tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33400497255427981292024-03-04T21:46:40.786-08:00The Back Line Blogkevin conwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310991255136252817noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-12732796034567932522015-11-11T10:32:00.000-08:002015-11-11T10:32:01.757-08:00All Good Things Come To An End <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
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Today is his seventh and final entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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It almost seems as if things started to turn a corner for us a little too late. We closed out our season with Western Illinois, Detroit and Northern Kentucky. We had Western Illinois come to us on a chilly Tuesday evening. Seniors Declan Rodriguez and Zach Stevenson were both able to bag goals in the 2-0 win over the Leathernecks, a game we always share between the two sides every season. It was a nonconference game for us, but our guys have a mentality of every time we step on the pitch, we expect to win, especially at home in front of our fans.
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Following that game, we had the rest of the week to get after things before the weekend when we would head to Detroit for a must-win Horizon League game to keep our postseason hopes alive. Unfortunately, we gave up a goal in the second half and were unable to equalize. This indeed was the final punch that knocked us out of the running for the Horizon League tournament. It was a difficult thing for the group to grasp, especially the seniors, knowing we only had one more week as college athletes. Regardless of the situation, nobody in the locker room put their head down, and we stayed hard at work that final week of training. We welcomed 2nd-place Northern Kentucky for our final game of the 2015 season. We started all but one senior and were able to comfortably handle the game with a 4-0 win, and then entire team saw minutes, which was awesome. It was so cool that all the seniors, even the international guys, were able to have their parents present for the game.
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For all the readers, who may or may not know me personally, I want to reflect on my collegiate career. I began my college soccer career at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. After I felt like I was able to make an impact at the Division 2 level, I wanted to see if there were any Division 1 options still available for me. After exploring a few options, I committed to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where I would spend my next four years playing soccer and pursuing a marketing degree.
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Deciding to come to UWM has been bigger than soccer for me though, it has become my life. I have been able to apply myself to not only a great athletic department, but also opportunities that have allowed me to network and gain the tools and experience I will need for when I graduate. This University has been so good to me. I have been able to find myself a role within the Athletic Board, as well as the Student Athletic Advisory Committee president. I have been able to play and work for some great staff members, and have met some of my best friends. I can honestly say that Milwaukee was the place that I was set out to be.
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This season didn’t play out the way I expected my senior year to go, but I guess that’s how the game is. It can take you great places, and can also be severely brutal. I step away from UWM soccer leaving as a better athlete, and as a better person. UWM as a University, and a soccer program, will always be a part of me. Thank you to everyone who has impacted me here, and allowed me to cross paths with you, as well as all my blog readers throughout the season. Until next time…
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-Dust
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-20872310870601558922015-10-21T12:09:00.004-07:002015-10-21T12:09:57.503-07:00In Search of A Winning Spark <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
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Today is his sixth entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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It’s been quite a relief being at home for these last few weeks. I apologize to all the readers for not getting a blog out sooner. It has been a busy last couple of weeks with classes and coaching, as well as both midweek and weekend games.
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Last Wednesday we hosted in-state rival Green Bay in the final cup game of the season, playing to host the Chancellor’s Cup, and we were in need of another conference win as well. The boys were certainly up for the importance of the game, but we fell to the Phoenix in a 2-0 battle.
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This past weekend also we were lucky to have another home conference game against Wright State, the team that eliminated us from the Horizon League Tournament last year, so we had a bone to pick with them. As a group, we made a few tactical changes to put ourselves in the best position to get a result against a very good Wright State team, but we were unable to find the back of the net and suffered a 1-0 defeat.
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A few of the guys have picked up some knocks along the way as well. Freshman left back and English dream boy Josh Kaye has been most likely sidelined with an ankle injury for the remainder of the season. He can be found crutching around campus if anyone wishes to piggyback him to class. Some of the mothers of the team have been teaming up and making us meals for after our games, and the spread has been incredible. There was a taco/pasta salad that was a heavy hit and the recipe was immediately asked for by fellow captain Declan Rodriguez. It was good to see him pursuing other meals to cook at home as he’s recently been going with routine microwaved smores.
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Despite not getting the results we have been hoping for as of late, the guys are still in good spirits. Everyone shows up every day ready to work to get out of this little slump we are in, and we will. We have a very good group of players and we will find a way to grind out games. We know what we need to achieve to allow us to find a way into postseason play and we are very committed to fulfilling that, as we all hold the same expectations. We have instilled a mindset that every game, every play matters, and we strive to be sharp at all moments of the game.
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The guys have been getting the job done off the field as well with their commitments in the classroom. Tuesday night at the women’s volleyball game, the athletic department acknowledged the student athletes from each team that reached a 3.0 GPA last semester in the classroom and we had a good number of our guys that achieved that.
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Next up, our last in-state rival, the Wisconsin Badgers will be coming to Engelmann Field Wednesday night. Both teams are looking to bounce back with a win, making it a key showdown. Next time checking in with my blog followers, I will be sharing with you winning results instead!
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-Dust Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-70883525193213473732015-10-06T23:06:00.002-07:002015-10-06T23:06:48.925-07:00Sticking To Our LeWang Ways <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
<p>
Today is his fifth entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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Pumpkins are hitting the porches, green and gold are filling campus on Packer game days, and stadium coats and pants are coming out for night games. Fall is an awesome time of the year. There is always so much going on within the city of Milwaukee and Horizon League soccer is getting into the heart of conference play. It has been a pleasant change having a few games back at Englemann to play in front of our home fans and not having to travel as much. It was a key last couple of weeks with us being able to get some quality training sessions in and get the guys with some knocks the proper treatment to get healthy again. The athletic department has been generous enough to help us athletes with our recovery after training sessions by getting us chocolate milk, granola bars and fruit. We have been very appreciative of having these recovery snacks to enjoy while ice bathing after a few hours of hard work on the field. But you must keep a look out for Ox, our team trainer, as if one has an open chocolate milk on the carpeting, you’re in for an ear full.
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We had yet another home conference match against Valparaiso, a regionally-ranked opponent who has been grinding out wins as of late. It was a chilly Saturday night, with fan bundled in blankets and the hot chocolate was in full force. The game was wide open for a majority of the match, both teams struggling to find a chance to bury away. Unfortunately, Valpo caught us out of shape and countered to score what would be the games only goal. It was our team’s first conference and home loss. It was good to see the guys so upset with the result though, as we, as an entire group have been playing great football and our team expectations are extremely high this year. We just need to start picking up the results we deserve to show for our efforts. We couldn’t dwell on the game though. Talking as a group, we felt that we needed to be better in the final 3rd, meaning in front of the goal, we had to finish our chances. Our training sessions were structured around just that. Our staff challenged us the following week of training in various finishing games, combination activities, and lots of repetitions of crossing and finishing.
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We also were able to squeeze our annual team photo in this last week for the 2015 fall squad. The team photos have been said to be hot commodities around campus amongst the female student body. Just what I have heard. Also, a roster update. Our goal keepers always wear different colors at training and what a pleasant surprise it is to see the blue/red wearing goof balls in full force again. Freshman Sam Glass is back to consistent training after battling an ankle issue. And ... there has been a return of the legendary John Stahr, a great goal keeper who has put in lots of time and commitment the past few years who stepped away after last fall. It is great having Johnny Stahr back in the locker room and on the pitch, as he always brings great leadership to the group by leading by example with his training work ethic.
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Tuesday night, we set off for a road game to DeKalb, Illinois to take on annual opponents, Northern Illinois. This is one of our three cup games, where the winner takes possession of the LeWang Cup. I personally told the group in our pre-match chat, that this is my fourth season here at UWM and not once have we allowed NIU to take possession of the LeWang Cup, and tonight wasn’t going to be any different. They were also a regionally-ranked team coming into the night. We conceded a set piece goal that we felt was a soft goal to give up. The second half, we challenged the group to test our character and see how hard we could fight to get back into this game, and we rose to the test. John Stadler came on in the second half and found himself on the end of a set piece back post and buried it. A few minutes later, Nick Moon created some space on his own and whipped a curing shot in around the keeper. And once again we raised the Lewang trophy at the end of the night. It is personally sitting right next to me on the bus in the seat next to me. Assistant coach Luke Goodnetter, former teammate of mine, approached me at half time and told me to really get the guys going and jacked up to battle the second half, as we can’t let games slip away from us. The season flies by and he told me as a senior, if that happened, I would certainly regret it. It’s nights like these that make college soccer special. Tonight was a night that I will remember where our guys found a way to get the job done, and get this trophy right back to coach’s office where it belongs.
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This win honestly feels like a momentum change. With the style of football we play and how well we keep the ball for the majority of games, we deserve to win games. We will use this game as a standard and example of how we need finish games out and find ways to pick up 3 points. Off to Belmont this weekend for the program’s first road game at their university. The team has every intention of sticking to our winning ways and securing another conference win. Maybe even throwing on the cowboy boots and flannels and getting out to see a bit of the historic musical city. Looking forward to the game, not the 10-hour trek. For all the local Milwaukee Panther fans, while we are away, follow along with the game, but hope you can all get out and enjoy Oktoberfest in the city. See you all back home next week!
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-Dust Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-53716188481843695912015-09-29T08:12:00.001-07:002015-09-29T08:12:21.047-07:00Beat The Best To Be The Best <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
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Today is his fourth entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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The nights are starting to get a bit colder and fall has officially begun. Where is the time going? These last few weeks have been incredibly busy, as a team and on a personal level. It has set me back a bit on my blogging; so let me catch you up on what’s happening in the life of Milwaukee Panther Soccer.
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Two weekends ago, we were on the road heading to Michigan to take on last year's Horizon League Champions, Oakland. We got down there early evening on Friday and grabbed some quick sandwiches and were able to go watch our lady panthers play Oakland as well. It was a buggy night, with a dewy pitch, but that didn’t stop Panther Maria Stephans from taking over the game and scoring two goals to lead the team to a win after scoring a late penalty kick goal, and then a banger in overtime.
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But we were on a business trip to take care of our own matters with what we knew was to be a tough contest for us to open Horizon League play. It was Oakland’s homecoming weekend and the game drew a good fan base. The game was a battle. Nick Moon hit a bouncing ball off the post that would have literally been a buzzer-beater goal. Regulation ended scoreless. In extra time, a ball came bouncing off the cross bar, and fell to Tinashe. This ball came to him at about six yards from goal, very very close to the goal if I must. He somehow found a way to kick the ball over the goal. He will never hear the end of that one. However, the night was captured by another freshman. Francesco, stood over the ball on a free kick with three minutes to play. He took his shot and put it in the back of the net, then took off running to celebrate with the crew. It was a massive win for us to get us back on track in terms of results and for our conference record.
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When we got back home, it was a new feeling for us as we had a whole week until our next game. We have had midweek games and lots of traveling during the weeks prior so it was a nice feeling to be back home for a bit. It was a week filled of getting caught up with schoolwork, new haircuts, and lots of media coverage. Francesco was in front of the camera talking through his game-winning goal, and the freshman internationals put together a cool interview story with Fox 6. Felt as if these younger boys were pushing us elder players to the side. Last week also, every team was invited to attend a presentation by guest speaker Dr. Greenfield. It was a great event where we talked about some extremely powerful messages and brought this Panther Family together.
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The week of training was very competitive and the work rate was up. We got after it quite a bit in preparation to host UIC at Engelmann Field. It felt as if we hadn’t played a home game in a very long time after being on the road so much. The game had two red cards handed out, one to each team, and ended in a 1-1 tie. A game we felt as if we could have picked up a win, as we expect to win every time we step on the field, but with the circumstances the game came to, getting a tie out of is was okay. It puts our squad still unbeaten at home on the year and unbeaten in conference. We will take the week to get back to work in preparation for Valparaiso next weekend for another home matchup. I have been notified that our very own Laurie Bell will be in attendance next Saturday for our game. Be sure to arrive early to get your autographs.
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-Dust Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-7152987342255340282015-09-16T11:47:00.002-07:002015-09-16T11:47:47.525-07:00West Coast Adventures <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
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Today is his third entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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Two weeks into school and it’s safe to say everything is into full swing of things: classes, soccer and our social lives. We are all finding our weekly schedules falling into routines. It has also become a weekly thing for us to ask Strength and Conditioning coach Matt Holt for a full game recap from his Wednesday night coed C League indoor soccer games. He is rather giddy every Wednesday afternoon for our team warm ups knowing he is getting back onto the field himself. His game tactics strictly include kicking hard and running fast. He has picked up a few cards for plowing opponents over, and we still await our first career goal.
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This past weekend our squad hopped on an airplane and headed out to Spokane, Washington, to take on Houston Baptist and Gonzaga in the Gonzaga Classic. It was a bit of a rough departure as Thursday morning’s report date to the locker room to set off to the airport was 4:30 A.M. You can bet there wasn’t much atmosphere in the locker room that morning. Whenever you travel as a team through the airport, you turn a lot of heads and get a lot of questions. The classic, “So what team are you guys”, while every single team member has a Milwaukee Soccer team polo on.
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After we landed and got all settled into our hotel, we took a walk through Gonzaga’s campus to find an area where we could do a bit of jogging and stretching to loosen up our traveled legs and break a sweat, and coach even hopped in himself. The campus was beautiful, as well as their newly built soccer stadium. The facilities and hospitality were great. We took on Houston Baptist early the next morning where we dropped a 2-1 loss. Once again, felt we were the better team of the match. Matthias Binder scored a great goal to tie the game up, but we conceded a goal later on, in which we thought we could of defended better. Our second game of the trip, we took on tournament hosts Gonzaga. We knew coming into the game that they were a tough team to play against, with a group of hard working guys. We certainly rose to the occasion and matched their work rate. We felt good about our efforts and fight throughout the game, but once again disappointed with a 1-0 loss. With the team’s record not looking the best on paper, we are fully confident in our system and our abilities. We have a very talented group this year and play very attractive soccer. We are extremely close to putting together a full game, sharp in both the offensive and defensive thirds.
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Good friend of mine and fellow captain, Declan Rodriguez, was lucky to have his family make the trip down from Vancouver to support him. On our recovery day, Zach Stevenson and myself got the chance to spend some time together with them as well. We journeyed to a nearby shopping mall. As I didn’t find anything that caught my eye, the shop included a purchase of some rascal camouflage pants from Dex. We were fortunate to sit down and have a nice lunch with Declan’s family. As always, I was picked on for my plain diet habits and getting a regular cheeseburger. The final night spent in Spokane, things heated up when a very close teammate of mine received a very sincere text message from his special lady friend that left a few of us wondering about his market availability. We may have lost another good man to the relationship bug, but as good teammates we are, we will support him through it.
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In all, the weekend was another good experience where our staff was able to put us in a very professional setting in terms of getting to travel and playing in a fantastic collegiate environment. With a few upsetting previous results, all our focusd has now switched to this weekend where we will travel to Michigan to take on last year’s Horizon League champions, Oakland. It will be a good Oakland team to play against in our conference opener, but our guys are certainly ready for it.
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-Dust Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-78162453728995683942015-09-07T22:52:00.001-07:002015-09-07T22:52:32.620-07:00Long Throw Ins Over Labor Day Weekend <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
<p>
Today is his second entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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After our disappointing result on the road to Creighton, the fellas went straight back to work in preparation to host the Milwaukee Cup, bringing Marquette University back to our campus. The staff in the Athletics offices put a lot of time and effort into the promotion of this game and it certainly paid off. This matchup always draws in a great crowd, but pairing it this year with our Welcome Week featured game brought in an incredible mass of students. There’s nothing better when your fan support is so loud that we couldn’t even hear our names for the starting line up introductions.
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The game came to a 1-1 tie after a late Marquette goal, which the current Milwaukee Cup champions being Marquette, ended up keeping the trophy. I can say it was certainly something new not having to mention Axel Sjoberg’s name in the scouting report and how to deal with all 8 feet of him on set pieces.
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As a group, we were very pleased with the brand of soccer we played in that game, but obviously, as a senior and being my last crack at the Golden Eagles, it was a result we wish we could of grabbed a win in. Freshman Tinashe Marowa picked up his first collegiate goal and what a game to score it in. Many would have probably just ran into the massive group of Panther fans right in front of him behind the goal, but for some strange reason, he insisted to turn straight around and run to coach and jump into his arms.
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I had the pleasure to room with Tinashe, commonly known on the team as “T”, on the road for the Bradley game. We watched the movie “Southpaw” and got to chatting a bit. I asked him if he had met any nice ladies from the dorms yet, and he carried on to tell me that he was getting a bunch of messages after the Marquette game. Goes to show that the women love the guys who score the goals. What a bummer it truly is being a defender.
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We traveled down to Peoria, Ill., where we faced Bradley University. We knew going into the game that they weren’t going to play pretty soccer, with a game plan of being extremely direct and utilizing their left back to take five minutes every dead ball to jog up and launch a long throw in into the box. Which is exactly the way we conceded our goal in the 86th minute. As a group, we need to better in both final thirds of the play, offensively and defensively, and certainly on restarts. We emphasize being a hard team to play against and we mold our style of play and game plan to be just that. It is safe to say it wasn’t a very talkative bus ride home after dropping that result, not to mention the air conditioning on the bus wasn’t doing us any favors on a 90-degree day.
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The squad will get right back after it on the training pitch to fine tune things before heading out to Spokane, Washington to take on Houston Baptist and Gonzaga. There may even be a light strength training recovery session in the weight room that freshman Josh Kaye will be taking full advantage of, looking to seriously bulk up and gain an additional 50 lbs. along with his high calorie diet plan we have him on. Hope all you fellow Panthers and Panther fans had a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend and were able to relax and recover to take on another week.
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-Dust Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-22839239757056938472015-09-02T18:29:00.001-07:002015-09-02T18:30:38.051-07:00Newness Of All Sorts <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mkepanthers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3264&path=msoc">Dustin Ashley</a></span>, a captain on the 2015 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will be the new blog author for the squad this season. He will be blogging all year long on the UWM website.
<p>
Today is his first entry of the campaign as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior season.
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Hello, and welcome back all Milwaukee Panthers and fans! Many of you followers are probably very familiar with the legendary 'Bell’s Blog', written by former player Laurie Bell. As another Milwaukee Panther Men’s Soccer season opens, we are happy to say that the past author of Bell’s Blog has moved on to pursue his professional career as a Tulsa Roughneck, playing in the USL Pro League. When duty calls, I didn’t think there would be anyone to be a better fit than Laurie’s old roommate to take on the honors to keep the blogging rolling of the men’s soccer ins and outs for this up coming fall season.
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With that being said, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Dustin Ashley and I am a senior captain on the team this year. This is my fourth year here as a Milwaukee Panther. I played my freshman year of college soccer at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Deciding to transfer has lead me to a great experience academically and athletically, and not to mention meeting the incredible people that have come into my life along the way.
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With everyone else just recently talking about their summers coming to an end with classes starting this week, our guys have already wrapped up our summer fun and have been hard at work for quite some time now already. We asked all of our guys, returners and incoming players, to report for captain’s practices, which were training sessions led by our other captain, Declan Rodriguez and myself. We spent our mornings playing small-sided games and taking team runs down to the beach, and our evenings finding air mattresses and couches for all the international guys to sleep on before moving into the dorms. It’s safe to say we became a tight group pretty quickly. We had a big incoming class. There is a lot of newness around the locker room, but filled with some good personalities and characters, with some still struggling to find their banter. This is a team filled with great soccer players, as well as great people this year.
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Everyone was excited to get things rolling for preseason and the vibe in the camp was great. Knowing we had our first exhibition game only three days into preseason, we knew we had to come in fit and get right to work. Our first exhibition game vs. Loyola ended in a 1-1 tie. We were able to get everyone quality minutes as we played two completely different squads each half. A few days later we took the road and traveled to SIUE for our second and final preseason game. The home team certainly brought out the numbers in the stands, as it was their freshman welcome game. We traveled back home after suffering a 2-0 loss.
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For the most part, we were all ready for our season and home opener with healthy bodies and our individual roles within the team figured out. We hosted Evansville at Engelmann Field, where we laid a smack down on them in front of our home fans on a rainy evening for a 5-2 win, which could have easily been an even bigger goal margin. With our confidence high, we hopped on a bus the next day heading off to Nebraska to take on #4 Creighton. We knew we were going to have our hands full playing an opponent of that caliber, but felt that we were also a very tough team and prepared so that we would give ourselves the best chance to get a result. Creighton provided a very professional environment for us, with an incredible stadium, great crowd, and a hotel that had many of the guys sending snapchats of how impressive it was. We fell to Creighton in a 4-0 loss in a game that we felt we weren’t as sharp as we need to be. All in all, our guys came away with a very good experience under our belts playing one of the best teams in the country.
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As a team, we couldn’t sit around and sulk on our loss though, with Thursday bringing one of the best college soccer rivalries in the country to our campus. UWM vs. Marquette is a cross-town rivalry that attracts great crowds and a heated game to claim the Milwaukee Cup. It is our freshman welcome game so we should have a sea of black and gold, rowdy fans lead by our very own Michael Poll.
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So I will do my best this season to share with you all our game results, where we are at as a team, and even some inside information that the public is dying to get their hands on. I know it will be tough to fill the shoes of Bell’s Blog, but I will certainly do my best. Hope you all follow along all season and get behind us for another great Milwaukee Panther Soccer season.
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-Dust Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-6095305180223768152014-11-07T15:18:00.003-08:002014-11-07T15:18:27.042-08:00Seniors Not Ready to Say Goodbye <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a captain on the 2014 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website.
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Today is his fourth entry of the year as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior campaign.
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As well as being a critical match in our season, tonight’s game is significant for another, more sentimental reason too: it’s senior night. When this season’s done – which we all hope is for a while still – the program will say goodbye to four of its servants, including three captains and three of us who have been here for at least four years.
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The team will move on without us, and we will move on without the team. But for a time in each of our young lives, UWM soccer has been central to our existence. So, here are the men not quite ready to say goodbye:
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For his recent Halloween costume, <b>Kyle Neumann</b> taped this year’s squad picture on his shoulders. When I saw he was wearing the photograph of us posing on Engelmann Field in front of the scoreboard, I asked him what the outfit meant. He replied: “I’m putting the team on my back.”
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That’s Kyle. His bizarre sense of humor has provided UWM players with consistent laughs for almost half a decade now, even if we don’t always know what we’re laughing at. And throughout his career here, he has repeatedly sacrificed himself for the team. Except for putting on the goalie gloves, the Appleton native has done it all. He’s played in every position on the field without ever letting us down.
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<b>Luke Goodnetter</b> joined the program three years ago. He couldn’t play his first year due to transfer issues, and so the biggest impression he had that fall was on the hearts of some of the UWM women’s team. “Who’s the new guy who looks like Ben Affleck?” one of them asked me. At that point, I didn’t know much about him myself.
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But as soon as he could step on the field, he made an impact. The Affleck lookalike improved us with his standout midfield play last fall, and has stepped in capably at center back this year as well. And no matter how good looking he is, Luke will best be remembered for THAT volley he scored at Valparaiso last year.
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I don’t know how <b>Richard Johnson</b> ended up in Milwaukee, and I don’t know what he’ll do after he leaves, but in his four and a half year career here he has been one of the most solid characters I have played alongside. Plucked from a Yorkshire chicken factory he was working in (whatever that entails), Jonno was offered a scholarship to America and probably thought ‘why not?’
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Since he’s been here, he has performed strongly and been a rock in the locker room too. He’s fearless, he lets nothing faze him, and I can never quite tell whether he’s enjoying himself or not. But I do know that the program will miss a guy like Jonno, and so will I.
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And finally, myself. Four years ago I took a chance, stumbling across the pond and finding myself in Milwaukee playing college soccer – wherever and whatever they were. I came looking for football and adventure, knowing I could always go home if things didn’t work out. I found both, and lots, lots more.
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That tonight is almost certainly my final game on Engelmann is surreal. I remember my first match well. On a beautiful summer day, we lost 4-1, but I scored an equalizing goal just after half time and ran into the arms of celebrating fans thinking, “This is going to be fun.”
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It has been. And now we must all ensure that this season has some more fun left in it.
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So I think I speak for all four of us when I say thank you – to every teammate, coach and parent that have made our experiences in Milwaukee unforgettable – but not goodbye.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-18231707117777783082014-10-14T12:27:00.002-07:002014-10-14T12:27:12.897-07:00Structural Integrity<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a captain on the 2014 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website.
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Today is his third entry of the year as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior campaign.
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Inconsistent, haphazard and intermittently impressive: adjectives as applicable to my blogging as they have been to our performances this season.
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But after eight games without victory, we finally put together a showing befitting the talent we believe lies in our squad on Saturday. We played excellently and won 2-0. Upon the final whistle, a collective sigh of relief resounded round the stadium, and Panther players, coaches, parents and dogs released long-banished post-game smiles. Lo and behold, with the result, goal, and a new MacBook Air, my creative blogging juices flow once more.
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Petter netted the opener with a fine first half header from a cross by converted full back Horvat. In a mixed season defensively, Aaron’s consistency in the new position – after playing his whole career as a forward – has been commendable. Luke Goodnetter’s long ball assisted our second and match-securing goal.
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Keeping things clean at the other end, Liam Anderson and our back line nullified the opposition attack, giving us a complete team performance. The superstitious stopper claimed his good luck charm was a bacon, onion and barbeque pizza he treated himself to on Friday night – not a pre-match ritual the rest of us will be joining you in, mate!
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Results or not, our team morale has been remarkably high all year. I think it’s because we understand that we’ve rarely been outclassed. Scorelines don’t lie, and conceding goals without scoring is recipe for unsatisfactory soccer. But losses have often been by margins as narrow as a Norwegian’s calves – just check out Magnus Flaatedal’s lower leg muscles to see what I mean.
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And so we have kept a buoyant locker room, which has been heartening to be involved in. There have been times of testy tempers, but that is part of sport. A group of twenty-five testosterone-filled footballers will inevitably boil over on occasion, even when the going is good. But our togetherness has stayed intact, and will have to remain that way as we approach the season’s climax.
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We have five games left. That’s frightening. With victories from those matches, we can extend that number to include post-season games, which puts this senior a little more at ease. Knowing my college years are almost over adds extra importance to each date on our schedule. The leaves have almost all fallen on the ground.
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If it felt like Saturday’s first conference win lay the foundations for the rest of our year, then we’ll have to construct the floors, ceilings and roof pretty quickly. But ours is a group with structural integrity. And I’m betting, with everybody working to the same tune, we can still build something special.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-54271121551470083222014-09-17T12:41:00.001-07:002014-09-17T12:43:52.682-07:00A Meaty Milwaukee Match-Up<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a captain on the 2014 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website.
<p>
Today is his second entry of the year as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior campaign.
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Demolishing a plate of baked beans on toast on my final Milwaukee Cup morning, I was struck by the bloglessness of recent Panther weeks. So here’s an update and look-ahead, as our season approaches its third-way stage.
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Six games in, we have three wins and three losses. While the wins were convincing, inconsistency is not acceptable. We are a young and renovated team, but familiarity is coming and the talent is there. Our beefed up non-conference schedule this year has featured three top-25 ranked teams already, providing high-level opposition to measure ourselves against. We faced two this weekend on our trip to Washington D.C., without recording a result.
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At least we saw the White House.
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An easy analysis goes that we have fallen short against strong opponents. It’s true that we didn’t play many of the likes of Oregon State, George Mason or American during our blistering start to last season. But playing in and watching back our recent games, it’s clear that we have not been outclassed. We haven’t struggled to compete, and for long periods we dominated.
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However, we learned that such teams are less forgiving. Typically, our mistakes have been punished with goals, and we haven’t been ruthless enough in attack. We must now inject ourselves with the lethal streak that pumped through our opponents.
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So we’re 3 and 3, with the meat of the season still to come and a filet mignon of a fixture tonight.
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Form goes out the window in a derby match. It’s a common sporting cliché that is fortunately rooted in absolute truth. And tonight we will be running on passion, heart and, personally, beans on toast at Valley Fields against rivals Marquette. When kick off rolls around at 7 p.m. we will be ready.
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The Milwaukee Cup turns 41 this evening and after giving the trophy some fresh birthday air on the sidelines, we plan to return it, polished and rejuvenated, back to Coach Kelderman’s office shelf, where it has glittered for the past year.
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In my time at UWM, I’ve won the cup twice, and heartbreakingly had it snatched away in the final second the last time we played at Marquette. Those of us involved that night still feel we owe our opponents one, and finishing my career with three servings of bragging rights would sit well.
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This is a rivalry game unlike any I have ever been a part of, and it’s a special date on the College Soccer calendar. When I’m no longer a Panther in participation but only in spirit, I’ll miss these fixtures enormously. Which makes tonight especially poignant, and by the sounds of it the atmosphere will be incredible.
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The Milwaukee Soccer Development Group, a band of the sport’s enthusiasts pushing for a professional team in town, have organized a Milwaukee Cup March. They challenge local fans to show support for soccer by meeting before the game at the Twisted Fisherman and marching together to Valley Fields. For more information go to: <a href="http://www.milsoccerdg.org/events.html">http://www.milsoccerdg.org/events.html</a>. See you there, fellas!
So with cups on the line both this evening and next Tuesday against NIU, followed by the beginning of Horizon League play, our early season appetizers are finished. The entrée is being prepared: It’s steak, and it will be served tonight.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-5829398870833820172014-08-29T13:37:00.001-07:002014-08-29T13:37:33.450-07:00Gameday Trims<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a captain on the 2014 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his first entry of the year as he chronicles the adventures of the team during his senior campaign.
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Along with free meals, pre-match jitters and the ants in my kitchen, Bell’s Blog is back!
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Today we kick off our season - it’s about bloody time. After enduring an endless offseason and trying to care about two exhibition matches, the real thing is here.
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We start with a home opener against DePaul. Last year we had a juicy Milwaukee Cup fixture first up, which had us hopping around in anticipation like Dustin Ashley after a Red Bull. Preparations have been more measured this time around, but apprehension creeps in nonetheless as the curtain raises on a fall we have high hopes for - especially when, like me, it’s your final one! There’s a lot of new faces, but there was in 2013 too, and remember how that turned out?
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Since we arrived back from our various summer bases, the house I share with Dustin and Zach Stevenson has been a hotbed for Norwegians and haircuts. Peter Ingebrigtsen and Magnus Flaatedal, our new Scandinavians, literally lay in scorching slumber in our non-air conditioned living room before moving into the dorms. And the rest of the team have paid visits in search of new hair styles.
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It has become apparent that the younger you are, the edgier you are, with our blonde freshman Reid Stevenson and Nick Moon receiving the most radical cuts. Admittedly, Nick took a bit of persuading to rock the curly mullet that will be flying down the wing this evening. In contrast, former player, Grad Assistant, future accountant and all-round quite old student Aaron Cranfill came in for a business-like short back and sides.
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Dustin called in Agustin Rey to deliver his gameday trim, and at almost two o’clock in the afternoon, it seems Sean Taylor won’t be getting his. One notable absentee from the chair in front of our bathroom mirror is senior captain Richard Johnson. After years of dodgy free haircuts, he has decided to start stumping up $50 at a downtown salon because, in his words, “I have a funny shaped head.” We won’t argue Dick.
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I look forward to updating Bell’s Blog weekly throughout the fall. But for now, I have a prematch meal at a local Italian place to attend. Woo-hoo!
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-19507705480237290692013-12-08T15:35:00.000-08:002013-12-08T15:35:12.453-08:00’Twas A Season to Be Jolly<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his 13th, and final, entry of the year.
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By now, our lockers have been tidied, our boots are gathering dust, and our preparations are for Christmas festivities, not upcoming games. The season is over. And what a season it was.
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It’s always strange when the frantic events of the soccer calendar’s culmination suddenly cease. The constant matches, trainings and traveling simply stop. All that is left to do is reflect. In previous years, reflection has brought upon a certain bitterness and regret. Not this year.
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Sure, we thought we deserved more from our final game, outshooting and outplaying our opponents in a 1-0 defeat. But there is no shame in losing to a talented Madison side in the NCAA tournament. We had made it to the big dance, and boogied til our feet hurt. We signed off 2013 with swagger – a year that will go down as a famous one in Milwaukee soccer history.
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Making the national tournament was one of several goals that we successfully met this fall. It came as a consequence of the biggest: winning the Horizon League Championship.
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The weekend we won was filled with as much drama and controversy as our great sport can muster. Thanks to tornados and disqualifications, delays and relocations, we were forced to play the semi-final and final on consecutive days. We handled every challenge like champions, and after a couple of 2-0 wins that’s exactly what we were. On the Sunday evening, we were crowned, in front of few fans and zero functioning cameras. What we had was each other, the team and staff who had operated together so fluently all fall. Each other, and a big old trophy. The gale force Chicago winds carried our glory chants away into the night air. “Campeones, Campeones, Olé, Olé, Olé”
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Our other achievements, both collectively and individually were plentiful.
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Playing attractive soccer virtually all fall, we finished with a 15-3-2 record, the most victories in a season for the program for a decade.
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Four players earned all-tournament honors - MVP and two-time goalscorer Andrew Stone, Luke Goodnetter, Aaron Cranfill and myself.
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These came on top of the four recipients of all-conference honors.
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Freshmen Liam Anderson and Junior Juarez, as well as Rami Younes enjoyed outstanding beginnings to life in Milwaukee. Bright futures lie ahead for Beau Laufer and Kostas Kotselas too.
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Declan Rodriguez, selfless and underappreciated all year, was fantastic throughout the campaign.
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Robbie Boyd leaves after lifting the Horizon League trophy. His captaincy responsibilities are passed over to Luke Goodnetter and Richard Johnson, who I look forward to raising more silverware with in the future.
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The competition for the number one goalkeeper position will heat up in 2014. Liam shall be pushed by Agustin Rey, John Stahr and freshly eligible, Ryan Onwukwe.
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Next year, Kyle Neumann, Aaron Horvat, and Patrick Ruhland can build on their contributions so far at UWM. Zach Stevenson and Dustin Ashley will come back from redshirt seasons to improve us, too. Likewise the strong class of incoming guys will help fill the void left by the seniors.
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We all wish one of those seniors, Andrew Stone, the very best of luck in his pursuit of a post-college soccer career. Hopefully he extends the program’s braggability into the New Year.
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His fellow departing defenders, Cranfill and Austin Toth, walk through the exit door alongside dedicated four year servants Boyd, James Ashcroft, Luke Davey, Riley Weiner, and Kevin Ferron. The group can all graduate as champions, crying champagne tears.
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I’ve won a few honors myself this year. Followers of Milwaukee soccer must be sick of hearing about me. In truth, though I am very proud of the accolades that have come my way, I’m sick of seeing my picture too. But every team member has the award I coveted most. The one that sits in pride of place on my dresser, like I’m sure it does in all our respective bedrooms. On the prestigious glass plaque are three words that cheer me up each morning when I awaken to a day without soccer. It reads: Horizon League Champion.
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That’s us. Merry Christmas!
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Over and out.
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LBChris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-5332256509315987052013-11-15T10:51:00.003-08:002013-11-15T10:51:39.031-08:00Everything on the Line<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his 12th entry of the year.
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It’s post-season. A time when every game is your biggest of the season, and any game could be your last. When your next blog may be a season-reflector or a look ahead to a new opponent. We kick off tonight in the Horizon League semi-final against a tough Oakland side who finished just one place behind us in conference. The prize for the winner: a place in Sunday’s final against UIC.
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So, we are in Chicago, stationed in our hotel rooms, each player preparing themselves for tonight in their unique way. We have just returned from our habitual pre-game walk. On today’s wander, we lapped a Super-Target megastore beside the hotel. The journey took us behind a loading dock that smelled worse than Ryan Onwukwe’s dreadlocks after a month without being washed. Perhaps it was some kind of preparatory strategy. If we can make it through that, we’re ready for anything.
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A week ago, we recorded our biggest victory of the season, a 5-0 thrashing of Cleveland State. Our defense was huge in ensuring the clean sheet, and five different players notched goals. Ashy, Goodnetter, and myself added to our season tallies, and two freshmen scored their first goals for Milwaukee. Beau finished nicely to wrap up the scoring, after Kostas Kotselas earned an overdue first goal in the final game of a regular season that he deserved more from. Rami Younes starred with two assists and an impressive performance on his return from injury. It was a great way for the seniors to bow out of Engelmann action, and a fantastic set up for this weekend’s tournament. It has given us confidence that we will carry into tonight.
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Earlier this week, the Horizon League awards came out. Andrew Stone and I were awarded First Team All-Horizon League honors, and Luke Goodnetter and Robbie Boyd were named on the second team. I must thank my team for helping me earn the Horizon League Player of the Year Award, too. Our whole squad felt rightly aggrieved, after our remarkable season, that we didn’t get more recognition in these polls. But, while they are good achievements, this isn’t why any of us play the game. If our priorities were the pursuit of individual trophies, we would have taken up tennis or golf.
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But we are all footballers, soccer players. We participate in the greatest team sport in the world for a reason. To play in a team. To win, draw and, sometimes, even lose together. To work collectively with 25 other guys towards the same goal. The goal this weekend: to win a Horizon League Championship in Chicago. It is what we have worked towards all season, and it starts tonight against Oakland. We can’t wait.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-30477908194718238682013-11-09T12:57:00.000-08:002013-11-09T12:57:47.841-08:00The Engelmann Eight<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his 11th entry of the year.
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Tonight we can secure the number two spot in the Horizon League and a place in the conference tournament semi-final. We can take our win tally to an impressive 13. It’s a big game and a big opportunity. It is also a chance to recognize the eight seniors who will be enjoying possibly their last-ever game at Engelmann Stadium.
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Whether they have been here four years, two years or even six months, each player has contributed significantly to the program and will be missed next season.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9mktT8AC991l9ghonz30Jii-LDUxYHdJYD5s97c1WGFpObluDJH2PmrIXdx4R5BQuZPQF9wZO0xjMK9IwN4A_5MOhnDhKAVYka8ac1B4T7aPlqyoFxhACP9Kwnscv9kKe05cZ_H23A0j/s1600/MSOC+SRS+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9mktT8AC991l9ghonz30Jii-LDUxYHdJYD5s97c1WGFpObluDJH2PmrIXdx4R5BQuZPQF9wZO0xjMK9IwN4A_5MOhnDhKAVYka8ac1B4T7aPlqyoFxhACP9Kwnscv9kKe05cZ_H23A0j/s200/MSOC+SRS+(3).jpg" /></a></div>
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Robbie Boyd, my fellow captain, has led us for the past two years. He has given us pace and quality down the righthand side and will be a tough act to follow for future wingers. It was at Robbie’s house that I spent my first week in Milwaukee. So, I thank him for helping me settle in, and also for all the penalties that he’s won!
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Riley Weiner has battled through injury throughout his college career, but has still managed to contribute in every one of his seasons. Like a few of the other seniors, he’ll still be around UWM next year as he works towards his Masters. Hopefully, that’ll mean more days for us out on his boat.
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Andrew Stone has only has one playing season for us, but he has made a significant impact. His defensive quality and athleticism have given us real strength at the back this year, and his size 12's will be big shoes to fill. We wish him luck with his future ambitions in the game.
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James Ashcroft is the only senior not from the state. Although, the first day I met him I couldn’t detect a hint of his British accent and mistook him for a Wisconsinite. A former captain, he has shown leadership, quality and versatility in his years as a Panther, and the locker room will feel very different without his presence when he’s gone. Something tells me the wannabe-American won’t be too far away though.
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I’m not sure what Kevin Ferron’s plans are after college, but I have a feeling he’ll do well for himself. On the field and off it, he has a knack of getting what he wants. He also has the coolest mode of transportation on the team. It won’t feel right when we leave practice next year without him zooming away on his retro moped.
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Aaron Cranfill, like Stone, had to sit a year before playing his only season for us. But, as our record shows, it’s a season worth waiting for. Fortunately, his goofiness will still grace our locker room next year as he begins his role as graduate assistant. We just can’t shake this guy.
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Austin Toth had to play for UWM. He has told me the story a couple of times how his parents met each other on Engelmann Field. His dad was a soccer player and his mother a dancer. She has now made her own mark on the program by baking delicious desserts all fall! A.To is embracing his short time here since arriving over summer after four years at DePaul. His unwavering smile even remains as I regularly beat him at ping-pong.
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Luke Davey is a Panther. He always has been and always will be. He knew from an early age he was going to play here, and I believe his plan is to spend his old age watching more Milwaukeeans grace the Engelmann turf. I will miss my locker buddy and we all will miss our devoted teammate.
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So, tonight we shall pay tribute to the Engelmann Eight. And before we deal with losing so many big characters and quality players next year, and before they tackle intimidating post-college lives, we will collectively try to help them sign off their careers with silverware and success.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-15923724938935205402013-11-03T19:22:00.004-08:002013-11-03T19:22:54.923-08:00Spooky Soccer<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his 10th entry of the year.
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On Halloween-eve we took on Northern Illinois in the battle for the LeWang trophy. True to occasion, the setting was more fitting for a scary movie than a soccer game. The rain lashed down in a near-deserted stadium and just the odd spectator in dark, hooded clothing dotted the touchline. The game was ugly and not particularly eventful. The longer it remained scoreless the more the suspense built. Then, in the 74th minute, we carved open the NIU defense like a pumpkin.
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Patrick Ruhland carried the ball down the right wing, ghosting past defenders and crossed to Kostas. He battled with their defender and set the ball invitingly to my right foot. I wielded my axe and the ball went spinning away like a decapitated head in a low budget horror film, landing in the back of the ghoul. I mean goal. Our opponents gave us some late frights, but our defense was monstrous, ensuring that none of our missed chances from set pieces came back to haunt us. We shook hands and hurried onto the bus before any bad befell us. The team and trophy arrived home safely.
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Our next and last regular season match is on Saturday against Cleveland State, meaning a ten day space between games. This is both unusual and welcome. Our hectic schedule often only gives us two or three days rest for niggling injuries, which are common at this time of year, to be healed quickly or bandaged heavily.
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Fortunately though, our squad is deep this year and anyone who comes off the bench, not only covers well but adds something to the team. This enables our coaches to rotate and rest players without harming our quality on the field. Recently, Beau Laufer, Kotselas, Riley Weiner and Patrick Ruhland have been particularly impressive when they have featured. Kyle Neumann, who has started the last two games, has held his own in midfield, contributing to a couple of wins.
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The uninterrupted practice time is also providing opportunity for us to train hard. We are working tactically, technically and physically in preparation for the Cleveland State game and then the postseason competitions, which will define our fall. If we are victorious on Saturday, we will end the regular season with 13 wins. Regardless of what happens after that, we will have had a remarkable season. But we want it to be a truly memorable one for UWM men’s soccer. We have our sights set on the NCAA tournament, which would be a special experience for the players, coaches and the program.
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We certainly believe in ourselves, and our record and performances this year give reason for others to do so too. But we are taking it one game at a time. We ask everybody to support us Saturday on Engelmann, and wish us luck on our travels beyond.
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Happy belated Halloween!
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-23443235081554276462013-10-23T11:36:00.000-07:002013-10-23T11:36:28.183-07:00Badger Culling<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his ninth entry of the year.
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Tonight we face the Wisconsin Badgers in an exciting in-state match up. This fall’s fixtures between Wisconsin’s four big soccer playing universities – Milwaukee, Marquette, Green Bay and Madison – have seen action-packed games and mixed results. Anybody can beat anybody in rivalry games and this season has proved it. This evening’s Engelmann showdown features two teams having good seasons. The Badgers are 9-3-1. We are an impressive 10-2-1 and looking to add to our wins.
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Those in attendance tonight might want to dress warm because, as my Wisconsinite readers will be aware, it has gotten cold here. Very cold. It felt like summer a fortnight ago, but yesterday was forecasted to see snow. Snow in October. Kiwi Liam Anderson says he has never seen snow before. Hopefully, that remains true for a little longer. I've heard people from this state repeatedly say how they love the Wisconsin fall. "Light jacket weather," coach Kelderman called it, with a smile. But that kind autumnal attire was good for about one beautiful week when golden leaves danced in the blustery wind and the air was cool and crisp.
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Not anymore. In the last few days, I've been bundled up in long-johns, wooly hats and the warmest of several coats that I've acquired over my two years of Milwaukee thrift store shopping. Now, the trees are basically nude, and Zach and I are heading to Goodwill for more pre-owned layers.
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If you can’t make the game, you can tune in at home to the Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. From your own home you’ll be able to see competitive soccer and close ups of our team’s edgy hairstyles, specially manicured for the TV cameras. Pay attention to Patrick Ruhland’s – I’m giving him a pre-game trim once I’m done writing.
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We had no game this weekend so were given some time away from soccer to relax. During this time, Aaron Cranfill decided to brawl with a dog and ended up coming off worse. I’m no expert on dogs, so I couldn’t tell you what breed Luke Goodnetter’s pet is. All I know is it was tough enough to leave Cranfill with a gash on his nose and running to the hospital for a tetanus shot. Some good came of it, though. It has made Aaron’s babyface more menacing, giving it a don’t-mess-with-me look that all good centre backs should have. Stone mastered this a long time ago.
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The free time was spent by Ruhland enjoying his 20th birthday. For some reason, he took this opportunity to record a video thanking his adoring fans for all their kind messages on his special day. It was a nice idea, but those who watched it were left more confused than touched afterwards. Why would a kid from rural Wisconsin talk like he was brought up in the ghetto, they ask? Couldn’t tell you.
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But I will sign off the way he does in his video:
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“Peace out. Live life to the fullest. Do big things. Peace."
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-78532069408116535002013-10-15T08:43:00.000-07:002013-10-15T08:43:20.481-07:00Quality Time With the Family<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his eighth entry of the year.
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After a three-game week, we sit in a good position in the Horizon League.
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Last Saturday, we cruised to a 3-0 win against Wright State, with good goals from Robbie Boyd, Rami Younes and myself. The defense commanded their area, keeping a clean sheet and our keeper, Liam, even got himself an assist. The victory, on top of our fantastic previous form, earned us a ranking of 24th in the nation. This is a big step for the program and something we are all proud of.
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Unfortunately, we couldn’t back up our ranking by retaining the Chancellor’s Cup. We suffered our first loss of the season against state rivals Green Bay on Tuesday. We outplayed and outshot our opponents, but fortune was not on our side.
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We didn’t dwell on this though. As good teams do, we returned to winning ways quickly by beating Valparaiso in an ugly, hard-fought encounter. I don’t know if their campus has its own climate, but conditions always seem to be miserable when we play there. There were dark clouds and rain in the air throughout, making the turf wet and difficult to play on.
The game was broadly unspectacular but Luke Goodnetter’s goal made up for it. And I think I had the best view of it in the stadium. The ball was cleared high into the air and Luke, about 30 yards out, told me to leave it for him. I stepped aside, presuming he’d control it and chip it back into the area for one of our strikers to contest.
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No, no, no. Instead, he wound his supposedly weaker left foot back, held his position as the ball dropped then volleyed it sweetly into the top corner. So, so sweetly. He ran over to our incredulous bench wheeling his arm in celebration of the eventual game-winner. It was so good our media man, Chris Zills, is still campaigning for it to make the top ten plays on ESPN’s Sportscenter. If you haven’t seen it yet, go and watch it online. Now.
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<a href="http://youtu.be/o90G6oHQ1js">LINK TO VIDEO OF GOODNETTER'S GOAL</a>
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My Dad, Granddad and Uncle have now returned safely to England. In their week in Milwaukee, they got to see two wins, one loss and, to my Granddad’s disappointment, barely any cows. On one of our days off, I joined them on a one hour, 60-mile drive up the Lake Michigan coast to Sheboygan. By Englishmen’s standards this constituted a road trip. But even when covering the epic distance, we weren’t able to spot the farm animals that make Wisconsin famous.
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“America’s dairyland they call it. I haven’t seen one bloody cow!” the oldest Bell repeated as we passed field after empty field. We tried to trick him and pointed to a herd of white and black of horses but even his 90-year-old eyes could tell the difference. We arrived in the pretty town and enjoyed the day paddle board surfing on the Lake and relaxing on the beach. Then, on our way home we spotted them. Huddled together, just peaking out of a barn were six unimpressive looking cows.
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“They must be working bloody hard if it’s just the six of them in the state,” said my satisfied grandfather with a chuckle. The Bell’s aren’t farmers.
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We’re now in conference crunch time and doing everything we can for success in our last 5 regular season games. We travel to UIC on Wednesday with a lot on the line. Wish us luck!
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-86250715686840723572013-10-04T18:47:00.001-07:002013-10-04T18:47:51.895-07:00Real America and International Panthers<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his seventh entry of the year.
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We started off the week with a victory over last year’s conference champs, Detroit. It wasn’t our finest defensive display but who cares when you have Aaron Horvat? We won the game 5-3 with Horvat netting four times. Yep, four! Deservedly, he has since been named national player of the week and conference player of the week. His performance was so good that I heard rumors he was being considered to be on the cover of the next GQ magazine – apparently it was just his terrible haircut that let him down. Maybe his well-defined calves will get him in Men’s Health instead.
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We then traveled a total of about 20 hours on a bus with no DVD player to take on Nebraska-Omaha. We won 3-1 which made the trip home more bearable. So did the post-game dinner. We parked up outside a Golden Corral and I was shown a bit of real America. There was steak, burgers, pizza, pasta, ice cream, fruit, “cotton candy” (I call it candyfloss), marshmallows, a chocolate fountain. Hundreds of eating options spread out before us at the all-you-can-eat buffet. When I’m old, grey and reminiscing about my college experience in the U.S., I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren about the time I stuffed my face in Nebraska. It was truly special.
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There will be a fair few international supporters gracing the Engelmann bleachers this week. James Ashcroft’s parents touched down in America on Friday and my dad, uncle and grandfather will be flying the Manchester to Chicago route the following day. Both groups will be there in time for our game against Wright State. With his folks in town, Ashy will be hoping to continue his “goalscoring form,” as he is calling it, after netting from distance with literally a slice of luck against Nebraska-Omaha. His cross ended up in the goal – sneaking just inside the near post – with the miskick deceiving the helpless goalkeeper.
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It will be fantastic for both of us to have family in the stands and I know my 90-year-old granddad has been as giddy as a kid before Christmas in anticipation of the trip. And he has made his expectations for his stay clear: nothing less than Panther victories will do. He’s a little nervous about the potentially cold conditions during the three evening games, though. I’ve already offered him three blankets and a UWM letter jacket to keep him covered but I’m not sure he’s satisfied. So, if you see a white-haired bloke in a wheelchair trying to build an open fire by the field, you’ll know that’s Bell Senior, Senior. I’ll be trying to get on the score sheet to impress my Uncle – a legendary goalscorer in his day playing in the minor English leagues. And to have my dad watching will just feel right. Regrettably, my mother couldn’t come because of work commitments but the three men have agreed to sample as much Wisconsin beer and cheese as possible on her behalf. I’m sure Jamie’s mum and dad will be doing the same.
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Finally, I must recognize the reformation of the notorious Engelmann Elite. College soccer nearlyman Nick Grbvac has taken control of the Milwaukee soccer firm, acting as the ‘major’. All sports-loving students should get involved, don the (free) t-shirt and earn citywide status as a member of the rowdy supporters group. Check facebook for details. If not, come to the games anyway and cheer us on in a more civilized manner. Just don’t get in my granddad’s way!Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-1932750672908156862013-09-28T15:48:00.000-07:002013-09-28T15:48:27.103-07:00Getting to Know Us<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his sixth entry of the year.
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<i>Note: Due to an issue beyond anyone's control, this blog was not posted until Saturday after the win over Detroit instead of on Friday.</i>
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After our convincing 2-0 win against Western Michigan last Sunday, we have had an abnormally long six day break between fixtures. This has given us time to recover, train hard and prepare properly for our first conference game - tomorrow at Detroit. It also means that things have been a little quiet on the team front. Therefore, the blog this week takes a different form. On the bus to the “Motor City”, I asked every player for a comment or fun fact about a teammate so readers can get to know their Panthers a little better. Some are routine, some strange and some just plain wrong. Enjoy!
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“Goodnetter loves 7-11 slushies,” said Aaron Cranfill.
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Ashy said, “Richard Johnson takes girls to Culvers on a first date.” Kid’s got game.
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Junior told me, “Agustin snores like a wild animal.” I have been told the same thing about myself. Don’t worry, brother!
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Agustin said, “Me, Rami and Junior have a secret language. I’m a tick-tock-tack; they’re both tacks.” Ha, tacks! I have no idea what that means but he walked away laughing, so I guess that’s funny to the three of them.
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According to Beau, “Kostas has a code-red stalker.” Not bad after just a couple of months in Milwaukee.
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Declan said, “Patrick Ruhland and I started as roommates, became friends and are now brothers.” Cute.
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“Laurie’s favorite birthday present was the rabbit,” said Zach, trying to cause trouble.
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Riley revealed, “Luke (Davey) is the biggest Brewers fan and he has aspirations to get married on the field.”
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When Jonny Stahr’s having a tough day, Horvat gives him a lift. “His constant swearing at video games provides comedic relief.” Very well put.
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Liam said, “Beau thinks he’s the biggest bad-ass.” I believe it but he really, really isn’t. Really.
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Cranfill gave us the revelation of the day. “A.To (Toth) still plays with his lego bricks in his basement,” he said. I guess that’s why he commutes to campus.
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Luke G said, “Ferron loves his snacks.”
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All Ferron had to say was, “To all those naysayers; I say nay.” OK, Kev.
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“Riley really loves salads,” Nuemann said, “an abnormal amount.”
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Austin got back at Cranfill saying, “He is so afraid of styrofoam. He can’t even be close to it.”
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Stone confessed, “I like cheese and jelly on my toast. At the same time.” I’d make fun of him for it, but we’re all just a bit afraid of Andrew.
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“I watch all the Star Wars movies at least once every other year,” Robbie said, without anybody asking. He’s proud of it so we’ll let him be.
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Rami said, “Agustin loves my PSP more than I do,” or something similar in his strong Swedish accent.
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Luke Davey said, “Nuemann loves to make vines when he gets out of the shower.” Knowing Kyle, that’s unsurprising. But still strange.
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Dustin said about Zach, “He drives a Jeep from Jurassic Park and loves to cuddle with a girl and watch his favorite movie – Country Strong.” Questionable from Stevenson.
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What didn’t you know about Dustin? He sleeps more than a pack of sloths. I genuinely think he needs to be prescribed pills.
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Kostas said, “Whenever Liam’s in our dorm room he doesn’t wear a lot of clothes.” Yup, that’s wrong.
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Jonno wanted to share a message passed on to him by the wisest of Panama City taxi drivers. He said, “Love is the most powerful force in the universe.” Richie is eagerly waiting to find out and is racking up the Culvers dates. Good luck, pal.
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Finally, a line from our long-serving trainer, Jon Ochsenwald: “It’s great to see the Panthers back to their winning ways.”
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We all agree. Let’s keep that going in Detroit.Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-66217390231914833912013-09-19T11:42:00.002-07:002013-09-19T11:42:23.768-07:00Punching Above our Weight?<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his fifth entry of the year.
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One thing Floyd Mayweather and the Panther soccer team has in common is that we’re both undefeated. The second is we’re both big Justin Bieber fans. No, that second one is definitely a joke. On Saturday night, members of our team huddled together in hotel rooms to watch Mayweather defeat Canelo Alvarez in his boxing fight. On the days either side, we recorded wins of our own.
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The boxing took points to decide the outcome; Friday’s game against DePaul took overtime. Throughout the ninety minutes we threw punch after punch (not literally) but only landed one. We went ahead through Robbie Boyd, with one of two goals the new Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week scored this weekend. After that, we missed chance after chance, myself guiltier than anyone, and failed put the contest out of sight. DePaul equalized in the final stages of normal time – we weren’t quite saved by the bell - and it took a hundredth minute goal from centre back Andrew Stone to finally land the knockout blow.
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On Saturday we went on the road and headed for Indianapolis. Last year we didn’t win a single game when we stayed in a hotel the night before. Soccer players can be a superstitious bunch and our trip’s beginning did nothing to ease our suspicions of some voodoo away from Engelmann. The bus driver, on his first day of the job, didn’t even know how to put his vehicle in reverse. And by hour four of the journey, his eyes were looking very heavy. But who could blame him – we were in Indiana!
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We arrived at the hotel safely and were assigned our rooms. Two hours later, pockets of players crowded around laptop computers and watched the big fight. I’m not sure what it was about watching the largely uneventful 36 minutes of ring-dancing, but it set us up for a convincing performance the next day.
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We won 3-0 against IUPUI with goals from Boyd, Bell and a fine individual effort from Weiner. It has been a while since he scored, but Riley was saving himself for a good one. He carried the ball through the midfield, weaved, jinked, twisted and turned before striking the ball left-footed into the goal. By the time he was done with them, the two defenders he beat were left looking like they’d been through twelve rounds with Mr. Mayweather himself.
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Come to Engelmann tonight to watch your Midwestern Middleweights against Western Illinois as we attempt to keep up the best start to a Panther soccer season since 1996.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-86203279310785467662013-09-12T07:54:00.004-07:002013-09-12T07:54:47.036-07:00Panthers and Other Animals<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his fourth entry of the year.
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Being 2-0-1 after three games is a nice position to be in. Even the first assignments of the school year and the sense of summer heat being on the way out can’t cool our mood. We had a good weekend and our start to the season has set us up nicely for our pursuit of a fulfilling fall.
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Both games went well. We felt we should have beaten Drake but we remained undefeated. Sunday, we won convincingly, scoring two and keeping our first clean sheet of the season thanks to solid defensive work. I scored a penalty for which I must thank Robbie Boyd. Somewhat unfairly, you aren’t awarded assists for winning PKs so I hope Robbie feels compensated by a blog mention instead. His performances in each game were exciting and he created multiple chances for teammates in both.
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Other notable performances at the weekend came from new men Junior Juarez and Rami Younes. Junior started both matches, the first of his career and performed solidly in each. Defending well and getting forward effectively from his right back berth, he was a solid presence throughout and looked comfortable in the role. Rami managed to follow up his game-winning assist against Marquette with a goal of his own on Sunday. He carried the ball thirty yards, beat two defenders and shot from distance into the top corner to pierce Bowling Green’s resolute defense. Congratulations go out to both guys for making impacts so early.
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Off the field, two pets have made their way into the college lives and houses of certain players. Ideally, our choice of animals would show school spirit, but domesticated panthers are a little hard to come by. Instead, my house has a bunny and Kevin Ferron’s has a cat. We named the rabbit 'Gosling' after favorite movie star Ryan Gosling. Both are easy on the eyes, but that’s about where the similarities end; unless the Canadian actor also leaves his droppings all around the house. Inkeeping with the Canadian theme, I put a flannel shirt that our own man from Vancouver, Declan Rodriguez, left at our house into Gosling’s cage for extra comfort. Sorry Decs, I don’t think you’re getting that one back.
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I haven’t yet seen Ferron’s furry feline Puma, but I have it on good authority that she is the size of your hand, terribly clumsy and insanely cute. And although Puma constantly begs for food, Kevin told me that his roommate Aaron Cranfill still meows more often than the kitty does. I’d like to offer an explanation, but that’s just Cranfill.
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We’ll all have to find pet minders this weekend as we go on the road for the first time this regular season. Starting with the short trip to DePaul on Friday and followed by a longer trek to Indiana to face IUPUI on Sunday, the double header will be a good test for us away from the familiarity of Engelmann. Regardless, we are preparing for two positive results to further out impressive start to the season.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-46039753022281379922013-09-04T08:01:00.003-07:002013-09-04T08:01:49.840-07:00Panther Stampede<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his third entry of the year.
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It's been a few days since our victory over Marquette and I have just stopped celebrating. Shortly after the win came my birthday and all the revelry surrounding such an occasion. On Friday, I stated through social media that all I wanted for my birthday was the Milwaukee Cup. We got it and, my teammates will all agree, it feels so, so sweet. I actually got a lot more thanks to the generosity of jubilant Panthers, friends and family (via airmail). It was the perfect weekend.
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Our start to the game was perfect, too. As goalscorer Declan Rodriguez ran to the crowd, who cheered and yelled in giddy disbelief at the earliness of our opening goal, I turned to look at the clock - frozen dead on the one minute mark. It was a relief to go ahead and settled everybody's nerves. However, having lost in the final second last year, we knew the contest was still young at that point and indeed Marquette got back into it soon after, levelling the score. Ultimately, there was no last-gasp drama though, as our game-winner was scored in the 27th minute by senior debutant Austin Toth.
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In his previous three years playing at DePaul, A.To confessed to me, he only managed one goal. So to score in the headline fixture on our regular-season schedule was something pretty special. It was a sweet-struck finish which was celebrated by the left back wheeling away towards the bench, where he singled out Dustin Ashley. It turned out he'd borrowed Dustin's boots to play in and they had evidently brought him a goalscoring touch. It remains to be seen what footwear he'll stride out in next week!
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The rest of the game was spent preserving our lead, with nobody more involved than another debutant - goalkeeper Liam Anderson. His saves, along with resolute defending from everyone out there, won us the match.
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Another contibuting factor was the support from the record 3,312 spectators crammed around the field. I have heard several reports from those in the bleachers of how rowdy and crowded their viewing experiences were. Each of their suportive voices drove us on throughout the game and made the occasion something truly memorable to be a part of. I'd love to see the stands so full every week - having big numbers boosts our team's performance and the status of the program. Hopefully our victorious display will bring many of them back this weekend for the Panther Invitational.
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When the final whistle eventually blew, many of the fans stormed onto the field. Us players were swallowed, lost somewhere inside the Panther stampede. What peaked out of the horde though, risen as high as Robbie Boyd's little arms could manage and glinting under the Engelmann lights was the Milwaukee Cup: Grand, shiny and ours for at least the next twelve months. Happy days.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-13216629884565563352013-08-28T07:56:00.000-07:002013-08-28T07:56:22.898-07:00Milwaukee Pride<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his second entry of the year.
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It is rivalry week for men's soccer in Milwaukee. This Friday we take on Marquette at our home field. The 'Milwaukee Cup' and bragging rights in the city are at stake. A year ago at their place, the Golden Eagles turned our 2-1 lead into a 3-2 defeat, scoring the winning goal as the end of game buzzer sounded. In spring, another last-gasp set piece gave them a victory of the same scoreline. The two games have played on my mind and my teammates' ever since and a chance to exact revenge has been a long time coming. This Friday we will attempt to do just that.
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Our preseason preparations for the home opener have been good, finishing with two convincing wins over Lewis and Parkside at Engelmann. The aggregate scoreline of 7-1 over the two games has furthered the confidence we built last year whenever we play on our own turf. As it was for six of the seven games a season ago, we want to make Engelmann our fortress. Against Lewis, all three former Green Bay players - Stone, Goodnetter, Cranfill - now eligible after sitting last fall, scored their first goals for Milwaukee. Not bad for two defenders and a central midfielder! Two goals came from set pieces, an area we hope to be strong in this year with several tall, powerful players who can compete in the air. And if that results in more assists for myself as a corner and free kick taker, I won't complain. The final of our four goals was a crushing drive from Robbie Boyd from outside the penalty area. If he can find consistent scoring form this season it will be a huge asset for our team.
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Against Parkside, it took conceding the opening goal to get us to raise our game. Once we did though, we looked strong. Kyle Neumann came on early as a substitute forward - a position he hasn't played for a while - and made a big impact. He scored a nice goal and held the ball up well all night. The other two goals were scored by me. One was a nice early touch-and-finish goal that I was proud of. The other, I will admit, was a bit of a fluke. A forty yard free kick into the top corner sounds spectacular until you are told it was meant as a cross. They all count.
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Off the field we have been eating well. We've been supplied with breakfasts, lunches and dinners from Alterra, Via and other local eateries. With the end of preseason this will be stopping though and we'll be back fending for ourselves in our own kitchens - something I'm fearing for with Zach Stevenson as a roommate. Last year our home cooking resulted in the "Great Chicken Nugget Fire of Farwell Avenue", so we're keeping fingers crossed for better success this year.
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This week a mention must go out to Jamie Bladen. One of our standout players as a senior last fall, he is now a member of the coaching staff. And since I blogged about the coaches last week without dropping his name, he hasn't been shy in letting me know how offended he was. So, to Jamie: a fine player, a teammate who I looked up to and made me feel welcome when I first arrived, and now a reassuring locker room presence for the current crop of Panthers. It's great to still have you around.
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I will sign off with a plea to all Panther fans and soccer enthusiasts in the city to attend Friday's monumental match-up and cheer us on. See you there.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-4612944250559742102013-08-19T12:32:00.000-07:002014-08-29T13:33:02.038-07:00Exciting Times for Panthers<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a junior on the 2013 Milwaukee men's soccer team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website. Today is his first entry of the year.
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Over two thousand fans watched a world record get broken as the Panthers played their first exhibition game of this preseason. OK, the world record had nothing to do with soccer, but our fixture was the main feature of SIU Edwardsville’s 2013 welcome event, an exciting occasion to be a part of. New squad members got playing time and, with only two days of full training behind us, the 2-0 loss on the road was hardly demoralizing.
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At half time, 1,700 spectators simultaneously opened cans of soda, becoming the largest gathering ever to do so. But, the way the game started, it was as though our opposition had guzzled the gallons of Pepsi before walking out of the tunnel. The match began frantically, with SIUE passing and pressing to the frenetic beat of whatever dance song came blaring from the speakers in the field-side parking lot. The soundtrack unfortunately lasted 90 minutes, but the home side’s dominance didn’t. We managed to get back into the game, link up better as a team and create some chances. We didn’t take any of ours though and our opponents converted two of their few opportunities, ultimately proving the difference between the sides.
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We went into the game missing several players through injury. Most are short term, post-summer knocks but, unfortunately, Zach Stevenson’s torn ankle ligaments mean he’ll be crutching around campus and out of soccer action for at least six weeks. We all wish him well with his recovery. Barring Zach’s misfortune though, everything has been positive since meeting back up as a group in Milwaukee.
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Before linking up with the coaches, we held five days of 'Captain’s Practice', training together, meeting the new guys and all becoming familiar with one another. This means incoming freshmen staying in team mates’ houses before they can move into the dorms. Dustin, Zach and I hosted the New Mexican pair Junior (Isaias) and Agustin, a transfer. A highlight was taking Agustin out on my new paddle board on Lake Michigan. Judging by his wobbly attempts, I don’t think water sports are all that common in New Mexico. Junior remained safely on dry land, laughing.
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Those two, as well as the rest of the new guys, all look strong on the field. Kostas, Beau and Rami will all contribute to our attack, Junior to defense and Liam Anderson will fight it out with Agustin and John Stahr for the number one goalkeeping position. Adding that bunch to the wealth of returning talent from our successful last fall gives us a very strong squad for this coming year. Finally, the three guys who had to sit last fall – Luke Goodnetter, Andrew Stone and Aaron Cranfill – all pulled on Milwaukee jerseys for the first time Friday night, each looking confident on their long overdue Panther debuts and ready to play big roles this coming season.
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Another welcome point this preseason has been returning to familiar faces on the staff in coaches Keldermann and Zenoni. It’s the first season I have come into knowing the coaches I’ll be working with. Former volunteer goalkeeper coach Mark Litton has joined full time which is a further plus point for the program.
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So the coaches are there, the players are ready and, as I sit writing from the bleachers looking out over our sun-drenched field, our facilities look as glorious as ever. It’s fair to say I am very excited for this fall.
Chris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3340049725542798129.post-37714607704280548942012-11-12T10:57:00.002-08:002012-11-12T10:58:37.399-08:00Over and Out<span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/bell_laurie00.html">Laurie Bell</a></span>, a sophomore on the 2012 Milwaukee men's soccer team, wrote the team blog all season on the UWM website. Today is his 12th and final entry of the year.
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It has been an enjoyable, progressive and encouraging season. But now, sadly, it has come to an end.
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Losing in the quarter final of the conference tournament on a miserable night in Valparaiso was a regrettable way to finish. I think we all genuinely believed we were capable of extending our postseason play further. And after watching from the sidelines, suspended due to yellow card accumulation and frustrated, I, like lots of the guys, was emotional as the final whistle blew on our competitive involvement this fall. But looking back over the last few months we have reason to be happy, as there is much to celebrate about the program and much to look forward to next year.
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After summer we had to settle in quickly to a new set-up brought in by coaches who were appointed not long before our initial training began. We adapted successfully to this challenge and now a stable and content environment for the team to work in has been created – one I am confident that this program will thrive under in seasons to come. And our overall record is evidence of improvement already. Finishing 8-8-2 was superior to how we have fared in the last few years and our home record of 6-1 is a real achievement that is deserving of praise.
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With 14 of our 18 games being decided by just 1 goal, we provided plenty of excitement for the spectators too. Perhaps this exposes our occasional inability to kill off opponents but it also proves the never-say-die attitude we showed throughout the season. Our team’s togetherness ensured we competed and still believed up until the final minutes – or the final second as was the case with a couple of our most dramatic games this year.
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Ultimately, it has been a season to look back on with satisfaction even if a feeling of ‘what might have been’ still lingers. James Ashcroft, Aaron Horvat, Declan Rodriguez and myself received individual honors which is something to be proud of, but the whole squad is worthy of recognition for our achievements and attitudes this year. We won games, impressed spectators and enjoyed ourselves as we did it. Now we must say a sad goodbye to our seniors but also welcome some new guys who will only strengthen the team. We all look forward to a promising 2013 which will hopefully be a more successful season still. Just so long as we don’t schedule any more games in Ohio!
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I would like to thank everybody who followed my blog this fall. I hope you have been entertained and not too confused by my British-ness and have had as much fun reading as I did writing.
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Over and out.
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LBChris Zillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528558248823839865noreply@blogger.com