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West Ashley's "Doin' It the Hard Way Tour '05" is on time for its 4th stop in about 2 hours at James Island. GO WILDCATS -- DO IT THE HARD WAY ONE MORE TIME !!!!!


lpaf

WA 2 @ JI 1


A more in depth analysis of the game will follow, probably from a number of people. First, this was not pretty soccer, and during most of the first half James Island was absolutely dominant driving the ball and crossing. Gosnell's pretty shot on the assist from Lisa Frawley was, however, the only tangible return on 30 minutes of domination. WA, after this, played more aggressively, and their goal with seconds left was the result of a handball in the box with Bolt pushing the pk past the JI keep into the right corner. WA adjusted personelle and their formation for the start of the second half and played a very even 40 minutes, though JI kept the ball in and around the WA box for about 8 hair raising minutes in the middle of the half. The winning goal was scored at 30 minutes into the second half on a highly lofted clearing pass by WA sweeper Danielle Jordan over the JI defense to Alexis Brothers who caught up with the ball and found the JI keep just out of position to either play the ball or get back in goal. A hard one touch pushed the ball past her to the left corner of the net. The game was more physical than to my liking with most of the contact favoring JI and most of it uncalled. James Island's team play was crisper, but in the end the individual play of WA, based on a swarming team defense (Gillespie, Abbatte, Lee, Thomas, Purvis... I'd have to name almost every player) held a very potent JI squad to a single goal.

Again, West Ashley has given us a great "Doin It the Hard Way" 1 goal victory. James Island finishes a great season and played for much of tonight's games as the better team on the field. WA, however put it in the net more and that is what matters. On to Columbia!!! The Doin' It the Hard WAy tour rolls on!!!

Lpaf has done a good job once again with his take on the game, almost :-). The play was physical but no more than usual, in my opinion. WA had their fair share of uncalled fouls along with a handball in box = goal, yellow card and ball given in same play??? JI out shot WA 11-3 in the first half and 11-4 in the second and could not put it in the net. I would give kudos to Alechia Brothers rather than to their entire defense. She had an awesome game. Danielle Jordan played well also. The only problem I have is with the sportsmanship once again. The "stalling" technique that lpaf was so upset and vocal about a few years ago during a club state championship was shown by his very own Wildcats last night. Also seen was a not so nice "hand signal" aimed at the JI crowd, by one of the Brothers. I guess she showed us! Losing is never fun, but losing to a team that you dominated and clearly played better than is especially hard.

JI is a tight soccer community and has a great progam with a lot of class. The team as a whole and individuals have had a lot of bumps in the road over the last 4 years, and if ever there was such a group of deserving girls, they are them. But with all those "hidden horseshoes" WA carries, it just wasn't meant to be. I speak for most of JI when I say Good Luck FM, but I really think WA will be state champions once again. There just seems to be no stopping them.

From today's Chucktown paper:

quote:

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West Ashley's Callie Purvis (left) battles James Island's Kelly Gosnell for control of a loose ball Tuesday during the Wildcats' victory over the Trojans.


Brothers sisters lift Wildcats

BY PHILIP M. BOWMAN
Of The Post and Courier Staff

Oh, Brothers: The West Ashley High School girls' soccer team is heading back to the Class AAAA state championship match after a one-year absence. And the Wildcats are in the running for their third state title in four years thanks to sisters Alexis and Alechia Brothers.

The twins led the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over James Island Tuesday night in the Lower State championship match, played in front of approximately 600 fans at Memorial Stadium on James Island.

Alexis Brothers scored the winning goal in the 71st minute, nine minutes after missing a wide-open chip shot. Alechia Brothers was superb the entire night from her keeper position, as she recorded seven saves, including three in stoppage time at the end of regulation.

"What can I say? We have one in the front and one in the back and they look out for each other," West Ashley coach Drew McNeely said.

"Alechia really stepped up her game, and that was huge. Alexis played great and played hard. When she steps up her game, that's the difference in our team."

James Island dominated early and often, but could manage only one goal. James Island outshot West Ashley 11-3 in the first half and 11-4 in the second half. But the Trojans managed only one score. That came in the 31st minute when Lisa Frawley assisted Kelly Gosnell.

The Wildcats got a major break when the Trojans were called for a handball in the box in stoppage time near the end of the first half. Julie Bolt scored and the Wildcats had new life and a 1-1 tie.

"There was no presence in the first half," we were nowhere to be found," said McNeely, whose team faces Fort Mill, a 1-0 winner over Mauldin, at 7 p.m. Friday in Columbia.

"The fact that we got out of there at 1-1 (at the end of the first half) was a gift. James Island came to play and I think they certainly outplayed us. I think either team would be an excellent representative from the Lower State. I guess that's why there's two halves. Tonight was a night for us to make some adjustments and challenge their will to win. And that's what happened."

It was the Wildcats' third victory over James Island this spring. West Ashley upped its record to 21-4, while the Trojans, the No. 1 seed in the Lower State, finished with the same record.

Alexis Brothers also scored in the second match against James Island. She had a golden opportunity Tuesday, but her chip shot from 20 yards sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

"I missed that first one, and had to get it back," she said. "Danielle (Jordan) kicked it, I ran and got it and kicked it left-footed. I watched to see if it was going in. I though it was going to hit the post, but it didn't. Yes."

Alechia Brothers saw the game-winner from the opposite end of the field. She had been waiting for her sister to come through in the clutch.

"It was awesome," she said. "I was screaming her name all night to get a goal. I told her 'C'mon' and she finally put one in."

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As a non partisan observer, I have to concur with BOTH LPAF and twobiz4u. It was not pretty soccer in that the teams were evenly matched and the defenses would not allow either team to have an organized attack - resorting in a lot of long ball in an effort to allow for some scoring opportunities.
The lone JI goal in first half was a thing of beauty between Frawley and Gosnell.
I did not think the foul by JI warranted the PK that WA's Bolt converted to tie the game.
The second half was very even with WA making the better adjustments defensively - or maybe JI had just expended so much effort in 1st half they didn't have as much left. WA's second goal was created by an unbelievable clearing pass by Jordan. She 1-touch volleyed (on the run) the ball about 50 yards over the JI defense which had been pushing up to midfield. Alexis Brothers was able to outrun the defense and get around the goalie who was forced to come out to meet her at about the 18. Jordan then made a key defensive stop when Frawley got open at about the 10. Glad to know she will be helping the College of Charleston defense next year.
I saw the 'sportmanship' issues that 2b4u referred to and found them regrettable. I had never been impressed with the dancing with the ball ritual I have seen in some of the PK situations between WA and Wando this year.

Well, WA emerged from the toughest Region in the State to again play for the championship. Good luck.
I had hoped JI would have had the opportunity to go to state with the all the seniors that they had this year.

Alechia Brothers was the difference last night, she keeps her team in every game. Without her in the goal James Island would of won last night's game hands down. If she isn't West Ashley's MVP this season, she should be. Bolt and Jordan are good players, but brothers keeps them alive.

The first half was ALL JI, except for a ball to hand call near the outside of the box that gave West Ashley a chance to tie the game in added time. Second half probably 60/40 JI....overall JI controlled 70 to 80% of the game.

A game of chances and inches, JI had the chances and missed a couple by inches. Lady Trojans be proud, sometimes the better team doesn't win, but that's soccer, and the beauty of the game.

Great season Lady Trojans!

"Pink hats have been declared illegal in Anderson by ordinance #3481"

Are pink hats allowed in Richland County? Sure hope so. Can't break the "Tour" traditions, you know. Great game by both JI and WA last night.

swimmer1,

It wasn't a foul in the box that generated the PK, but rather a handball. No foul took place or was called. Great performances by both teams, a shame only one can go on. What did you think about the JI AD sending the police officer out to order Coach McNeely to round up his mingling players and exit through the back entrance to the stadium? Never saw this before.

firefly...

...didn't see that happen after the game. But, then again, I was closing down the box. That's not very cool.
I DO wish the JI ladies had not scattered themselves all over the field, and, instead, shaken the WA hands. But, I understand that it was a tough (and final) loss.
Again, great season!