WARRENSBURG PICTURE

Kayla Birchfield taking a hit.

CATS END WARRENSBURG'S SIX GAME WINNING STREAK

The Wildcats took their show on the road to face a steamrolling Warrensburg team tonight. The Tigers were heavily favored as they hoped to add another notch in the win column to their six game winning streak. Having lost to the Tigers earlier in the season in a 2-3 knuckle biter, Harrisonville surprised the Tigers and played spoiler, handing them a 3-1 loss.

The Cats were first on the scoreboard early in the first half. Kayla Birchfield got the assist with a cross from the left sideline to a waiting Kelsie Sumner. Kelsie's full volley shot on goal found it's home in the right side netting.

Not to be outdone; the Tigers evened the score just after the beginning of the second half with a Hail Mary shot from near the center line.

The Tigers rarely had time to look up and even get sight of the goal when the ball was in their attacking third due to Sara Clarke and her defensive unit. Tina Harold, Shalyn Wheeler, Cati Brill and Brianna Loveall had a wonderful game shutting down the potent Tiger offense. Great game ladies!

Kayla Birchfield was not done for the evening as she scored a go-ahead goal around the 50th minute.

Kelsie Sumner put the game away with two minutes left in the game. AJ Erickson split the defenders with a perfectly weighted pass to a streaking Sumner who's crushing right footed blast punched the ball under the diving keeper.

The JV Wildcats won their game in a 1-0 shut-out, Holly Harris' fourth on the season. The girls were able to string together some good passes and had a few opportunities to score. The winning goal came as a shot on goal was deflected off the hand of a Tiger defender just outside the penalty box. Jaclyn Sumner bent the free kick over the wall, the well driven ball just grazing the tallest player's head before it stretched the onion sack in the top right side of the goal. Go Cats!!

Pictures are downloading.

CATS FACE SMITHVILLE ON THE ROAD

The Cats fell to the well honed attack of Smithville on Friday night 0-3. There were no pictures for the game as the weather was cold, overcast and windy. Will spring ever truly arrive?

CATS IN THE NEWS

Click on the link below for the latest story on the Ladies in the Democrat Missourian newspaper.

Democrat Missourian Link

10-0 SCOREFEST VS CLINTON

The girls ended their four game scoreless drought in fine fashion with a 10-0 blowout against District rival Clinton. Kayla Birchfield had three goals, Alex Erickson and Karson Wilson had two each. Emily Buerge, Kaila Leipard and Jaclyn Sumner scored one a piece.

Judith spent the game behind the lens tonight. Pictures are downloading as we speak...er....blog.

BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST PICTURES

I've opened up a new sub-album called "The Best" in the team photo album. This will contain what I feel are the best shots of all the girls. I've cropped them and balanced the color a bit. I'm still missing good shots of some of the girls so this will help me focus on the ones I'm missing.

Some of the these aren't truly the best of the best but are more like the best I have. If the picture looks a little fuzzy or if she is making a funny face, I'll be replacing them as I get better ones through the rest of the season.

This stuff is harder than it looks. :-)

US WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM OLYMPIC DRAW

The US Women's National Team participated in the 2008 Olympic Draw tonight. The team will face Japan, Norway and New Zealand in the opening round of play. The team will face Japan in their first game of the 12 team tourney on August 6th, 2008.

Check the full story HERE.

OLYMPIC MEN'S SOCCER NEWS

U.S. Men Drawn into Group B with Netherlands, Nigeria and Japan

First game vs Japan slated for August 7th, 2008.

Check out the full story HERE

CATS IN A SCORING SLUMP

Just after beating St. Pius and O'Hara in past weeks, the high spirited Harrisonville Wildcats have hit a mid-season scoring slump. Early in the week, the Cats held Sedalia to one goal but failed to stretch the onion net themselves. They looked to the Sedalia Invitational Tournament this weekend for an opportunity get back in the green.

The girls drew some tough teams in their bracket including Ozark, MO, a team from Wisconsin and close neighbor, Ray-Pec. The Cats ended the weekend 0-3; all in shutouts.

I'm sure a home game vs Clinton will bring back their winning way. See you all Tuesday.

SEDALIA TOURNEY PICTURES

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that pictures from the tourney are uploading as we speak and they should take little time to do that this time around.

The BAD news is that I accidently deleted all the pictures from the Wisconsin game and 3/4 of the Ray-Pec game before the camera had a chance to get them saved to my hard drive. I took over 300 and, after editing down to the good ones, we now only have 14 total, all from the Ray-Pec game.

This is why I would hate to shoot weddings.

More good news! One of those shots I didn't delete was of Misty Olsen from Ray-Pec. Why are we posting a picture of a Ray-Pec girl you ask? Misty used to play with many of the Freshman girls and still plays with AJ on her club team. Maybe if I post her picture here, Misty will come down to Harrisonville like we've been beggin.

WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER COMING BACK IN 2009

I just found out that professional women's soccer will be coming back in 2009 under the new league name Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The WPS will take off where the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) left off in 2003 that league folded.

The seven team league will start play April 09. The closest team will be The St. Louis United.

Check out the link HERE.

I'll add the link to their web page to the other links here on the blog.

SEDALIA PICTURES ARE ALL UP ON THE ALBUM NOW

The Sedalia photos are all up on the album now.

ANOTHER SEDALIA PICTURE

CATS HOLD SEDALIA TO ONE

The Wildcats held high flying Sedalia Smith Cotton to one goal after beating them in their opening tournament this season and then losing to them in a 6-2 mudfest on their horse pasture home field the following week. The deciding goal came with only 5 minutes left in the first half.

The game tested the full team as both sides worked on possession through the midfield while trying to crack a tough defensive unit. Sedalia tried to capitalize on a violent Wildcat tackle in the box when a penalty kick was awarded with less than five minutes left in the second half. Sara Clarke got a glove on the shot which was driven low to the left post, just enough to have it bounce back into the box for a rebound shot. The defense quickly stepped in and cleared the ball past the 18 yard line.

The Wildcat Varsity girls will travel to Sedalia this weekend for their Invitational Tourament. I don't have a clue who is invited to play there but I can guess that we won't be in the same bracket as Sedalia but would face them in the playoffs if we continue to play this well. That's my prediction anyway.

The JV girls preserved their undefeated season with a scoreless draw.

I didn't get many photos tonight but what I have will be up by the end of the day tomorrow. I've been trying to fill in with some photos of some girls that I haven't focused (pardon the pun) on much since the beginning of the season. I hope to have a good action photo of every girl on the team by years end.

CAPTION CONTEST

Use the comment function to leave a suggested caption for this photo. Keep it clean.

CATS TAKE GRANDVIEW IN A BLOWOUT ON THE ROAD

The Cats continued their three game winning streak tonight with a 10-0 drubbing of the Grandview Bulldogs. It was a total offensive domination of the field. Emily Buerge scored a hat trick. Alex Erickson scored two and Cati Brill, Kelsie Sumner, Karson Wilson, Alex Herndon and Kayla Birchfield all tallied a goal each. Sara Clarke recorded the shutout in goal.

The JV Cats also extended their undefeated season with a 5-0 shutout. Holly Harris played half the game in goal, relieved by Sara Clarke the second half. Holly played out on the field, scoring two goals in the second half. Kelsie and Jaclyn Sumner and Tiffany Sujkowski all scored one goal each.

We got a bunch of good photos tonight with the perfect weather and ample lighting. I have over 170 to upload so you might check back tomorrow morning.

WIZARDS HOLD HOUSTON DYNAMOS TO A SCORELESS DRAW

CATS TURN THE TABLE ON ST. PIUS

The Cats turned the table on St. Pius last night with a huge come-from-behind win in overtime on the road. The Cats won 2-1 in sudden death overtime (sudden victory if you are an optimist) to a hard charging St. Pius team to whom they lost 3-1 just four days before at home.

Foul weather forced a change of venue for the second game in a row for the Cats. The game was moved to the turf field at Winnetonka High School due to heavy rains the past few days. Not giving up so easily; Mother Nature had an ever present impact on the games as the girls fought a brutal cross wind and had to hustle to stay warm in the cold temps.

Harrisonville's defensive line was tested all night but their offside trap killed at least eight offensive attacks. The few that did break through were chased down and were methodically stripped of the ball by our defensive team. Cats Keeper Sara Clarke was active in the net the entire game as St. Pius countered quickly on more than four occasions to send players in one-on-one with her but she snuffed their hopes and came away with the ball every time except one. She was able to deflect the shot but the wind blown ball rolled into corner of the net before the defense could clear it from the line.

St. Pius was on the boards first but persistence paid off for their hard work as Harrisonville brought the game even with a goal in the second half that resulted from a scrum in the box. Two Harrisonville players sent the ball to the goal line in quick succession only to have it bounce back into the pile without a whistle. Alex Herndon finally drove the ball home to tie the game up with her second goal this year in just as many games.

The game remained tied until the end of regulation; forcing the game to sudden death overtime. Faced with two additional 10 minute halves, the Cats took mercy on all who were present and quickly ended the contest with a cross/shot from Harrisonville Forward Alex Erickson out of the deep right corner of the field. This low heat seeking missile found its way to the back of the net. The game winning goal was Alex's sixth goal in nine games this year.

The JV Cats took the field soon after the varsity victory facing waning light and the same brutal wind and cold. The halves were cut to 20 minutes as a result. The JV squad pressed the attack for almost two full halves without a goal either way. The deciding goal finally came in the last seconds of the second half when a booming shot from outside the box was deflected by a St. Pius player's hand in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Cats. Kelsie Sumner's low driving blast didn't move far off center on its way to the net so the keeper was able to get her hands on it. The shot deflected through her arms and across the line just moments before the final whistle. The goal notched another win to the JV Cat's four game undefeated season and also extended Kelsie's four game scoring streak. Holly Harris took command of the potent Wildcat defensive unit from between the goal posts and notched her second shut-out in as many games.

Well done ladies!

NAMES ON THE BLOG

I've refrained from using the girl's names on the blog until I had a chance to bounce the idea off a couple of parents. I feared that some might not like their names and pictures on the Internet. So far, everyone I've talked to has not been opposed to it. That discussion is still open so if you'd rather not have your daughters name appear on the blog, email me at the address below.

I will try to get the names of whoever scores goals and assists but will also highlight great defensive efforts as well. Again, email me if I get them wrong.

ksumner11@embarqmail.com

I AM 0-2 ON MY MAPS

OK, I'm 0-2 on maps to the away games. Every time I post directions and a map to the field, the school changes the venue. I'll give it one more try for the game on Monday at Grandview but make sure you check with your daughter right before you leave as this stuff can change at the last minute.

This is the map for the Grandview game monday. The field is around the back of the school. I think you turn at the stoplight just before the school on Main Str. The game starts at 4:30 PM. Cross your fingers!


View Larger Map

MORE O'HARA PICTURES

For some reason the pictures from the O'Hara game stopped mid-download last night (I'll blame it on Judith) so only a page or so showed up today. I've redone them and they are all on the online album now. Enjoy.

NEXT UP - HARRISONVILLE AT ST. PIUS

Cat face St. Pius on the road Friday at 4:30 PM.

Click here for directions and a map to the field.

CATS BEAT O'HARA

Harrisonville's Varsity crew ended their winless streak in a big way tonight with a 3-2 win vs O'Hara. The Cats scored first and than added a second early in the second half for a 2-0 lead. It was short lived as O'Hara came back and brought the game back within one goal just a minute later. The Cats added one more to the tally before O'Hara could score again. The game ended in a downpour that did little to dampen the girl's spirit. They continued to press up on offense and never bunkered to protect their lead.

JV continued their undefeated season with a 3-0 win as well. Well done.

Pictures are downloading now.

HOME GAME WED. NIGHT VS OHARA

DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS POST WITH DIRECTIONS TO THE OHARA GAME WED. NIGHT (I DELETED IT). THE GAME WILL BE PLAYED AT HOME ON MEMORIAL FIELD AS NOTED ON THE SCHOOL SCHEDULE.

I'VE MOVED THE SCHEDULE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG. IT HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH INFO DIRECTLY FROM THE SCHOOL WEB SITE. EVEN SO, THINGS CHANGE AND I HAVE PROVIDED A LINK TO THE SCHOOL SCHEDULE. THIS SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST SOURCE FOR VENUE, OPPONENTS AND TIME.

SEDALIA SMITH COTTON IS ROLLIN

I was going through the local game results and noticed that Harrisonville has been the only team to score on and beat Sedalia Smith Cotton so far this season. They may be rollin' but the Cats stopped them cold in the Platte County Tourney. Great job ladies.

Click on this link to see the local soccer results.

Smith-Cotton 8, Savannah 0
Smith-Cotton 9, Excelsior Springs 0
Smith-Cotton 7, Clinton 0
Smith-Cotton 2, Harrisonville 3
Smith-Cotton 6, Harrisonville 2
Smith-Cotton 6, O'Hara 0
Smith-Cotton 5, Warrensburg 0

KU WOMENS PRESEASON GAME ON SUNDAY

The KU Women's Soccer Team will be hosting Creighton University in a free preseason game in Lawrence, KS on Sunday 3:00 PM at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. You can't beat free soccer.

Click here for a map and directions.

St. Pius X at Home

The Cats faced St. Pius at home tonight. JV came away with a 2-1 win and Varsity fell 3-1 in a rough and tumble game. Pictures should be up on the album site soon.

Sorry we didn't get more photos of the varsity game but we were running out of light with the overcast skies.

The Cats go on the road Wed. 4/9/08 at O'Hara. I'm told that Varsity will play first at 4:30 PM.

WIZARDS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT

I know it's not Wildcat Soccer but I did take two Wildcat players to the Wizards Game Saturday night. The Wizards were rockin their new venue, the Community America Ball Park. The scoreless first half was a sleeper but the Wizards scored twice in two minutes during the opening minutes of the second and the game was on. The Rapids came back even with two goals of their own but the winning goal by Scott Seally in the 87th minute sealed the deal. Wizards win 3-2.

The Wizards play the New England Revolution on Wednesday night and the Houston Dynamos on Saturday. You might want to catch one of these two games as the Wizards take their show on the road and won't have another home game until 6/14/08 vs the Columbus Crew.

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

The Cats faced Warrensburg Tuesday at home. The JV team tied 2-2 and Varsity came away on the losing end of a very close game. The 3-2 score belied the fact that the girls have improved over the short few weeks since the season began.