pabst

After the presentation and a little Q & A the group had the opportunity to walk around the training grounds. While walking around the director of marketing for the club, Joachim Lange introduced himself. During our conversation he inquired about where I lived in the US. After letting him know that I was from Michigan he informed me that he had previously worked at Ford Motor Company and served as their director of sports marketing. While working in Dearborn at the company headquarters he lived in Ann Arbor. He was been employed at 1. FC Köln for 2 months. We discussed briefly the big match between 1. FC Köln and Leverkusen for that afternoon and he cited how important a win for his employer would be. He said that Leverkusen had beat 1. FC Köln earlier in the season 3-2 and that Cologne had not beaten Leverkusen in the last 16 meetings. However, he said that those statistics would mean very little when the whistle blew to signal the beginning of the match.


1. FC Köln Youth Team training on one of the 4 fields at their training complex

We headed off to lunch in downtown and had a traditional German meal. There was a ton of excellent food and my favorite part was probably the dessert. It consisted of a warm slice of apple strudel along with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and several spoonfuls of whipped cream. Yes, there was also some tasty German beer to accompany the feast. After the meal the group boarded the bus and headed off to the stadium. As Mr. Lange had suggested earlier in the day the match was quite meaningful and while on the surface it was rivalry match between 2 teams located less than 10 miles apart there was much more to the match up. Leverkusen currently 2nd in the Bundesliga could secure a position in the Champion's League for next season which is worth several millions of dollars to the club. More importantly, 1. FC Köln which is was in 15th place (18 teams play in the top German division) need every point out of their last 3 matches to avoid being relegated to the 2nd division. For 1. FC Köln there is also millions of dollars at stake but in their case they are more concerned about the money or revenue they will lose playing in a lower division.

RheinEnergieStadion-Home of FC Cologne

Support for the club could be seen throughout the city center. Everywhere people were wearing jerseys, scarves, and their team’s colors. We made our way to the stadium and settled into our seats a couple minutes before the players walked out to the field. Fans for Leverkusen that had made the short trip to Cologne were located in their own heavily secured area in the corner of the Stadium.

Leverkusen Fans Getting Fired Up

The game kicked off with neither team really looking to attack. Both teams played with a bit of reserve not wanting to make a mistake that would put them behind early on. Defensive organization for both teams was strong. Clearly the best chance for either team took place in the 24th minute, when Leverkusen midfielder, Michael Ballack played a brilliant ball over the top to his teammate Gonazlo Castro. All alone 30 yards from goal he received a ball over the top that he brought down with his chest onto his right foot hit the ball on the volley and would miss wide from just inside the box. Although the cheering and intensity of the fans for both teams was sky high the teams were not able to match their spirit with so much on the line. The game entered halftime 0-0.


Halftime of my 2nd match of the trip and still waiting to see my first goal

#13 Michael Ballack, former captain of the German National Team patrols the midfield for Leverkusen

Immediately at the start of the second half the pace of the game picked up. Leverkusen went on the attack pressing for an early goal. Leverkusen forward Stephan Heissling nailed a shot off the crossbar int he 51st minute and 1. FC Köln was living dangerously. Leverkusen then again broke down the 1. FC Köln defense but the team's keeper Michael Rensing made an outstanding save with Ballack just missing an opportunity less than 3 yards from the goal in the 63rd minute. It just seemd to be a matter of time until Leverkusen would net the games first goal. However, 1. FC Kölnwould strike first. In the 67th minutes After a nice combination between a 1. FC Köln winger and midfielder, the Slovenian forward Milivoje Novakovic ran onto a through ball, clear of the Leverkusen backline and played the ball one touch into the far side of the net. 1-0, advantage 1. FC Köln. With the goal, momentum really began to swing the way of the home team. For the next 10 minutes Leverkusen would be the team struggling to get the ball out of their end. The game would slowly even out once again and with let Leverkusen just missed tying the game in the 76th minutes with a ball that had the 1. FC Köln keeper beat. However, the ball drilled the post and then the rebound would find its way out of bounds. Shortly there after 1. FC Köln scored a second goal. After a Leverkusen foul, a ball was shot on goal from the left wing. 1. FC Köln was able to control the rebound and Novakovic recorded his second goal of the game. Leverkusen would threaten once more but Rensing was equal to the challenge and preserved a 2-0 win for the home team. With other results posted on the day and two matches remaining 1. FC Köln is not out of danger yet but sitting much better than they were before the match. Even though Leverkusen did not get a point they also benefited from other results in their favor and look very good to qualify for the Champion’s League, needing only 1 point from their last 2 matches.


1. FC Köln celebrates their second goal of the match

1. FC Köln acknowledge their supporters after the win

After the game we filtered through the happy 1. FC Köln supporters and made it back to the bus for the short return trip to our hotel in Leverkusen. There was certainly plenty to take away from the visit to the training center and critical match.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to Holland to see Eindhoven (3rd in the Dutch League)face off against Vitesse (16th out of 18), who is also facing a relegation battle similar to 1. FC Köln.

Arrival In Leverkusen

2011-04-29T20:40:00.069-07:00

Welcome to Leverkusen, home of Bayern Leverkusen

On Friday, I arrived in Leverkusen via train around 1pm and made the short walk from the train station to check-in at the hotel for the U.S. Soccer International Coaching Workshop of Germany and the Netherlands. Participants slowly began trickling in to the hotel as their flights arrived in Germany. At 3pm we had the first meeting of the event. The instructors and program director led a short lecture that included an overview of the program. As well as meals and travel arrangements over the course of the next week. Their are 24 participants in the workshop with varying soccer experience, ranging from the past president of the US Soccer Federation (Dr. Bob Contiguglia, 1998-2006) to high school and youth coaches. Although the workshop primarily consists of Americans several other countries/federations are represented, these include Ireland, Venezuela, and Ghana.

After a the intro meeting most of the coaches grabbed their boots and we headed off to the Bayer Leverkusen youth training grounds. A couple lightning flashes and a quick cloudburst merely served as a delay to the proceedings. Once the storms passed and quick warm-up, a nice kick around began on the turf training pitch at the beautiful Leverkusen facility as the sun peeked out for the later afternoon match. It was very cool to be playing a pick up game at one of the training facilities of the top teams in Germany. One of many unique experiences that I'm sure will be part of the week. Fitness was a bit of an issue as the game began to slow down after the first half hour and jet lag slowly exacted its revenge on some of the players.

Leverkusen Youth Training Facility, Facing South

Coaches Gear Up for the Kick Around

Post Pick-Up Game Debriefing

Post match the group headed back to the hotel to grab showers and dinner before trying to wage another battle against jet lag by turning in early. On Saturday we are headed to Koln to see a Bundesliga match between Leverkusen and FC Koln. There are only about 12 kilometers (7 miles) that separate the townss so it is a pretty big rivalry match. With a win Leverkusen can secure a spot in the next year's Champion's League. FC Cologne currently sits 15th out of 18 teams and is in desperate need of a win to stay in the German top division next year. There is plenty of stake for both teams. I will be sure to add a match recap tomorrow.

Here's a quick overview of the schedule for the next week

Fri, April 29th: Check-In, Workshop Intro

Sat, April 30th: Presentation at FC Cologne, FC Cologne v Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Sun, May 1st: Dutch First Division Match; PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse

Mon, May 2nd: Presentation by the German Federation at Hennef

Tues, May 3rd: Observe Leverkusen 1st team training and Youth Presentations

Wed, May 4th: Visit to the Dutch Federation in Zeist and Evening in Amsterdam

Thu, May 5th: Training Observation at Ajax and tour of Amsterdam

Fri, May 6th: Depart Amsterdam

That is all for today.

GO HORNETS!!!

Easter Surprise!

2011-04-27T07:35:00.007-07:00

As many of you know I'm currently in Europe visiting my family before taking a soccer tour through Germany and Holland with the US Soccer Federation. I was not going to begin blogging about the trip until Friday, April 29th when the actual soccer portion of the trip begins. I would not want to bore everyone with the play by play of the time spent with my bilingual nieces. Let's just say there is rarely a dull moment but it mostly involves riding bikes, drawing pictures, and taking trips to the park.

Anyway, we spent Saturday and Easter Sunday at my brother-in-laws parents outside of Erlangen, Germany (a K study abroad location). On Easter Sunday the girls woke up and needed to find their Easter baskets which had been hidden by the Easter Bunny. Thorsten, my brother-in-law, informed me that I need to look for my Easter basket as well. Luckily Emma and Selma helped me locate my "Ostern Geschenck" (Easter Present). The Easter Bunny had left me two tickets to see FC Nurnberg v Mainz 05. This is a Bundesliga match between the teams 5th (Mainz) and 6th (FC Nurnberg) competing for a spot in the Europa League for next year. The tickets were for the game that afternoon. What a treat, my soccer portion of the trip was beginning sooner that I had expected!


Two Tickets in My Easter Basket

That afternoon we took the train into the city. We needed to transfer at the Nurnberg main station. This is where we encountered the mass of fans headed to the match and a sizable police presence to keep everyone in line. We made it into the stadium just in time for the players walkout.


The Walkout: How Germans love the giant flag.

Nurnberg Supporters Demonstrate Their Devotion To The Team

I'll save everyone the always interesting match analysis and give you a quick synopsis of the match. Mainz 05 is in 5th place and Nurnberg is in 6th. The 5th place team at the end of the season in the Bundesliga qualifies for the Europa league which is the European league just below the Champions League. Clubs that qualify for this division are awarded money that they can spend for next year's team. Mainz was fine with a tie while Nurnberg needed the win. Nurnberg hit the post on a superb free kick in the first half but Mainz had several opportunities which they should have converted in the 2nd half. There was a bit of controversy at the end of the match as a Mainz player headed the ball back to the goalkeeper, a Nurnberg player slashed in between the defender and the goalie. However, the goalkeeper beat the attacker to the ball. Barely outside of the box the goalkeeper used his hand to knock the ball out of harms way. This should have been a free kick and a possible red card to the goalkeeper but the referee claimed that he had touched the ball in the box. Replays show that the official was wrong. The Nurnberg fans were irate and numerous individuals showed their appreciation for the referee by saluting him with their middle finger. The game would end 0-0 and was the only scoreless game on the weekend in the Bundesliga. I took some ideas away from the match which I have stowed away in my coaching notebook for a later date. Overall, it was a fantastic Easter Surprise and I am eagerly awaiting the official soccer portion of my trip which begins in a few short days!


Nurnburg sets up a free kick which would glance off the near post


#26 American: Timmy Chandler, plays right back for #1FCN

American Flag In Support of Chandler

Top 5 Moments From #1FCN v Mainz 05
1) Fans of the home team recognizing the referee for his performance after the game. The universal single finger salute
2) Some super haircuts on the Nurnberg supporters (think Lynyrd Skynyrd concert, I was not discrete enough to get a picture).
3) The fan next to me saying "Ja Wohl, Ja Wohl, Ja Wohl", whenever FCN did anything good.
4) Fans relieving themselves along the route from the train to the stadium (no law against public urination, sometimes you just have to go).
5) Massive Flags being waved the entire game.

Look for more posts this weekend.

GO HORNETS!!!

Fitness and 3v1

2010-10-25T21:02:00.001-07:00

Below average beginning, Above Average Conclusion, WELL DONE HORNETS!!!

Minute to Win It

2010-10-22T19:51:00.001-07:00

Crosses and Vampires

2010-10-21T20:47:00.001-07:00

Kalamazoo 1 Alma 4

2010-10-19T20:53:00.001-07:00

Wednesday Weather

2010-10-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

Touch of Rain, Lots of Receiving, Lots of Turning, Lots of Shooting, Lots of Scoring.

Possession Session

2010-10-08T19:24:00.001-07:00

Thursday Training

2010-10-08T06:23:00.001-07:00

Fitness and defensive shape

Kzoo 2 Hope 1

2010-10-05T19:29:00.001-07:00

Heading, Ball Winning, Ball Winning

2010-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Beginning with a short heading progression the Hornets really focused on ball winning on Monday afternoon. Once the technical aspect concluded the team moved into two grids focusing on handball and competing for air balls. Progressing to a larger field the team then played a ball winning game where a ball was served from the wing into the box where the defense held a 4v2 advantage. Defenders were responsible for clearing the balls and attackers were supposed to make their lives as hard as possible. After several rotations the gray team finished on top 21-20. Two goal boxes of 7 ball then took place, hard work for the defense in a 3v2 + GK situation, the Hornets focused on trying to be as efficient in the box as possible. Certainly a area the team can work to get much better at. Training would end with an 8v8 half field scrimmage. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a super day for a match. If you can't make it to Kzoo to see the Hornets and Dutch face off be sure to follow the LiveStats or Radio Broadcast.

GO HORNETS!!!

Defensive Player of the Week

2010-10-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Kalamazoo Senior, Chelsea Smith

Kalamazoo Senior Chelsea Smith was recognized as the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week. Chelsea was recognized for playing every minute in the 1-1 draw against Albion and also keying a backline that held Calvin scoreless in the Hornets' 1-0 win on Saturday. It's been quite the past 2 weeks for Chelsea as she was also recently accepted to Med School at MSU for next year. Well done Chelsea! CONGRATULATIONS!!! WAY TO GO!!!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamzoo College 1 Calvin College 0

2010-10-02T18:55:00.001-07:00

Pinball

2010-10-01T20:02:00.001-07:00

Stations

2010-09-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Planning a practice the day after a game is anything but an exact science. How do you allow the heavy legs from yesterday to recover while still challenging those that may not have seen as much game action? The decision today was to focus on different skills through station work. Six different stations were setup in the practice area. Station 1 was receiving, Station 2 was core work, Station 3 was finishing crosses, Station 4 was dribbling, Station 5 was repetition of long balls, and Station 6 was finishing through balls. The Team was divided into teams of 4 and each team spent 9 minutes at every station with one minute to move between activities. With a number of different drills players were able to get numerous repetitions at various skills and perform at various effort levels. The day ended with a quick set play review and then 15 minutes of striker/keeper. The Hornets still need plenty of reps with their left feet but numerous lasers were bombed by the team during the finishing activity. As the activity reads, striker/keeper. So after you shoot, don't forget to play GK. Some classic shots from Burns, Gray, Gateley, and Ansaldi were noteworthy but Reszka stole the show with her "Save of the Day!"

Kickback

2010-09-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Old Hornets or Current Hornets?

What's that in the late afternoon haze? Is it a picture from the women's soccer archives? Actually it's the current team posing for a picture at the conclusion of training on a Retro jersey Monday. A wide variety of jerseys are displayed, many worn by former MIAA Champs. Before the picture lots of crossing and finishing took place, beginning with no pressure and slowly adding more and more. The attackers displayed some strong creativity and there was a very good rhythm to the movements both with and without the ball. Overall, a good way to bounce back after a challenging defeat on Saturday. The Hornets are now looking forward to the opening of the MIAA play which all begins at 4pm on Wednesday. Until then it's time to heal, hydrate, and sleep.

GO HORNETS!!!

Kenyon 2 Kalamazoo 1

2010-09-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Kenyon converts a late PK for the win. Hornets with a strong team effort coming up just short.

Defensive Shape.

2010-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Before embarking on a road trip to Gambier, OH to face a very tough Kenyon College on Saturday. The Hornets spent Friday afternoon working to refine their defensive shape. After beginning the year with three straight shutouts the Hornets are looking to become a shade more consistent along the back line and specifically with team defense shape in the midfield. The warm-up began with a little bit of footwork and reading the visual cues of an attacker. Then the team moved into a three zone game that really focuses on team shape, moving defensively as a unit, and not allowing through balls. Moving to a larger space the girls then played 4 defenders against 4 attackers going to two wide goals. This activity gradually increased in numbers and space. Progressing from 4v4 to 4v6 to 5v6 and then to 10 minutes of full field scrimmaging. A couple of the attackers then stayed after to put in some finishing reps. That concluded the training for the week. 7:45am breakfast tomorrow before a long haul to Kenyon. With classes now started there will be plenty of homework being attended to on the bus ride. In their last non-conference game of the season the Hornets will be looking to finish at a .500 prior to league play. It appears that Saturday will be a superb day for a game and the makings are all set for an extremely competitive and entertaining match. Also, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to first year Hornet, Rachel Fine!

GO HORNETS!!!

The Pursuit

2010-09-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful and balmy day was the back drop for training today. Today's focus was on combining in different fashions going forward and improving the speed of attack. It began in a 40x65yd grid, where players on the inside would receive balls from servers on the outside. After about 90 seconds of work the players on the inside would switch up with a player on the outside. Gradually different components were employed, these ranged from opening up, wall passes, and dummy runs. From this the players moved onto a 1v1 dribbling activity. This is where the pursuit would begin. In a 30x20yd area the players were challenged to dribble at speed past an opponent to an open goal, once scoring the player was then forced to defend and try and track down the opponent speeding toward their own goal. After a touch of fitness then the rules were relaxed allowing players to shoot on goal, this made the game a little bit more soccer like and increased scoring and the attempts on goal as well. The final part of this activity would involve a high pace attack of 2v2 where attacking was encouraged more than passing. Attack...Attack...Attack, probably was the phrase used the most by the coaching staff at today's training session. The team then moved onto practicing lots and lots of breakaways. Players would play a ball get it back and be off to the races in alone on the goalkeeper. It began with only the GK to beat but then a chasing defender was added in (coach loves to add in the pursuing defenders, the players not so much). After two shifts of breakaways the team then split into two groups and played 8v8 with walls that had one touch. Just a little bit of exhausting work for the GK. After about 100 minutes of training the session was ended. The core of defenders stuck around to put in a little extra time stepping to and playing balls away first time. Strong investment in the session from the group today. Tomorrow the team will return to train team defending and most likely revisit the attacking movements on Monday. Looks like it should be a grand weekend for soccer.

GO HORNETS!!!

1v1s and 2v2s to Goal

2010-09-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Back to basics, the majority of training was spent on refining 1v1 and 2v2 defending. A training session that is always applicable began with simple line passing and dribbling to sharpen up. Then they were divided into four teams. In these four teams their were plenty of 1v1 reps. The first stage was 1v1 played in wide grids, this was followed by 2v1 and then finished with 2v2s. There was chunks of fitness spread throughout practice too. After a steady diet of 3v2s the day ended with the breakaway and pursuit fitness activity. A team favorite. Back at it tomorrow when the focus will be receiving and crossing as the team looks to improve their efficiency in and around the goal box.

Congrats to the Kalamazoo men as they began their MIAA campaign with a 1-0 home win. Coach Adrian looks to have the team in tip top condition to make a run at the MIAA title this season.

GO HORNETS!!!

Fitness and 4v4

2010-09-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

After a weekend full of travel, rain, strong competition and cheesecake the Hornets took Monday off to focus on the first day of classes and get ready for the last long road trip of year on Saturday. Recovered and refreshed the team loosened up the legs and worked on long passes and striking balls over distance. After the players were able to complete plenty of repetitions the team moved onto 4v4 competition. The field were a little bit bigger to really push the fitness and challenge the players to apply all of those ball striking repetitions to game situations. After 4 eight minute games the team concluded the day with a short cool down. The high level of effort was a great way to bounce back from some tough results on the weekend. All though Fall is now here the weather is superb and it looks like a excellent week of practice is in store for the squad.

GO HORNETS!!!

One Wet Thursday

2010-09-16T22:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Hornets!!!

2010-09-14T20:07:00.001-07:00

Kalamazoo 2 Davenport 1

Home Game Today v Davenport

2010-09-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

5pm Kick-Off
Follow The LiveStats or Internet Broadcast

GO HORNETS!!!

Updates Coming Soon-I Promise

2010-09-13T20:37:00.001-07:00

96 Hours Later

2010-09-11T22:33:00.001-07:00

R and R

2010-09-09T21:07:00.001-07:00

Kalamazoo College 0 Augustana College 0 2OT

2010-09-08T18:06:00.001-07:00

Defensive Player Of The Week

2010-09-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

Megan Martinez, MIAA Defensive Player of the Week

CONGRATULATIONS to Kalamazoo sophomore Megan Martinez as she was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for Week 1 of the 2010 season. The official press release from the league office reads,

"Megan played a key role for the Hornets’ defense as they opened their season with back-to-back shutout wins – 1-0 over Elmhurst, Ill., and 2-0 over Rose-Hulman, Ind. With Martinez helping control the play, Kalamazoo limited Elmhurst to three shots on goal and held Rose-Hulman without a shot on goal."

AWESOME WORK, KEEP IT UP! (yes, finally a pic for our loyal blog followers)

GO HORNETS!!!

Back to Work

2010-09-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

After super start to the season (only the second time the K women have been 2-0 to start the year in the past 11 seasons) and a well deserved Labor Day off the Hornets returned to the training ground on a warm and windy Tuesday afternoon. The goalkeepers arrived 60 minutes ahead of everyone and spent their training focusing on ball handling and various dives. After a quick passing warm-up the rest of the team began working on crossing and finishing. Specifically working combinations to use the field's width and get the ball in behind the back line. The combinations and service continuously improved throughout the afternoon, especially the speed of attack. Practice ended as the defenders were forced to deal with heavy offensive pressure. The defense (4 backs) was given the task of defending 8 attackers. A scenario for the defense was set where they are up 2-0 with ten minutes to play in the game and need to try and hold off the relentless offense. Attacking players are challenged to find that balance between urgency and control. Today the offense would win both matches including a second group that found 3 goals in the last three minutes of play.

Tomorrow the Hornets head too Rock Island, IL to play Augustana College. Kick-off is slated for 5:00pm EST. If you get a chance be sure to follow the team on live with the LiveStats from the game.

GO HORNETS!!!

Hornets 2-0

2010-09-05T19:09:00.001-07:00

Kalamazoo College 2 Rose-Hulman 0

Hornets Win!

2010-09-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

Kalamazoo College 1 Elmhurst College 0

Countdown

2010-09-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

The final day of the preseason is here. Lots of ball striking and finishing. The day began with a simple warm-up activity that allowed player to get plenty of short reps in and lots of catching. Yes, catching!

After going to goal for a little bit with minimal pressure the team walked through a couple set pieces both attacking and defending before ending with 11v11 for 10 minutes. Hornets looked sharp.

2pm Tomorrow
Kalamazoo College v Elmhurst College.
It would be great if you can make it out to see the 2010 Hornets make their debut.

GO HORNETS!!!

Sigh...Just 1 Practice, Really?

2010-09-02T20:50:00.001-07:00

With the season opener less than 2 days away the team is beginning to taper and has trimmed down to only one training session a day! This morning the focus was on team defending. The warm-up focused on team shape and being committed to the cause, specifically sliding and sacrificing the body to prevent through balls. After about ten minutes of defensive shape the team moved in front of goal and played 4v4 to 4 goals and then 6v4 to goal and counter goals. This activity would end 6v5 as the holding midfielder was inserted into the line-up. Lots of repetition and various situations in the defensive third of the field (reminds coach of his time at the B license at IMG and a steady diet of Birdman and 8v8). The morning would end with a full field eleven a side kick about. As much as the player and coaches love to practice it was great to have the afternoon off.

This evening the team met to go over expectations for the upcoming non-conference portion of the season. Coach provided information from his summer immersed in self help books. Thanks to the likes of Daniel Coyle, Geoff Colvin and Mathew Syed or this evening would not have been possible! Beginning Saturday the team has a lot of opportunities in front of it. It should be a wild and fun ride over the course of the next month as the Hornets look to face off against some of the best teams division III teams around the Midwest, what a challenge!

GO HORNETS!!!

Possession/Swimming

2010-09-01T19:40:00.001-07:00

Wednesday morning the topic of practice was possession. The girls did a passing activity and then advanced into a keep away game in tight space. After about 20 minutes of quick touches and playing out of pressure the team worked on sequence play going to goal without any defenders. The morning session would end with 10 minutes of half field 4v4. Playing on a field with these dimensions the intention was to really push the girls as far as the amount of ground that were expected to cover during the 10 minute match. It was evident by the end of practice that legs were heavy. Despite the physical toll the energy was high and attitudes excellent. GREAT WORK HORNETS!!!

For the afternoon regeneration was the plan to begin preparing for the weekend. Coach Goyings began the pool workout and Coach Carlson finished it. Is there any better way to get cardio while reducing the impact on the legs? Less than 72 hours until Kick-Off!

GO HORNETS!!!

Picture Day

2010-08-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

This afternoon the Hornets reported to the fieldhouse a litter bit before practice so they could have their pictures taken for the 2010 season. Be sure to check out the website in a couple days to see the smiling Hornets, we'll be sure to post a couple here as well.

GO HORNETS!!!

Squirt Guns and Water Balloons

2010-08-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

Another steamy day in Kalamazoo, most likely the last 90 degree day of the year. This morning's practice consisted of and advancement from a training session ran last week. Beginning with a technical warm-up the team focused on their attacking movements in and around the goal.. Lots and lots of opportunities to combine and attack were prevalent throughout the morning. The training session would end with half field 4v4. I'm sure the team would agree that it was certainly a superb fitness activity!

The afternoon was a little bit lighter on the legs. Plenty of reps with receiving and first touch. Once again it started out simples and slowly gained a little complexity. From simple throw-ins and touches to measured touches and finesse movement into space. Then the team applied all of the components as the moved in front of goal. The team would end in a 8v8 setup. As the team prepared to cool down Assistant Coach Wells and a couple of the training staff's favorite Hornets came up to the field with a couple of water balloons and a fully loaded squirt guns. It didn't take more than one minute for the water balloons to begin flying. It was a nice way to end another hot training session. Just three days until the first match! It would be great to see you there!

The players are working hard and taking care of their bodies. Hydrating, Fueling, Sleeping. They are preparing themselves well for a rugged non-conference schedule!

GO HORNETS!!!

Second Defender and Headers

2010-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Scorcher at the field but the team worked hard and got a lot accomplished. Just 4 days until the games begin!

GO HORNETS!!!

Life's a Beach

2010-08-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

Instead of a late morning conditioning session the Hornets headed to the margins of Michigan, specifically South Haven to enjoy an absolutely incredible day at the Beach. Water temperature was a very comfortable 75 degrees. The girls were put under strict order to apply sunscreen liberally and drink plenty of water. In fact, they took their own Gatorade cooler full of ice water with them. Beach activities included, laying out, reading, frisbee, volleyball, sand Hornet building (Yes, they built a Hornet made of sand), and swimming or was it just standing in the water?

After a couple hours of lounging and relaxing lakeside the girls headed two blocks east of the beach and were graciously hosted by K alums Barry and Liz Smith and their beagle Elle for a late afternoon lunch. What a meal! Pulled pork and grilled portabellas, along with coleslaw, pasta salad, fruit salad, chips and an amazing dip, and cupcakes too. The meal was INCREDIBLE and the visit was a superb break for the team and coach after six full days of soccer. Pictures will be posted soon! Week 2 officially begins tomorrow as the 2010 schedule as real games will kick-off in less than a week. Plenty to do before that whistle blows.

Thanks Again to Liz and Barry for providing a great retreat for the team today! What hospitality!

GO HORNETS!!!

Pool Workout

2010-08-28T20:28:00.001-07:00

Saturday was set as a recovery day for the K women. Practice began at 10am inside the Anderson Athletic Center. The home of Hornet volleyball and basketball. Training consisted of lots of technical repetitions and touches on the ball. This lasted for approximately 45 minutes and then the morning concluded with 20 minutes of basketball. Lots of potential shown by some of the players and others still showing that they are pretty new to the game. Quite entertaining, not a thing of beauty, fun was had by most. Coach tried to make a couple coaching points about how basketball relates to soccer but couldn't sink a shot to save his life and maybe should just stick to soccer in the future.

The players had the afternoon off and took full advantage to see the Hornet men play WMU in a traditional exhibition match contesting the Gazelle Cup. After claiming the Cup last year the Hornet men put up a good fight to defend their title but were unable to hold off the Broncos who prevailed 3-1. Match Recap It appears that the Hornet men have a ton of depth and talent. They should definitely provide plenty of entertainment for K soccer fans throughout the Fall.

After dinner the Hornets would meet again in the evening and headed over to the pool with Coach Carlson for one of her pool workouts. A very popular pre-season event Coach Carlson worked the team hard for an hour in the water. A good effort by the girls and a strong recovery day should set them up well as Week 2 of the pre-season gradually approaches. Great Job Hornets!

GO HORNETS!!!

Hornets Top Pilots

2010-08-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Kalamazoo College 4 Bethel College 1

The Hornets traveled down to Bethel College in South Bend Indiana and a beautiful late August Friday evening to play an exhibition match against the Bethel College Pilots. Bethel would control the play early in the game as they came out in a 4-3-3 formation and were looking to play balls in behind the Hornet's backline. They would find success as the Pilots broke through in the 6th minute drawing Hornet keeper Courtney McCoy out of the goal and slotting a ball across the goal mouth which and on rushing Pilot was able to knock in, staking Bethel to a 1-0 lead. After the goal the Hornets were able to settle in and began connecting passes and consistently finding time, space, and attacking ideas out wide. Julia Schroeder was able to out race the defense to a through ball played by Jackie Short and but the ball over the keepers head and off the crossbar knotting the game up at one each. Shortly thereafter Schroeder would once again get the ball, faked a shot brining the goalkeeper down and played a delicate ball over the keeper and into the goal. Jackie Short would get in on the first half action as well tallying her own goal. Both teams subbed liberally and at half the game was 3-1 to the advantage of Kalamazoo. In second stanza the Hornets would waste not time as Stephanie Verbeek was able to run onto a cross and one timed the ball off the near post and into the goal. That would conclude the scoring for the evening. All Hornets that were healthy played sizable minutes and Bethel ran several nice set plays which almost resulted in scoring chances. Overall it was an effective exhibition for both team as they came away with a number of positives. For Kalamazoo it was nice to get the win but there were several times Bethel created problems in certain areas of the game which will need to be addressed at practice before the first official game on September 4th. Just one week away! The road trip concluded with some pizza and sleep as the vans returned to Kzoo and saw an incredible moonrise, sorry no pics.

GO HORNETS!!!

Combination Play/Team Defending

2010-08-25T19:07:00.001-07:00

Attacking in the morning and defending in the evening. A touch of fitness to complete the day.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2010 HORNETS

The coaching staff met with the team late this morning to inform the players who would be retained for the 2010 season. A lot of time and effort has been invested by these individuals over the summer and they have set the foundation for a very exciting season.

1     Amanda Mancini
2     Rachel Fine
3     Megan Burns
4     Julia Schroeder
5     Jordan Meeth
6     Chelsea Smith
7     Jordan Lewis
8     Nicole Shelly
9     Jackie Short
10   Eva Schmidt
11   Emily Gray
12   Maya Smolcic
13   Jenn Gateley
14   Zari Haggenmiller
15   Cierra Gillard
16 Steph Verbeek
17   Hilary Marusak
18 Rachel Pitzer
19 C.J. McCarthy
20   Beth Ansaldi
21   Megan Martinez
23 Sam Voss
24   Natalie Reszka
25   Courtney McCoy

The Hornets are made up of 6 Freshmen, 11 Sophomores, 3 Juniors and 4 Seniors. 21 are from the state of Michigan, 2 from Washington (the state), and 1 from Colorado. 17 players return from a year ago and 1 is returning to the team after spending her junior year on study abroad in Ecuador. The team is off to a good start but have PLENTY of work ahead of themselves in the days and weeks to come.

Morning: The Hornets were delayed a little to begin as all hands of the training staff were called into action as the Hornets regular trainer (Marci) headed over for a certification at WMU. Once practice began the theme for the morning was combining. Technical work focused on the finer aspects of the wall pass and of course a Hardy Fuchs (legendary K men's coach) favorite, the back heel. After the initial repetitions the team played a couple games of 2v1 before moving to practice take overs leading into a shot. The morning would end with an 11 v 11 full field scrimmage which lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Afternoon: Building on the individual defending which the team worked on the second day the team gradually built on their movements as a unit. Reading ball movement and visual cues from attackers in order to position themselves to make life tough on the offense. The session ended with a relatively large scrimmage and then a pursuit fitness game which is not necessarily classified as fun. With the naming of the team this afternoon and the team and a strong effort at training, morning trainings will begin at 9am (initially 8am) to the delight of the players and training staff.

GO HORNETS!!!

Day 3

2010-08-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

The morning of Day 3 began with the infamous beep test. The team ran the test in two groups and then focused on 1v1 defending for the remainder of the morning session. Throughout the training the attacking was clearly superior to the defending. Individual team defending was identified as an area that the Hornets can improve on from the prior year and will be a major focus for the 2010 campaign.

Tuesday afternoon the focus migrated from defending to attacking. The team worked on passing, possessing the ball and controlling the speed of play during the day's second session. A passing warm-up to improve and refine receiving and passing was followed by 3v1 and then 5v2. In a space a little bit larger than half field the team was broken into two squads and instructed to play possession while working to keep a team shape. The quality gradually improved before calling it a day.

Girls are working hard, trainers and coaches trying to keep pace!

GO HORNETS!!!

Day 2 Done!!!

2010-08-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

Fitness Test-Check
Training, Skill Work and Small Sided Games-Check
Lunch-Check
NCAA Rules Meeting-Check
Nap-Check
11v11 Scrimmage-Check
Ice Bath-Check
Dinner-Check
Sleep Time-Check

Two-A-Day practices continue tomorrow.

GO HORNETS!!!

WELCOME TO KALAMAZOO!!!

2010-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

On pristine day in Kalamazoo, Coach Goyings welcomed back 19 returning players and 8 newcomers as practice for the 2010 season is just hours away from beginning. Sunday consisted of moving into the dorm, a meeting with the first years and their parents, a quick check-up by the training staff, baseline concussion testing, a team meeting, team dinner, and then another meeting with the training staff. Tomorrow the fun will begin with fitness testing bright and early at 8am and then, finally, it will be time to play some soccer. The first day of the preseason is always memorable and the team and coaching staff are already hard at work making sure that the 2010 season will be one to remember too.

GO HORNETS!!!

Women's Soccer Earns Team GPA Award

2010-08-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

The women's soccer team was one of six Kalamazoo College athletic programs to be recognized with the MIAA GPA award. In order to qualify for the award the team needed to have a cumulative GPA above 3.3, the team average for the 2009-10 school year was 3.32. This award is a true testament to a team effort in the classroom and certainly an accomplishment all members of the women's soccer program should be proud of. GREAT WORK TEAM!!!

GO HORNETS!!!

11 Players Earn MIAA Academic Accolade

2010-08-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Eleven members of the women's soccer team for the 2009-10 season were recently recognized for their hard work in the classroom during this past school year (50% of the team). Each of these individuals are a member of the MIAA academic honor roll because they were able to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above for the entirety of the 2009-10 academic year. Leading by example, all of the senior and junior team members made the Honor Roll! GREAT JOB GIRLS!!! Team members on the honor roll for the 2009-10 school year included:

Anja Burk, K'10
Megan Burns, K'13
Cierra Gillard, K'13
Paige Howell, K'10
Jackie Jessup, K'11
Katie Manstrom, K'10
Megan Martinez, K'13
Hilary Marusak, K'11
Rachel Pitzer, K'12
Eva Schmidt, K'11
Chelsea Smith, K'11

GO HORNETS!!!

FULL TIME COACH!!!

2010-02-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Bryan Goyings named full time Women's Soccer coach
Kalamazoo College named Bryan Goyings its first full-time head women’s soccer coach on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. In addition to his duties as head coach, Goyings will serve the department as recruiting coordinator.
After serving as the part-time head coach the past two seasons, Goyings emerged as the top candidate in the nationwide search to fill the new full-time position.
“The way Bryan rose to the top of the candidate pool is a testament to his accomplishments and abilities,” said Kristen Smith, director of athletics. “Bryan has been a tireless worker on behalf of the women’s soccer program as well as the entire athletic department and College as a whole.
“Bryan is a proven recruiter who has overseen the continued improvement of the women’s soccer program. He is an excellent teammate and ambassador for the College, and he has high expectations to lead the program back to national prominence.”
A 2004 graduate of Kalamazoo College, Goyings joined the women’s soccer coaching staff in 2006 as an assistant coach and helped lead the team to a third-place finish in the MIAA in 2007. He took over as part-time head coach in April of 2008 and has guided the team the past two seasons. After finishing seventh in the MIAA in 2008, Goyings led the Hornets to a third-place finish this past season (5-2-1 record). The Hornets advanced to the championship game of the MIAA Tournament before bowing out as a result of a shootout.
“It is truly a privilege to be named the first full-time head coach in the history of the women’s soccer program at Kalamazoo,” Goyings said. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue rebuilding the Kalamazoo College women’s soccer program to compete on the national level. We have been able to lay that foundation in a limited role, but the opportunity to be on campus full time gives me the chance to focus entirely on our goals of building championship-quality teams while ensuring that our student-athletes have the best experiences on and off the field.
“The team is moving in the right direction, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done to establish and maintain the standard which I envision for both the program and our players.”
Originally from Jackson, Mich., Goyings is a graduate of Lumen Christi High School. He currently holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “A” License, the highest licensing of any active collegiate soccer coach in the Kalamazoo area. Goyings also holds a National Youth License and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Goalkeeping Diploma.
Goyings has also been actively involved at various camps and working with the Olympic Development Program in Michigan, training and developing the highest level of youth soccer in the state. He is presently the assistant coach of the 95 ODP age group.
As a student at Kalamazoo College, Goyings was a four-year letter winner for the Hornets (2000-03). He was a defender on three MIAA championship teams and two NCAA Division III tournament teams, and scored four goals his senior season.
Following graduation from Kalamazoo College, Goyings became heavily involved as a coach in the local youth soccer scene, where his varying posts included time as the head junior varsity girls' coach at Wayland High School, the assistant boys' varsity coach at Plainwell High School, a staff coach for the Portage Lightning Soccer Club, and as a staff coach with the Kalamazoo Kingdom Reserves soccer club.
As recruiting coordinator, Goyings will work to initiate departmental recruiting strategies and initiatives while supporting all coaches and the admission office in their efforts.
The Kalamazoo College women’s soccer team finished 8-6-5 overall in 2009. The Hornets tied for third place in the MIAA with a record of 5-2-1 and advanced to the MIAA Tournament Championship game.
The women’s soccer program at Kalamazoo College began in 1982. The program has an overall record of 326-146-36 for a .677 winning percentage. The Hornets are 165-60-12 (.722) in MIAA play since the league began sponsoring women’s soccer in 1989. Kalamazoo has won eight MIAA championships, made six NCAA III Tournament appearances, and produced 10 NCAA III All-Americans. (courtesy Kalamazoo Sports Information)

GO HORNETS!!!

Hornet Soccer on NPR

2009-12-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Soccer Clinic Revisited

In the Fall the Hornets hosted children from the Peace House to campus. The team put on a soccer clinic followed by a picnic. It was recently mentioned on Michigan Public Radio on Monday, December 7th in a lead on a story about the Peace House. If you didn't get a chance to hear it you can check it out by clicking on the link below.
NPR LINK

For more details about this great event, check out the blog entry that describes the day with pictures and all! October 5th Blog Entry

GO HORNETS!!!

Thank Goodness!!!

2009-11-26T20:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks To Everyone That Helped Make 2009 a Success!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Being a day dedicated to giving thanks there are a number of individuals and groups that Hornet women's soccer program would like to thank for making 2009 a season to remember. First, school administrators, especially Coach Rob Passage, who endured some very wet days at our games and long days moving game locations when rain made our field unplayable. Thank you to the facilities management crew at K that does their best to keep the field in top shape. Thanks to Don, the college bus driver who always make sure we get where we are going in a safe and timely fashion. Thanks to our training staff, Scott Michel and Megan Hass for doing an excellent jog keeping the girls healthy and prepping them for competition. Thanks to Pat Marcinkowski and Elyse Dunsford in the admissions office. They do a great job behind the scenes helping to coordinate recruiting visits 12 months of the year! Thank you to Laura Passage, alumni liaison, communications director, and super fan. Thanks you for massive support throughout the year from family and friends. The hundreds of supporters at the MIAA final will not soon be forgotten! Most importantly, THANK YOU to all the parents and grandparents who make the Kalamazoo College experience possibly for their student athlete. Have a Great Thanksgiving!

GO HORNETS!!!

Team Banquet

2009-11-08T19:39:00.001-07:00

Henderson Castle, Site of the 2009 Women's Soccer Banquet

Team Awards
MVP: Anja Burk
MIP: Zari Haggenmiller

Hornet Award: Katie Manstrom

2009 Team MVP, Senior Anja Burk

Anja Burk was voted team the Hornet's most valuable player for the 2009 season. Burk's contributions throughout the season as well as her career are quite impressive. This year she started all but one game for the Hornets and was an extremely consistent contributor both at practice and in games. She was positionally sound and a superb 1v1 and team defender. Outstanding ball winner, especially with her head Anja ranks among the top Hornet defenders of the past decade. Selfless and quiet, she might not standout but her leadership and intelligence were a major reason for the success that the team experienced this past year! Congratulations Anja.

2009 Hornet Most Improved Player; Freshmen Zari Haggenmiller

Zari Haggenmiller was recognized as the team's Most Improve Player for the 2009 season. After splitting time between midfielder and goalkeeping positions in high school, Zari became a full-time goalkeeper upon her arrival at Kalamazoo College. Working with goalkeeping coach Erin Carlson, Zari showed tremendous progress and improvement throughout the year. Her dedication to the position and willingness to challenge herself and ask questions not only made her better but also her teammates. With continued hard work, Zari has just scratched the surface of her potential. Congratulations Zari!

Hornet Award Winner, Senior Katie Manstrom

Senior Katie Manstrom was awarded the Hornet Award for her efforts during the 2009 season. The Hornet Award is given to the player who best embodies what it is to be a Kalamazoo College Hornet. Throughout the season Katie faced a number of challenges and did a great job leading through example in practice and at games. She was a superb captain and the little things which she did both on and off the field that go unnoticed were a big reason for the Hornet's 2009 success. Thanks for all your contributions and congratulations Katie!

SEASON RECAP

The 2009 Hornets would arrive on campus in mid August. With a roster of 9 returning players from a year ago, 2 seniors stepping back onto the field after six months abroad, and 11 first year players the preseason was full of unknowns. The season would officially kick-off at the Ohio Northern Invitational. Friday of Labor Day weekend the Hornets would open against Ohio Northern and Otterbein College. Both perennial contenders at the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference the Hornets would fall to ONU 4-1 and Otterbein 3-0. In both games Kalamazoo had spells of strong possession but struggled to find an offensive identity. The teams next match would pit them against Huntington College in Indiana. Trailing twice in the match, senior Katie Manstrom scored off a scrappy goal off a Hornet corner kick with just over 15 minutes to play. In the second overtime C.J. McCarthy would record her first goal of the year and give the Hornets there first win of the year.

With a record of 1-2, Kalamazoo would host their first home games of the year. A Saturday morning match against Carroll University from Wisconsin. Carroll, the defending champion of the Midwest Conference tournament would record a goal 7 minutes into the contest. However, the Hornets improved as the game progressed and Hornet forward, Jackie Short would score her first goal of the season in the 36 minute. Despite several quality opportunities for both teams in overtime the game would end in a 1-1 draw. The next weekend Kalamazoo would host to perennially strong programs in the University of Chicago and the College of Wooster. Chicago would arrive in Kalamazoo sporting a record of 4-1 and top 15 national ranking while the Fighting Scots were unbeaten (6-0-1). Against Chicago the Maroons carried play early and were kept in the game with very strong play from freshmen goalkeeper Courtney McCoy who would record 10 saves on the day. The team's confidence grew as the game progressed and two minutes before halftime, Jackie Short would take advantage of a loose ball in Chicago's box and stake K to a 1-0 lead. After halftime the Hornets would continue to play hard and had several chances to take a 2-0 lead. However, with less than 10 minutes to play Chicago would find the equalizer and record the game winning goal with less than 5 minutes to play in the second overtime. A tough loss for K but the Hornets had several excellent segments of play. The next day, against Wooster, K came out firing and Hornet C.J. McCarthy scored less than 2 minutes into the contest. A defensive hiccup at right before half allowed Wooster to take a 2-1 lead at the break. In the second half, sophomore Julia Schroeder would equalize. Despite hitting the crossbar in overtime Kalamazoo could not quite solve the Wooster goalkeeper and would tie for the second time in three games. The non-conference schedule would be complete following a strong win against against Marygrove College (3-0) and tough loss to nationally ranked Denison University (4-0).

Kalamazoo would enter league play with an overall record of 2-4-2 and goal of improving on the previous year's 7th place league finish. The Hornets would open at Trine and with a solid 5-0. In the game all the points would be generated by freshmen. Maya Smolcic 2 goals, 1 assist C.J. McCarthy, 2 goals, Jackie Short 1 goal, 1 assist, and Megan Burns 1 assist. It was the first win in a league opener for K in 9 years. With a 1-0 league record the Hornets would travel to play an very strong Adrian College program which had not given up a goal in their 5 previous matches. Julia Schroeder lashed a shot into the goal in the 22nd minute and that would be all that the Hornets would need for a 2-0 conference record. The story of the day would be Kalamazoo's defense. Already playing numbers down the Hornets sustained a couple more injuries in the game and played the majority of the match with a back line of sophomore Rachel Pitzer, sophomore Maggie Rogers, sophomore Jenn Gateley, and junior Eva Schmidt. Rachel and Maggie who are used to minutes in the midfield, stepped up to the challenge in the back and were two key players on the day. Returning home Kalamazoo's next game would be a game played in the driving rain against the Britons of Albion College. Albion would strike first in the 56th minute, as the game wore on the Hornet's resolve was as constant as the rain and C.J. McCarthy would score in the 86th minute tying the game at one. Once again the Hornets would find the post but not the net in overtime as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. With a league record of 2-0-1 Kalamazoo traveled to Grand Rapids to take on 3 time defending conference champion Calvin College. Calvin jumped on the Hornets early with two early goal but the Hornets fought back and Jackie Short would score making the score at halftime 2-1. In the second half K would have some strong opportunities but would fall to the Knights. A trip to Holland was next up to face Hope College. In Hope's new stadium both teams played a fair and even first half. In the second half the Hornets would have the stronger run of play including having a ball that had beaten the Hope keeper cleared off the line with less than 15 minutes to play in regulation. In the second half and overtime Kalamazoo out shot the Dutch 15-1 and with less than one minute left in the second overtime, junior midfielder Hilary Marusak would win a Hope goal kick, Jackie Short was able to gain control of the ball and put a shot just out of the reach of the Hope keeper. What resulted was a 1-0 win for Kalamazoo and the programs first win over Hope in 8 years! With a league record of 3-1-1 Kalamazoo would welcome Olivet College for a homecoming match. The flu also hit the team pretty hard leading up to the game and K would be without 5 regulars at game time. No worries, a number of K's reserve players would step up and play key roles. It would begin as freshmen Natalie Reszka would record the first goal of the game on a penalty kick. Her classmate C.J. McCarthy would score the game's second goal and junior Jackie Jessup would score on her first touch of the game giving K a 3-0 halftime lead. Olivet would score first in the second half before sophomore Rachel Pitzer would put K up 4-1 with a late goal off a corner kick. After several days off to recover from illness the Hornets would return against St. Mary's at a neutral site. With over an inch of rain in the day prior to the contest the game was moved to the turf field at Vicksburg High School. St. Mary's would prove to be as formidable as the wind and rain that day. They would open the scoring at the 20 minute mark. Struggling to find consistency and rhythm, freshmen Stephanie Verbeek crossed in a ball which fellow freshmen Emily Gray was able to direct into the goal. 1-1 at halftime, the Hornets would come out buzzing in the second half. Jackie Short would convert two breakaways less than two minutes apart giving K all they would need to secure a 3-2 win. With the victory Kalamazoo headed into the final day of the season trailing league leading Calvin and with a win coupled with a Calvin loss had an outside shot at their first MIAA championship in a decade. An afternoon showdown with Alma College would be the Hornet's final regular season league contest. Stephanie Verbeek would score the first goal of the game with a great breakaway goal less than a minute before halftime. Kalamazoo would have several chances to finish off the Scots and not converting would prove costly. Alma would score an unassisted goal in the 79 minute and then win the game in the 2nd overtime with a superb header goal. With the loss Kalamazoo would end the regular season with a league record of 5-2-1 tied for 3rd in the league and enter the conference tournament as the 4th seed.

Kalamazoo would open the league tournament against Hope. After beating them in Holland earlier in the season, the Dutch were primed for a rematch. Katie Manstrom would intercept a ball in the midfield and played Jackie Short forward who would put the ball past the Hope keeper and put K up 1-0 five minutes into the game. The Hornets would weather several late chances by the Dutch to advance to the conference tournament semi final in Grand Rapids against regular season champion Calvin. In a hard fought match Kalamazoo played very strong and organized on defense and neither team was able to capitalize offensively after scoreless regulation and two overtimes the Hornets and Knights had a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the conference final. Kalamazoo would convert 3 of their 5 shots and defeat Calvin 3-1 in the penalty kick shootout. The conference final would pit Kalamazoo against Albion, teams that had battled to a 1-1 draw throughout the year. A tightly contested match neither team would create strong scoring chances in the first half and Albion would hold and edge in the shot department. In the second half the Hornets would play stronger as the match wore on and had several close calls including a point blank save by the Albion keeper and a defender clearing a Kalamazoo shot off the line. After 110 scoreless minutes the game would again move to a penalty kick shootout and Albion would claim the conference tournament title and automatic bid to the national tournament with a 5-4 win in the penalty kick shootout.

The Hornets would conclude the season with an overall record of 8-6-5. It was a very successful year that included wins over several programs the Hornets had not beaten in years as well as an incredible nine overtime games. All of the team's non-conference would come to teams that would end of qualifying for the national tournament and out of the team's 19 games, 9 were played against national tournament qualifiers, making the schedule one of the top ten toughest in the country. Although it did not end the way the team wanted it to, the progress that the team and program made throughout the year was a major step in the right direction to getting Kalamazoo College Soccer competitive at not only a conference level but also a regional and national level.

All-League Awards:
1st Team: Maya Smolcic
2nd Team: Anja Burk
2nd Team: Jackie Short
2nd Team: C.J. McCarthy

Maya Smolcic, Anja Burk, C.J. McCarthy and Jackie Short received All-MIAA honors for the 2009 season. Smolcic, a freshman from Troy (Troy HS), was named to the All-MIAA First Team. In conference play the midfielder recorded two goals and three assists. Burk, McCarthy and Short all earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. Burk, a senior defender from Saline (Saline HS), was one of the Hornets' top defenders throughout the year, playing every minute of the conference tournament in which the Kalamazoo defense posted three consecutive shutouts. She was also named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for week seven of league play. McCarthy, a freshman from Ada (Forest Hills Eastern), was one of the team’s top offensive performers. The forward was Kalamazoo's second-leading scorer posting seven goals and two assists for 16 total points. In league play McCarthy was fifth in total points (9) and fourth in the league in goals (4). She was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week for week 10 of league play. Short, the Hornets' leading scorer and a freshman from Troy (Athens HS), was recognized with second team honors for being the league’s second-leading scorer with five goals and third in total points (10). The 2009 Kalamazoo College women’s soccer team finished in a tie for third place during the MIAA regular season (5-2-1), and fell to Albion in a shootout in the conference tournament final. The Hornets posted a final overall record of 8-6-5 (courtesy Kalamazoo College Sports Information).

Albion 0 Kalamazoo 0 (Albion 5 Kzoo 4)

2009-11-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

After scoreless regulation and overtime the Hornets were stung by Albion in the shootout by a score of 5:4. The shootout loss bring to end a tremendous season by the Kalamazoo Women who finish with an overall record of 8-6-5. The team made extraordinary progress since the beginning of the season and will celebrate the success of the team tomorrow at the program's banquet.

Tournament Final

2009-11-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

What: MIAA Tournament Championship Match

Kalamazoo College (8-6-4) v Albion College (9-4-5)

When: 12:00pm Saturday, November 7th

Where: Clark W. Mackenzie Field Kalamazoo College

GO HORNETS!!!

Semifinal Upsets Create Historical MIAA Final

2009-11-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Up until this year, no team seeded lower than third had advanced to play in the championship game of the MIAA women's soccer tournament. On Saturday, two teams seeded lower than third will battle for the tournament championship and an NCAA Division III Tournament berth, as fourth-seeded Kalamazoo (8-6-4) hosts sixth-seeded Albion (9-4-5) at noon. In Tuesdays's semifinals, the Hornets stunned top-seeded Calvin in a shootout, 3-1, after the two teams played to a scoreless tie through two overtimes. Meanwhile, the Britons eliminated second-seed Adrian, 1-0, in overtime.
The preceding was taken from the conference's website, (always important to cite the appropriate sources, www.miaa.org)

Thursday training consisted of a variety of activities. The warm-up focused on headers and once the team was able to get a stretch they played a 2v2 heading game in which Senior's Katie Manstrom and Anja Burk would be declared champions after three rounds of play. Then 10 minutes rehearsing a number of set pieces. After the set pieces the team moved on to a 4v4+3 ball winning activity. This progressed into 15 minutes of 10v10 with a focus on finding the midfielders feet. Practice would end with five minutes of breakaway fitness and PKs. Less than 48hrs until Saturday's kick-off. Coach Roschek (A K grad) from Albion was on campus for conference business even had a chance to walk the field and proclaimed, "It's in great shape!"

GO HORNETS!!!

Key Components

2009-11-04T20:34:00.001-07:00

Seniors, Katie Manstrom, Anja Burk, and Paige Howell

Lost in the shuffle of the last couple of games, some great results the Hornets have not seen in several years was that 3 very important players were honored a week ago before the final regularly scheduled home game. These three individuals have meant quite a bit to the Kalamazoo College Women's Soccer program over the past three years.

The Kalamazoo College, class of 2010 arrived on campus in the August of 2006 and joined a women’s soccer program that was struggling to find leadership and consistency. In the four years previous to their careers the Kalamazoo College women’s soccer team had not recorded better than a 5th place finish in the MIAA. During their four years here they have helped restored a respect for the women’s soccer program here at K. Their class accomplishments include helping earn the program’s 300th win, two league finishes of third place or better in the past three years and an opportunity to record the program’s best league finish in the past eight years this season. There is no question that after their last practices have passed and final minutes wind down in their careers that the class of 2010 has been a key component to constructing a foundation of leadership and consistency that has allowed the Hornets to be successful this year as well as in the seasons to come. Let’s take a minute now to meet these outstanding individuals.

#8, A Senior Captain from Huntington Woods, MI: Paige Howell
Primarily an outside midfielder Paige has played three years for the Hornets. Her junior season she spent studying abroad and playing soccer in Ecuador. Her career statistics included 6 goals and 8 assists for a total of 20pts. Paige is best known for her tireless work attacking down the wing, serving in dangerous balls, and also making those long recovery runs on defense. She is the type of player that never wants to come off the field and has to be dragged off. Her leadership has also been important to the success of the current team in that she is always looking to make herself and her teammates better. She is player that has a great passion for the game of soccer whether it cheering on her beloved Liverpool or dueling it out at practice. In the spring Howell will graduate with a biology major and concentration in environmental science.

#13, A Senior Captain from Kalamazoo, MI: Katie Manstrom

A local product from Kalamazoo Central High School, Manstrom is a four year starter in the midfield for the orange and black. She has played minutes as both a center mid and outside mid. Katie possesses strong ball control and vision, often serving as a catalyst for initiating the Hornet attack out of the midfield. During her career she has scored 11 goals and been credited with 9 assists for a total of 31 points. As well as Katie’s work on the field she has also made numerous contributions to the program in a number of other ways. Coordinating off season playing opportunities, working soccer camp, helping out in the office, Kaite has been committed to not only making herself better but also providing the best experience for her teammates. Growing up in Kalamazoo she has also helped get local support most likely accounting for the greatest number of fans at home games over the past four years. Manstrom is a senior psychology major.

#23, A Senior from Saline, MI: Anja Burk

Burk has been one of the most consistent defenders to have played for the Hornets in the past decade. A three year starter, Anja spent her junior year studying abroad in France. She has seen time as an outside back and center back. Known for her durability she has only missed one game in her career. Possessing a very quiet personality Anja is fierce competitor who rarely makes it easy for the opponent or her teammates at practice. On the field she is rarely out of position and also possesses one of the best headers on the team. As a defender she has not accumulated any offensive statistics at this time but was recently named MIAA player of the week for her defensive performance against Hope and Olivet. Burk has also taken her relentless work ethic to the classroom and will graduate in the spring with a major in Biology.
The Hornet soccer program is grateful for the contributions of these three superb young women and wishes them continued success this year and also with all their challenges and endeavors after graduation. Thank You and Good Luck, Kalamazoo Class of 2010!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 0 Calvin 0 (Kzoo 3: Calvin 1)

2009-11-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Sophomore Julia Schroeder recorded the game clinching penalty

After playing 110 minutes of scoreless soccer Kalamazoo and Calvin would use a shootout to determine which team would advance to the MIAA championship game. In a trip to Calvin earlier this year Kalamazoo struggled early on giving up two goals in their first 10 minutes of play before getting a goal from Jackie Short and testing the Knights several times in the second half. This chapter of the match-up would begin a little bit differently. The Hornets would be able to find some possession and attack at the beginning of the first half but Calvin would prove to be a very formidable opponent as always, creating several decent scoring opportunities as the half would progress. The teams would enter halftime scoreless. In the second half Calvin would continue to control play but the Hornet backline of Eva Schmidt, Anja Burk, Chelsea Smith, and Rachel Pitzer and keeper Courtney McCoy would hold tough. The best chance for either team would take place with seven minutes to play. A Calvin corner kick played into the box would bounce around before it was corralled by one of the Knights who took a shot. Schmidt, stationed on the near post would clear the ball off of the goal line, the initial clearance was played back into the box and fired once again at Schmidt who would make the save again and clear the ball out of danger. Regulation would end scoreless as would 2 ten minute overtime sessions which meant the game ended in a tie and a winner would be determined via penalty kick shootout. Winning the toss Kalamazoo decided to shoot first. Senior, Paige Howell would finish the first kick, staking the Hornets to a 1-0 lead. Calvin senior center midfielder would knot the shootout at 1 as she finished her opportunity. Freshmen Emily Gray would take the next penalty and it was saved by Calvin keeper Kayla Sulzer. With a chance to take the lead, Carly Prins stepped up to the spot for Calvin but would be denied by Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy. Freshmen Jackie Short then finished her opportunity to put the Hornets up 2-1. Kellie Hondred's attempt would be save by McCoy giving Hornet Hilary Marusak an opportunity to give K a two goal cushion. However, Calvin keeper Kayla Sulzer had other thoughts saving Marusak's shot. Alison Boender would then step up for the Knights but she would but her attempt just high of the goal. Leading 2-1 Kalamazoo's Julia Schroeder would step up to the spot and calmly placed her penalty past Sulzer cliniching Kzoo's advancement to the final. The game will go down as a tie but Kalamazoo has earned the right to play for the conference tournament championship Saturday in Kalamazoo.

With the result, Kalamazoo will host the #6 seed Albion College Britons in the final of the MIAA tournament to determine which team will received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA III women's soccer tournament. Kick-off is slated for 12:00pm on Saturday. It is the first conference final appearance in 10 years for the Hornets which also matches the last time that they qualified for the national tournament. An outstanding team effort, the Hornets really put in the work defensively on Tuesday and will look to continue their post season run for a couple more games.

GO HORNETS!!!

Pattern Destruction

2009-11-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

With daylight savings time in full effect the Hornets would have to maximize their practice time. Darkness settles in around 5:45pm really forcing the team and coaches to be very efficient while on the training ground. Knowing that a positive result tomorrow will depend on a stout defense the team focused on defending this afternoon. The progression began with simple 1v1 defending, moving to a 5v5 setting and ending with 9v7 to goal. Coaching points related to positioning of the first defender and the ideal spots for supporting and balancing teammates. The session would end with 7v7 to goal and some practice PKs. The MIAA conference tournament semifinal between the Hornets and Knights will kick-off tomorrow at 3pm in Grand Rapids. If you cannot make it to the game be sure to follow along on the web with Live Stats or listen to the internet Broadcast.

GO HORNETS!!!

Burk Awarded Academic All-District

2009-11-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Senior Defender Anja Burk

Hornet senior defender Anja Burk was recently chosen to receive ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors for the 2009 season. Burk, a senior defender from Saline (Saline HS), was selected to the Academic All-District IV Second Team. A biology major with a 3.94 GPA, Burk is a key starter on a defense that has a 1.46 goals against average. She was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for week seven this season. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American/All-District program is coordinated and voted upon by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). To be nominated, a player must be a starter or significant reserve with a minimum 3.3 GPA. Athletes awarded Academic All-District First Team will be eligible to be chosen for Academic All-American.

Well Done Anja!!!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 1 Hope 0

2009-10-31T18:51:00.001-07:00

Fr. Jackie Short and Sr. Katie Manstrom celebrate Short's Goal

Halloween, no better day to wear Orange and Black. Kalamazoo and Hope College would face-off for the second time this season. The opening round of the MIAA tournament would see the #4 seed Hornets host the #5 seed Dutch with the winner advancing to play #1 seed Calvin in the MIAA semifinals. In the previous meeting this season Kalamazoo would beat the Dutch on a goal in the last minute of overtime from Freshmen Jackie Short. Short would again record the only goal of the game but wasted little time in registering the tally. In the 5th minute of play senior midfielder Katie Manstrom intercepted a Hope pass in midfield and played a ball behind the Hope backline which Jackie Short was able to control and calmly put behind the Hope goalkeeper. The majority of play would be at midfield with neither team seeing any great goalscoring chances in the remainder of the first half. In the second half both teams would not be able to convert a couple of quality opportunities and the Hornets would prevail 1-0. The loss ends Hope's season with a record of 8-9-1 (4-4-1) and Kalamazoo moves to 8-6-3 (6-2-1). Kalamazoo will play again on Tuesday, November 3rd in the MIAA tournament semifinals at Calvin College. Kick-off is set for 3pm.

GO HORNETS!!!

Soccer or Football?

2009-10-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow's first round MIAA tournament game between Kalamazoo and Hope is scheduled to kick-off at 12pm. With Kalamazoo receiving close to 2 inches of rain the game has been moved to Kalamazoo's football field. The football field drains much better than the soccer field and should be in fine condition by kick-off tomorrow.

Training on Friday had nothing to do with staying dry. In involved moving the goals from the soccer field to the new location. Once the goals were in place there was lots of finishing and adapting to the slick and soggy conditions. If you can't make it out to the match tomorrow be sure to follow along with the Live Stats or Listen to the online radio broadcast.

GO HORNETS!!!

Carved Up

2009-10-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

Carving Pumpkins at Practice? After suffering the tough loss the day before the Hornets looked to rebound at training on Thursday. A beautiful day in Kalamazoo, sunny and 60s the Hornets had a warm-up and short 25 minute 11v11 team scrimmage. After about 45 minutes of soccer the team headed back down to the fieldhouse. Down at Calder the Hornets had pumpkins waiting for them and the next hour was spent drinking cider, eating donuts, and carving pumpkins.

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 1 Alma 2 2OT

2009-10-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hornet Goalscorer, Freshmen Stephanie Verbeek

In the regular season finale the Kalamazoo would face the Alma College Scots at Mackenzie Field in Kalamazoo. With a win Kalamazoo would clinch it's best MIAA finish in eight years (2nd place or better) and with a win Alma would tie Kalamazoo for third and be awarded the third seed in the conference tournament as they would hold the head to head tiebreaker. Early on the Scots would control the play and had several quality opportunities off corner kicks including a ball off the post. Kalamazoo would slowly work itself into the game and freshmen Jackie Short was able to find space between the Alma defense twice have breakaways stopped by Katie Weicksel, the Alma keeper. With just 1:20 left in the first half Hornet freshmen Stephanie Verbeek was able to run onto a pass from defender Megan Burns. Verbeek would out race the last defender touch it to the side of the keeper and calmly place the ball into the back of the net. On the strength of Verbeek's tally (her first college goal) Kalamazoo would enter halftime leading 1-0. The Hornets would have several strong spells of possession in the 2nd half. Jackie Short would again find space behind the Alma defense early in the half only to be denied once again by the Scot keeper. Alma would begin a strong final push in the final twenty minutes of the second half and was able to find the equalizer in the the 78th minute. Alma attacker Alli Meurer was able to strip Kalamazoo defender Anja Burk of the ball and in a foot race to goal took a shot which Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy was able to get a piece of but not enough. The game would remain tied through regulation and the first overtime with neither team creating a quality scoring opportunity. In the 106th minute Alma would end the game. Off of a throw in, Meurer was able to control the ball and crossed it into the path of an on running Elaine Cunningham who was able to head the ball home and award the 2-1 win to Alma. With the win Alma and Kalamazoo tie for third place in the MIAA with the regular season complete. Alma stands at 9-7-2 (5-2-1) and Kalamazoo sends the regular season at 7-6-3 (5-2-1). Alma will be the three seed in the tournament and Kalamazoo is the fourth seed, both teams will host opening round games on Saturday, October 31st.

Tons of Touches

2009-10-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Practice on Tuesday included a session with lots of touches. The warm-up consisted of groups of four passing, dribbling, and then juggling. Once the team was loosened up they moved on to a back heel passing leading into a shot. "The Two Person Whirl" as it is known. Over time the team has gotten progressively better at this exercise but for starters, figuring out how to correctly place your feet often results in a couple players losing balance and everyone having a giggle, including the player that is no longer on their feet. After some quality repetitions the team worked on set pieces for 10 minutes before going to goal. The activities to goal included 1v1s, 2v2s, and 3v3s. Training would conclude with 10v10 in which both teams displayed a very quick speed of play. A strong session heading in tomorrow MIAA regular season finale.

Tomorrow the 3 Hornet Seniors will be honored in a short ceremony prior to kick-off. Paige Howell, Katie Manstrom, and Anja Burk have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort to the program. Hopefully you'll be able to honor them with your attendance at tomorrow's match. If not be sure to keep up on the game by following the Live Stats or listening to the Radio Broadcast. Kick-off is set for 4pm.

GO HORNETS!!!

Seedings At Stake

2009-10-26T20:52:00.001-07:00

After the dust has settled from a weekend of MIAA play it is clear that the Hornets have clinched at least of share of third place and a home playoff match in the MIAA tournament. On Wednesday, they will face a tough Alma College team in a match that carries strong implications with regard to seedings in the conference tournament for both teams. The Hornets also have a shot at the programs best regular season finish in over 8 years.

Congratulations to Freshmen Attacker Emily Gray, a freshman from Clarkston (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep HS), was selected as the MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. Gray came off the bench to provide a spark for the Hornets in their 3-2 come-from-behind win over Saint Mary’s. Along with her strong ball winning in the midfield, Gray scored the tying goal and set up the eventual game-winning tally with a through ball to an attacking teammate behind the Saint Mary’s backline. She is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in her career.

Emily battles two Olivet defenders, earlier this year.

Training for the afternoon included 5v2, followed by three team keep away, 6v6 to goal and a touch of fitness. Focus within the activities included playing balls into feet and improving communication, especially from players distributing the ball. The team has made some huge improvements from Day 1 and the key to continuing to improve will be refining those little things over the next couple of days.

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo Takes Notice

2009-10-25T18:58:00.001-07:00

On Sunday the local newspaper in Kalamazoo (The Kalamazoo Gazette) ran a story on the Hornet Soccer team. The article included a summary of the season up to this point, the importance of upcoming matches, and quotes from some of the players. Kalamazoo is a strong soccer community and hopefully the latest press will let other people know that the Hornets play some pretty darn good soccer. Check out the link below to read the online version of the article. WELL DONE K!!!

Kzoo Gazette Article

Also, Happy Birthday to Hornet Forward, Junior Jackie Jessup.

Jackie is on the left, celebrating her goal against Olivet that she scored on her first touch of the game!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 3 St. Mary's 2

2009-10-24T20:21:00.001-07:00

Freshmen Jackie Short recorded 2 goals against St. Mary's

On a chilly and wet October Saturday the Hornets and St. Mary's College Belles would meet on the turf field at Vicksburg H.S. as the field conditions at MacKenzie field in Kalamazoo could be described as just a little bit wet after over 1.5 inches of rain Thursday and Friday. The game would kick-off with neither team really having a chance to assert itself. Lots of passes that would run out and erratic touches would rule the first 15 minutes as both teams worked to get a feel for the field and their opponent. St. Mary's would open the scoring after a diagonal ball was played from Belle midfielder Katelyn Tondo-Steele found her attacking teammate Ashley Morfin who slotted the ball past Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy for a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. Kalamazoo would still begin to find a little offensive momentum after conceding the first goal of the game. Senior Paige Howell would have an outstanding opportunity as she cut in from the left wing and sent a right footed shot just wide of the goal from about 20 yards out. In the 32nd minute Kalamazoo earned a corner kick served in from the left side the ball passed through the box untouched and came out on the left side. Freshmen midfielder Stephanie Verbeek was able to track the ball down and cross it into the box. The ball would elude the St. Mary's keeper, Adele Bruggeman and Kalamazoo freshmen Emily Gray was able to put the ball into the open net first time evening the score at one a piece in the 33rd minute. It was Gray's first college goal. K would continue to apply pressure and just a couple minutes before half Howell would once again cut in from the left wing and play a ball across the box to a wide open Verbeek who played the ball just wide of an open net. The teams would enter the break tied. Near the ten minute mark of the second half the Hornets began an offensive flurry. In the 54th minute Maya Smolcic received a ball in Kalamazoo's defensive half and made a great 40yd run into open space. Smolcic was able to unbalance the St. Mary's defensive line and played a superb through ball into the run teammate Jackie Short. Short, all alone with the keeper calmly slotted the ball into the goal giving Kalamazoo a 2-1 lead. Just over two minutes later the Hornets would strike again. On a play very similar to the previous goal, freshmen Emily Gray found the ball at her feet and split the Belle defense with a ball to Short who once again beat the keeper in a 1v1 situation and with the goal Kalamazoo had a 3-1 advantage. K would continue to pressure over the next couple of minutes including 2 outstanding shots from Smolcic that just missed, one going high and the other wide. St. Mary's would not go away and taking full advantage of loose balls in the midfield, Belle midfielder Katy Durkin was able to get behind the Hornet backline in the 80th minute and beat McCoy to make the score 3-2. In the final minutes of the game McCoy would have to make a tough save and Bruggeman would do the same for St. Mary's. The final score would be Kalamazoo College 3 St. Mary's 2. McCoy was credited with six saves for the Hornets and with the win Kalamazoo moves to 7-5-3 (5-1-1) while St. Mary's is 4-13-1 (1-6). Kalamazoo returns to field on Wednesday the 28th in a key MIAA match v Alma College. Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm. A big thanks to Mike Roy, the athletic director at Vicksburg H.S. for allowing us to use their fine facility today. It is an outstanding facility and he was a tremendous host. Hopefully one day in the not too distant future the college will be able to boast of a comparable facility.

GO HORNETS!!!

Back To It

2009-10-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Freshmen GK, Courtney McCoy

Freshmen GK, Zari Haggenmiller

Goalkeeper, the last line of defense and the first line of attack. Certainly a position that requires a specialization unlike any other on the field. They have to be good with their hands but also sound with their feet. The keepers at K are also expected to put in a little bit more time than the field players as they meet with the goalkeeper trainer, Coach Erin Carlson, twice a week, a half hour before the rest of the team reports to practice. During this time Courtney and Zari work with Erin on the finer points of the position. From agility and footwork, to stopping shots and handling high balls, the goalkeepers work long and hard to be ready for that split second when they are called into action. There is no question K is lucky to have both of them between the pipes each day at training and ready to control the box when called upon to play in the game.

The focus of training today was on transition. After a quick dribbling warm-up and a game of ball tag the Hornets broke up into two teams. Midfielders would connect three passes near midfield and then look to play a target player near goal. After playing the target player the three midfielders would break out and against one marking defender, a recovering defender, and the GK the attackers would look to score. It took a couple trial runs before the team began to get the hang of it and then the balls began to hit the net. The activity progressed to adding in another target player and another defender. Then 5v5 at midfield and once a team connected three passes they could break out playing the targets again. With lots of repetition of transition the practice would end with a 10v10 almost full field scrimmage. A number of Hornets that have been out with injuries or illness returned to the field and it appears that a full strength team is a very strong possibility for the match on Saturday. Until then the team will be sure to stay dry, stay warm, and most importantly, stay healthy.

GO HORNETS!!!

Autumn Afternoon

2009-10-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Kalamazoo Landmark Passed on Today's Jog

This afternoon the Hornets and coach decided to run away from campus. A hilly four mile jog was the order of the day on a cloudy but delightfully warm fall afternoon. The team jog started south of campus down Oakland Dr. passing through WMU's east campus then past Oakland Dr. favorites, Oakwood Bistro, Treat Street, and the always popular Water Street Coffee Joint. Then it was east down Whites Rd. to Westnedge Ave, past the Kalamazoo Country Club. North on Westnedge and back to campus the runners would scale Westnedge Hill before going past Martinis, The Crow's Nest, and Old Kalamazoo Central High School. The last several blocks went through the South Street Historic District before returning to campus for the evening. All in all it was a change from playing soccer and reminds us why running around and chasing a soccer ball is so much better than just running.

GO HORNETS!!!

Awesome Job Anja!

2009-10-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Senior Anja Burk, MIAA Defensive Player of the Week

Senior, Anja Burk was named MIAA defensive player of the week, recognizing her play in the two league games last week. She, anchored the Kalamazoo defense with her strong 1v1 defending and consistent ball winning in leading the Hornets to MIAA wins over Hope, 1-0, and Olivet, 4-1. Burk’s play along the backline has helped Kalamazoo hold MIAA opponents to just four goals in six league games this season. She is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Job Well Done. Anja, is the third player of the week this season for Kalamazoo, joining Chelsea Smith (Week #3) and Julia Schroeder (Week #5).

Still numbers down at practice the Hornets focused on technical work before playing small sided games to complete the training session. Getting healthy and staying healthy will be key for K as they will not take the field in a contest again until Saturday.

GO HORNETS!!!

Happy Hornet Homecoming

2009-10-18T07:03:00.001-07:00

Kalamazoo 4 Olivet 1

Sophomore Rachel Pitzer (18) and Freshmen Natalie Reszka (24) both recorded goals on the day

The Hornets celebrated Homecoming in Kalamazoo with a strong 4-1 defeat of the Olivet College Comets. In front a numerous alumni, family, and friends Kalamazoo would bring strong energy right from the kick-off. Sophomore Rachel Pitzer was able to get free down the right wing less than 5 minutes into the contest and served a strong cross in which skipped through the box to an on rushing Paige Howell who hit the ball first time with her left foot just wide of the target. C.J. McCarthy would get the next best scoring opportunity for Kalamazoo on another ball crossed in that dropped inside the six. A quick toe poke of the ball was unable to propel it past the Comet keeper. Olivet would then be whistled for a hand ball in the penalty box in the 30th minute of the match. Freshmen Natalie Reszka took the penalty kick and calmly placed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal, staking the Hornets to a 1-0 lead. It was Natalie's first goal of the year as well as the first points of her collegiate career. The team would not wait long to score again. In the 32 minute, freshmen attacker Emily Gray found a loose ball just below the center circle in Olivet's defense half. She played the ball down the right wing to a streaking C.J. McCarthy. Olivet's goaltender was in a race against McCarthy to get to the ball which would end up just outside of the penalty box. C.J. was able to cut the ball back, beating the keeper who had left the box and then bent a tremendous shot into the gaping goal to put Kalamazoo up 2-0. It was McCarthy's seventh goal of the season and Gray's first college point on the assist. The first two Kalamazoo goals were scored less than two minutes apart. Kalamazoo would strike again before halftime. McCarthy played a loose ball that was bouncing on the right side of the box across the goal. Out of the air, junior Jackie Jessup who had just subbed on touched the ball first time into the right side of the Olivet net. It's was Jessup's first touch of the game and first goal of the year. At halftime, Kalamazoo would lead 3-0. The second half would prove to be a little more choppy and neither team was able to find a true rhythm of play. Olivet would take advantage of a loose ball in the 61st minute as Comet Ashley Buyce was able to shoot a ball past Kalamazoo goalkeeper Courtney McCoy, off the far post and in. Despite struggling offensively, the Hornets would still threaten a couple more times. The first being in the 82nd minute off a Kalamazoo corner kick. Senior defender Anja Burk, had moved up the field on the set pieced, gained possession of a loose ball off the corner and from the top of the box she took a shot that went pretty high in the air. As it began dropping it appeared that it was going to fall in behind Leanne Scudder, the Olivet keeper. However, a last second tip by Scudder kept the ball out but Kalamazoo was awarded another corner. This time the ball would drop into the 6yd box and after bouncing around several times. Sophomore Rachel Pitzer was able to direct the ball into the back of net. This goal would come in the 81st minute of the contest and conclude the scoring for the day. Scudder would record 2 saves for Olivet while McCoy and Haggnemiller combined for 5 total saves. With the win Kalamazoo moves to 6-5-3 and 4-1-1 in the MIAA and Olivet falls to 4-9-1 and 0-4-0 in the conference. Kalamazoo is in sole possession of second place with 13 points behind league leading Calvin who has 15. The Hornets have a bye this week before returning to the field when they host St. Mary's College next Saturday at 12pm. Missing several key players due to an illness the Homecoming victory was a true team effort with a number of players stepping up for the Hornets. Individuals who have not played a tremendous amount of minutes were able to show fans what the coaches see everyday at practice. To those unable to suit up we wish them a quick recovery and a week without a game should serve them well. Also, a big thanks to all the fans an alums that were able to make it out to the game and participated in the post game picnic. It was truly a GREAT day to be a HORNET!

GO HORNETS!!!

Tennis Anyone???

2009-10-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

A day after their third MIAA win of the season a limited number of Hornets made it out to good old Mackenzie for practice. The training schedule for the day included a warm-up focusing on technical skill, followed by a soccer tennis tournament. A popular practice activity whenever the Hornets get a chance to play, today's matches were of the singles variety. Traditionally the team plays doubles. In the championship match, senior Paige Howell (pictured below) edged junior Hilary Marusak. After tennis the day would end with several games of 3v3+1. Friday, everyone will be back out at training as the Hornets will turn their focus to Saturday's home match.

Soccer Tennis Champ, For The Day

GO HORNETS!!!

KALAMAZOO 1 HOPE 0 2OT

2009-10-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

With less than 90 seconds to play against Hope College on Wednesday afternoon it appeared that the teams would settle for a 0-0 draw. Well, Hornets Hilary Marusak and Jackie Short had different thoughts. From a Hope goal kick Hilary won the ball which Jackie was able to control. With the ball at her feet Jackie was able to create a little bit of room for herself and from about 23yds out hit ball that would end up behind the Hope keeper and the result was that Kalamazoo College 1 Hope College 0. A feat that the Hornets had not accomplished in 8 years!!! On a chilly October afternoon in Holland both teams battled it out in a fierce match. Both teams would create opportunities in the first half but nothing outstanding. In the second half K would begin to generate a couple great opportunities and would out shoot the Dutch 10-1 in that stanza. The best chance of the half was generated when freshmen C.J. McCarthy near the endline on the right side of the penalty area played a ball back to the top of the box to an on running Maya Smolcic. Maya hit the ball first time and had the Hope keeper beat only to have it cleared off the line by a Flying Dutch defender. Regulation would end 0-0. In the first overtime Kalamazoo had the best opportunities to score off three consecutive corner kicks. The last of which sophomore defender Rachel Pitzer just missed. In the second overtime Kalamazoo would really dictate the pace of the play and Hope struggled to get out of their own half. K would create several opportunities which were either wide of the goal frame or blocked by the defenders. With about two minutes to play Jackie Short was working to get past a Hope defender inside the left side of the box and played a shot which the keeper was able to make a save on. However, the Hornets never quit and a little bit over a minute later the ball was in the net and Kalamazoo was victorious. With the win Kalamazoo moves to third in the MIAA with a conference record of 3-1-1 and an overall record of 5-5-3. Hope falls to 2-2-1 in the conference and 5-7-1 overall. It's also important to recognize the corp of Hornet defenders who really limited Hope's offensive opportunitites. Senior Anja Burk, Junior Chelsea Smith, Junior Eva Schmidt, Sophomore Rachel Pitzer, Sophomore Maggie Rogers, Freshmen Megan Burns, and Freshmen Courtney McCoy all helped Kalamazoo record their third shutout in conference play. Kalamazoo returns to the field on Saturday as they play Olivet College in a Homecoming game scheduled for kick-off at 12pm here in Kalamazoo.

GO HORNETS!!!

Autumn in Kzoo

2009-10-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Quad on a Fine Fall Day

The quad, the center of campus. As much fun as it is to keep you updated on all things soccer it's easy to forget about some of the other great things about K-College. The beautiful campus for example. We'll definitely keep posting some pictures as the seasons change.

This afternoon Coach Wells took the reins and led the Hornets through a training session that involved attacking movements and as always he pushed the players to think a little bit. Since K-College students always are ready to over think and over analyze things he sometimes gets more than he bargains for. Working with intelligent players a benefit of coaching at K. Tomorrow the Hornets will turn their focus towards another league match with the goal of trying to gain 3 more points in the standings. Kick-off is slated for 4pm tomorrow afternoon at Hope College. Any and all support would be most appreciated. At this moment we don't know if live stats will be available. If they are we'll be sure to post a link here. Time to study up, homework that is!

GO HORNETS!!!

with a Diving Catch

2009-10-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

The focus of practice today was playing balls over distance. It involved lots of ball striking reps and hopefully it will translate into match play. The warm-up for today's training involved an activity with three players and one ball. Players on the outside would throw the ball in to their teammate who would return it first time. The player on the outside would then play it over distance to their teammate who was approximately 35-40yds away. Once the girls had a chance to get warmed up it was turned into a contest where the player receiving the long ball had to catch it with their hands in order for the team to earn a point. Yes, they were allowed to use their hands. Some outstanding diving efforts to score and a couple silly drops makes the team VERY grateful that Zari and Courtney take care of the goalkeeping and ball handling duties on a regular basis. After the warm-up another long ball competition was played that pitted freshmen against upperclassmen. Two round were contested and resulted in each team with a victory. Next up was a game involving services and clearances. The freshmen would earn the win here as well as in the final scrimmage, in which they prevailed 1-0. They were give a scare late when junior forward Jackie Jessup railed a shot off the post with just under a minute to play. A productive and competitive day of training would end with a touch of fitness.

GO HORNETS!!!

Hornets Fall 2-1

2009-10-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hornet Goalscorer, Freshmen Jackie Short

On an outstanding fall afternoon the three time conference champion gave the Hornets a little bit of a lesson on how to start a game. Calvin College would dictate play early and was rewarded with their effort when Elaine Schnabel put a ball from Carly Prins behind the Kzoo keeper Courtney McCoy in only the 6th minute of the game. Three minutes later the Knights would strike again as Francesca Smith pounced on a loose ball at the top of the box and drove another goal in far post. Despite trailing by two mark the Hornets would continue to fight and in the 26th minutes Jackie Short ran onto a through ball from midfielder Maya Smolcic and placed a beautiful shot over the Calvin keeper to make the score 2-1. The goal was the first that Calvin had conceded in league play this season. The remainder of the first half would see both teams have opportunities but neither could convert. After the break Calvin's best chances would come out of spells of possession while K's best looks at goal would be on the counterattack. At the conclusion of 90 minutes of play, the score would stand Calvin College 2 Kalamazoo College 1. The Hornets will take advantage of a day off tomorrow and return to the practice field on Monday with plenty of work to be done. They will look to gain some more points as the race to clinch a spot in the MIAA tournament continues at Hope College on Wednesday, October 14th.

Wet and Rainy

2009-10-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

The cleats are stuffed with newsprint and the gear is air drying. For the second day in a row Mother Nature decided to take a very active role in practice. At practice the team has trained team defending and the execution of set pieces. Despite the elements the team maintained positive energy, strong focus, and look forward to another opportunity tomorrow to add to their conference point total. Going into the match tomorrow the Hornets have 7 points, it is as many points as the team had at the conclusion of last year's conference play. While this is a nice accomplishment there is still quite a bit of work to get done. Kick-off is scheduled for 12pm tomorrow at Calvin College and it looks like it will be a fine autumn afternoon for a soccer match. If you can't make it to the match be sure to follow along the live stats on the web or listen to the audio broadcast. Live Stats and Audio Broadcast.

GO HORNETS!!!

GO HORNETS!!! GO Karts?

2009-10-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

A Couple Hornets Buzz By

Wednesday afternoon the Hornets took a slight break from training and their studies as they met off campus. Airway Lanes in Portage was their destination and the afternoon included Go Karts, Mini Golf, Laser Tag, Laser Maze, Bumper Cars and Pizza. No question, the Tasmanian Devil Go Kart was the fastest car at the track. After a day of rest and recovery the girls will be back to business tomorrow afternoon.

While pictures from yesterday's match are not posted the blog does have a couple pictures every Mom will appreciate. Thanks to all those supporters who braved the elements and made it out to Kalamazoo to support the Hornets yesterday afternoon.

Well Done Chelsea!

Great Job Maya!

Be sure to try and make our next home match, October 17th at 12pm against Olivet College (Homecoming) to see if these jerseys are still white.

GO HORNETS!!!

Draw

2009-10-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

1-1

C.J. McCarthy, Wednesday's Goalscorer

In less than ideal conditions the Hornets faced off against the Britons of Albion College on Tuesday afternoon. With constant rain over the weekend and throughout the afternoon it was a game of ball winning and slip sliding that saw both teams have strong runs of play. After a 0-0 first half Kalamazoo would get an excellent opportunity to score 5 minutes into the second session. On a counterattack Katie Manstrom found some room at the top of the box and took a nice right footed shot. On a ball that looked destined for the back of the net Albion keeper Caitlin Bowman was able to get a hand to it and deflect it off the cross bar. Shortly thereafter Albion would strike first as the put a ball into the box from the left wing, Albion's Rachel Kain was somehow able to win the ball out from underneath the legs of junior defender Eva Schmidt 11 minutes into the second half. Neither team really was able to gain control of the ball or the game. Kalamazoo began pressing a little bit more and more as the minutes ticked down playing with a sense of urgency. In the 85th minute, freshmen C.J. McCarthy took a pass from Maya Smolcic created space between herself and the defender on the left side of the box and put a ball over the Briton keeper and into the back of the net. A frantic five minutes was played by both teams before the game moved into overtime. In the first overtime Kalamazoo's Julia Schroeder hit the left post with a shot out of a scrum off of a corner kick. Carrying play for the majority of the first overtime Kalamazoo had four shots on goal including a near miss by Jackie Short. The second overtime would even out and after 110 minutes the field was a bit of a mess and both teams would leave with a point. Both Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy and Albion keeper Caitlin Bowman recorded 7 saves on the afternoon. Albion now stands at 5-2-4 and 1-1-1 in the MIAA while Kalamazoo is 4-4-3 overall and currently in second place in the MIAA with a record of 2-0-1. The Hornets return to the field on Saturday when they travel to Calvin College. For now it looks like the players will need a recovery day, the field will need some TLC and uniforms may never be white again.

GO HORNETS!

Happy B-Day Hilary

2009-10-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

1) Happy 20th B-Day to junior Hilary Marusak

2) Congratulations to Julia Schroeder for being named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week. http://www.miaa.org/wso/

3) A video interview w/Coach Goyings is posted on the web. See what Coach has to say about the team and their goals for the MIAA season. Believe it or not it's not Coach's first YouTube clip.

4) Tomorrow the Hornets are set to battle the Britons of Albion College. Kalamazoo enters the contest with a record of 4-4-2 (2-0) and Albion comes in with a mark of 5-2-3 (1-1), having opened conference play against the 1st and 2nd place teams from one year ago. Scheduled for a 4pm Kick-off, the two evenly matched squads should provide some great entertainment as neither team plans to allow their opponent anything easy. If you can't make it to Kalamazoo be sure to follow the LiveStats on the web.

GO HORNETS!!!

Soccer...Hot Dogs...Ice Cream!!!

2009-10-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

"Just Like That, Now Don't Move!"

Earlier this season the Hornet soccer players got together after practice and put on a soccer clinic for the children of faculty and staff here at the college as well as a group of kids from Kalamazoo east side neighborhood. These kids are frequent visitors to the Peace House.

The Peace House is the vision of four alumni. Jen DeWaele, Mike DeWaele, Jerry Mechtenberg-Berrigan, and Molly Mechtenberg-Berrigan. The good friends are all members of the class of 1997 and have been working at creating to create a two-house learning- and-play-centric community that is very grassroots. As well as renovating the two houses that sit side by side the property also includes gardens, a incredible playground, and green space. In the areas where these additions sit was most recently an abandoned lot and too say that it was overgrown was just a little bit of an understatement. A year ago the women's soccer team helped clear brush (the day of the chainsaw) and applied close to 15 gallons of primer to interior walls of one of the houses. If you ever get a chance to stop by the Peace House, it's a trip you won't regret. The address of the Peace House is 313 and 321 Phelps Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048.

The players were responsible for the soccer activities and the coaching staff and training staff (Thanks Again Trainer Megan!) were responsible for preparing the picnic. The decimation of 80 hot dogs and 2 gallons of ice cream was one impressive feat! Special thanks go out to Rob Passage for helping transport the kids and Laura Furge for helping fill lemonade cups and serving as the clinic photographer. Included below are a couple pictures from the day.

Pre-Game Pep Talk

"Don't All Gang Up On Me"

"You're It"

"Why is the ball almost as big as my leg?"

TeamWork!

2009-10-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

A number of players stepped up in a total team effort on Saturday for as the Hornets gained a 1-0 victory at Adrian College on a cool and blustery afternoon. The game opened with neither team really finding a rhythm and adapting to the conditions. In the 18th minute of play two Hornet defenders both challenged for a an air ball and incidentally ran into one another. What resulted was two K players having to leave the field as both sustained nasty cuts to the head. Right back Megan Burns and centerback Anja Burk (two pretty tough players) both left the field for medical attention. Already playing without junior Chelsea Smith (scheduled to return Tuesday) the two players leaving the field were replaced on the backline by sophomore midfielders Rachel Pitzer and Maggie Rogers. The rest of the Hornets stepped up their game and 4 minutes later, sophomore Julia Schroeder (pictured above) found some room down the left wing and left a rocket fly from 25 yds out. Hornets 1 Bulldogs 0. It was the first goal Adrian has conceded in their past five contests. In the second half the Bulldogs continued to pressure the Kalamazoo defense but the Hornets proved to be up to the challenge including several "almost" goals on the counterattack from Kalamazoo attackers Emily Gray and Maya Smolcic. A total team effort on the day would result in the Hornets posting their second MIAA win in as many tries and moving their overall record to 4-4-2. It is the first time in 8 years that the Hornets have opened the MIAA season with consecutive wins.

Health Update: So, due to popular demand. It's important to know that senior Anja Burk is doing well after her on field collision with Megan Burns. If you were at the game, you know Megan made a second half return after being cleared by the training staff on site. Anja was not as lucky. A three hour trip to the ER and 12 stitches later she was on her way back to Kalamazoo. A shot of her trophy gash is below. Yes, if you can tell, she is trying not to smile in the picture, but just could not hold back. Certainly, "Anja Tough" will be a phrase all future Hornets will need to become familiar with. Hurry Back!!!

Looking Tough and Trying Not To Smile

GO HORNETS!!!

Alligator...Elephant...Monkey

2009-10-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Coach Wells was in charge of running practice this afternoon. The field proved to be a little slick after rain this morning but the order of the day was finishing and lots of it. Numerous activities going towards goal. Including 3vNone and progressing to 3v3 which was followed by 9v9 going towards goal. However, the goals in this 9v9 activity were set up inside the center circle and back to back. This game was played twice with it being a race to 15. Then the team played a three goal game with rotating keepers. This meant the keepers had a chance to get out of goal and play in the field while some of the field players had the chance to show off what they have in goal. Several unorthodox but nevertheless outstanding saves from the some of the field players throughout the activity. A full practice with lots and lots of attacking repetitions it ended with a riveting game of Alligator...Elephant...Monkey. A cool down game, we can leave it at that. The Hornets will board the bus tomorrow bright and early (7:45am) as they head off to Adrian College in seek of a their second MIAA win. These two teams battled to a 0-0 tie last year in a game that was both physical and hard fought by both teams. Currently, both Kalamazoo and Adrian will carry a 1-0 conference record into the match and 3 valuable points will be at stake beginning at 12:00pm tomorrow. It would be great to see you at the game but in case you can't make it be sure to check out the link to live stats found here: Live Stats

GO HORNETS!!!

Back to the Blog

2009-10-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

So after a month's absence we're going to try and give it another shot. The bad news, we haven't updated you in a month. The good news, we're going to try and do our best to keep you updated each day for the next month. Currently, the Hornets stand at 3-4-2, 1-0 in the MIAA, it is the first time that the Hornets have opened the league with a win in 8 years. The Hornets are looking to move for another conference win as they head on the road to Adrian College this Saturday. The team has shown consistent improvement over the course of the first month and is yet to play their best soccer. The quest for consistency continues each day at practice as well as with each match.

The month of October arrived today and the morning was chilly but the sun was out this afternoon and it was a great day for practice. One of those days where breaking a sweat helps to keep you warm. The focus of training included receiving as well as ball winning. Practice concluded with everyone's favorite, about 15 minutes of fitness. Tomorrow will include final preparations before a match against the Bulldogs on Saturday.

GO HORNETS!!!

Ball Boy

2009-08-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week a future Hornet ball boy, Owen Passage made an appearance at practice. He found something that he really liked (a bag of soccer balls) and apparently was none to happy when he had to leave. Don't worry Owen, it's a pretty good bet that you will probably make it out to the soccer field a couple more times this Fall. For those that don't know, Owen is the son of of Rob and Laura Passage. Laura coached the Hornets from 2005-07 before handing over the reigns to Coach Goyings. Rob is the Men's Basketball Coach here at the college as well. That is just one of his many titles in the the athletic department as he also does an outstanding job helping Coach Goyings keep a healthy perspective on all things coaching while also helping to manage the athletic facilities here on campus and at times serving as a chauffeur for the soccer team.

Friday, yes, more rain washed out the morning session and the scrimmage planned for the day was also canceled as the Kalamazoo Soccer Complex was closed for purposes of field preservation. So this morning everyone had the opportunity to get a little bit more sleep. The juggling delinquents were asked to head over to the gym to put in some time trying to reach their goal. Without a place to scrimmage this afternoon the team headed across town to a local indoor soccer facility. In the tighter space of the indoor field the team worked on a number of different types of combination, including the, don't trip over yourself back heel. The session ended with a 4v4 transition game and a touch of fitness. Rain may have dampened the ground but spirits remain high. The first official contest is quickly approaching. Just one week away!

Rain Rain Go Away!

2009-08-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Braving the elements on seems to be the theme of this preseason. Thursday morning the team got a thorough rinsing, several times. The training session was about transition as much as it was splashing through puddles. Despite the challenges provided by the soggy surface the Hornets put in a lot of work finding targets and moving from end to end. The morning ended with a little bit of fitness and then lots of drying out. Thursday afternoon was still overcast but the team only had to deal with a couple of sprinkles. Attackers worked with Coach Goyings on perfecting their finishing in and around the box. Meanwhile Coach Carlson did some small technical work with the GK's and Coach Wells and the defense worked on shape. The last part of practice consisted of a 9v9 scrimmage to goal, with several quality finishes from the forwards and midfielders. There is still plenty of work to be done but it appears that the Hornets are beginning to make some progress.

A Wet One For Sure

2009-08-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

This morning the Hornets braved the elements to work on playing balls over distance. Lots and lots of reps. A strong barrage of showers throughout the morning session did a good job soaking the field and players. It was quite an introduction to the squad's new players from outside the Midwest about how the weather works in Michigan.

The 2009 Kalamazoo College Women's Soccer team was announced this afternoon. Check out the roster. 2009 Hornet Roster (It should be posted shortly). The 2009 version of the Hornets consist of 23 total players. 20 who originate from Michigan with 3 coming to Kalamazoo from out of state. Broken down by class there are 3 seniors, 4 juniors, 4 sophomores, and 12 first year students. A good mix of experience and youth should make for a very exciting 2009. Be sure to buckle up and hold on tight. Don't ask us about positions yet, that is still a work in progress.

After the team had a chance to dry out it was back to the water, however this time it was by decision. The team's Goalkeeping Coach, Erin Carlson, had the privilege to led the team through it's first official practice as a unit, at the pool. Erin works as an aquatics instructor at the Borgess Health Center here in Kalamazoo and is also certified as a life guard. Under her direction the Hornets worked in the water for about 75 minutes performing various excercises to maintain their cardio base without pounding the legs too much. The rest of the coaching staff will be sure to make up for that over the next couple of days. Thanks Coach Carlson!

Ice Ice Baby!

2009-08-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

A two-a-day tradition. 3 Hornets in an ice bath and 3 more waiting to jump in. A great way to halt the lactic acid in it's place before it slows the players down too much. Tuesday's morning session focused on 1v1 defending and some fitness followed by a team defending session where the team broke up into two groups and came together to play 9v9 at the end. A lot of coaching took place from the coaches as well as the players. Overall the team is beginning to take shape but there is still an enormous amount of work to get done. The ice bath, (is that an ice bath or a kiddie pool?) should get a plenty of use over the next couple of days.

The Sun Sets on Day 2

2009-08-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

As the Sun sets on Day 2, a short summary

8:00-10:30am Fitness Test, Followed by Technical Work and Small Sided Games

3:00-5:00pm Full-Sided Scrimmage followed by core work

The day began with the ever popular beep test and was followed up with a little bit of technical work before playing some small sided games. This afternoon the team broke up into two teams for an inter squad scrimmage. Most players played in a number of different spots as the coaches continued to evaluate and identify players for various positions on the field. A large number of strong scores with regard to the fitness tests from both the returning and incoming players reflects some hard work put in by the team throughout the summer. After spending most the day evaluating the coaching staff is now hard at work planning practices for tomorrow and the rest of the week. It will be their turn to show the team if they made themselves better over the summer.

WELCOME TO K!

2009-08-23T10:33:00.001-07:00

As of 12:30 this afternoon all of the returning players and incoming freshmen have reported to 1200 Academy St. GO HORNETS!!!