Woodberry knocked out of State Tournament

It was a disappointing Friday for the Tigers. The team couldn't quite find its chemistry. Harris was on the bench with a broken collar bone following our match with Christchurch Tuesday. His absence was certainly felt as we tried many different combinations in central midfield, but just weren't able to create the combination play Harris and Jason developed over the course of the season.

It was a good year for the Tigers. While we're disappointed about the tournament, we are thrilled with taking the prep league championship.

Thanks to all ofyou for your support this season. We are always impressed with the many devoted parents who travel to our games. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

Here are a few fantastic photos taken by Pete Emerson. Mr. Emerson is a professional photographer who photographs many games at the University of Virginia. He was kind to snap a few photos while watching his nephew play!

Woodberry takes Prep League Championship

It is an interesting year in Prep League Soccer. Christchurch (5-0-1) would play Woodberry (4-1-1) while Collegiate (4-1-1) would play Norfolk Academy. Christchurch only needed to tie Woodberry to take the prep league championship outright. A loss to Woodberry would result in a two-way tie, and if Collegiate beat Norfolk, a three way tie.

Woodberry played a heated match on a muddy field. After two goals in the first half, we held off the Seahorses 2-1 to force a League Championship tie.

We replay St. Christopher's in the first round of the state tournament Friday at 3:30. This is sure to be a very tough match against an opponent ready to throw everything they have at us to advance in the state tournament.

V Soccer defeats St. Christopher's 5-1; WFS now ranked 6th in State

In order to have a run at the Prep League Championship, Woodberry knew they had to beat St. Christopher's in Friday's game. St. Christopher's is always a formidable opponent. They play strong, smart soccer. But the Tigers were ready to play Friday.

We played through unusually cold temperatures and wind Friday. Everyone did their best to stay warm while not on the field!

In celebration of all the hard work the boys have put forth this year, the parents threw a team party following the game. We were delighted to step into the warmth of the Barbee Center and enjoy the wonderful food prepared. Thank you parents!

The win places Woodberry in the #6 seed for the state tournament. In the first round we will play a home match against the #11 seed Friday, November 4 at 3:30 p.m. In an interesting twist, St. Christopher's is the #11 ranked team. They are sure to return next Friday eager for a different result.

We play Christchurch Tuesday, November 1 in a head to head battle for the Prep League Championship.

V Soccer defeats Trinity 6-1

Woodberry defeats FUMA 4-2

We knew it would not be pretty, but it had to be done. FUMA has some new talent this year, and they are a real threat on the pitch. Their striker, number 13, leads the league in goals. His presence combined with some threatening players in midfield would create dangerous opportunities. FUMA would play with that threatening striker at central midfield to take away most of our options in the middle of the field. He did that well.

We also knew that we had to shake the habit of coming slowly out of the gates. If FUMA were to get on top first, they'd have the energy to sustain themselves. We needed to be first on the board.

A good defensive line kept FUMA offsides for much of the first half. Some FUMA set pieces showed just how dangerous their star player combination could be. Fortunately, they were not able to capitalize on any of those chance. Meanwhile we were trying to find our way through the packed middle of the field. We had many opportunities, but it was not until midway through the half that Connor stuck the first one in the back of the net. We remained at 1-0 at halftime. We would need a few more to solidify the lead.

FUMA stepped onto the field with their star player back up top. We'd have to watch him closely The whistle blew early in the second half for a penalty kick. It was a generous call, but we'd take it. Jason placed the ball well. 2-0 Tigers.

FUMA responded quickly off a throw in. Their player got a head on it. 2-1.

We countered quickly off a corner on the left side. Peter drove the ball high through the six, just over Jack's head. And while Jack took one for the team occupying the keeper, Shep got his head on it. 3-1.

We thought the FUMA player was offsides. But we didn't get the flag. He had to beat the keeper,which is pretty tough given the way Chris is playing these days. Chris couldn't stop it this time though. It was now 3-2.

With ten minutes left in the second half, the far AR's flag signaled a foul in the box. It was another penalty kick. After a few distracting minutes of card issuing, Jason struck another well placed shot. 4-2 Tigers.

It wasn't pretty. But it had to be done.

V Soccer defeats Blue Ridge 3-1

We're still trying to find our goals. Though we had three today, there were far more opportunities that we just couldn't place in the net. We'll need to sharpen our honing skills over the next week if we are to remain competitive through the tournament.



V Soccer draws with EHS 0-0

Episcopal High School has a strong soccer tradition and their teams have produced many winning results over the years. We were ready for battle.

Episcopal produced many good opportunities throughout the match. They had some great top runners, and a very strong stopper who could deliver the ball anywhere on the field. We were able to figure a few things out defensively to take a bit of the threat away. Chris played a very good game in goal.

We just couldn't quite find the right delivery in this game. Our attempts to get the ball behind their defense were going a little long and our passes in front of their defense were coming up a bit short. Still we had a few good opportunities on goal that just didn't materialize.

This is a good result against a good team.

V Soccer ties Norfolk Academy 1-1

We took the three hour ride to Norfolk on Thursday to play what was sure to be a heated contest against Norfolk Academy. Norfolk is known for its fast play and high scoring capabilities. Their narrow and hard-pack field make ball control more difficult and quick flighted balls up the middle more attractive.

Our players had to adjust to the speed of the game. Our touches needed to be good and we needed to play feet early. But before we could do that we had to win the ball. Feeling the pressure of their attack, we tended to be more defensively conservative than necessary. Unfortunately, that meant we weren't winning the 50/50 balls in the air. In turn, Norfolk had more time to build its attack.

Norfolk's first goal came mid-way through the first half when their attacker beat us to a ball behind our defensive line. Chris came off his line, but couldn't close the space fast enough. The striker cut the ball to the side and played it into the open net.

We kept up our pressure, determined to get a goal. An opportunity came in the 39th minute when Shep, on a breakaway, snuck the ball in the middle of the box. Jack found his way there and fought off several defenders. When he found enough space he rifled the ball through the keeper and into the net.

The score remained 1-1 in the second half. There were many opportunities for both teams in the second half. But we would walk away with a tie.

We travel to Alexandria on Tuesday for a tough match against Episcopal High School.

V Soccer falls to Collegiate 2-1

We just couldn't put things together in our match against Collegiate on Tuesday. We were a bit sleepy at the outset, which caused a very early goal. We responded quickly, making several good opportunities in the first half. Harris ripped a shot that bounced off the inside of the left post but curved out and away from the goal.

A second Cougar goal in the middle of the second half didn't make things any easier. But we never stopped fighting and playing a good posession game. We had many opportunities in the second half, but just couldn't put one away until the 87th minute. The final score would be 1-2.

Varsity Soccer Defeats Benedictine 3-2

After falling 0-2 in the first half of our game against Benedictine Friday, September 30, we rallied with some fantastic efforts to defeat the Cadets 3-2.

Varsity Soccer Defeats Liberty Christian Academy 3-0

The pouring rain added a whole new level of intensity to our game Tuesday, September 27. Eager to go after the Flames early in the game, the Tigers came off the whistle at full speed. Our quick start paid dividends when Harris received a ball from Hudson and struck it into the side netting. 1-0 Tigers.

The rain picked up in the 30th minute. A few minutes into the downpour, Jason weaved his way through several defenders and fired a rocket of a shot on goal. 2-0 Tigers.

We played steady and hard through the rain in the second half, thwarting several LCA counter attacks to goal. Though we passed up many good chances, we finished the game well with a final goal from Shep. Jack won a ball in our attacking third and dropped the ball back to Shep coming down the middle of the field. Shep struck a great shot to bring the Tigers to 3-0.

JV Soccer wins Eastern Mennonite's JV Tournament

After a rainy end to the week, the Tigers traveled across the mountain to Harrisonburg as defending champions for Eastern Mennonite’s JV soccer tournament. Led by captains Harris Moye, Witt Moye and Bronson Kieltyka they were anxious to maintain their hold on this trophy. In two displays of sustained effort by the entire squad the Tigers managed to retain their position as champions. There were numerous impressive performances, but probably the defense deserves the most credit because the defenders conceded only one goal while getting used to playing with several different combinations of teammates. Ryan Gingras did a great job as holding midfielder and outside fullback; David Sloan, Liam Hedge, Sean Brown and Campbell Hallett all took turns in the center of the defense; and Zach Merritt, Matt LaVigne, and Josh Hilliary were effective on the corners of the defense.

The fields were a bit heavy, and gray skies threatened all afternoon, but the rain held off and the Tigers enjoyed their first contests against Liberty Christian and Eastern Mennonite, both teams will reappear on our schedule later in the season. In the first game the Tigers dominated time of possession and were able to experiment with a different look in the second half. Scoring came through Hawk Swearingen and Nolan Day (off a corner kick) in the first half, and Hawk and Will Peak (assist, Swearingen) in the second.

Unhappily Hawk was injured early in the second contest and had to sit most of the championship game out. The host Flames were quick opponents and challenged vigorously for the ball, and the game was pretty even for much of the first half. The Tigers went ahead after eleven minutes when Bronson Kieltyka dribbled left to right across the penalty box, penetrated deep to the endline and crossed the ball smartly for Witt Moye’s first goal of the afternoon. About six minutes later the Flames scored on a breakaway through the middle. Witt scored his second goal of the afternoon when the Flames’ netminder could not manage to tip a corner kick over the bar. Immediately after the interval Witt won a ball from a throw-in, broke through from the right and struck a fine rising shot to the far post. He completed his tally when he connected with a Woody Scruggs feed just a few minutes later.

Goalkeeper Petey DuBose, who kept a clean sheet for the second half and Bronson Kieltyka won places on the All-Tournament team, and the MVP was Witt Moye.

V Soccer defeats STAB 4-0 in League Opener

The varsity soccer team kicked off its league play with a solid win over STAB. The STAB goalkeeper was most effective, despite the 4-0 tally. He made some impossible saves against a ceaseless wave of Woodberry attacks on goal.


After a few good opportunities, Woodberry's first goal came in the 17th minute when Shep deflected a clearance deep in STAB's field and followed it to net with a nice header. Six minutes later a STAB defender raised his arm to stop a through ball from Ian to Jason, resulting in a card for the STAB player and a free kick for Woodberry. Jason struck a hard ball that the keeper couldn't quite get a hold of. Shep finished it with an off-footed finish to the near post.


Defender Hill Fleet kept the Saints off the board during a corner in the first half. He "stayed home" as coach Tallman said, and protected the far post. On account, Hill was in good position to head out a ball that most surely would have found the back of the net otherwise.


Woodberry found more organization in the second half. We found the passing lanes and were able to keep possession. And the chances at goal came early and often. In the 71st minute, Connor cut the ball back after a long run down the right side and found Bear who struck an off-footed shot to take the Tigers to 3-0. "It was just a beautiful cut back," Jack Fleming said of Connor's move.


Connor was at it again a few minutes later when Jason's shot deflected off a defender. Connor controlled the ball, made a quick step into space, and finished with a well placed shot on goal.


Kofi relieved Chris in goal for the final ten minutes of the game. And it was not an easy stretch to be the keeper. The Saints had several free kicks within reach of the goal, which caused Kofi to warm up quickly.


We head to Christchurch on Saturday for our second league game of the season against a tough opponent.


See the write-up in the Charlottesville Daily Progress: http://www2.dailyprogress.com/sports/2011/sep/20/woodberry-cruises-past-saints-ar-1324768/


See pictures of the game taken by a Scrimmage Play photographer: http://www.scrimmageplay.com/media/photos/sights-woodberry-shuts-out-stab

Shep's second goal.

Hudson moves forward on the attack

Noah moves to a supporting position for a counterattack

Peter, just after heading a ball back into the attack



The team enjoys some snacks after the game. Thanks Parents!

V Soccer ties St. Alban's 0-0

Woodberry faced one of its toughest opponents Saturday. While a win is always welcome, we were happy to walk away with a scoreless tie, especially after a solid match. We had lost a number of players for this match. Chris and Connor were out with injuries and Watson was still recovering from the stomach bug going around campus. Jason Hill stepped off the field a few minutes before half after a hard, head-to-head hit with one of the Bulldog players. 

We were impressed yet again with a strong defensive showing for the entire 90 minutes of this game. The bulldogs came at us hard and were quickly frusstrated by the team's good defensive play. Broughton had another stellar performance.

The midfield did a good job again of winning 50/50 balls. Their control of the midfield, and their increasing ability to link passes together to maintain possession, allowed for a good number of goal scoring opportunities against the bulldogs. Unfortunately we just weren't abel to capitalize.

Proud of our progress thus far, we head to STAB Tuesday for our league opener. We'll hope all are healed and ready to play.

Video highlights from the game against St. Alban's

Ian takes a controlling touch

Harris makes a quick cut past a defender

Jack looks to play the ball to Bear's run towards the flank

All photos courtesy of Edward Stewart, WFS '12. Video Courtesy Karen & Steve Culbertson.

Video Clips from V Soccer v. EMHS on Tuesday September 13

Junior Varsity Soccer opens season with a win against STAB

The JV Tigers opened their 2011 campaign on a beautiful late summer afternoon. The game was moved to Woodberry because STAB’s pitch was too wet. STAB only had 12 healthy players for the contest (having suffered the same sort of stomach bug that has infected the Forest), but still agreed to play 40 minute halves, which suited us since we have a squad of 25. The Tigers dominated the possession throughout the game and got many good looks at goal. Petey DuBose and Thomas Lee split time as netminders and both did a great job. The defense was anchored by center back Sean Brown. Starting alongside him was Justin Park, who moved to striker in the first half. Justin demonstrated a cool attitude in the opposing penalty area and scored the second and third goals, the first having been scored by Hawk Swearingen from the left. Justin’s goals were assisted by Nolan Day (a cross from a free kick and a through ball). This put the Tigers up 3-0 at the interval, and they kept up the pressure in the second half, scoring through Nolan Day (an unassisted shot which the STAB keeper thought was going wide); Will Peak (a fine volley, on an assist from Swearingen); Alvaro Martin; and Jack Ogburn.

Woodberry Soccer makes Harrisonburg Paper

An article compliments of the Harrisonburg Daily-Recorder, September 14, 2011:

EMHS Falls, 3-0

Woodberry Blanks Flames

　

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Posted: September 14, 2011

By JOHN GALLE

　

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HARRISONBURG

Now, they’ve seen a little of everything: a stout defense, a talented forward and some aggressive Tigers.

After giving up just two goals in two games, EMHS allowed two in the first half – one by Woodberry Forest senior captain Jason Hill, who scored twice – before falling to a physical Tigers squad 3-0 at home on a sunny, breezy Tuesday afternoon.

"They punished us for mistakes we made on defense," Bauman said. "… In the second half, we didn’t pick up the intensity level that we needed to get back into the game."

The Flames (1-1-1) were constantly being beaten to 50-50 balls and failed to find quality touches in the final third – a preseason concern after graduating their top goal scorer from last year in Parker Leap. Just three games in, EMHS senior midfielder Will Montgomery doesn’t think the Flames should panic, even if Tuesday’s loss set off an alarm bell or two.

"I think this loss is really going to set deep in us the drive to kind of push forward," said Montgomery, a senior captain. "It’s a pretty disappointing loss, especially with the score. We weren’t expecting that at all. … I wouldn’t call it panic, but it’s frustrating for sure."

Though Bauman was disappointed with the Flames’ work against Woodberry Forest, he believed the game – coupled with their first two contests against Collegiate and Saint Christopher’s – will toughen up EMHS.

"They’ve all had different elements to them," Bauman said. "Woodberry played a much more physical game than the other two. We saw a very strong forward against Collegiate… and Saint Christopher’s played very stingy defense. I think all those things combined are going to help us [get better]."

On Tuesday, the orange-clad Tigers (1-1) – a team that has historically struggled to score – took an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute as the big-bodied junior forward Noah Stewart collected a cross with a nifty back heel, setting himself up near the corner of the box for a blistering shot to the far post.

"We’re working hard to find people to score goals up top," Woodberry Forest coach Steve Culbertson said. "… For a couple years, we haven’t had anybody that could score a goal."

Things got worse for the Flames before they got better.

A minute after the opening goal, EMHS junior starting goalkeeper Bryce Blosser came out to disrupt a play – which was whistled for offsides – and clanged knees with Woodberry Forest striker Connor Forrest. Both exited the game and did not return.

"It was a fair play both ways," Culbertson said, echoing Bauman’s sentiment. "It was just both of them being brave."

Planning to use two goalkeepers in the game before the injury, Bauman – who is breaking in two goalies after graduating Andrew Yoder at the position – sent in senior Isaac Driver to finish out the game in net.

EMHS had two chances to equalize. First, Jae White hammered a shot from about 25 yards out after a short free kick in the 13th minute, but Chris Broughton made the save. An EMHS counterattack in the 27th minute resulted in a shot, which went wide. In total, the Flames outshot Woodberry Forest 13-10, but only managed six shots on target. The Tigers had seven.

"There were very good opportunities," Montgomery said, specifically noting a late surge in the final 30 minutes as the Tigers had dropped back in a shell defense.

Hill gave the visitors two insurance goals to allow them to bunker down. He ran through a bouncing ball to get behind the Flames’ back line with 16:52 left before halftime and finished a rebound off a free kick in the second half.

EMHS just couldn’t find an answer.

"There were spurts," Bauman said of the Flames’ offense, "but nothing sustained."

EMHS will have one final tune-up at the Menno Classic Tournament this weekend before starting its VIC title defense. The Flames will face Fishburne at home next Tuesday to kickoff conference play.

Halftime score: 2-0 WF

Shots on goal: WF 7; EM 6

Saves: WF 6 (Broughton 3, Keohane 3); EM 3 (Blosser 1, Driver 2).

Corner kicks: WF 1; EM 2

Scoring: WF – Stewart (7:35), Hill (28:08, 64:00).

– Eastern Mennonite High School boys’ soccer coach Kendal Bauman hoped a tough non-conference schedule would prepare the senior-laden Flames for league play next week in the Virginia Independent Conference.

V Soccer defeats Eastern Mennonite 3-0

The Tigers pulled away with a win yesterday in Harrisonburg. Plagued by lingering injuries and sickness, the Tigers felt a little down on the ride over the mountain. But when they reached the field, they showed they were ready for what promised to be a very tough match against Eastern Mennonite.


Solid centeral midfield and defensive play created the opportunities for more combination play through the midfield, and we were able to capitalize on several attacks to goal. Noah put in a very nice early goal. After receiving a cross with his back to the goal from Connor, Noah spun off the defender's outside shoulder and hit a one time shot in the back of the net. Our second goal came later in the first half after Jason skillfully beat several defenders at the top of the 18 and found a gap just big enough for a look at goal. The third goal came in the 20th minute of the second half. A ball in the box found Jack whose shot was deflected off the keeper to Jason for a rebound.


We were proud of the heart the team put into this game. Harris, Jason and Peter put everything they had on the field. Our backs, Ian, Coleman, Seth, Hill, and Jack played an outstanding game.


We play the St. Albans Bulldogs at home on Saturday. We'll need just as much grit and determination for a positive result in that game.

V Soccer opens season with loss to St. Stephen's St. Agnes

After an initial week of practice interrupted by heavy rains, varsity soccer boarded the bus for its first match against St. Stephen's & St. Agnes. The Saints put in an early goal off a beautiful pass that found their striker just behind our defense. It took some time to settle our nerves and to adjust to the variables of playing on turf. With time, we started to put some things together. Our backs regained their composure after an early surprise and we began linking some passes through the midfield.

We came out for the second half down 1-0 and ready to step up our game. We were granted an early penalty, which Jason Hill drove into the lower corner to tie the game 1-1. Our level of play increased with this boost of confidence. Despite several good looks at goal, we weren't able to put another in the back of the net. Late in the game, a Saints player recevied a ball at the top of the box, and our tired legs couldn't reach him in time to prevent the turn and shot. It was now 1-2.  A third Saints goal late in injury time would leave us with a 1-3 loss to start the season.

With many weeks left in the season, we look forward to building off the lessons we learned in this game. We prepare for our next game on the road against Eastern Mennonite Tuesday.

Players complete the agility cone warm up.

Players cheer on their teammates

Jack, Watson, and Vas are awed by one of Chris' many fantastic saves in goal