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Vonnegut Love Fest 2005

..coming to a soccer message board near you..

WA (R7 #3 seed) 1 @ Wando (R7 #2 seed) 0, PK's 3-1


More will be posted later, but for tonight I would like to thank the West Ashley girls and coaching staff for not letting the "Doin' it the Hard WAy Tour '05" down with an early clear cut victory, but rather by making sure the game went first to OT, the Golden Goal, the PK's for the eventual win. To have won it in any other fashion over Wando would have been a travesty. Coach Ferguson and his players are to be congratulated for the quality of their opposition on their home turf. West Ashley, after a bruising road schedule, looks forward to a 4 day rest and preparation for James Island next Tuesday. Again, given any possible combinations of games, this is the one I most would have hoped for. The best lowcountry team will face Mauldin or Fort Mill (you guys can sort that out) next Friday and I will be there.


lpaf

West Ashley would like to announce their presence in the finals match of the 2005 Lower State competion. This match will be held at James Island's home field, The Back Yard, (4th road trip for WA in 8 days) on Tuesday, May 10th. Time to be announced. Probably 7:30.

lpaf


ps: Relax a bit girls, you've deserved it...

"ps: Relax a bit girls, you've deserved it..."

very true...this was a well deserved game that could not have turned out any other way. may the best team win on tuesday.

Wando, James Island and West Ashley:

That Wando and WA would play to a third PK situatation this season is indicative of the overall equality of their play over the last four years. Great rivalries in Region 7 have helped each of the three R7 leaders (JI, Wando, WA) to improve the quality of their teams. We will see more of this in Tuesday night's Lower State Championship game between JI (#2 Seed R7) and visiting team West Ashley (#3 Seed R7).

West Ashley come into this 4th stop on their "Doin' It the Hard WAy Tour '05" after a series of three bruising 1 goal games that have included one regulation match, one OT victory, and one victory in pk's. 290 minutes of soccer play + pk's, squeaking by via a single goal on each occasion. They will enter the James Island stadium as underdogs (#4 vs #3 state wide, and Region 7 #3 seed vs #1 seed) on Tuesday night. This is OK, God meant it this way or it wouldn't be this way.

They will also enter into play as two teams comprised of sisters of sorts. For those not familiar with Charleston Club soccer, the dominant girls team over the last 5 years was CUSC (formerly CGSA) Fusion. Three state championships and solid regional appearances over the last 5 years. Much of the development of this talent can be credited to Andy Grist, their head coach during that period and the extraordinary assemblage of talent that occured when a core of JI girls defected to CGSA many years ago to seek the best coaching and club structure available. A roughly equal amount of this talent flowed from Fusion (the balance was in favor of JI 'til Erica Carson had to stop playing) to both WA and JI and few opposing teams know each other better.

When this group of exceptional talent hit the 9th grade level in 2002, the balance of 4A HS girls soccer shifted suddenly in the state, with 3 consecutive R7 state victories (WA 2, Wando 1). Tuesday's Lower State Final will match WA and JI, in their first such meeting for the Lower State crown, with each team featuring at its core the best of Grist's CGSA Fusion team. On balance, after having watched these teams play all season long, I feel the team play of JI plus its true impact players (Frawley, Gosnell, Lassiter, Terry) bring a slight advantage to that team. West Ashley, however has shown continuous improvement over the course of the season and avoided last year's pitfall of peaking too early. WA has three, and sometimes four, of the absolute best players in the state. The real question is the following: Will the impact forwards and defenders of JI, coupled with their excellent fundamentals prevail, on their home turf, over the Wildcats of WA. Or, will WA's players rise above themselves and find a higher level of play? Time will tell, and the team that wants it the most will go to Columbia next Friday.

lpaf

ps: Has Mauldin already conceded to Fort Mill or are they actually going to play the Up State Finals match on Tuesday?

We up here in the north shudder at the fact that if we are fortunate enough to get by Mauldin (who beat FM last year in this very same stage), one of these beasts of the Charleston-area awaits.

Maybe the Lady Jackets - Lady Mavs survivor need not show up in Columbia next Friday night. Region 7 "owns" the state championship.

I personally can't wait to see Tuesday's Lower State match-up between Region 7's prevailing powerhouses, JI and WA. After losing to WA twice already this year in regular season, JI (I'm sure) will be hungry to play the rival lady Wildcats. WA, on the other hand, rolling in strong from a thrilling playoff victory over regular season curse, Wando this past Friday might just be able to come into Tuesday's match with enough fire and grit to take out the Trojans again. If the girls at WA can reach down and find it within themselves to put together every piece of talent they have, from the bench to the starting line-up, then I'm sure the state title they deserve will be well within reach.

quote:

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Region 7 "owns" the state championship.

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I like the sound of that...

LPAF, Thanks for the kudos for the JI impact players. But, it's West Ashley's "impact players" Bolt, Jordan, and the brothers twins, that have stepped their game up a notch more than the 4 impact players of JI. Terry performs solidly on defense consistently, Battye, (an unsung hero)controls the midfield play to release 2 of the most dangerous strikers in the State. However, JI needs to step up their game a notch more than WA on Tuesay, if they are to play in Columbia.

I think I am going to have to break out my navigational equipment and find my way across the harbor to watch this one. Nothing else to do on Tues night since NYPD Blue went off the air.

LPAF, Do you know the start time for the WA/JI game on Tuesday? It will be a great game - watching all the Fusion players on the field again - even if they are on opposite sides. Go Wildcats!!!