Souhegan Soccer

Dreams do come true...

2011-11-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

STATE CHAMPIONS!!!
No matter how many times I hear it, how many times I read it, or how many times I say it....it just doesnt seem real....but IT IS!!! The girls won it all!

Lisa and I have had many conversations about the Souhegan girls soccer program. Some say that we are obsessed and some say crazy with the way that we coach the team. We tell the girls that when they become part of the team, that it is really more than that....they have become part of a culture.

We certainly spend alot of time working on the XXXX's and OOOO's of the game in all aspects. The technical, tactical, and physical parts of training are pretty straight forward. We encourage ( or demand ) the girls to continually work hard in practice to hone their individual skills, and team skills. Like anything, there are good days and bad days, but we work through it and hope to see the results on game day. The real difference with our group is that we try to make it a family. We spend lots of time working on the psychological part of training. Over the years coaching high school girls, and club teams, the key to success seems to be anchored in team chemistry. Every player needs to understand that they are part of something bigger than themselves and that everything they do has an impact on the group. I suppose this is more of a life lesson that it is soccer only, but in the high school environment, isnt that what it is about?

The hard part with this approach is that sometimes the consistant hard work does not show an immediate result. In 2010, we had a great team, filled with skilled players. Each girl sacrificed for the team, each girl worked hard for 10 weeks, yet we lost a tough 2 OT match in the semi-final round of the playoffs. The 2011 squad came into the season on a mission. Our team mantra has been "ROBBED...GET IT BACK" and "NEXT".

The "ROBBED" refers to the feeling that we put in all the work last year, but were robbed of the reward at the end, so we wanted to "GET IT BACK" in the semi-finals. The "NEXT" refers to we always wanted to make it to the NEXT game, especially the NEXT game after we GOT IT BACK in the semi-finals.

This year's team spent all year focused on their goal. We made it very clear that hard work was the only acceptable behavior. We would never give up, and fight to the end. As we entered the playoff season, this attitude became very clear.

Quarterfinals vs. John Stark....This game was an extremely hard fought match. It was cold and started to snow with about 15 minutes to go. The play was back and forth all game, and it seemed destined to go to overtime. Despite the weather conditions, and growing frustration, the girls kept fighting. The effort paid off when with about 2 minutes left in regulation, Caroline Stone received a well played pass, went hard at the goal and threaded a well placed shot past the John Stark keeper for the victory.

Semi-finals vs Bedford....After a postponement due to a snowstorm, we met a tough Bedford team at Southern NH University. The pregame speech was about tactics and heart. We took the field and battled to a 0-0 halftime score. The halftime speech was a bit direct as I felt that we were letting ourselves down on the pitch. We were not doing the things that we had decided necessary to win. Bedford scored early in the second half and carried a 1-0 lead for the next 39 minutes. We kept consistant pressure on the Bedford net but were unable to penetrate their defense. With 13 seconds to go on the official clock, Peyton Kent collected a call and without delay knocked it into the goal. We were literally within 13 seconds of our season ending when Peyton's goal gave us a new life. A little under 2 minutes into the first OT, we were awarded a direct kick. Shelby Belak stepped up with confidence to take the kick and knocked a ball over the defense and onto the foot of Cara Griffith who rolled it into the net for the score. The team played for officially 81:37....79:47 of those minutes we could not score, and then scored twice within 110 seconds to secure the win!

Championship Match...a nice sunny day...perfect soccer weather. Turn back the clock to the early days of Souhegan Soccer....Souhegan vs Hanover in the State Championship match. We lost to Hanover in OT earlier in the year for our only home loss. Our pregame speeches today did not talk about tactics or technical needs...we talked about desire, determination, and again the heart it would take to be a champion.
We took the lead near the end of the first half when Peyton Kent's pass found Maddy Learned. Maddy took a quick touch and rifled it past the Hanover keeper. Mikaela Sullivan came up huge in net when she made an unbelievable diving save to prevent what looked like a sure Hanover score. 1-0 at halftime....definitely not something to take comfort in as Hanover would certainly come out on fire. As predicted Hanover came out strong and equalized about 10 minutes into the second half. The remainder of regulation time was a back and forth battle with us seeing a couple chances but not able to score. The first OT period was intense with Hanover putting some serious pressure on our backs. Shelby Belak was stellar in not only directing our entire defensive unit but in actually tracking down and closing off some scary Hanover attempts at our goal. As we attacked the Hanover net, our tenacity seemed to be gaining steam. We were awarded a direct kick when we were tripped just outside the Hanover penalty area. Peyton Kent stepped up and calmly prepped the ball. One last look at goal and she kicked....as she puts it "just like we had done many times in practice". The ball sailed perfectly just above the outstretched hands of the Hanover keeper, and just below the crossbar....GOALLLLLLLL....WE WON!!!!! STATE CHAMPIONS!!!

Wow...what a feeling. 3 months of hard work for this season, years of hard work for individual players...and now a dream is realized. The most impressive part is every girl believed in the dream and worked hard to make it come true.....does it get any better than that.....I dont think so..

Thanks to a very special group of girls:

Senior Captains...Shelby Belak, Ashley Ireland, Erin Macdonald, Caroline Stone

Juniors: Agi Chretien, Sara Christensen, Morgan Ireland, Olivia Lepage, Audrey Wesson

Sophomores: Taylor Behn, Xan Clark, Shannon Disco, Jocelyn Donohue, Korina Hahn, Peyton Kent,
Maddy Learned,Caroline Schagrin, Mikaela Sullivan,

Freshman who joined us for the playoffs: Meghan Camello, Cara Griffith, Sara Lafluer

Congratulations to the girls!!!! YOU DID IT!!!

Dwayne

And we're off.....

2011-09-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

The 2011 SHS Girls Soccer preseason started in full swing on August 15th and despite a first couple days of rain and cold weather, all the girls worked hard to get back into the swing of high school soccer. The coaches were excited to see the number of girls that had obviously worked hard in the off season as well as the large number of incoming freshman interested in joining the program.

The teams were chosen on Wednesday of week #1 and then the real work began. The varsity squad led by senior captain Shelby Belak prepared for a weekend jamboree in Portsmouth, and the Junior Varsity squad worked to prepare for a scrimmage against Hollis Brookline.

The Portsmouth jamboree was a successful opportunity for the coaches to try different looks in both formation and player position. The team played strong squads from Div 1 Winnacunnet, Div 3 Bow, and also a Brunswick Maine squad. With good results in our first 3 games, the team won the division and played in the "Final" match of the day against a powerful Div 1 Hollis Brookline team. The day proved to be fun for all, and gave everyone a good glimpse of the season to come. In usual fashion, the parents provided the ultimate tailgate type food spread for everyone between games....THANKS!!

On Tuesday 8/23, the JV squad matched up against the Hollis JV squad. As with the varsity jamboree, this game provided a tremendous opportunity for Coach Amy Sparks to try different things in preparation for the season.

The first 2 weeks of double training sessions certainly had some moments where probably everyone was exhausted, but it seems that the effort was well worth it. We look forward to a very successful season full of excitement and fun.

We hope that you join us as we get going!

Dwayne

A memorable season....

2010-11-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

The varsity season came to an earlier end than we had hoped, when we lost our 2OT semi-final match to Lebanon on a contraversial call, but that is the game. Our team battled a strong opponent for 120 minutes ( really 119 minutes and 54 seconds ) but were not able to clinch the victory. This was our best season since 2004 and the last match was certainly a battle in which the entire team gave 100%.

As Dana Bourassa related to me when referring to Holly's play in the last game..."As her story is told and retold in Souhegan soccer lore she will be much shorter, jump much higher, be twice as tough, and have at least 60 saves in the semis before the controversial call ended her career."

I think that Dana is right on track, and the same message will apply to this entire team....over the years, our girls will get smaller, and the Lebanon girls will get bigger. I am confident that the thing that will not change is the amount of heart and dedication to each other that we displayed during our final match. It is certainly one of those special moments when a team leaves everything on the field, and everyone should be proud. I know that I will always look back on this group and the pride that I feel will bring tears to my eyes.

As I look back on the season, I find myself sifting through numerous memorable moments. From the day at the beach to quarterfinal domination of St. Thomas. I am certain that any involved with the team this year will take away memories that will last a lifetime.

For some of our girls, this will be the last time that they will wear a Souhegan Soccer uniform as they end their career with us. For others, this was the beginning of what should be a very exciting career on the SHS pitch. For all, the bond that they made, will last a lifetime, and the 2010 season will be full of stories.

As I told my JV team after my first year at Souhegan..."the wins and losses will fade away, but the friendships and memories will last forever".

Thank you to all the players, parents, and friends of the girls soccer program! We could not have done this without you, and certainly appreciate the efforts of everyone in making our season the huge success that it was. Now we close the book on the 2010 season, and as Lisa tells me..."it is day 3 of 2011 preseason"

It has been a memorable season....THANK YOU!

Are we back??

2010-11-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

I have been asked this question multiple times throughout the season, but especially over the last week, as the team has begun our playoff run.
It is no secret that the early days of Souhegan Girls Soccer was one of those success stories that could be made into a movie....brand new school, record setting run of state championships, and 13 straight state final match appearances.
The teams in those days had some great players, led by good coaches, but NH girls soccer was a bit different. With the rise of multiple other spring sport opportunities, and the the growth of strong club soccer in different areas of the state, the soccer environment has changed.
Souhegan has always had some very talented athletes, and that is evident in the number of state championships in all girls sports...not just soccer. At the same time, on the soccer pitch, we have found ourselves with less "full-time" soccer players, while some of our competition had many "soccer only" athletes.
We have always been able to remain competitive, but were lacking that special something to carry us on to the state finals.
So what has been different this year??? I guess I am not really sure...there are many exciting differences.

Our team this year has more girls that play soccer year around than in past years....

The captains have done a fantastic job on and off the field of motivating the girls, and getting them to work together as a group....

The younger girls on the team, have brought a renwed energy level that has been infectious to the entire group....including the coaching staff.

So...is Souhegan Soccer back on the road of success? I'm not sure that we were ever off the road...just in the slow lane, and yes, this year we have definitely moved back into the fast lane....hopefully to stay!

JV Wins Hanover Tournament

2010-10-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

The JV Team ended their strong 11 – 4 season by capturing the championship at the Hanover JV Tournament on October 23^rd. By defeating Pembroke in their final game on a goal by Olivia LePage, the team was set to face Hanover in the championship. The teams had met already during the regular season and Souhegan suffered a heart breaking loss on a penalty kick with 3 minutes to go so the Sabers were ready for redemption. Both teams played hard attacking soccer but were unable to score after regulation and overtime. Souhegan was victorious due to 4 great penalty shoot out saves by Mikaela Sullivan and penalty shoot out goals by Samatha Lott and Jocelyn Donahue. A fantastic way to end the season!!!

Halfway....cautiously optimistic...

2010-09-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

The regular season is officially half over...it seems like yesterday that we were on the back fields full of anxiety while discussing the new season.

I must admit that finishing the first half with an 8-0 record was certainly a dream back in August, but let's say that I was very cautiously optimistic that we would see that result. The team has done some great things starting the season in the right direction with a convincing win over last year #1 seed Bedford, and not looking back since then.

The most encouraging part to our season so far is that the girls have figured out how to win. On any given day we have dealt with injuries to key players, yet others have stepped up to fill the void. The team has worked together well to move in the right direction, and although not always pretty, the determination and hard work has not waivered.

As we move into the second half of the season, our goal will be to become more consistant with our successes, while working hard on our weaknesses. The coaching staff always stresses the importance of hard work in practice, and in some ways the regular season is really practice for the playoffs. We are impressed with the efforts of the team so far, but practice is only half over....we still have a long way to go to reach our goal of putting Souhegan back at the top.

Let's just say that I am very excited but still cautiously optimistic about the second half of our season....

JV Records 4th Straight Win

2010-09-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

By beating Conval today 4 - 0, the JV girls have recorded their 4th straight win. The winning streak began by beating Conval in their stadium on 9/1 with the same score of 4 - 0. Back to back wins against John Stark (2 - 0) and Milford (4 - 1) completed the streak. The team has been on quite the scoring streak - notching 14 goals in their last 4 games. The defense remains solid with 3 shutouts and only 1 goal allowed in their last 4 games. The team travels to Portsmouth on Tuesday (9/14) for their next game.

Do you believe?

2010-09-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Almost every day, there are stories about someone who did something incredible that was beyond normal explanation....how do these things happen?

Over the last 8 years that I have coached at Souhegan, I have seen great players not reach their full potential, and have seen others excel. I have also seen what some might call an average player, acheive great things.

During my first year as the Souhegan varsity coach, I had the pleasure of working with a group of girls that were undefeated until the last game of the regular season, and spent most of the season ranked as one of the top 5 teams in the country.

What made this team different from others? The simple answer is that they believed in themselves and in each other. Individually this group was probably not much different than most other teams. We had skill, but certainly played against many other better individual players. The reason we were successful is that every time the team took the field, they believed (and expected) that they would win.

So why I am talking about the past teams.....because I think we have found that same belief in this year's squad. Led by a great group of captains the current team has begun to show the belief in each other that will make the difference between good and great. In our short season, we have already seen games where the opponent was strong, and perhaps more experienced than the Lady Sabers, but in each game our team was able to claim the victory. While discussing the games with other coaches and spectators, the difference seemed to come down to who believed more.

It has been an exciting start, and we expect to continue improving as we move through the season. Most importantly we BELIEVE that we will continue to succeed....

A nice start.....

2010-09-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

The season is certainly just beginning, but who doesn't like a 3-0 start to the season?

For the first time in 5 years, the team has started off the season on a 3 game winning streak. While the season is still young, the coaches are excited to see the way the team has come together as a group. The freshman have been a nice addition to a strong returning group.

As the season moves along, we will certainly need to stay healthy, and continue to work hard as a group. Our successes will be based on the work that put in at practice, and then translate to the pitch in a game environment.

Go Sabers!

Opening day

2010-08-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams opened the 2010 soccer season with matches against Bedford.

In the Junior Varsity match, Coach Sparks moved players around the field in different positions as she tried to find the best spot for each girl. The first half was a hard fought back and forth battle, that closed the first 40 minutes with 0-0 score. Despite some good opportunities, the Souhegan girls were not able to tally a goal, while Bedford was able to notch 2 goals for the win.

The Varsity match was full of exciting moments. Before the game even started, the locker room was full of excitement and a bit of anxiety. The reality of stepping onto the field with 5 Freshman in the starting lineup against a very strong Bedford team was hard to overlook. I am not 100% sure, but I don't think that any prior SHS squad has put that many Freshman on the field, especially in an opening day match.

Any anxiety and jitters quickly vanished when Kelsea Bemis took a pass from Erin MacDonald and buried it in the Bedford goal with only 19 seconds elapsed. Kelsea added to the lead about 20 minutes later when she made a great run and used the outside of her foot to place a shot perfectly pass the Bedford keeper. Bedford was able to put themselves on the board with a well placed corner kick that bent directly into the far corner over the outstretched arms of Holly Bourassa.

We challenged the girls at halftime to step up the intensity, and not let down in the second half. The entire group took that to heart and continually kept pressure on the Bedford defense. A second well struck corner kick by Peyton Kent found Maddie Learned who was able to record her first SHS varsity goal, and bring the score to 3-1. The team played right to the last second to secure the win for the Sabers.

Needless to say, the coaching staff was extremely proud of the entire team for a great win, and we are excited at the potential of this years' group. In the words of the Bedford coach..."holy cow can your kids run.."

As we move into our season, the challenge will be to keep up the intensity and other teams learn about the Souhegan girls. I am thrilled at what the team showed last night, and am excited to see them move forward in bringing SHS soccer back to the top.....

August 26, 2010

2010-08-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

The varsity squad completed our last preseason practice today and we are all ready and excited to start our regular season tomorrow night when we open against Bedford. With 5 freshman on this year's team, we will certainly have a new look, but are counting on the returning players to quickly bring the new additions up to speed.

Welcome to the NEW Souhegan Soccer Blog

2010-08-25T15:23:00.003-07:00