GR places 4 in Semi-Finals

[GRGirlsSoccer]

After having only 1 top 4 seed (Alexander 1st in CC) the GR has seen 3 teams upset higher seeds on their way into the final.

Elba (10th Seed in DD) has knocked off the 7th seed and the 2nd seed in DD to get a meeting with 6th seeded Arkport in the semi-finals.

WC (6th seed in C) blew by the 3rd seed HAC 7-0 to get a semi-final bid.

Kendall (7th seed in C) knocked off Red Jacket 3-1 to get a semi-final bid.

WC and Kendall face off so the GR is guaranteed at least one team in the final. Alexander faces Pavilion (5th seed in CC) for a spot in the final.

Perhaps the league was not as weak as I thought throughout the year.

[GRsoccer2]

After having only 1 top 4 seed (Alexander 1st in CC) the GR has seen 3 teams upset higher seeds on their way into the final.

Elba (10th Seed in DD) has knocked off the 7th seed and the 2nd seed in DD to get a meeting with 6th seeded Arkport in the semi-finals.

WC (6th seed in C) blew by the 3rd seed HAC 7-0 to get a semi-final bid.

Kendall (7th seed in C) knocked off Red Jacket 3-1 to get a semi-final bid.

WC and Kendall face off so the GR is guaranteed at least one team in the final. Alexander faces Pavilion (5th seed in CC) for a spot in the final.

Perhaps the league was not as weak as I thought throughout the year.

Who do you see winning the wheatland-kendall game? Both being gr teams I am curious to see who takes it into the finals

[All4Soccer]

It should be a great game but I see WC winning. They won both regular season games, they seem to be peaking at the right time, and from the regular season meetings its clear that Kendall is a very static team. They play the same way whether they are winning or losing, whereas WC is constantly changing and adjusting both coming into games and even during games. But it could really go either way. Should be a great game

[Deed]

Who do you see winning the wheatland-kendall game? Both being gr teams I am curious to see who takes it into the finals

Having seen Kendall play the game that they did in Waterloo on the artificial turf field, I am giving them a better chance than I may have otherwise. I think Wheatland has a better chance of solving Browe and those that are feeding her than Kendall has of solving the more varied WC weapons.

As long as Wheatland can hold the edges and outwork the Kendall players for 50/50 balls, I think this game will go to WC.

Both teams have to be ready to play hard enough and make enough of their opportunities to win in the face of whatever referee call (or several calls) that do not favor them.

Should be a tremendous game! This will be the last game for a number of talented / dedicated Seniors. I hope we, as fans, can help to make this as positive an experience as possible regardless of the outcome.

:)

[GRGirlsSoccer]

Well the schedule makers smiled upon anyone who wants to watch the GR games tonight as Wheatland v Kendall is at 5pm at Cal-Mum and then Alexander v Pavilion is at 7:30pm at Cal-Mum.

I think Wheatland is the favorite but it is always hard to beat the same team 3 times in one season and that is the task they are facing. There is normally much more strategy at play in the sectional tournament, a win or go home game. Teams sit back defensively and look for cracks or mistakes to attack into. Some teams come in and play defense just trying to get into overtime. I feel Wheatland has an edge in the coaching department and often times these games come down to which team has a better overall strategy coming into a game like this. I truly believe this is a one goal game and that the winning goal will be scored late. I think this is a 1-0 game and picking a team is very hard.

Alexander has got to be feeling pressure at this point in the season. 16-0-1 but with some very uninspired play the 2nd half of the season. They went to OT to beat Oakfield - a team that they handled early in the year and then beat 2-0 late in the year. The shot count looked like it was heavily in their favor but that means little if the ball doesn't go in the net. Can their coach get them ready for this game. If you are Pavilion you have very little to lose in a game like this. You are a 5 seed playing against an undefeated team. The records say you aren't supposed to win so you might as well step on that field and play with everything you have from the opening whistle and see if you can play the role of underdog knocking off the big dog. I smell a lot of trouble for Alexander in this game - they have had a lot of scorelines late in the year that show they are just not playing as well as they were early in the year. Have their coaches lost the ability to motivate the team, have the players fallen into the mindset that they don't need to play all out to win games, or are they really not as good as their record shows.

I am heading out to the games - I think it should be two classic battles and am looking forward to watching.

[GRsoccer2]

I enjoyed reading both your analysis's and predictions of these games, unfortunately I cannot make it to them but look forward to seeing what you see/report about the games results afterwards! I can't wait to see who advances into the finals.
Keep warm and enjoy!

[Deed]

I enjoyed reading both your analysis's and predictions of these games, unfortunately I cannot make it to them but look forward to seeing what you see/report about the games results afterwards! I can't wait to see who advances into the finals.
Keep warm and enjoy!

Kendall earns the 2-1 victory! Great job, girls! Good luck in finals!

[SoccerKAH]

Does anyone know the results of kesequa vs. York??

[GRGirlsSoccer]

I enjoyed reading both your analysis's and predictions of these games, unfortunately I cannot make it to them but look forward to seeing what you see/report about the games results afterwards! I can't wait to see who advances into the finals.
Keep warm and enjoy!

Sorry for the delay - 3 meetings yesterday at work, dinner with the wife after work (part of the deal so she would go watch these games with me), and then a Sabres game to watch after that.

Anyway - two real fun games to watch at Cal-mum Tuesday night (which lasted until about 10:30pm).

The first game was a chess match between 2 teams that had played twice already. Two different styles of play, Wheatland was moving the ball sideline to sideline and I am confident they out possessed the ball on Kendall but they failed to make the dangerous pass throughout the first half. Kendall got forward every time they got the ball, immediately forward. They didn't attack with great numbers, they let 1 and 6 do most of the work up front and they had 5 or 6 girls behind the ball immediately defensively throughout the game. The only goal of the 1st half was scored by Kendall on a corner kick, it was actually put into an own goal by a defender trying to clear the ball. Neither team had many looks at goal during the 1st half.

In the 2nd half Wheatland continued moving the ball side to side (Kendall was sitting back a bit and allowing them to move the ball in the middle third sideline to sideline. Wheatland tied the game as 8 stole the ball from Kendall's center back and went in and finished a great chance to make it 1-1. I thought that would be the momentum that would push Wheatland to the win but almost immediately Kendall got down the field, got in deep, sent a cross to the front that was cleared out right to 22 who fired a long shot from 30 yards and it was out of the goalies reach and into the net. From there Wheatland just attacked and Kendall defended. Wheatland hit a crossbar but they just couldn't get the ball in a dangerous place.

The Alexander/Pavilion game was a very interesting game. Pavilion had one of their play makers chasing 6from Alexander most of the game and then their stud up front with all the goals in the midfield most of the game. Alexander had 13 on Pavilion's 23 any time she was at forward and 13 won that battle all night until she pulled up lame on a direct kick and had to be taken out of the game. Pavilion got a goal midway through the 1st half on their only shot of the 1st half. It was a corner kick that Alexander headed right out of the box but it came to a Pavilion player about 40 yards out. Alexander was late getting out of the box, the Pavilion player sent it back in to 3 waiting players who were not offside because Alexander was late clearing their 18. The Alexander keeper came out but didn't get her hands to the ball and 23 from Pavilion chipped a ball that rolled into the far corner. Alexander attacked through 20 in the center of the field throughout the game. 6 for Alexander had a break that she rolled just wide of the far post and in the final 10 seconds she raced by the defense with the ball and hit a shot off the bottom of the far post that no one crashed on.

In the 2nd half Pavilion was sitting back clearly trying to kill the game off. Alexander just kept coming and kept missing chances. 20 from Alexander had 2 great looks inside the box that she sent wide. 11 had a couple great looks on the back post that she missed wide. 6 dribbled through the back 4 of Pavilion and missed for 8 yards outside the near post on a chance I was sure she would finish. Pavilion rang a shot off the crossbar and then Alexander's goalie made the save of regulation on the rebound when she got her hand to a laser of a shot that was headed in and then smothered the ball after knocking it to the ground. 13 from Alexander got hurt and went out with about 20 minutes left in the game. I was surprised to see her come back in about 3 minutes later and go up top posted on the sweeper. You could see she had an issue with one of her legs as she was limping but Alexander was trying to play it to her feet and have her lay it off. It was working despite her limited mobility. Alexander finally got a goal with about 15 left as 6 got a ball from 13 and got to the endline, crossed it to the front and 20 fired it in the net to tie the game. Alexander continued to attack, they headed a couple corner kicks over the net in regulation.

In OT Alexander had more chances and continued to squander them. 11 had another look on the back post after a cross from the left to the right was headed back across the goal and her shot went wide. Alexander had more corner kicks but couldn't connect. They had a direct kick in golden goal with about a minute left from just outside the 18 but got no one on the end of a great service from 20. Pavilion had a couple looks at goal but the defense snuffed them out.

In the PKs Pavilion calmly put their 4 shots where they needed to be. Alexander's keeper had a full extension look at the first one but it was right inside the post and she couldn't get there. The 3rd kick she went to her right and the ball came down the middle but she couldn't get her hand back to it before it was in. The 2nd and 4th kicks were just buried. Alexander's 1st kick by 20 was buried inside the left post, their 2nd kick was on frame but easily stopped by the Pavilion keeper, 3rd hit the inside of the left post and went in, 4th was the same as the 2nd, on frame but easily stopped by the Pavilion keeper.

Pavilion was clearly the better team at PKs. Alexander could have won the game, but they just missed chance after chance. The coaches both had their teams prepared, Pavilion capitalized on one of their 2 real good chances and Alexander only managed to convert one of their 15 or so chances and that was the difference in the game.

It was a great night of soccer - best of luck to Kendall and Pavilion in the next round.

[Deed]

Once again, great game descriptions GRGS!! Appreciate the time and effort for those not able to attend the games and still tremendously interested!