Blue and White First in Their Divisions, Gold Second
With the season finally over on June 20, White sealed the deal on a fantastic season to clinch first place in ODSL D2.
- WHITE: In its final match away in Warrenton, White started slowly but finally shut out the Mustangs 5-0, with Maddie having her second hat trick of the season and Shanquelle and Keia knocking in one apiece. With the win, in its second season as a team, this hard-working group captured first place in ODSL D2 with an UNDEFEATED season. What an accomplishment! Congrats to the 13 players and Coach Bob for a fabulous season.
- BLUE: Away at Duff Park to face the friendly but feisty SASA Fusion White in its final match of the season, Blue controlled possession and four different players knocked in goals -- Jessica, Gillian, Sarah, and Charlotte -- for the season-ending victory. Together, Hannah, Kaitlyn, and Cookie kept a clean goal and preserved the shut-out. Blue ended its season 7-1-1, with 31 goals for and 11 against. Way to go, Blue!
- GOLD: With other games complete, Gold -- who lost only one match all season, and that one only by a goal -- landed a solid second in its division, with the one narrow loss to the division winner! Fantastic job, Gold!
The overall Academy record for Spring 2009 is 20-2-5 (92 goals for, 31 against). We all are very proud of these 37 players, who have worked very hard this past year, for their effort and achievement, and everyone is looking forward to a very promising transition to 11v11 in the fall.
WAY TO GO, WILDCATS!
May 2009 --
May 31 -- Cats Rally Against Wolverines
Challenged to lock in first place with a win versus the Freestate Wolverines on Sunday afternoon, Blue rallied in the second half but ultimately came up short. Down at half-time but in a great and spirited stretch knocking in two in the second half (with Jessica and Hannah having the finishes), Blue's effort was not enough to come back against a side determined to bump Blue off its undefeated perch. Blue has one match left to finish out its WAGS season.
Solid Academy Showing at the Virginian
All three teams participated in the Virginian over Memorial Day weekend, with Blue and Gold playing 11v11 and White in the 8v8. Overall, the Academy had a solid and promising showing, with the following highlights:
- In 8v8 play in the Bronze Division, White went three for four, with 10 goals for and just 4 against, including a hard-fought 1-0 victory versus the ODSL D1 team Loudoun White (a game in which Shan took one for the team and ended up with stitches). What a great showing for this hard-working group!
- Gold, in 11v11 play in the Silver Division, started out with a strong Saturday of 8 goals for and 0 against...an unlucky Sunday morning in which, despite tremendous effort and a clear victory in possession time, the net proved elusive kept them out of the semi-finals. Thank you to Kyler and Isabelle for your help!
- For Blue in 11v11 play in the Gold Division, a strong start on Saturday with 2-1 and 3-0 wins provided momentum into a tough match against WAGS D1 MSC Elite, a closer match than the score suggests, with both teams creating opportunities. Emotionally and physically drained, Blue still had hope for a Wildcard semi-final berth through a PK shoot-out, but it was not meant to be. Thank you to Meg, Allie, and Colleen for your help!
May 17 -- Blue Over BRYC 3-0
On Sunday, the Wildcats hosted the BRYC Fusion at Draper Park. On a cool/cold day the Wildcats and Fusion played a spirited match with end to end play. The Wildcats nearly scored early with a shot from outside the box by Sam sailing over the goalie’s hands but hit the post and went wide. A few minutes later Kaitlyn took a pass back from Jessica and drilled a left-footed shot over the goalie only to see it hit the post and bounce back. The Wildcats finally found the goal with Jen winning a loose ball in front of the goal and putting the shot past the goalie for a 1-0 lead. In the 2nd half the Fusion put the pressure on and had a number of near misses on corner kicks but the Wildcats held on to their 1-0 lead. In the 2nd half, Sarah hit Sam with a lead pass that she crossed to Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn hit the pass into the left corner for a 2-0 lead. The Fusion had a breakaway that Christina K. (Cookie) knocked wide of the goal. Jen stepped by the defense late in the game and knocked home her second goal of the game for the final margin of 3-0. Christina W. (CW) played her usual great game at center full stopping the Fusion time after time including one long run to break up a breakaway attempt in the 1st half. Olivia and Charlotte played well at midfield with some nice runs on lead passes leading to some good scoring chances.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
May 16 -- Blue Topples VYS Storm 8-2
On a hot a humid Saturday, the Wildcats played at home on the gorgeous (but HOT) Draper turf field against the Vienna Storm. The Wildcats had a number of good chances early on with Kaitlyn M. nearly putting a ball over the Storm’s goalie who had come way out of the goal. A few minutes later, Julia took a pass from Sarah and cut to the middle and outraced the defense and put the ball past the keeper for a 1-0 lead. The Storm came right back and got the equalizer off a long lead pass and a tough shot into the lower right corner of the goal. The Wildcats responded quickly with Olivia scoring shortly after the Storm goal. Sam followed that with a nice shot past the keeper from the left side of the goal for a 3-1 lead. Meg led a tough defense that played much of the game at midfield keeping the pressure on the Storm. The 2nd half saw a wave of Wildcat shots and goals. Kaitlyn K. (KK) took a lead pass from Kaitlyn M and split the defense for a goal. Then Sarah scored two more in quick succession again splitting the defense and beating the goalie with shots into the corners. KK and Sarah each added another goal (a hat trick for Sarah). The Storm scored with a few minutes left and the final was an 8-2 victory for the Wildcats.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
May 13 -- Blue Breaks Little River ES Curse with 3-1 Victory over ODFC
The Wildcats took the field against South Riding with a cool breeze blowing. Little River ES's fields had not been kind to the Academy in the past, but the very short field (with very short goals) was lush compared to prior visits. The Wildcats applied lots of pressure controlling the ball with passes from the midfield to the wings and back. With the score 0-0 at the half (with Hannah having kept a clean goal), Blue kept the pressure on with Christina (CW) thwarting the Storm’s counterattacks. She was supported by Ariana, Christina (Cookie), Gillian, Allison, and Charlotte. A few minutes into the second half, Hannah took a pass from Kaitlyn and made a quick move and fired the ball into the back of the goal. The Storm tied it up in the second half, but not for long as Hannah calmly and confidently brought her tally to 2. The Wildcats continued to have a number of near misses with shots just wide or over the goal until Kaitlyn caught a break on her shot from the left side that caught a clump of grass and jumped over the Storm goalie for a 3-1 lead that ended the scoring.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
May 10 -- Blue Shuts Out Sterling Titans 2-0
On Sunday, the Wildcats traveled to take on the Sterling Titans on a bumpy and short NOVA field. About 5 minutes into the game Christina W. (CW) stepped into a shot just over midfield and drilled the ball over the goalie’s outstretched arms for a 1-0 Wildcat lead. Just before halftime, Sarah took a feed down the left sideline cut towards the goal and sliced a shot past the Titans goalie for a 2-0 lead. The defense led by CW, Gillian, Christina K (Cookie), Allison, and Charlotte along with the goalkeeping of Hannah and Cookie secured the shutout for the Wildcats.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
May 9 -- Blue Over ATSC Juventus 4-1
On Saturday, the Wildcats played the Arlington Juventus on a very short Powhatan field by the skateboard park (thankfully without live entertainment for this spring match!). The Wildcats dominated play with Jessica, Sam (off a pass from Jennifer), Kaitlyn, and Olivia scoring goals in a 4-1 victory for the Wildcats. Hannah and Christina K (Cookie) were excellent in goal along with Christina W (CW), Charlotte, Gillian, and Cookie on defense. CW consistently provided great field position with her goal kicks that were beyond midfield.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
April 2009 --
Blue Opens WAGS Spring Season with a Win over MSC
The Wildcats Blue began WAGS play against the MSC Magic at the Maryland Soccerplex on a sunny but decidedly cool and windy Sunday afternoon.
Early in the 1st half the Magic converted on a feed to the middle after a nice move allowed the Magic forward to get a shot that went into the left corner to give them an early 1-0 lead. Facing a stiff breeze in the 1st half the Wildcats hung in there with Christina W. (CW) providing long goal kicks that went past midfield even into the wind. One of her goal kicks found its way past everyone and Jessica gathered it in and made a nice move to get past the goalie, her hard shot was deflected out by an alert Magic defender to keep the score 1-0 Magic. Near the midpoint of the half Kaitlyn led Olivia on a long pass that she pushed away from the goalie to the corner to Jessica, who hit a beautiful cross that Sarah ran onto and drilled into the net for a 1-1 tie. Hannah kept the game tied with a number of saves including one on a long throw-in and another diving save with two Magic players right on top of her. Kaitlyn connected with Jess on another thru ball but her shot was snagged by the goalie. The Wildcats scored their 2nd goal just before the half with the play starting with a pass from Christina K. (Cookie) to Sam, to Jen, to Jess who finished it off with a nice shot past the keeper and a 2-1 halftime lead.
The 2nd half was the Hannah highlight reel. She started the half with a long shot, I mean punt, that Jess and the Magic goalie were running to meet, when the ball took a big bounce over the goalie's head and found its way into the goal. The Magic were a little stunned that they had just given up a goal to the opposing goalie. Hannah continued her sparkling play coming out to near midfield to stop a breakaway, fisting out a corner kick, and grabbing another corner with at least 2 Magic players kicking at it. CW had a beautiful run where she stole the ball from an oncoming forward, dribbled to the corner and back up the field and back down the far side. The Wildcats nearly scored again on a direct kick by Meg from near midfield that was barely deflected by the goalie. Late in the game, Charlotte started a scoring chance with a pass to Sarah over to Sam whose thru ball was just out of the reach of the charging Charlotte. Sarah also chased down a long pass and won a battle for the ball on the goal line and sent the ball across the goal mouth but was too fast for Olivia to get a foot on it. As the final whistle sounded, the Wildcats had earned a 3-1 victory to start the season.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
Blue Named U13G Premier 11v11 FPYC Liberty Cup Champion!!!
Blue -- Dulles U12/13 Division CHAMPIONS!!!
CONGRATULATIONS to FPYC Wildcats Blue, who brought home the 1st Place trophy for Session 2 of the U12/13 Division at Dulles!!! In the final match for first place, against Loudoun Black (Celtic), a team Blue tied in its opening match, it came down to the final seconds, with Blue holding strong against one last concerted assault by the Celtic and pulling out a 4-3 victory. Way to go, Wildcats!!!
October 2008 --
BLUE Finishes Season with a Win
The Wildcats defeated the Herndon Heat 2-0 in the season finale. The game featured strong defensive play by the Wildcats. After a few minutes with both teams going back and forth Sarah set up Cookie with a long lead pass that Cookie shot but was blocked by the fullback for the Heat. Gillian made a nice save on a long blast by the Heat grabbing the ball out of the air. Kaitlyn had a through ball that Julia blew by the defender only to have her shot stopped by the Heat goalie. Julia again used her speed running down a pass from Sarah and then sending a cross that was cleared by the defense. Christina (CW) made an excellent stop on a near breakaway preventing a shot. The Wildcats benefited from a late off-side call after the Heat scored an apparent goal that after discussion with the linesman and referee was called back for off-sides. Charlotte started another opportunity for the Wildcats with a long pass to Julia who ran the ball down just before it went over the goal-line and crossed the ball towards Jessica who was waiting for an easy tap-in only to see the Heat goalie make a spectacular diving one-handed deflection and save to keep the game scoreless. Jessica got a chance with a lead pass from Kaitlyn only to see the goalie make another excellent stop. Gillian did her part with a leaping save on a long shot by the Heat. Jessica nearly connected on a cross with Cookie. Sarah ran down the Heat forward and blocked their shot to thwart the Heat. The Wildcats had an excellent passing combination of Kaitlyn - Jess - Sam - that was crossed and the Heat had to clear resulting in a corner for the Wildcats. Kaitlyn then fed Hannah a pass that she crossed back just out of the reach of Kaitlyn. The final opportunity of the half was set up by CW with a lead pass that Kaitlyn was able to poke past the Heat goalie before being flattened only to have a defender clear the ball just before it was going to cross the line. The second half started better with a pass from Sarah to Kaitlyn who found Jess near the top of the box. Jess faked left and with defenders on either side of her went right and drilled a shot into the top left corner for a 1-0 Wildcat lead. Kaitlyn passed to Sarah who dropped it back to Charlotte who passed to Kaitlyn whose shot was smothered by the goalie. CW stopped a potential breakaway forcing the forward and ball into the corner before eventually stealing it and clearing it up to Cookie. CW also had a tremendous goal kick - putting the ball well past midfield in the air. Sarah started another break for the Wildcats with a steal near her own box and then breaking past 2 Heat defenders before finally blocking the ball past the last defender right to Jen who broke in on the goalie and calmly put it into the lower right corner for a 2-0 lead. Jen nearly scored again on a pass from Jessica but the goalie was able to make a diving save. Hannah had a beautiful header off a Heat punt to keep the pressure on the defense. Jess and Jen again nearly combined for a score but Jen's shot went just wide. Gillian kept the Heat scoreless with a great save on a shot that went through Sarah's legs. Jess then made an excellent save on a cross bringing the ball out wide and clearing it up the field. The last opportunity for the game came on a pass from Kaitlyn to Jen to Olivia whose shot was blocked. The Wildcats finished a tough season with a hard fought victory over the Heat. (reported by Tim McCurdy)
Blue falls 4-1 to DC Stoddert Metros Blue
Blue started out with some excellent defensive stops in the game. Christina (CW) blocked the 1st DC shot and Gillian made a great knockdown save on a blast from just inside the box. The Wildcats offense created a good scoring chance with CW passing to Sarah who fed Julia a pass into the box whose shot was grabbed on a diving save by the DC keeper. Sarah then headed a dangerous cross from a corner kick out of the box. Kaitlyn sent a through ball to Sarah for a shot that went wide. DC Stoddert came back down the field and had a nice cross that eluded the Wildcats defenders and was put into the net for the 1st goal of the game. DC kept up the pressure with a nice swing pass that resulted in a shot that was knocked down by Gillian but the rebound was put in before the Wildcats could clear the ball. Gillian made another nice save on a close up shot but was unable to stop #3 for DC Stoddert on a breakaway just before the half. The 2nd half started with a nice combination of passes from Sarah to Olivia to Hannah for a shot on goal. They followed that with Sarah to CW to Olivia for a shot that went wide. On the defensive end Kaitlyn headed a cross away from the goal and then Charlotte cleared it up the field. Player #3 for DC scored again on a breakaway against Christina (Cookie). The Wildcats kept working hard with Jen and Sarah working a give and go down the field. Kaitlyn ran down a long ball and was able to clear it away. Kaitlyn then had a through ball to Sarah that the DC goalie made a diving save as it was headed to the corner of the goal. Julia stopped a breakaway chance by DC by running down the forward and clearing the ball away. Jessica passed to Sam who fed Gillian for a shot that was wide. Kaitlyn passed to Jessica whose shot was knocked down the keeper with the rebound going to Sarah for another shot that missed the mark. Kaitlyn, Olivia, Jessica, and Sam combined on some nifty passing to put pressure on DC but were not able to get a shot off. CW had a nice run through the defense to the top of the box and fed Olivia for a shot that went wide right. Julia had a long pass to Hannah who headed it past the defender to get a shot that went wide left. CW passed to Jessica whose cross field pass found Gillian for another scoring chance that was smothered by the goalie. With time winding down, Kaitlyn found Jessica breaking past the defense and Jessica put her shot into the right corner of the goal for the Wildcats score. (reported by Tim McCurdy)
Blue: Inspired Play During WAGS Tournament
BLUE plays inspired game against Texas. Blue started the WAGS tournament with a rousing come from behind tie against eventual semi-finalist (and flight winner) Texas Premier FC in the 1st game of the tournament. It was an exciting game with end-to-end action and 8 goals.
The Texans struck 1st on a long throw-in into the box that eluded the Wildcat defense and the Texas striker shot into the corner of the goal under a diving Gillian. The Cats put together some nice combination passes -- Sam-Olivia-Jess and Christina (CW)-Jessica-cross to Olivia -- that put pressure on the Texans but didn't result in a goal. Charlotte put a long ball into the box towards Jessica that was barely cleared by the defense. Gillian then came way out of the box to thwart a breakaway by Texas. The Wildcats struck for the tieing goal with great pressure by Jessica forcing a bad pass back to the Texas goalie that Julia knocked home at the far post. Gillian then made 2 excellent saves, coming out again and knocking down a shot and then clearing it, and smothering a point blank shot by the Texas forward. Sam put a nice corner into the box but the Wildcats were not able to convert. Texas again took the lead 2-1 with a nice shot into the corner of the goal.
The 2nd half featured Gillian making 5 straight saves to keep the game close. On the 6th shot of the half by Texas Gillian knocked the shot down but it deflected to a Texan who put it past Gillian for a 3-1 Texas lead. The Wildcats answered quickly with CW stealing the ball on a pass back to the goalie and then putting the shot into the corner to cut the lead to 3-2. The non-stop action continued until Texas had a beautiful cross to the far-side of the box that was put into the goal for a 4-2 lead. Charlotte came up with a great save to stop a breakaway after a long punt by Texas. Hannah also made a great defensive stop, running down the Texas forward, stealing the ball near the goal line and then bringing it back out and clearing it up the sideline. Jen fed CW on a breakaway that was stopped by the Texas goalie on a breakaway but the Wildcats persisted. Cookie stole on outlet pass by the goalie and crossed to Sarah for a goal to narrow the lead to 4-3. With only a couple of minutes remaining Cookie and Sarah hooked up again with Sarah's shot finding the left corner of the goal for a 4-4 tie. The Wildcats endured a final push by the Texans stopping 5 consecutive corners in the last minute of the game. Kaitlyn headed one of the corners away and Gillian knocked 2 others out of the air. Eventually the whistle blew and the Wildcats had earned a hard fought tie against the eventual Division champs. (reported by Tim McCurdy)
BLUE falls to McLean Green. Perhaps spent after the tremendous morning effort, Blue did not rekindle the fire burning in the morning match in time for the second match against a very physical McLean Green. While the first half ended 0-0 with some great stops in the goal by Cookie and a tremendous defensive effort by CW, Sarah, Charlotte, Kaitlyn, Hannah and others, the course of the match changed midway through the second half after the ball, controlled by Blue's keeper, was kicked out of her hands and no call was made. Distracted and disappointed and down by one unfortunate goal, Blue lost focus; while efforts were made and chances created thereafter, it was not enough, and a berth in the semi-finals became out of reach. (reported by ESG)
Putting up a fight and creating chances, BLUE loses 0-2 to Salisbury ACE. Cookie started Sunday's game against the ACE with a nice save on a tough shot. The Wildcats controlled the action for the beginning of the half with Charlotte passing to Gillian to Kaitlyn for a cross. Gillian then crossed to Hannah to Jess to Sarah but couldn't convert into a goal. The ACE then struck with a beautiful 4 pass combination that left the ACE forward with an open shot that went past Cookie. Jen tried to answer with a great run down the right side putting pressure back on the ACE defense but it was eventually cleared away. Hannah passed to Sarah who pushed her way past the defense only to have her shot go across the goal and wide to the right. Sarah then crossed to Gillian who collided with the goalie but the loose ball was cleared by a defender.
The 2nd half started with a great pass from CW to CK to Jen for a goal but Jen was ruled offside. Jessica made a nice run to clear a breakaway threat by the ACE. CW followed with a similar play stopping a 2-1 break by blocking the cross. Charlotte kept the pressure on the ACE with a thigh trap and then mid-air volley to Jessica. Gillian then made a great kick save to keep it a 1 goal game. Sam had a nice cross field pass to Julia who battled the ACE defender down the sideline and eventually getting a cross into the box but the ACE defense was able to clear the ball. The ACE struck for another goal on a perfect shot that went over Gillian's hands and under the crossbar. Jessica found Sam with a thru pass but the goalie made the save on the shot. (reported by Tim McCurdy)
September 2008 --
Blue Is Back on the Winning Track
The Wildcats had a fine all around game and defeated the Chantilly Chaos 2-1 on a rainy/sunny Sunday. The game began much like our last game, with the Wildcats getting a lot of pressure and keeping the ball in the offensive half of the field. Kaitlyn passed to Christina (CK) positioned perfectly on the right wing for a shot early on that went over the top of the goal. The Chaos offense consisted of hitting long balls and hoping to get a lucky bounce. Gillian made a nice save on a shot and drilled the punt well past midfield to again put pressure right back on the Chaos defense. Charlotte had a nice pass to Kaitlyn whose shot went over the top of the goal. The defense kept playing well with Sarah turning around a 2 on 1 break by the Chaos. The Wildcats pressure continued with Jessica, Kaitlyn, Sam, Olivia combining on a series of passes that ended with a shot by CK that the goalie made the save. Jessica nearly scored on a breakaway with a nice cut to get a clean shot at the goal but her shot went wide. Sarah and Christina (CW) then combined on an excellent defensive play with CW passing to Jessica resulting in a corner kick. Hannah took the corner and put the ball on line into the goalie box where Jessica was able to tip it towards the far post and it deflected in for a 1-0 Wildcats lead. The Chaos came back to tie the game on a long pass and a slip on the wet grass by Charlotte that left the Chaos player open. Kaitlyn dribbled upfield and passed to Jen who passed to Julia for another shot that went just over the crossbar. Julia created another chance after a long punt by Gillian, pushing past the Chaos defender only to have her shot stopped by the goalie. CW and Sam created the next chance with CW getting the ball up to Sam who made a beautiful cutback move before passing to Jess who crossed to Olivia for a shot that was deflected by the Chaos defender. The Chaos came close to tying the game on a deflection off of a corner kick that Gillian snagged out of the air. Just before half time Jessica passed to Olivia who pushed the ball past her defender and drilled a shot that went just over the corner of the goal. A cross by Sam resulted in a shot by Kaitlyn that went wide of the mark. Charlotte created another chance when she charged onto a loose ball and carried it forward before passing to Sarah. Hannah ended the last Chaos threat of the half with a nice defensive stop and clear. The 2nd half was much like the 1st with the Wildcats generating a number of quality chances and the defense of Charlotte, CW, Sarah, and CK blunting the Chaos offense. Sarah had a hard shot after a great corner by Sam that went wide right. The next chance for the Wildcats came after a long ball by Charlotte ended with a corner kick by Kaitlyn to Sarah who passed to Jessica. She turned and hit a shot that bounded off the post. CK stopped a number of Chaos threats by coming out and scooping up their long thru balls. Hannah had another long corner kick that Sarah corralled in the box spun around the defender and nailed a left footed shot thru traffic into the right corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. CW passed to Gillian whose left footed shot was saved by the goalie. The last Chaos chance came on a corner kick in the waning moments of the game and was headed out by Kaitlyn preserving the lead and a much deserved victory for the WILDCATS.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
Blue Creates Opportunities but Come up Short Against Freestate Wolverines
The Wildcats today created a number of scoring chances with at least 8 different players having opportunities to score at least once. Unfortunately, only one of the many chances was able to find the back of the net. The defense of Charlotte, Christina (CW), Hannah, and Sarah played well getting the ball back to the offense with a number of long balls. Freestate capitalized on 2 of their 4-5 chances to come away with a 2-1 victory. The Wildcats chances included Gillian on a pass from Sarah getting past the keeper only to have a fullback clear her shot off the goal line. She also had a beautiful header on a cross from Sam that went just wide. Charlotte had a nice long ball to Jessica that she shot and the keeper deflected wide. Jessica also had a nice cross that the keeper caught and another one to Kaitlyn in the 2nd half that ended with Kaitlyn, the keeper, and the ball all on the ground at the edge of the box. Cookie had a great save on a breakaway making the initial save and then scrambling to cover up the rebound. Sam nailed a one-timer on a cross from CW at the top of the box that hit the crossbar and bounced back. The Wildcats did get on the scoreboard on a direct kick by Sarah after CW drew a foul just outside the box. The score was 2-1 at the half. The 2nd half started with a great display of teamwork with Kaitlyn passing to Julia who sent it ahead to Cookie who crossed back to Olivia for a shot that went just wide. The Wildcats kept the pressure on with Julia getting loose on a breakaway but her shot was just wide of the goal. With Freestate pushing everyone up into our end of the field Christina (CW) sent a long ball down the field to Jessica, who was positioned just inside the midfield line to be on sides. She was able to dribble past the goalie, but yet again a Freestate defender was able to save the day for Freestate with a block on Jessica's shot. Sarah nailed a shot from about 25 yards out that looked like it would find the left corner only to be snagged out of the air by the goalie. Jen created another chance when she put on pressure against the defender and blocked the pass back towards the box but their goalie made another good play. Our final chance came on a cross by Olivia that the defender tipped just enough to have it go past both Kaitlyn and Cookie.
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
Blue Lets Down Its Guard against MSC Elite
After dominating the first 10-15 minutes against the MSC Elite and playing great soccer, Blue let down its guard for a minute, all it took for a skilled MSC Elite team to take advantage of a defensive failure and knock one in. With two own goals soon to follow, Blue's confidence and morale evaporated in twenty minutes we have pledged to banish from memory for eternity. Starting fresh in the second half, with the imposters sent off, the 12 Blue left it all on the field, dominated second half possession, and -- given the 0-0 score in the second half, with several 'Cats opportunities created -- rued the fact that the match should not have been the blow-out the score reflected and they could not get those twenty minutes back.
Blue Has a Tough Time with Baltimore PSC
Baltimore PSC lived up to its billing as a top team, handing Blue their 1st loss of the season. Baltimore struck quickly, scoring 3 goals in the 1st 10 minutes before Blue adjusted to the speed and control of PSC. It was a more even rest of the half with some great plays by Christina (Cookie) in the goal - she stopped a couple of breakaways including a 3 on none. Offensively, Blue had a shot by Kaitlyn off of a corner by Sam that went over the corner of the goal and a nice run by Olivia whose shot was stopped by the keeper. Just before halftime, Jessica was just wide on a breakaway. The 2nd half started out promisingly, with Hannah stealing the ball and sending a cross to Jen and Cookie in the box. Cookie drilled a shot towards the goal, only to have the PSC goalie smother it with a great save. Gillian and the defense of Christina (CW), Sarah, Charlotte, and Julia kept PSC off the scoreboard for the 1st 10 minutes of the 2nd half. Gillian had a nice save off a header by PSC and a great save on a breakaway. PSC scored the final goals of the game with some beautiful passes for shots.
Next up, a two-game weekend featuring MSC Elite and Freestate Wolverines....one at home and one away. Go Wildcats!
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
Blue Begins WAGS Season with Hard-Fought Tie
Blue played the Arundel Magic to a 1-1 tie with a well played game. Blue got off to a fast start again, dominating play early, and nearly scoring with a shot from Sam hitting the post. With Blue forcing the action, the Magic were forced to play defense and hit long passes hoping to get a breakaway. The 1st shot by the Magic was on a breakaway that was shot from outside the box and went in even though Christina (Cookie) was in great position and batted it with both hands. Cookie did a great job of coming out on the long balls that the Magic were playing and kept them from scoring again. The defense with Christina (CW), Sarah, and Charlotte pushed up and kept putting the ball back into the Magic end of play. Blue was rewarded when Kaitlyn passed to Julia on the wing, who crossed to Hannah for the goal. Just before the half, Blue nearly scored again on a nice pass from Charlotte to CW whose shot went just wide. The 2nd half was more of the same. The Magic took a number of shots from outside the box that Gillian grabbed or went over the goal. The PLAY OF THE GAME went to Charlotte when she cleared a ball that had been tapped past Gillian for what looked to be a certain goal. Blue created some nice chances off of corner kicks (Sam) and through balls the rest of the half. Jessica nearly scored on a long ball that she was able to pop over the goalie’s head when she was coming out but it went just wide. Jen had a similar chance with the Magic goalie making the save just in front of the goal. Near the end of the game, Kaitlyn and CW nearly combined a goal with the Magic goalie making a great save. The final chance for Blue came on a long pass from Hannah to Olivia with Olivia, the goalie, and ball ending up in a tie.
Next up...a sure to be exciting match against PSC Baltimore next Sunday on the new Draper field!!! Go Wildcats!
-- reported by Tim McCurdy
August 2008 --
Academy Takes Champion Spots in Blue and Gold Division, New White Team Has Great Showing at FPYC Patriot Cup
 Wow! What a weekend! On a hot and humid Labor Day weekend, facing strong opposition, the Academy went 10-1-1 (with 29 goals for and 6 goals against), with Blue and Gold both undefeated, and White in a tie for second and missing out on a spot in the finals on a tie-breaker! Results now available. Click here>
Coaches, parents, and fans are very proud of these players, and looking forward to an exciting season.
Academy Gets Ready for Fall Season with a Day at the FC Frederick ScrimmageFest
 Blue and Gold spent a fun day in Buckeystown, MD, taking one more step toward getting ready for the upcoming WAGS season by attending the FC Frederick ScrimmageFest, a great opportunity to dust the cobwebs off and face solid competition...The weather was spectacular and, while many were sunburned by the end of the day, we all can agree that we saw Blue and Gold play some enjoyable-to-watch, competitive soccer. A big thank you to Maddie W, Meg R, and Briana F for their help on a fun day!!!
July 2008 --
FPYC Wildcats Academy Has a Blast at Preseason GMU Camp.... The Academy -- Blue, Gold, and White -- met up at GMU camp and had a blast the final day with the "team spirit" theme....Congrats to
- Virginia, who won the juggling challenge for the Juniors (and to Jessica, who placed second);
- Charlotte, who took MVP honors for the Juniors;
- Brady, who took the Coaches' Award; and
- Sam, whose team won the camp-wide 4v4 tourney (and Cookie and Lora, whose team took second)...
June 1-2, 2008
- FPYC Wildcats Blue Closes Its WAGS Season with a Great 3-1 Win against an Undefeated Arlington Ajax, Ending Its Spring WAGS Season with a 7-1-1 Record...On a humid Sunday away at Arlington's Benjamin Banneker, Blue arrived fired up and ready for a fiercely competitive match against a formidable (and physically larger) foe, and were not disappointed. In two prior matches, the two teams had split -- once in the 2006 Virginian, when the Wildcats returned from a 0-2 deficit to snatch a 3-2 victory from the Ajax, and the second time at the 2007 ASIST tourney, where the Ajax came out ahead 3-1 on a field more covered by snow than turf -- and Blue knew that it could not waste its chances in this meeting.
- From the first moments, the momentum predictably swung one way then the other, with both sides showing skill and speed, but then after a strategic formation change, Nancy (Zippy) broke free on the left side and, as the defender swooped to tackle, placed a beautiful ball at an open Lili's feet to finish at the near post. Jennifer had her turn next when, after receiving a gorgeous punt from Christina (Cookie), she placed her shot perfectly, putting Blue up by 2. Not to be outdone, Ajax too kept the pressure on, and created chances, one getting by after a defensive miscommunication allowed an open shot.
- In their team huddle at the half, the twelve Blue determined to live up to the Wildcats motto and "leave it all on the field" in their last 30 minutes of this WAGS season and to preserve the lead. Despite several impressive efforts by a fast and physical Ajax front line, Blue's defense, while hot and weary, held strong, and through sheer luck (two Ajax shots bouncing off the posts) and determination (Gilli's timely saves and great second-half presence in the goal), the defensive team -- Sarah, Charlotte, Hannah, Nancy, Kaitlyn -- held tough and denied the Ajax any further reward. Instead, after Lili on the left found open space, Blue repeated its first-half play, with Lili feeding a pretty pass to Jessica to finish. The 3-1 win capped off a fun, challenging, and exciting season for Blue, allowing a final record of 7-1-1. Way to go, Hannah, Charlotte, Gilli, Lili, Sarah, Cookie, Sam, Nancy, Kaitlyn, Jessica, Callie, and Jennifer!!! We are very proud of all of you.
May 24-25 (Memorial Day Weekend Tournaments)
- Wildcats Blue: Missed Opportunities at the Potomac Memorial...Traveling the relatively short distance over the bridge to Maryland to play on fields at Strawberry Knoll, Blue started the Potomac Memorial with high hopes, excited about facing a high level of play. With their dreams of a semi-final berth cut short after their early morning match on Sunday, Blue was left to ruminate on the missed opportunities that left them one goal short of a Sunday afternoon match.
- The Saturday morning opening match against McLean White -- a team Blue had bested 4-1 a few short weeks back -- should have given Blue that one goal, with Blue breaching McLean's defense several times to create over a dozen clear opportunities, including some with an open goal. In the waning moments with the score still astonishingly at 0-0, Blue came to regret those missed opportunities, particularly when a dazzling shot on a McLean breakaway (White's only solid shot on goal for the whole match, but a potentially game-changing one) would have caught the upper left corner but for Gilli's spectacular tip-away save.
- Blue made up for its lack of morning scoring quickly in a fast-moving afternoon match against a speedy and physical FSV Bethesda, with Lili quickly knocking one in during the opening minutes. In the course of the remaining 45 or so minutes, Blue's defense -- with Gilli, Sarah, Charlotte, Nancy, and Hannah all making critical plays, and Gilli and Cookie sharing keeper duties -- again kept the goal clean, allowing no goals in during the 100 minutes of Saturday play. Mackenzie and Jessica (with two) brought the final tally to 4; again, there were missed opportunities, but the 4-0 win seemed solid.
- Sunday morning, Blue arrived bright and early for its much-anticipated 8:30 am final prelim match against the mighty PWSI Courage Red. With great tip-away saves by Gilli, and strong defense by Sarah, Charlotte, Nancy, and Hannah, Blue survived a quick on-slaught from Red during the opening moments, and was able to turn the tables to create a few opportunities. With nearly every touch on the ball with purpose and each pass perfectly placed, Red, a team that makes few mistakes, controlled much of the match. Down 1-2 at the half (with Blue's goal coming after Jessica smartly capitalized on a rebound off Red's keeper in a scramble in front of the goal), Blue created a few more opportunities, two of which came just short of an additional goal; at the same time, Red snuck in 3 more, two due to unfortunate defensive miscues and deflections.
- In the end, Blue's 1-5 final score in the Red match resulted in a tie in points with McLean White -- with the first tie-breaker being goal differential....one fewer goal against (or one more for) in the Red match (or a goal for in the White match or one more goal in the FSV game) would have made Blue a semi-finalist. With Blue and White tied again, the second tie-breaker (goals against) held against Blue, and it paid the price for missing opportunities with a loss of its semi-final berth.
May 17-18 -- In Two Dramatic Matches, Blue Pulls Off the Win in the Final Minutes
- In Two Dramatic Matches, Blue Pulls Off the Win in the Final Minutes against a Talented Chantilly Panthers White on Saturday and NVSC Majestics Gold on Sunday. On a sunny and windy Saturday on a slightly soggy Crossfield Elementary field, a short-rostered Blue turned on the heat in the last five minutes to score 2 and snatch the win from a talented Chantilly Panthers White side in a match filled with frustration, injury, exhaustion, drama, and exhilaration (only one sub! heads collide mid-air! down by one with five minutes left! the coach faints!). In a terrifying moment about five minutes in, all present gasped as two Blue teammates (Kaitlyn and Charlotte (Bigfoot)) crumpled to the ground after knocking heads. Fortunately, after an initial scare, both players eventually rebounded with help from an icepack. Despite having the advantage in time of possession and with beautiful through balls and crosses by Kaitlyn, Jennifer, Jessica, Sarah (Speedy), Sam (Sneaky), and Lili creating chances, Blue was unable to capitalize after the Panthers' very solid defense and goalkeeping proved to be an impenetrable -- and frustrating -- wall for Blue's front line. Similarly, Blue's defensive triangle of Kaitlyn, Speedy, and Bigfoot, aided by Nancy (Zippy) and with Christina (Cookie) in charge in the goal, turned away all red shirts in the first half, resulting in a stalemate after 30 minutes.
- The drama did not end in the first half. With a nice cross and tap-in finish, the Panthers took the lead about five minutes into the second half, and continued to pressure Blue. Blue fought back, with Lili, Kaitlyn, Jessica, Speedy, Jennifer, and Sneaky creating opportunities, but again stymied by the Panthers' timely tackling and solid goaltending. With Blue fighting off exhaustion, the odds looked to favor the Panthers again after a foul outside the Blue box resulted in a direct Red kick. With a great effort by Bigfoot, Zippy, and Kaitlyn, Blue cleared the ball, and, with five minutes left, made its way down to the home side again, and at last met some success -- a cross by Jessica went to Lili for the tap-in. Now with conviction and determination, in a final few minutes reminiscent of FASA Impact White's come-back against Blue in the season-opening match, Blue coordinated yet another offensive effort, and with a well-placed shot taken from about 10 yards out, Speedy scored the game-winning goal -- resulting in exhilaration for all on the Blue side. Kudos and great respect must go to the home side, who put up a strong fight in a pulse-pounding, dramatic match.
- On a wet Sunday on the very short and narrow Patriot Park turf fields, and missing Bigfoot, Blue faced a very physical NVSC Majestics Gold, the only team to score on the Wildcats in the spring 2007 season. While creating several chances early, Blue was thwarted again by strong goaltending and tough defense (and two erroneous off-sides calls) for much of the first half until, off a beautifully placed corner kick by Cookie, Jessica scored a perfect header goal in what was indubitably the play of the game. Soon thereafter, the Majestics answered after a wet ball bobbled out of Blue's keeper's hands and allowed the easy finish. For the second day in a row, the half ended in a stalemate. Starting the second half with more zip, Blue continued to press the Majestics defense until, once again, a corner kicked by Jessica created an opportunity that Jennifer finished on the right side with a beautifully placed volley. Blue nearly went up by another shortly thereafter on another corner opportunity, but Jessica's header off of Sam's (Sneaky) kick sailed over the crossbar. Not to be outdone, the Majestics answered again, this time after a defensive miscue resulted in a clear landing right at the Majestics feet, where it was smartly finished. In the final moments, Blue showed that never-give-up spirit that inspires pride in us all, and put together a tight offensive drive in which Kaitlyn fed a ball up to Jessica, who, seeing two defenders swoop to tackle, knew someone was open and nicely laid the ball off to Lili, who finished beautifully. Huge kudos to Hannah, Sarah (Speedy), Nancy (Zippy), Gilli, and Kaitlyn, who together played tough defense throughout the game on a tricky short field where tides turn quickly and helped preserve the win. On to the Adidas Potomac Memorial next weekend!
May 3-4, 2008
- Blue Takes an Aggressive Vienna Side by "Storm" ... On a breezy but sunny Sunday afternoon, Blue traveled the short distance to Vienna to face a familiar opponent, the VYS Storm. The Storm is a strong, fast, and physical side, whose players are very proficient at making the most of a counter-attack. The Storm's kick-off was calculated to create an opportunity for their strong left side, and that it did, resulting in a quick corner for the home side and two shots on goals saved by Christina (Cookie). While the Storm looked to have the momentum from the first moments, the tide shifted about five minutes in as Blue found its stride and took control. With the diamond of Lili, Jessica, Kaitlyn, and Jennifer working the ball down the left side, supported by Charlotte (Bigfoot) and Sarah (Speedy) in the back, Blue began creating opportunities while maintaining possession, with Jennifer breaking through about seven minutes in and punching one by the Storm's keeper. Despite the Storm's game efforts to turn the tide back, Blue stepped up its attack, and created several more opportunities, keeping the Storm's keeper busy, until a beautiful cross by Lili allowed Sam (Sneaky) to tap a second score in, putting Blue up by 2 at the half (and making her the 7th Blue player to score over the weekend). Blue continued its possession game in the second half, and continued to create chances, with Sam, Lili, Kaitlyn, Jennifer, Jessica, Callie, Cookie, and others having shots either wide or saved by the Storm's keeper. Jessica increased the lead to 3 after winning a ball from a defender then calmly placing her shot outside the keeper's reach. While the Storm answered after finding a gap in Blue's defense, Kaitlyn -- moments after coming back from an injury -- took advantage of a miscalculation by the Storm's keeper to chip one over her head to find the back of the net and make it 4. The Storm looked to increase their tally to 2 in the waning moments with two great efforts, but, in what was easily the play of the game (according to her teammates!), Sarah's (Speedy) incredible speed and determination prevented the shot from a Storm breakaway effort, and Gilli's timely save in the last 5 seconds earned them both captain armbands for "play of the game." Kudos also must go to Bigfoot, for her tough defense against players twice her size; Hannah, for her great defensive play on the left side; Nancy (Zippy), for her well-played contributions to the passing game on the left side in the first half and her tough defense in the second half; and Callie, who won almost every 50-50 ball and gave 100% on the field (also earning her an armband).
- Blue Shuts Out an Aggressive and Physical VISTA Platinum. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Blue's momentum continued with a 6-0 shut out of the Vista Platinum. While the final tally might suggest an unevenly matched pairing, the Platinum were not a side that gave up easily, nor did they concede easy goals. Rather, they kept Blue on their toes, moving play quickly and allowing no time to rest on dead balls, despite the humid and sweltering day. Very thankful for the conditioning work they have put in over the last few weeks in particular, Blue too kept the pressure on, creating several opportunities in the first half (with several nice passing combinations among Jessica, Lili, Kaitlyn, Jennifer and Sarah (Speedy) in particular, with Jennifer having several nice 1v1 wins and timely crosses) before Jessica capitalized around the 6-minute mark. Speedy doubled the lead before the end of the half while testing out her form at forward, following a shot fumbled by the Platinum goalie and finding the net for her second goal of the season. Christina (Cookie) kept a clean first half goal, supported by strong defense by Charlotte (Bigfoot), Nancy (Zippy), Speedy, Gillian, and Callie.
- With Gilli in charge in the back for the second half showing great leadership, Blue continued to poke and prod at the Vista defense, and after creating several chances Jennifer found the back of the net with a bullet that zipped by the beleaguered Vista keeper. Lili, nicknamed the "Little Engine that Could" for the match, used her speed and agility to get by the Vista defense and create chance after chance.....while two goals were called back for offsides, she tallied one for Blue, with support from Jessica (including several very nice give-and-go plays) and Hannah. Hannah was the fifth Blue player to add to the mix, coming from the left and, with Lili and Kaitlyn's support, making it five, and Jessica closed out the scoring in the final minutes. Sam (Sneaky), Zippy, and Cookie contributed nicely to the passing combinations from the outside midfield positions (with Sam and Zippy both making very nice corner kicks), and Callie showed her usual speed and hustle. On to Vienna tomorrow, to face the always formidable VYS Storm....
April 19-20, 2008
- Blue Shuts Out SASA Fusion White. Surprisingly happy to be playing at home at Fairhill Elementary, Blue regained its form with a nicely played match against a very motivated and driven SASA Fusion White on Saturday. With forwards Jessica and Jennifer creating chances early, and defenders Nancy (Zippy), Charlotte (Bigfoot), Sarah (Speedy), and Hannah delaying and denying the Fusion, working hard to prevent the shot, Blue was able to put together some nice combinations and coordinate an attack. While Sam's (Sneaky) well-placed corner kicks created chances, it wasn't until she switched fields with a nicely placed through ball to Jessica right inside the box that Blue was able to breach the Fusion's goal. Blue doubled its lead when Kaitlyn sent a similar ball into Jessica, who neatly dispatched it again. Callie, with her hustle and speed, also created some nice first half opportunities, as did Lili. To the Fusion's credit, they never let up, and started the second half strong and physical. Despite the Fusion's efforts and counters, Blue's defense preserved the shut-out, with Bigfoot in particular making key tackles and preventing the shot, and Sneaky also stepping in at a critical moment with a clear. Kaitlyn added one more to Blue's tally when she took the ball, beat the defender, and placed her shot nicely low and outside, sneaking by the keeper. Christina (Cookie) almost made it 4 when she nearly knocked in from the left a wide far post shot, but missed by a millimeter. Kudos to Cookie and Gilli for a clean goal. Way to go, Wildcats! On to VISTA tomorrow, with fingers crossed that the weather holds....
April 12-13, 2008
- Blue's disappointing 2-1 loss Sunday versus the ODFC South Riding Storm does not reflect the effort made by the players on what were perhaps the most challenging field conditions they have ever faced. With the patchy, unmowed, tufted grass (interspersed with mud and bare spots) virtually shutting down the possession game that Blue has worked hard to develop, it seemed like every time Blue had momentum they either were turned back by the unpredictable field conditions (which made the ball's path equally uncertain with every pass) or by the Storm's steady defense and keeper. The Storm scored first, when Christina's (Cookie's) game effort to pluck a corner kick from its trajectory allowed her a piece of it before it slipped through and a well-positioned Storm player knocked it in. Blue created opportunities and eventually answered in the second half, but a late game scramble in front of the goal in which the Storm knocked in a ball that got away from Gilli gave the home side the advantage. While dominating the last ten minutes or so, Blue was unable to find the net again. Blue hopes to find its rhythm against next week in two home matches against SASA and VISTA.
April 5-6, 2008
- On a two-game weekend where they were one of the few teams to get both their games in, Wildcats Blue traveled to Fredericksburg on Saturday, facing the very skilled FASA Impact White for the fourth time in a year. The first three times -- in the semi-finals at the Virginian and in the fall 2007 WAGS season -- the Wildcats fought hard and created opportunities, but walked away without a goal scored and with all the points ceded to a talented opponent. In a great team effort, the Wildcats ended that drought on Saturday. The Wildcats were the first to hit the net, when Jessica knocked in the first goal midway through. While the Impact answered before the half ended, Lili put the Wildcats up again 2-1 midway through the second half with a gorgeous shot from the left, buried in the upper right pocket. Down by one, the Impact showed in the final moments why they have been so successful, pressuring the Wildcats and relentlessly seeking the equalizer; tremendous defensive efforts by Charlotte (Bigfoot), Nancy (Zippy), Sarah (Speedy), and Kaitlyn prevented the shot, and some timely saves by Gilli kept the goal clean for over 29 minutes. Had the match been four seconds shorter, the Wildcats would have walked away with the win, but with a final corner taken in those last seconds, the Impact took advantage of a defensive breakdown to tie the game at 2 apiece. Congrats and kudos to all of the players for a well-played, enjoyable to watch match against a strong opponent.
- On Sunday, Blue faced a feisty MPS Challengers White on a wet Patriot Park turf field. Despite a rocky start and being down 0-1 at the half, Blue rallied and knocked 4 in during the second half, thanks to great plays and passing by Callie, Jessica, Kaitlyn, Lili, and Christina (Cookie) in particular. A strong defensive effort by Sarah (cutting short a breakaway effort) and solid goalkeeping by Cookie (who tipped away a sure goal in the first half) and Gilli (who, with great leadership in the back, kept a clean second half goal) preserved the win.
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