Latest News & Information
11/30/09
The indoor season wil begin Sunday January 3rd. We will play at Tab Ramos Sports in Aberdeen same as last Winter.
Cost per player to girls who have committed to a whole season (ten games) is $72.50 per player which covers registration and ref fees. As was the case last year, carded Hearts players can fill in if they have a free Sunday and we have openings. Cost per game to play sinlgle games is $11.
Annie and Sarah Que will need to get a Winter pass, which is $10. That can be done the first game -- all you need is a birth certificate (I'm assuming Sarah will not get her MNJYSA Hearts pass by then)
I have never made a point of this before but I would like to point out that many of the girls (for example the Edison girls on the Piscataway team) who will be competing with Hearts girls to play for Edison or JPS High Schools will certainly be involved in Winter training or playing in a Winter league. I realize some girls are avid basketball players and will get plenty of exercise doing that. However, if your daughter aspires to play varsity high school soccer you should seriously consider Winter soccer especially for girls who are not playing basketball over the Winter.
We can dress up to eight players a game. The first eight players that send me a check for $72.50 will comprise our standing Indoor roster. After that, girls who are interested will be contacted when illness or injury creates an opening for a particular Sunday.
Again, if your initial reaction was "my daughter will not be playing this Winter" you should reconsider that if she wants to play HS soccer. Remember how well Piscatway played -- Hearts girls will be competing directly with them for places on the HS varsity in 2011 and 2012.
On a warm afternoon on probably the worst field we've played on this season, Hearts finished their initial U14 season with a 4-0 win at Bloomfield. In the first half, despite dominating time of possession and field position, Hearts was up just 1-0 on an "own goal" by the home team. Alexa had to leave the game with an injury, leaving Sana to play the rest of the way. Once the second half began, Hearts offense took control of the contest. Edison had at least a dozen corner kicks, keeping Bloomfield bottled up in their own end. Sam, paying no heed to being cautioned for crashing into the opposing keeper in the first half, put in two goals, disheartening a Bloomfield team that managed only two goals in their first nine games. Lauren finished off the scoring slotting in a rebound. Hearts, the youngest team in the flight, finishes 2-5-3, in 7th place, and as noted, excluding tough matches with Piscataway and Berkeley Heights, allowing just nine goals in ten regular season and tournament games.
----------------------------------------
BEST GAME?
Our best game was probably in the tournament. Old Bridge, a MOCSA team had beaten Piscataway 3-0 in a Columbus Day tournament and the Storm coaches felt that Old Bridge was so physical, so "dirty" that Piscataway said they would not play OBGS in Spookarama. In Carly's debut game, Hearts outplayed and outhustled Old Bridge, who barely eked out a 1-0 win when after Alexa made a thrilling save, the rebound was put in with Lex still on the ground.
Our best regular season effort came against New Providence. They finished 2nd and were neck and neck with Piscataway most of the way. NP had a 32 GF-10 GA differential but until they got an insurance goal late in the 2nd half, they were clinging desperately to a one-goal lead as Hearts, according to the NP coaches, "smothered" the Lynx' best players.
UNBEST GAME?
Berkeley Heights, another all U14 team was fast and attacked relentlessly from every position. It was the only game where the girls really seemed overwhelmed and confused by an opponent.
SPECIAL NOTES
In two of our most recent games, the referees made a point of complimenting us. After the game at Piscataway (BTW the former Edison MegaWatts won our flight and had a 52-8 goal differential) all three refs came over to my car. As I told the girls, one of the refs said, "I have never seen any kids play so hard when they were down so far. If anyone came to the field and watched the last ten minutes they would have figured Piscataway had a 1-0 lead. Is it true you're really U13? " I said yes, we have only two 8th graders and almost all the girls will be able to play U14 again 2010-2011. "Well I wouldn't want to have to play your team next year," the ref told me. "They'll be really tough with a year of U14 experience."
Then, after the game at Milburn Sunday, the ref there told me, "People think 0-0 soccer games are boring, but that was a real battle. Every girl on both sides, on offense and defense, gave it her all and all 22 girls on the field at the end were doing everything they could to win."
All any coach can ever ask is thay everyone play hard the whole game.
SINGLING THEM OUT
First I want to talk about Amy. Every team needs a combination of players who can play a position and girls who can play anywhere. Amy is truly our supersub, always playing hard, and with equal effectiveness, wherever we put her. This year we needed Amy to put in a couple games at fullback and she did well there, especially given she doesn't have the quickness in the back that Ali and Radhika have.
In every team sport we speak of the importance of strength up the middle. It took us a while, but the middle we have now-- Alexa or Sana, Sarah, Vaishali, Allie and Sam -- is the backbone of the team and the heart of Hearts.
The left side of the field is often a problem for soccer teams at all levels. Out of all our players only Sana is really "left footed;" however, Lexie and Nidhi have such chemistry with each other that it gives us an effective left attack. I'm not certain but I think that almost all Lexie's goals this season have come when Nidhi was playing behind her.
On the right Hearts has a rotation of Carly, Krishna and Lauren moving among the two positions in front of Dikha. Being able to move Lauren back to Right Mid has bolstered our offensive chances, because Lauren positions herself very well to make big passes into the goal area. Her understanding of playing outside mid as far as positioning is better than some Edison High players'
The strength of Hearts is our defense. It goes beyond the backs, Sana and Alexa. Every girl plays defense. In the most recent three games, we often kept the ball deep in the opposing end because even our forwards contain the ball when the other side wins possession. That being said, our defenders, with Amy and Krishna filling in at times, all play very well. A benefit of playing U14 is that referees look for the "offsides trap" to be used and no team in our flight traps as effectively and successfully as Hearts. With the exception of Berkeley Heights, the forwards of every team we played, even Piscataway, were embrassed by our trap. How many times this season have opposing coaches started hollering because their attacks ended with Hearts kicking because of offsides? Ali, Vaishali, Sarah and Radhika play as a unit, supporting each other and stepping up to keep opponents offsides and off balance. Putting aside the Berkeley Heights and Piscatway games, but including the tournament, Hearts have allowed 12 goals in 9 games. That's impressive considering we are playing a year "up" at U14.
Finally we should acknowledge two girls who play 80 minutes every week and not only play their best but bring out the best in their teammates. The fire, the reckless courage, the enthusiasm that Sam shows at Striker have elevated her game to new heights despite essentially playing against good U14 defenders every week. Don't take my word for it. When Sam was delayed a bit arriving for Milburn, every girl was concerned that not having Sam was a real disadvantage to us. On the other end, Sarah backs up the defense with smarts and strength that anchors Hearts and keeps the pressure away from the keepers. Vaishali is often part of our attack because she can come forward deep into the offense knowing Sarah's got her back. Tell the Metuchen and Highland Park HS coaches Hearts has two superior players to send them in August, 2011.
So as the Fall 2009 season winds down, we look to get some more goals in the Spring. Having Sarah Que, the second-leading Hearts goal-scorer 2008-09 come back should help out. We'll probably be flighted again with Del Val, Colonia, Bloomfield, Middlesex, and Milburn again in the Spring, which promises to be better. Piscataway will no doubt jump to Flight 2, at least
Hearts was challenged to step up to U14 this season and the girls have done so. You should be proud of them and their efforts.
BLUE SHIRTS AND BLUE SOCKS SUNDAY!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEARTS 1 Colonia Twisters 1 << tie>>
Hearts had only ten players available to make up the Week A game but if the visitors thought they had an advantage, they quickly found out otherwise! Despite the fact Colonia got the ball to start, Hearts struck first when Sam drilled in Nidhi's throw-in barely 25 seconds into the game for a 1-0 Edison lead. Later in the first half, Colonia tied the score on a controversial goal. It looked from the sideline like the Twisters' forward knocked the ball down to her feet with her hand, then slipped a shot in, but the referee allowed the goal to stand. The second half was arguably the best effort top to bottom by every girl Hearts has ever had. Once the second half got underway, Amy, Krishna, and Dikha, all playing unfamiliar positions in the back, were more comfortable and starting launching counterattacks when they dispossessed the Twisters turning defense into attack. They were able to do so because Sarah was a force of nature at Sweeper, ranging far and wide to thwart Colonia's attacks. One the rare occasions when the Twisters managed a shot, Sana made several spectacular saves to deny the visitors. Despite playing shorthanded, and with the emerging sun warming the air, Hearts pressed a relentless attack especially over the final ten minutes. For the second game in a row, Hearts outshot their opponents (this week 21-11) as Alexa M., Lauren, Lexie L, Sam and Nidhi pounded away at the Colonia keeper. In the waning seconds, Nidhi made a throw-in but the whistle blew before Sam could try to convert the chance for her second tally. Every girl played hard for the full 80 minutes and they did well in all phases of the game. It's certainly a good possibility that if Vaishali wasn't out with a hamstring injury, and we had 11 girls on the field, Colonia would not have escaped with a tie.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
10/05/09
Hearts 0 Delaware Valley Devils 1
Finally Hearts began their U14 season under perfect blue skies at St Joseph High School with a strong effort that came up just a bit short. This was a good showing in all phases of the game. Hearts outshot Del Val 15-8, and would have tied the score if Alexa L's slotted shot off a pass from Nidhi wasn't called back for offsides. In practice, Anita has emphasized "turning defense into attack," and the defense played very well. Ali and Vaishali played exceptionally strong games in the back, so much so that Sarah often cleared the ball from near midfield. Most telling, against an older, bigger team of mostly 8th grade girls, Hearts asserted themselves to the tune of five fouls in the last 20 minutes. Next up, a make-up of the initial Week A game home this Saturday against Colonia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
