Kenyon 2 Kalamazoo 1

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

Defensive Shape.

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

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

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

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!!!