The Fulton Hornets traveled to Boonville and came back with a pair of wins.
In the JV match, Ricky Dawson scored on a breakaway to level the match at 1-1. In the second half Daniel Lair scored the game winner. Jared Strough picked up the victory in goal.
In the varsity match Fulton prevailed 3-0 on the strength of three first-half goals. Zach Thomas scored a brace off assists from Ben Kucera and Chad Davis, while Jake Pierce added an unassisted tally. Comfortably ahead, the second half saw wholesale substitutions for the Hornets. At the end of the game, only two starters were left on the field. It was a good situation for the team as it allowed them to rest several players. The substitutes did well as they generated several good scoring chances and kept the clean sheet for Sam Mayne.
The Hornets return to action on Tuesday as they host Mexico for Senior Night. The ceremonies begin at 5:15.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Big Win at Moberly
There's no such thing as a boring Fulton-Moberly soccer match and Thursday's night match was no exception. With the teams in the first and second spots in the conference, a victory for Moberly would clinch the conference title, while Fulton was aiming for a share of the conference title. Bringing even more drama to the match, both teams were without key starters. Moberly was missing four starters due to citizenship violations, while Fulton was slightly better off with the loss of Nick Heimericks (injury) and Chad Davis (card accumulation).
Moberly drew first blood on a penalty kick late in the first half. But the Hornets handled it well, putting together a response 3 minutes later. After a battle in the midfield that resulted in a throw-in for Fulton, Jakob Hull was able to pick out a run from Zach Thomas, who calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing keeper, to make it 1-1.
In the second half, the Hornets applied the offensive pressure and generated several excellent chances for the go-ahead goal with Thomas, Ben Kucera, and Hull all with golden opportunities to be the hero. The breakthrough came with in 67th minute when Jake Pierce rose up to head a cross from Thomas. Pierce's looping header beat the keeper to the far post to give the Hornets a deserved 2-1 lead.
The Hornets were seemingly headed to a massive victory and were content to drop players back into the midfield to kill the clock. However, to Moberly's credit, they continued to fight to the final whistle. With 19 seconds (19 freaking seconds!) remaining, Moberly scored off a header to force overtime. After two scoreless overtime periods - in which the Spartans had the better chances - the teams went into the dreaded shootout.
In the shootout, all five of each team's initial shooters made their kicks, which meant that it was a sudden death situation. Moberly's 6th shooter made his, which meant that Brian McCarty had to equalize, which he did with authority, rattling the back post with his shot. In the 7th round, Sam Mayne came up with a massive save when he dove and steered the shot past the left post. Ben Kucera then stepped up for Fulton with the chance to win it. He coolly made his shot to the jubilation of the Hornet players and fans.
The victory moved Fulton to 9-1 in conference. Fulton travels to Boonville on Saturday for a 5:00 match. (JV starts at 5, varsity to follow.)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Fulton Beats Hannibal, 2-0
It was a good night to be a Hornet. Fulton hosted the Hannibal Pirates tonight and came away with a 2-0 victory against a solid Hannibal team. First half goals by Trevor Neal and Jake Pierce were enough to secure the win.
In the JV game, Kevin Wallace scored early in the 2nd half to level the match at 1-1. The game ended with that score.
Check back on Wednesday for a full match report and video highlights.
In the JV game, Kevin Wallace scored early in the 2nd half to level the match at 1-1. The game ended with that score.
Check back on Wednesday for a full match report and video highlights.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Fulton Takes Down Helias, 2-1
Fulton traveled down Highway 63 on Saturday and took down the Helias Crusaders, the #8 team in the state in class 2, on Saturday. Two goals by Jake Pierce paced the Hornets to the 2-1 victory in Jefferson City.
The Hornets possessed the ball very well, pinging the ball around the field, which created a number of difficulties for the Crusaders. Zach Thomas nearly put the Hornets up on a nifty header that put the Helias Crusader at full stretch.
The first goal came off a good run from Jakob Hull with a decent mix of good fortune. Hull drove the ball forward before laying off to Jake Pierce. Hull continued his run and was rewarded when the Helias defender cleared the ball right to him. He gratefully collected the ball and made a dangerous run into the box, beating one defender before being knocked down by a second. There was no hesitation from the referee in awarding the pk. Pierce calmly slotted it home to give the Hornets a crucial 1-0 lead.
Pierce would get his second goal off a restart after Trevor Neal was fouled at midfield. Darren Jones sent in a teasing ball that brought the keeper off his line, but before he could punch the ball, Pierce used his height to full effect and redirected the ball into the empty net.
As expected, the Crusaders came out of the halftime break determined to reverse their fortunes. They picked up their energy and put considerably more pressure on the Hornets. Their efforts paid off as an errant pass at midfield allowed the Crusaders to counterattack. While the Hornet defense recovered, Brian McCarty was judged to have fouled the Helias player. The penalty kick reduced the Hornet lead to one and set up a woolly final 30 minutes. Both teams would produced excellent chances to score with Howie Lee nearly scoring off a header as the best chance for Fulton. And, fortunately for Fulton, the Crusaders squandered their chances on the other end. Ultimately, though, it was the Hornet defense led by seniors Morgan Milligan, Darren Jones, and Sam Mayne who stifled the Crusaders' comeback attempt.
In the junior varsity, the Hornets faced off against a slightly older Crusaders team. Even though they lost 2-0, they played very well with good combination play across the field.
The Hornets possessed the ball very well, pinging the ball around the field, which created a number of difficulties for the Crusaders. Zach Thomas nearly put the Hornets up on a nifty header that put the Helias Crusader at full stretch.
The first goal came off a good run from Jakob Hull with a decent mix of good fortune. Hull drove the ball forward before laying off to Jake Pierce. Hull continued his run and was rewarded when the Helias defender cleared the ball right to him. He gratefully collected the ball and made a dangerous run into the box, beating one defender before being knocked down by a second. There was no hesitation from the referee in awarding the pk. Pierce calmly slotted it home to give the Hornets a crucial 1-0 lead.
Pierce would get his second goal off a restart after Trevor Neal was fouled at midfield. Darren Jones sent in a teasing ball that brought the keeper off his line, but before he could punch the ball, Pierce used his height to full effect and redirected the ball into the empty net.
As expected, the Crusaders came out of the halftime break determined to reverse their fortunes. They picked up their energy and put considerably more pressure on the Hornets. Their efforts paid off as an errant pass at midfield allowed the Crusaders to counterattack. While the Hornet defense recovered, Brian McCarty was judged to have fouled the Helias player. The penalty kick reduced the Hornet lead to one and set up a woolly final 30 minutes. Both teams would produced excellent chances to score with Howie Lee nearly scoring off a header as the best chance for Fulton. And, fortunately for Fulton, the Crusaders squandered their chances on the other end. Ultimately, though, it was the Hornet defense led by seniors Morgan Milligan, Darren Jones, and Sam Mayne who stifled the Crusaders' comeback attempt.
In the junior varsity, the Hornets faced off against a slightly older Crusaders team. Even though they lost 2-0, they played very well with good combination play across the field.
Fulton Takes Down Kirksville, 6-0
It was a good night for Fulton as they traveled to Kirksville on Thursday night. Kirksville was behind the proverbial 8-ball from the outset as they were without the services of their team leader, Jan Fanning, due to a red card in their previous match. (His consolation was that he was carded - his second yellow - for taking off his jersey in celebration of scoring the game-winning goal against Mexico.) On the Fulton side of the ledger, Jake Pierce had a career night with a hat trick with Trevor Neal adding a brace and Zach Thomas adding a sixth to make it a fairly miserable night for the Tigers.
The Hornets opened the scoring early. In the 2nd minute, Pierce took advantage of a loose ball in the Kirksville defense and drove through the box before spinning and firing a low shot past the keeper.
Seven minutes later, Zach Thomas doubled the lead off a corner kick from Chad Davis. A well-taken kick to the back post found Thomas well-defended, but he was able to beat his marker to the ball and head it into goal.
The score would remain 2-0 for a while, but the crisp ball movement would break the scoring open with Fulton scoring three times in a span of five minutes. The first would come in the 28th minute when Jakob Hull put Pierce in alone on the Kirksville defense. Pierce calmly finished past the onrushing keeper.
Forty seconds later, Fulton struck again. Davis was found alone on the right off a restart by Morgan Milligan. A couple of touches and a good ball to the danger area between the 6 and 12 put the Kirksville keeper in a difficult situation. He came out well, but a challenge from Pierce kept him from punching the ball clear. Trevor Neal was the first to react and poked the loose ball into the open net.
Fast forward four minutes and Kirksville was picking the ball out of their net again. This time Milligan put his free kick from midfield to the top of Kirksville penalty. The defender accidently headed it toward his own goal. Pierce reacted quickly and touched it over the charging keeper and tapped it into the empty net for the hat trick.
Trailing 5-0 going into the second half, Kirksville could have crumbled, but did well find its shape defensively, giving up only one goal in the second stanza. The Hornets scored in the 51st minute on a good switch from Davis' right back position. The defender failed to decisively clear the ball and a grateful Neal took full advantage. Neal steamed to goal and megged the hapless keeper.
Fulton would continue to press, but good goal-keeping and the kindly intervention of every keeper's best friend (the woodwork) kept the score at 6-0. On the defensive end, Fulton played very well with Sam Mayne picking up the shutout.
In the junior varsity game, it was a tale of two halves. Kirksville opened up a 2-0 lead before goals by freshman Cody Baumgartner and junior Kelsey Nunley tied it at 2-2. Baumgartner got on the end of a long punt by sophomore keeper Daniel Lair to tap it past the keeper. Nunley used his speed to get around Kirksville's right back and drive to the near post. His right-footed blast surprised the keeper, who was unable to keep it from slipping through his hands and into the goal. Unfortunately, Fulton than gave up a third goal to allow the Tigers to take a 3-2 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Tigers used their speed to put three more goals on the board. While not the showing one hoped for, the Hornets moved the ball well. In addition, freshman keeper Jerod Strough produced a superb save on a penalty kick.
The Hornets opened the scoring early. In the 2nd minute, Pierce took advantage of a loose ball in the Kirksville defense and drove through the box before spinning and firing a low shot past the keeper.
Seven minutes later, Zach Thomas doubled the lead off a corner kick from Chad Davis. A well-taken kick to the back post found Thomas well-defended, but he was able to beat his marker to the ball and head it into goal.
The score would remain 2-0 for a while, but the crisp ball movement would break the scoring open with Fulton scoring three times in a span of five minutes. The first would come in the 28th minute when Jakob Hull put Pierce in alone on the Kirksville defense. Pierce calmly finished past the onrushing keeper.
Forty seconds later, Fulton struck again. Davis was found alone on the right off a restart by Morgan Milligan. A couple of touches and a good ball to the danger area between the 6 and 12 put the Kirksville keeper in a difficult situation. He came out well, but a challenge from Pierce kept him from punching the ball clear. Trevor Neal was the first to react and poked the loose ball into the open net.
Fast forward four minutes and Kirksville was picking the ball out of their net again. This time Milligan put his free kick from midfield to the top of Kirksville penalty. The defender accidently headed it toward his own goal. Pierce reacted quickly and touched it over the charging keeper and tapped it into the empty net for the hat trick.
Trailing 5-0 going into the second half, Kirksville could have crumbled, but did well find its shape defensively, giving up only one goal in the second stanza. The Hornets scored in the 51st minute on a good switch from Davis' right back position. The defender failed to decisively clear the ball and a grateful Neal took full advantage. Neal steamed to goal and megged the hapless keeper.
Fulton would continue to press, but good goal-keeping and the kindly intervention of every keeper's best friend (the woodwork) kept the score at 6-0. On the defensive end, Fulton played very well with Sam Mayne picking up the shutout.
In the junior varsity game, it was a tale of two halves. Kirksville opened up a 2-0 lead before goals by freshman Cody Baumgartner and junior Kelsey Nunley tied it at 2-2. Baumgartner got on the end of a long punt by sophomore keeper Daniel Lair to tap it past the keeper. Nunley used his speed to get around Kirksville's right back and drive to the near post. His right-footed blast surprised the keeper, who was unable to keep it from slipping through his hands and into the goal. Unfortunately, Fulton than gave up a third goal to allow the Tigers to take a 3-2 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Tigers used their speed to put three more goals on the board. While not the showing one hoped for, the Hornets moved the ball well. In addition, freshman keeper Jerod Strough produced a superb save on a penalty kick.
Fulton blanks Marshall, 3-0
The Hornets hosted Marshall last Thursday and came away with an important victory in the conference and district race. Although the Hornets won by a comfortable 3-0 margin, it was a tightly contested match with the outcome not certain until late in the contest. Marshall possessed the ball well and created a number of dangerous chances, but lacked the finishing touch on their chances.
Jake Pierce opened the scoring early in the second half. In the 46th minute, he received a ball from Morgan Milligan. He drove to the right side of the Marshall box and drove a hard shot to the far post that beat the keeper.
Darren Jones added a second goal in the 65th minute off another assist from Milligan. He turned and struck a long, speculative shot that caught the keeper off his line.
The final goal came in the waning moments of the game. Pierce sent an inch-perfect ball behind the Marshall defense for Zach Thomas. Thomas cut along the endline and roofed the ball into the upper 90 at an acute angle.
While certainly not at the same level of importance, Thomas' goal was reminiscent of the classic goal scored by Landon Donovan in the 2010 World Cup match against Slovenia:
In the JV match, the Hornets fell 2-1. After falling behind 1-0, Cody Baumgartner scored a cracker of a goal on a nice settle and finish from the top of the box to level the score. After going behind again, Matt Henry nearly found the equalizer on a nice shot from distance that hit the post.
Jake Pierce opened the scoring early in the second half. In the 46th minute, he received a ball from Morgan Milligan. He drove to the right side of the Marshall box and drove a hard shot to the far post that beat the keeper.
Darren Jones added a second goal in the 65th minute off another assist from Milligan. He turned and struck a long, speculative shot that caught the keeper off his line.
The final goal came in the waning moments of the game. Pierce sent an inch-perfect ball behind the Marshall defense for Zach Thomas. Thomas cut along the endline and roofed the ball into the upper 90 at an acute angle.
While certainly not at the same level of importance, Thomas' goal was reminiscent of the classic goal scored by Landon Donovan in the 2010 World Cup match against Slovenia:
In the JV match, the Hornets fell 2-1. After falling behind 1-0, Cody Baumgartner scored a cracker of a goal on a nice settle and finish from the top of the box to level the score. After going behind again, Matt Henry nearly found the equalizer on a nice shot from distance that hit the post.
Camdenton Tournament
Fulton returned to the Laker Shootout as the defending champion but were unable to defend their title going 1-2 for the weekend. While somewhat disappointing, the Hornets faced a somewhat uphill battle, with a banged up back line and playing against two class 3 teams in Ozark and Francis Howell. On the plus side, several players got significant playing time with the varsity, which should pay dividends later this season and next year.
Fulton - Ozark (2-3)
The Hornets opened against Ozark on Friday afternoon on the turf of Camdenton's football practice field. (By the way, if anyone needed proof of the inequities of Missouri's system of school financing, they need look no further than Camdenton High School. The only element missing from this "Taj Mahal" was a reflecting pool.) Fulton started well and raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first 25 minutes. Zach Thomas scored on a ball that the Ozark defense inexplicably allowed to roll in the box, poking it past the surprised keeper. Jake Pierce added another off a solid attack from the right that brought the ball across the box and Pierce hit a well-placed shot from just outside the penalty area.
Ozark stepped up its intensity and, frankly, the Hornets did not respond well to the physical play. Ozark got a goal back shortly before half-time when Ozark sent an aerial ball into the box. Keeper Nick Heimericks seemed to have it in hand, but a hard challenge knocked him off-balance and the ball went into the net.
In the second half, the Hornets had two early chances to score as Pierce narrowly missed tucking the ball inside each post. However, the Hornet attack somewhat fizzled in the second half and the newly configured Fulton back line (Morgan Milligan moved to keeper in place of the banged-up Heimericks) was heavily pressured by Ozark. The pressure paid off as Ozark scored two goals in the second half to complete their comeback.
Fulton - Francis Howell (0-3)
On Saturday morning, Fulton faced off against Francis Howell from St. Charles. The Vikings were a very strong side (they moved very well off the ball and had a number of Academy players) and struck for two first half goals against Zach Hegemann, who started in goal for the first time this season. In the second half, the Hornets put together some very nice passing sequences in the midfield, but were unable to translate this into chances in the final third. On the defensive front, the Hornets gave up a third goal under the relentless pressure. While the Hornets were disappointed to lose, it was a "good loss" in that the team learned a lot from the experience, namely that we need to be dynamic in our movements on offense. We also learned that Caleb Lee and Cody Pae are very tenacious man-to-man defenders.
Fulton - Osage (2-0)
In the final game of the tournament on Saturday afternoon, Fulton took on fellow district member Osage. Both teams were feeling the effects of two games in less than 24 hours and the tired legs showed. While the Hornets would ultimately win comfortably with a 2-0 victory, the Osage Indians can feel hard done by the result as they actually created the better chances to score in the first half. Thankfully, keeper Sam Mayne was up to the task and kept the match scoreless.
The offense finally got on the board in the waning seconds of the half in a somewhat controversial play. The play began when the clock was stopped after an Osage player went down hurt. As he had committed a foul, the restart was a free kick to Fulton. So far, so good. Unfortunately for Osage, the clock operator accidentally reset the clock. Unable to set it to 10 seconds, the referee decided to keep time on his watch. On the restart from the midfield side line, the ball came through the box and apparently out of danger, But, giving proof to the adage "play to the final whistle," Jakob Hull picked up the loose ball and crossed where Darren Jones pounced on it to score with a left-footed volley. Did it take more than 10 seconds? According to the referee it didn't.
In the second half, Zach Thomas added a second off a header. The play began off a good switch when Jake Pierce sent a ball out wide to freshman forward Kevin Wallace. Wallace drove to the corner and then crossed. Both Pierce, Thomas, and the Osage keeper all converged on the ball, but Thomas won the battle and headed it into the empty net to round out the scoring.
Fulton - Ozark (2-3)
The Hornets opened against Ozark on Friday afternoon on the turf of Camdenton's football practice field. (By the way, if anyone needed proof of the inequities of Missouri's system of school financing, they need look no further than Camdenton High School. The only element missing from this "Taj Mahal" was a reflecting pool.) Fulton started well and raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first 25 minutes. Zach Thomas scored on a ball that the Ozark defense inexplicably allowed to roll in the box, poking it past the surprised keeper. Jake Pierce added another off a solid attack from the right that brought the ball across the box and Pierce hit a well-placed shot from just outside the penalty area.
Ozark stepped up its intensity and, frankly, the Hornets did not respond well to the physical play. Ozark got a goal back shortly before half-time when Ozark sent an aerial ball into the box. Keeper Nick Heimericks seemed to have it in hand, but a hard challenge knocked him off-balance and the ball went into the net.
In the second half, the Hornets had two early chances to score as Pierce narrowly missed tucking the ball inside each post. However, the Hornet attack somewhat fizzled in the second half and the newly configured Fulton back line (Morgan Milligan moved to keeper in place of the banged-up Heimericks) was heavily pressured by Ozark. The pressure paid off as Ozark scored two goals in the second half to complete their comeback.
Fulton - Francis Howell (0-3)
On Saturday morning, Fulton faced off against Francis Howell from St. Charles. The Vikings were a very strong side (they moved very well off the ball and had a number of Academy players) and struck for two first half goals against Zach Hegemann, who started in goal for the first time this season. In the second half, the Hornets put together some very nice passing sequences in the midfield, but were unable to translate this into chances in the final third. On the defensive front, the Hornets gave up a third goal under the relentless pressure. While the Hornets were disappointed to lose, it was a "good loss" in that the team learned a lot from the experience, namely that we need to be dynamic in our movements on offense. We also learned that Caleb Lee and Cody Pae are very tenacious man-to-man defenders.
Fulton - Osage (2-0)
In the final game of the tournament on Saturday afternoon, Fulton took on fellow district member Osage. Both teams were feeling the effects of two games in less than 24 hours and the tired legs showed. While the Hornets would ultimately win comfortably with a 2-0 victory, the Osage Indians can feel hard done by the result as they actually created the better chances to score in the first half. Thankfully, keeper Sam Mayne was up to the task and kept the match scoreless.
The offense finally got on the board in the waning seconds of the half in a somewhat controversial play. The play began when the clock was stopped after an Osage player went down hurt. As he had committed a foul, the restart was a free kick to Fulton. So far, so good. Unfortunately for Osage, the clock operator accidentally reset the clock. Unable to set it to 10 seconds, the referee decided to keep time on his watch. On the restart from the midfield side line, the ball came through the box and apparently out of danger, But, giving proof to the adage "play to the final whistle," Jakob Hull picked up the loose ball and crossed where Darren Jones pounced on it to score with a left-footed volley. Did it take more than 10 seconds? According to the referee it didn't.
In the second half, Zach Thomas added a second off a header. The play began off a good switch when Jake Pierce sent a ball out wide to freshman forward Kevin Wallace. Wallace drove to the corner and then crossed. Both Pierce, Thomas, and the Osage keeper all converged on the ball, but Thomas won the battle and headed it into the empty net to round out the scoring.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Moberly takes down Fulton, 0-2
Fulton hosted Moberly on Sept. 27th in the first skirmish for the conference title. It was a fairly even contest between with both teams creating good chances to score. Unfortunately, it was the visitors who prevailed on the strength of two first-half goals. The first came off a back door run that wasn't picked up and the second was on a fluky play where a through ball went untouched and found the back of the net.
There was no JV game as Moberly doesn't have a junior varsity squad.
There was no JV game as Moberly doesn't have a junior varsity squad.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Fulton Nips Mexico, 1-0
Fulton took on a solid Mexico squad on the road today and came away with a 1-0 victory. The win moved the Hornets to 7-3 on the season and 5-0 in the conference.
The Hornets took the field with a somewhat different look today. Zach Thomas took on the challenge of marking Mexico's Christian McKeown -- who scored 19 goals as a freshman last year -- and so the Hornets played in a modified 4-4-2. In addition, the Hornets were without the services of two midfielders, so Chad Davis moved into the center of midfield and Luke Nigus stepped into Davis' spot on the backline.
Despite the new configuration, the Hornets took to it well and took control of the match from the opening whistle. Throughout the first half, superior ball control and solid passing combinations allowed Fulton to mount numerous attacks on the Mexico end. However, the narrow field and an organized Mexico defense meant it was difficult to find the space to get behind the Mexico back line. The Hornets were content to try their luck from distance with their best chances coming of free kicks. Meanwhile the defense did well in containing the Mexico attack, limiting them to just three chances that never really tested keeper Nick Heimericks. The half ended 0-0.
In the second half, the Hornets again had the better chances, but seemed content to play long, hopeful balls to the forwards rather than using a short passing game to unlock the Mexico defense. Ultimately it was a little bit of good fortune and hustle that provided the game winner in the 16th minute. Chad Davis cut inside from the wide midfield and unleashed a powerful shot that was partially blocked. The deflection spun goalward and was headed in, but the scrambling keeper was able to just push it onto the bar. A couple of Hornets crashed the goal with Trevor Neal getting the decisive touch to knock it over the line.
In the JV game that followed, Mexico was forced to rely on several varsity players to round out their depleted roster. Still the Hornets did well, especially the defense. While Hadi Katish and Jonathan Perry performed well in the center of the defense, tracking back to snuff out numerous breakaways, the real hero was Daniel Lair. Playing almost as a sweeper/keeper, he was called upon to come out of goal several times to stop solo runs from the Mexico attackers, often nicking the ball away just in time. Unfortunately, a defensive lapse allowed McKeown to strike a beauty of a shot from outside the box that found the upper 90 to win the shortened game for Mexico.
Fulton will host Moberly on Tuesday night in a contest between the two conference co-leaders (both teams are perfect in conference action). There will be no JV game.
The Hornets took the field with a somewhat different look today. Zach Thomas took on the challenge of marking Mexico's Christian McKeown -- who scored 19 goals as a freshman last year -- and so the Hornets played in a modified 4-4-2. In addition, the Hornets were without the services of two midfielders, so Chad Davis moved into the center of midfield and Luke Nigus stepped into Davis' spot on the backline.
Despite the new configuration, the Hornets took to it well and took control of the match from the opening whistle. Throughout the first half, superior ball control and solid passing combinations allowed Fulton to mount numerous attacks on the Mexico end. However, the narrow field and an organized Mexico defense meant it was difficult to find the space to get behind the Mexico back line. The Hornets were content to try their luck from distance with their best chances coming of free kicks. Meanwhile the defense did well in containing the Mexico attack, limiting them to just three chances that never really tested keeper Nick Heimericks. The half ended 0-0.
In the second half, the Hornets again had the better chances, but seemed content to play long, hopeful balls to the forwards rather than using a short passing game to unlock the Mexico defense. Ultimately it was a little bit of good fortune and hustle that provided the game winner in the 16th minute. Chad Davis cut inside from the wide midfield and unleashed a powerful shot that was partially blocked. The deflection spun goalward and was headed in, but the scrambling keeper was able to just push it onto the bar. A couple of Hornets crashed the goal with Trevor Neal getting the decisive touch to knock it over the line.
In the JV game that followed, Mexico was forced to rely on several varsity players to round out their depleted roster. Still the Hornets did well, especially the defense. While Hadi Katish and Jonathan Perry performed well in the center of the defense, tracking back to snuff out numerous breakaways, the real hero was Daniel Lair. Playing almost as a sweeper/keeper, he was called upon to come out of goal several times to stop solo runs from the Mexico attackers, often nicking the ball away just in time. Unfortunately, a defensive lapse allowed McKeown to strike a beauty of a shot from outside the box that found the upper 90 to win the shortened game for Mexico.
Fulton will host Moberly on Tuesday night in a contest between the two conference co-leaders (both teams are perfect in conference action). There will be no JV game.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Hornets Take Down Hannibal, 3-2
The Hornets traveled to Hannibal on Thursday night and came away with a 3-2 victory. Two goals by Jake Pierce and another by Trevor Neal paced the Hornets to the victory, which moved them to 4-0 in the conference.
The Hornets got off to a quick start. The game was played on the artificial turf of the Hannibal football stadium, which suited Fulton just fine. The passing was crisp and the Hornets mounted several early attacks on the Hannibal goal. Unfortunately, a free kick deep in the Hornets' end resulted in a penalty kick as a Fulton player was whistled for a push in the box. Hannibal converted to make it 1-0 barely six minutes into the game.
To their credit, the Hornets kept their composure and continued to knock the ball around the field. Their reward came in the 22nd minute. Jake Pierce took a Zach Thomas flick, out-muscled his defender, and drove into the box. As the keeper came out, Pierce deftly tucked the ball just inside the right post to level the score at 1-1.
In the second half, the Hornets came out ready to play. In the 43rd minute, the Hornets went on top after a nice passing sequence at the top of the box. Trevor Neal settled a long pass and squared it to Jakob Hull, who one-touched it to Pierce. Pierce laid it off for Neal on the overlap, who drove into the left side of the box. His cutback move to the inside gave him enough room to unleash a powerful shot that proved too much for the Hannibal keeper as the ball went through his hands. The keeper dove in an attempt to recover the ball, but in vain.
The Hornets got off to a quick start. The game was played on the artificial turf of the Hannibal football stadium, which suited Fulton just fine. The passing was crisp and the Hornets mounted several early attacks on the Hannibal goal. Unfortunately, a free kick deep in the Hornets' end resulted in a penalty kick as a Fulton player was whistled for a push in the box. Hannibal converted to make it 1-0 barely six minutes into the game.
To their credit, the Hornets kept their composure and continued to knock the ball around the field. Their reward came in the 22nd minute. Jake Pierce took a Zach Thomas flick, out-muscled his defender, and drove into the box. As the keeper came out, Pierce deftly tucked the ball just inside the right post to level the score at 1-1.
In the second half, the Hornets came out ready to play. In the 43rd minute, the Hornets went on top after a nice passing sequence at the top of the box. Trevor Neal settled a long pass and squared it to Jakob Hull, who one-touched it to Pierce. Pierce laid it off for Neal on the overlap, who drove into the left side of the box. His cutback move to the inside gave him enough room to unleash a powerful shot that proved too much for the Hannibal keeper as the ball went through his hands. The keeper dove in an attempt to recover the ball, but in vain.
Thirteen minutes later the Hornets struck again to make it 3-1. Pierce took a pass around midfield and curled back to his left. His well-placed chip found Zach Thomas on the right side of the field. Thomas used his speed and a change of direction to get into the box and practically "baited" his defender into the foul. The defender really had no choice. Either chop him down or let him in alone on goal. On the ensuing penalty, Pierce calmly powered his shot past the keeper.
With the game seemingly in hand, the Hornets appeared to be on course to cruise to victory. However, the Pirates made matters interesting in the last five minutes. A hand ball on a Hornet player on the edge of the box resulted in a free kick. The wall failed to do its job and left the near side of the goal exposed to the powerfully-driven shot. Goal, Hannibal. An inexplicable (trust me, we asked for an explanation, but it still made no sense) red card with a minute remaining then reduced the Hornets to 10 men. Fortunately, the Hornets were able to run out the clock and take home the victory.
In the JV game, the Hornets and Pirates battled to a 0-0 tie. The Hornets played good, attractive soccer with several nice passing combinations. Man of the match honors must go freshman keeper Jared Strough. Alone on a breakaway, he not only made himself huge, but he came up with a huge save to preserve the tie.
The Hornets travel to Mexico on Saturday morning.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Hornets Take Down Kirksville, 6-0
The Hornets returned to conference action -- and their winning ways -- on Tuesday night as Fulton hosted the Kirksville Tigers. The Hornets would score all the goals they needed in the first half, but added five more in the second to win 6-0.
SoBoCo Wallops Hornets, 4-2
The SoBoCo Eagles came to play last Thursday and defeated the Hornets 4-2 in an emotional match between the two long-standing rivals.
Despite the equalizer, the Eagles continue to press the action. Their speed put the Hornets back on their heels in the remaining 20 minutes of the half.
The Eagles took the early lead on a defensive miscue in the 15th minute when two defenders crashed into each other, turning an easy clearance into a loose ball in front of the Hornets goal. SoBoCo reacted first and took a 1-0 lead.
With the Hornets reeling and the Eagles flying all over the field, the prospects looked bleak for the home side. However against the run of play, the Hornets got the equalizer in the 20th minutes. From his midfield position, Jakob Hull put Zach Thomas through on the right side. Thomas was able to turn the corner on his man and drive towards the SoBoCo goal. His threat drew out the keeper and his smart cross was met by a charging Jake Pierce who poked it into the open net.
With the Hornets reeling and the Eagles flying all over the field, the prospects looked bleak for the home side. However against the run of play, the Hornets got the equalizer in the 20th minutes. From his midfield position, Jakob Hull put Zach Thomas through on the right side. Thomas was able to turn the corner on his man and drive towards the SoBoCo goal. His threat drew out the keeper and his smart cross was met by a charging Jake Pierce who poked it into the open net.
Despite the equalizer, the Eagles continue to press the action. Their speed put the Hornets back on their heels in the remaining 20 minutes of the half.
After the break, the Hornets came out buzzing and employed a smothering defense. For the first 10 minutes, Fulton had the advantage with most of the action being on SoBoCo's end. Unfortunately, the referee saw the tight defense differently and whistled the Hornets for numerous fouls, the most important being a PK, which was converted to make it 1-2 in favor of the Eagles.
The Hornets felt hard done by the call and allowed their emotions to get the better of them. That, and a couple of ill-timed injuries, proved fatal against a very talented SoBoCo squad. The Eagles added 2 more goals before Fulton added a consolation goal in the final minute. Pierce out jumped the keeper to knock in a freekick from Darren Jones.
In the JV match, SoBoCo again took the early lead. However, Fulton keeper Daniel Lair played the match of his life to keep the Eagles at bay and in the 41st minute (11th minute of the 2nd half) Fulton equalized. Junior Cody Pae crossed into the box to find sophomore Cody Baumgartner. Baumgartner settled, turned, and unleashed a powerful shot into the far netting past the keeper. It was goal any player -- at any level -- would be proud to claim.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Jeff City Proves Too Tough for Fulton
It was a tough outing for Fulton tonight as they hosted the Jefferson City Jays. The Jays prevailed in both contests winning 2-0 in the varsity game and 6-0 in the junior varsity.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Hornets Get Big Wins at Marshall
Veni, vedi, vici. (We came, we saw, we conquered.)
The Fulton Hornets travelled to Marshall on Thursday night and made a strong statement that they intend to be a contender for the conference title with a 3-1 win. Jake Pierce scored twice and Zach Thomas added another. Sam Mayne did well to secure the win.
In the jv game, the Hornets prevailed 1-0 on a goal from Cody Pae.
Full match reports will be posted tomorrow.
The Fulton Hornets travelled to Marshall on Thursday night and made a strong statement that they intend to be a contender for the conference title with a 3-1 win. Jake Pierce scored twice and Zach Thomas added another. Sam Mayne did well to secure the win.
In the jv game, the Hornets prevailed 1-0 on a goal from Cody Pae.
Full match reports will be posted tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Home Openers Are Emphatic Wins for Both Squads
The Fulton Hornets opened their home schedule with solid wins against Boonville on Tuesday night. In the JV game the Hornets prevailed 3-1 while the varsity cruised to a 7-0 victory.
In the varsity match, the Hornets apparently conjured up the ghosts of the Magnificent Magyars, the legendary national team of Hungary that dominated world soccer in the 1950s. Led by the unparalleled Ferenc Puskás, the Hungarian squad pioneered a free-flowing passing game later made famous by the "total football" of the 1970s Dutch team. The Hungarians, with their intricate passing, utterly embarrassed the soccer powerhouses of the day, beating England, for example, 7-1 and West Germany 8-3. Such was their dominance, that the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland was considered a coronation. Surprisingly, though, they lost to W. Germany 2-3 in what the Germans called the "Miracle of Bern." Puskás and his teammates would flee Hungary during the 1956 revolution -- a blow from which the Hungarian side would never recover. Puskás would move on to play for Real Madrid and become one of their greatest stars. He died in 2006, but his name will forever be remembered in football. Not only is the Puskás move named after him, but his name also graces the award given by FIFA for the "most beautiful goal" of the year. For more on Puskás and the 1954 World Cup, view this:
But I digress. :-) (Believe me, I have more, much more.)
Back to the Boonville game. Fulton took possession of the match from the opening whistle and it was really only a matter of time before Fulton scored. Crisp passing (made possible by the fantastic field - thanks, Tim Echelmeier) and intelligent runs carved open the young Boonville squad. The Hornets took the lead in the 8th minute when Jake Pierce made an overlapping run on the left side. He cut into the box and drove along the endline before slotting a ball for the easy finish by junior midfielder Ben Kucera, who tucked it inside the far post.
Fulton squandered a number of subsequent chances before taking a 2-0 lead in the 23rd minute. Off a restart from about 35 yards out, Morgan Milligan sent in a perfect teasing ball that drew out the Boonville keeper. Unfortunately for him, Pierce was able to rise high in the air and head the ball into the near post netting.
In the second half the Hornets poured it on. 7 minutes in, Fulton scored again to make it 3-0. Jakob Hull split the defense to find an onrushing Trevor Neal whose shot was barely parried by the keeper, but it fell to a lurking Zach Thomas on the backdoor who made no mistake about the finish.
Moments later (49th minute), the Hornets struck again. Pierce used his chest to deftly settle a chipped cross from Darren Jones. While the keeper was able to save Pierce's one-time effort, again it fell to a crashing Fulton player. This time it was Neal who took advantage and hammered home a shot to the near post to make it 4-0.
The comfortable lead allowed Fulton to give some playing time to some younger players, who acquitted themselves well. Freshmen Cody Baumgartner looked quite comfortable in the midfield, while his classmate, Kevin Wallace was able to head home a corner from Chad Davis in the 58th minute to give Fulton a 5-0 lead.
Pierce got his brace on a well-placed freekick that he earned at the edge of the box when he cleverly turned on an entry pass from Howie Lee. The quick turn left the defender with no choice but to trip him. On the ensuing freekick, Pierce curled a precise ball around the wall and just inside the post. The keeper made a brave effort diving towards the post, but couldn't get a hand on the ball.
Fulton's final goal came on a nice passing sequence between Hull and Thomas up the right side of the Boonville defense that culminated in a curving shot from the edge of the box by Neal. Neal's shot, which gave him two for the night, tucked just inside the left post.
While the offense gets the attention, the back line of Milligan, Davis, Jones, and Nick Heimericks stymied any attempts by Boonville to score against senior keeper Sam Mayne, who recorded his second clean sheet of the season. All in all, it was a very good performance by all the boys to inaugurate the refurbished Fulton field.
Junior Varsity
In the junior varsity match, it was another dominating win. The Hornets again jumped out to an early lead. After a couple of quick scoring chances off of good runs on the left side by freshmen Craig Lattey and Kevin Wallace, Fulton's first goal came from the right. In the 3rd minute, freshman forward Austin Wilson send in a good cross that fellow freshman Ricky Dawson latched on to to knock it past the keeper from close range.
Three minutes later, the Hornets struck again, this time on a corner from the left. Cody Baumgartner's corner could have been pounced on by several Hornets, but it was Wilson who poked it home to double the Hornets' lead.
Meanwhile, the Fulton defense -- lead by sophomore keeper Daniel Lair -- did well to keep the Boonville Pirates at bay.
In the second half, each team scored. In the 40th minute (jv matches are 70 minutes long), Wilson got on the end of a Matt Henry cross to secure his second goal of the night to make it 3-0. Boonville was able to use one of their pacy players to threaten the Fulton goal. In the 54th minute, Jared Strough came up with a big save on a breakaway, but was left marooned by his defense again in the 60th minute. Boonville scored to make it 3-1, but that was all the scoring in the jv game.
Fulton returns to action on Thursday evening as they travel to Marshall for a key away test. The junior varsity plays at 5:00, with varsity to follow.
In the varsity match, the Hornets apparently conjured up the ghosts of the Magnificent Magyars, the legendary national team of Hungary that dominated world soccer in the 1950s. Led by the unparalleled Ferenc Puskás, the Hungarian squad pioneered a free-flowing passing game later made famous by the "total football" of the 1970s Dutch team. The Hungarians, with their intricate passing, utterly embarrassed the soccer powerhouses of the day, beating England, for example, 7-1 and West Germany 8-3. Such was their dominance, that the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland was considered a coronation. Surprisingly, though, they lost to W. Germany 2-3 in what the Germans called the "Miracle of Bern." Puskás and his teammates would flee Hungary during the 1956 revolution -- a blow from which the Hungarian side would never recover. Puskás would move on to play for Real Madrid and become one of their greatest stars. He died in 2006, but his name will forever be remembered in football. Not only is the Puskás move named after him, but his name also graces the award given by FIFA for the "most beautiful goal" of the year. For more on Puskás and the 1954 World Cup, view this:
But I digress. :-) (Believe me, I have more, much more.)
Back to the Boonville game. Fulton took possession of the match from the opening whistle and it was really only a matter of time before Fulton scored. Crisp passing (made possible by the fantastic field - thanks, Tim Echelmeier) and intelligent runs carved open the young Boonville squad. The Hornets took the lead in the 8th minute when Jake Pierce made an overlapping run on the left side. He cut into the box and drove along the endline before slotting a ball for the easy finish by junior midfielder Ben Kucera, who tucked it inside the far post.
Fulton squandered a number of subsequent chances before taking a 2-0 lead in the 23rd minute. Off a restart from about 35 yards out, Morgan Milligan sent in a perfect teasing ball that drew out the Boonville keeper. Unfortunately for him, Pierce was able to rise high in the air and head the ball into the near post netting.
In the second half the Hornets poured it on. 7 minutes in, Fulton scored again to make it 3-0. Jakob Hull split the defense to find an onrushing Trevor Neal whose shot was barely parried by the keeper, but it fell to a lurking Zach Thomas on the backdoor who made no mistake about the finish.
Moments later (49th minute), the Hornets struck again. Pierce used his chest to deftly settle a chipped cross from Darren Jones. While the keeper was able to save Pierce's one-time effort, again it fell to a crashing Fulton player. This time it was Neal who took advantage and hammered home a shot to the near post to make it 4-0.
The comfortable lead allowed Fulton to give some playing time to some younger players, who acquitted themselves well. Freshmen Cody Baumgartner looked quite comfortable in the midfield, while his classmate, Kevin Wallace was able to head home a corner from Chad Davis in the 58th minute to give Fulton a 5-0 lead.
Pierce got his brace on a well-placed freekick that he earned at the edge of the box when he cleverly turned on an entry pass from Howie Lee. The quick turn left the defender with no choice but to trip him. On the ensuing freekick, Pierce curled a precise ball around the wall and just inside the post. The keeper made a brave effort diving towards the post, but couldn't get a hand on the ball.
Fulton's final goal came on a nice passing sequence between Hull and Thomas up the right side of the Boonville defense that culminated in a curving shot from the edge of the box by Neal. Neal's shot, which gave him two for the night, tucked just inside the left post.
While the offense gets the attention, the back line of Milligan, Davis, Jones, and Nick Heimericks stymied any attempts by Boonville to score against senior keeper Sam Mayne, who recorded his second clean sheet of the season. All in all, it was a very good performance by all the boys to inaugurate the refurbished Fulton field.
Junior Varsity
In the junior varsity match, it was another dominating win. The Hornets again jumped out to an early lead. After a couple of quick scoring chances off of good runs on the left side by freshmen Craig Lattey and Kevin Wallace, Fulton's first goal came from the right. In the 3rd minute, freshman forward Austin Wilson send in a good cross that fellow freshman Ricky Dawson latched on to to knock it past the keeper from close range.
Three minutes later, the Hornets struck again, this time on a corner from the left. Cody Baumgartner's corner could have been pounced on by several Hornets, but it was Wilson who poked it home to double the Hornets' lead.
Meanwhile, the Fulton defense -- lead by sophomore keeper Daniel Lair -- did well to keep the Boonville Pirates at bay.
In the second half, each team scored. In the 40th minute (jv matches are 70 minutes long), Wilson got on the end of a Matt Henry cross to secure his second goal of the night to make it 3-0. Boonville was able to use one of their pacy players to threaten the Fulton goal. In the 54th minute, Jared Strough came up with a big save on a breakaway, but was left marooned by his defense again in the 60th minute. Boonville scored to make it 3-1, but that was all the scoring in the jv game.
Fulton returns to action on Thursday evening as they travel to Marshall for a key away test. The junior varsity plays at 5:00, with varsity to follow.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Hornets Demolish St. Charles Lutheran
The Council of Trent would have been proud as the Fulton Hornets thoroughly dominated St. Charles Lutheran 6-0 on Wednesday. While the display of soccer was not quite Baroque -- lacking as it did drama and crisis -- the Hornets demonstrated their artistry on the ball and with quick bold strokes conveyed a simple, easily understood message: we will win today.
While a satisfying win, the truth is that St. Charles Lutheran was a depleted opponent with only one sub. And with a heat index of 102 at kickoff, St. Charles Lutheran was facing an uphill battle at best.
Fulton opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Jake Pierce ran onto a ball deep in the penalty box. He turned and found Chad Davis aloneat the top of the box. Davis took a settle and coolly measured his shot left upper 90.
Five minutes later, the Hornets struck again to make it 2-0. As was the case all day, Pierce had acres of space to turn in front of the defense. Pierce found Howie Lee on the right wing. Lee delivered an inviting cross that Zach Thomas ssmashed home from the 6 yard box.
In the 33rd minute, Pierce took a pass from Davis and again found himself wide open. Taking a quick glance up to see the keeper off the line, he launched a shot from 40 yards out that dropped just under the crossbar to make it 3-0.
Two minutes from halftime, Trevor Neal gathered up a loose balll just outside the box and drove forward. Beating his defender, he was able to send a screamer past the keeper into the far post.
After halftime, the Hornets added two more goals to their haul for the day. pierce found Darren Jones wide on the left. jone cut inside and delivered an inch perfect cross to Thomas who volleyed it home. Three. minutes later thomas (who was denied his hattrick moments before as he was ruled offside) latched on to a loose ball at the far post. The keeper was able to get a hand to it, but only to push it into the side netting.
That rounded out the scoring, but credit must also be given to the defense. senior Sam Mayne, making his debut in goal, recorded a clean sheet. much of the credit goes to Nick Heimericks and Morgan Milligan, who renewed their partnership in central defense. Acknowledgment must also be made of the contributions of the substitutes, who performed ably and kept the pressure on St. Charles Lutheran throughout the game.
The Hornets will play next @ 4:00 on Friday on the stadium field (Fort Zumwalt North) against an opponent yet to be determined.
While a satisfying win, the truth is that St. Charles Lutheran was a depleted opponent with only one sub. And with a heat index of 102 at kickoff, St. Charles Lutheran was facing an uphill battle at best.
Fulton opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Jake Pierce ran onto a ball deep in the penalty box. He turned and found Chad Davis aloneat the top of the box. Davis took a settle and coolly measured his shot left upper 90.
Five minutes later, the Hornets struck again to make it 2-0. As was the case all day, Pierce had acres of space to turn in front of the defense. Pierce found Howie Lee on the right wing. Lee delivered an inviting cross that Zach Thomas ssmashed home from the 6 yard box.
In the 33rd minute, Pierce took a pass from Davis and again found himself wide open. Taking a quick glance up to see the keeper off the line, he launched a shot from 40 yards out that dropped just under the crossbar to make it 3-0.
Two minutes from halftime, Trevor Neal gathered up a loose balll just outside the box and drove forward. Beating his defender, he was able to send a screamer past the keeper into the far post.
After halftime, the Hornets added two more goals to their haul for the day. pierce found Darren Jones wide on the left. jone cut inside and delivered an inch perfect cross to Thomas who volleyed it home. Three. minutes later thomas (who was denied his hattrick moments before as he was ruled offside) latched on to a loose ball at the far post. The keeper was able to get a hand to it, but only to push it into the side netting.
That rounded out the scoring, but credit must also be given to the defense. senior Sam Mayne, making his debut in goal, recorded a clean sheet. much of the credit goes to Nick Heimericks and Morgan Milligan, who renewed their partnership in central defense. Acknowledgment must also be made of the contributions of the substitutes, who performed ably and kept the pressure on St. Charles Lutheran throughout the game.
The Hornets will play next @ 4:00 on Friday on the stadium field (Fort Zumwalt North) against an opponent yet to be determined.
Tough Loss to St. Charles in Tourny Opener
The Fulton Hornets dropped their opening game of the Fort Zumwalt North (O'Fallon) tournament on Monday evening. It was a game to be rued as the Hornets spotted St. Charles an undeserved two-goal lead before mounting a comeback that fell just a little short.
St. Charles opened the scoring in the 10th minute against the run of play when a long through ball put an attacker in alone. He collectedthe ball and calmly smashed it to the far post past keeper Nick Heimericks.
A few minutes later disaster struck. A miscommunication in the defense allowed a St. Charles player to swoop in on the right and drive a ball to the far post which nestled just inside the post. 0-2 with only 20 minutes gone.
While not an ideal situation, it afforded the team an opportunity to see how the players handled adversity. Some handled it better than others, but the team as a whole responded well. The Hornets continued to press and test the St. Charles keeper.
The effort finally paid off midway through the 2nd half. Morgan Milligan, who gave the St. Charles back fits throughout the game, drove in from right flank position and slotted a ball to Chad Davis. Davis' shot fell to Jake Pierce who struck it home from close range.
With the score now 1-2 the Hornets pressed for the equalizer. Fulton came close with 10 minutes to go when Pierce's shot hit the keeper's trailing leg. Other opportunities went wide or high to leave the Hornets frustrated with a "what might have been" game.
The Hornets play again on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 against St. Charles Lutheran.
St. Charles opened the scoring in the 10th minute against the run of play when a long through ball put an attacker in alone. He collectedthe ball and calmly smashed it to the far post past keeper Nick Heimericks.
A few minutes later disaster struck. A miscommunication in the defense allowed a St. Charles player to swoop in on the right and drive a ball to the far post which nestled just inside the post. 0-2 with only 20 minutes gone.
While not an ideal situation, it afforded the team an opportunity to see how the players handled adversity. Some handled it better than others, but the team as a whole responded well. The Hornets continued to press and test the St. Charles keeper.
The effort finally paid off midway through the 2nd half. Morgan Milligan, who gave the St. Charles back fits throughout the game, drove in from right flank position and slotted a ball to Chad Davis. Davis' shot fell to Jake Pierce who struck it home from close range.
With the score now 1-2 the Hornets pressed for the equalizer. Fulton came close with 10 minutes to go when Pierce's shot hit the keeper's trailing leg. Other opportunities went wide or high to leave the Hornets frustrated with a "what might have been" game.
The Hornets play again on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 against St. Charles Lutheran.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hornets Win Season Opener Against Chillicothe 3-1
Perhaps it was the long bus ride. Perhaps it was overconfidence after last year's 6-0 win over Chillicothe. Perhaps it was just opening game jitters. Regardless, it was a rude start to the 2011 campaign when the host Chillicothe Hornets scored less than 2 minutes into the match on Saturday. A long throw-in, a ball allowed to bounce in the box, poor marking in the box and the Fulton Hornets suddenly found themselves staring at a 0-1 deficit.
Somewhat rattled, the Hornets struggled to connect their passes over the first 15 minutes. While this was somewhat due to the uneven quality of the field, much of the credit goes to the swarming style of an athletic Chillicothe squad. Their direct style of play gave the Fulton back line plenty to worry about.
Gradually the Hornets began to show their quality and play themselves into the match. More and more of the possession went Fulton's way. Finally, in the 27th minute Fulton got the equalizer. Junior midfielder Jakob Hull won possession of the ball and sent a through ball to senior forward Morgan Milligan. Cutting in from his position on the right, Milligan drove into the box. His initial shot was saved, but his second effort and that of sophomore forward Trevor Neal put enough pressure on the keeper that he inadvertently put it into his own goal. It was truly a text book example of a goalmouth scramble that fortunately went the Hornets' way.
A few minutes later, the Hornets struck again. A dangerous drive by senior forward Jake Pierce into the left side of the box gave the Chillicothe defenders little option but to foul. It could have been a penalty kick as Pierce went down under the challenge, but the referee judged it to be obstruction. Instead of a pk, the Hornets lined up for an indirect kick in the box. After a quick touch by Chad Davis, Pierce drove a hard shot around the wall to the far post. The defense managed to block the shot, but Neal was able to pounce on the rebound and thunder it home past the hapless keeper.
Buoyed by their 2-1 halftime advantage, Fulton came out quickly in the second half. Scarcely over a minute into the half (@ 41:13), Jones advanced from his wingback position and sent a cross into the box. Once again -- proving the soccer coach's admonition to never, ever let a ball bounce in your box -- the ball bounced right into the path of the onrushing Milligan, who cracked a volley over the keeper's head from ten yards out.
That rounded out the scoring, although not the action. While both teams created chances, Fulton had the match firmly in hand as their quality on the ball began to show -- finally.
While most of the Fulton squad consisted of returning players (10) from last season, several players were able to make their varsity debuts: senior defender Zach Hegemann, junior defender Cody Pae, junior midfielder Howie Lee, and freshman Kevin Wallace acquited themselves well.
In the junior varsity game, it was a similar opponent for the young Fulton players as they found themselves matched up against many of the Chillicothe players from the varsity match. The Hornets played well, dominating the game until the insertion of the varsity players midway through the first half turned the tide in Chillicothe's favor. A break away left sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Lair in a 2 v 1 and the hosts took a 1-0 lead. Fulton nearly equalized on a break away of its own, but Kevin Wallace's well-placed shot was saved by the keeper.
Chillicothe doubled its lead early in the second half when a powerfully taken freekick sailed over the wall and just underneath the bar, leaving Lair with little chance to stop it. The final score was 2-0 in favor of Chillicothe, but Fulton showed promise of what is to come with more experience. Every player had positive moments and with a little tweaking, the Fulton j.v. should have a fine season.
Somewhat rattled, the Hornets struggled to connect their passes over the first 15 minutes. While this was somewhat due to the uneven quality of the field, much of the credit goes to the swarming style of an athletic Chillicothe squad. Their direct style of play gave the Fulton back line plenty to worry about.
Gradually the Hornets began to show their quality and play themselves into the match. More and more of the possession went Fulton's way. Finally, in the 27th minute Fulton got the equalizer. Junior midfielder Jakob Hull won possession of the ball and sent a through ball to senior forward Morgan Milligan. Cutting in from his position on the right, Milligan drove into the box. His initial shot was saved, but his second effort and that of sophomore forward Trevor Neal put enough pressure on the keeper that he inadvertently put it into his own goal. It was truly a text book example of a goalmouth scramble that fortunately went the Hornets' way.
A few minutes later, the Hornets struck again. A dangerous drive by senior forward Jake Pierce into the left side of the box gave the Chillicothe defenders little option but to foul. It could have been a penalty kick as Pierce went down under the challenge, but the referee judged it to be obstruction. Instead of a pk, the Hornets lined up for an indirect kick in the box. After a quick touch by Chad Davis, Pierce drove a hard shot around the wall to the far post. The defense managed to block the shot, but Neal was able to pounce on the rebound and thunder it home past the hapless keeper.
Buoyed by their 2-1 halftime advantage, Fulton came out quickly in the second half. Scarcely over a minute into the half (@ 41:13), Jones advanced from his wingback position and sent a cross into the box. Once again -- proving the soccer coach's admonition to never, ever let a ball bounce in your box -- the ball bounced right into the path of the onrushing Milligan, who cracked a volley over the keeper's head from ten yards out.
That rounded out the scoring, although not the action. While both teams created chances, Fulton had the match firmly in hand as their quality on the ball began to show -- finally.
While most of the Fulton squad consisted of returning players (10) from last season, several players were able to make their varsity debuts: senior defender Zach Hegemann, junior defender Cody Pae, junior midfielder Howie Lee, and freshman Kevin Wallace acquited themselves well.
In the junior varsity game, it was a similar opponent for the young Fulton players as they found themselves matched up against many of the Chillicothe players from the varsity match. The Hornets played well, dominating the game until the insertion of the varsity players midway through the first half turned the tide in Chillicothe's favor. A break away left sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Lair in a 2 v 1 and the hosts took a 1-0 lead. Fulton nearly equalized on a break away of its own, but Kevin Wallace's well-placed shot was saved by the keeper.
Chillicothe doubled its lead early in the second half when a powerfully taken freekick sailed over the wall and just underneath the bar, leaving Lair with little chance to stop it. The final score was 2-0 in favor of Chillicothe, but Fulton showed promise of what is to come with more experience. Every player had positive moments and with a little tweaking, the Fulton j.v. should have a fine season.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Practices this week
Practices this week will be from 3:20 to 5:30. Ending a little bit later will give us the additional time to prepare for our first game (Saturday against Chillicothe).
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
2011 Season Starts on Monday, August 8th
The 2011 edition of the Fulton boys soccer team starts on August 8th. Two-a-days will be held during that week. On Monday, training sessions will be at the high school due to the mandatory meeting of all fall athletes at 7:30 a.m. in the gym. Following that meeting, we will head to the practice field for conditioning and practice.
The remainder of the week will be at Morgan Soccer Park. Practices will be from 7 to 12 with a 45 minute break at 9:00. On Friday, we will move practice to the evening so that freshman and Link Crew members can participate in freshman orientation at the high school.
The remainder of the week will be at Morgan Soccer Park. Practices will be from 7 to 12 with a 45 minute break at 9:00. On Friday, we will move practice to the evening so that freshman and Link Crew members can participate in freshman orientation at the high school.
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