The ball has it all ...

It's time again for the old crystal ball to come down from the dusty attic as we head into the post-season soccer sectionals.

After a good polish to wipe away the cobwebs and a couple of bounces against the wall in a desperate attempt to readjust its accuracy, the ball is ready to roll and enlighten us as to how events will unfold at this week's IHSAA Soccer State Tournament boys' sectional championships at Jeffersonville and New Albany.

Will Providence get the chance to avenge last year's heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to the Red Devils? Will the Bulldogs finally overcome the obstacle known as Floyd Central if the pair collide in the semi-finals? And which of the newer school soccer programs is about to make it to its first championship game? Read on: The ball has it all!

New Albany sectional
Match 1 – New Albany vs. North Harrison (Wednesday 5 p.m.).
This year's sectional, normally held at Floyd Central, has been switched to New Albany's pad at Prosser Field because of ongoing works at the Highlanders' ground. Will home advantage aid Dutch Vigar’s troops to sectional success? That remains to be seen, but their opener against North Harrison shouldn't cause them too many problems. Both teams have met in the early rounds for the past two years, with the Bulldogs winning 6-0 on both occasions. Verdict: New Albany.

Match 2 – Floyd Central vs. Corydon Central (Wednesday 7 p.m.).
Both of these teams have also met two years on the trot, with the Highlanders coming out on top 2-0 (2006) and 5-1 (2007). Expect this game to be closer, regardless of the 5-0 scoreline between the pair last night. The Panthers have done well against teams in this sectional in recent weeks. They have beaten North Harrison, Salem and Silver Creek, and lost just 2-0 to New Albany. If you look at teams in the Jeffersonville sectional, they also beat Charlestown, Rock Creek Christian and tied with Christian Academy. That puts the Mid Southern Conference champions at the head of a pack bidding to close the gap with the traditional powerhouses. Look out for top scorers Matt Rhoads and Isaac Smith. Verdict: Floyd Central.

Match 3 – New Albany vs. Floyd Central (Thursday 5 p.m.)
If New Albany and Floyd Central do prevail in their first round fixtures on Wednesday, then this will be seen by many as the "final." In last year's decider, Floyd Central came out on top after an epic battle which went all the way to penalties. To be honest, the Highlanders' should never have even been given the opportunity to make it to PKs, but they did, and that was down in part to the sound tactical maneuvering of coach Scotty Hollis and his assistant Zach Watson. Watson now takes over the reins of an improved Floyd Central team, which has already beaten New Albany 1-0 in regular season. A lot will depend on the performances of striker Jordan Adams, midfielder Chase Holland, defender Ben Todd, freshman Matt Kelecy and goalkeeper Daniel Neeld, last year's hero of the hour. New Albany will look to Stephan Kossis, Brandon McLaughlin, Steven Dobson and Keegan O’Connor offensively, and Chris Newland, Sheldon Albertson and goalkeeper Zach Litzelswope at the back. Verdict: Floyd Central.

Match 4 – Salem vs. Silver Creek (Thursday 7 p.m.).
Both these sides are only in their second year of their soccer programs (Silver Creek’s first varsity schedule) and one of them is about to play in a final. Salem won the game between the pair earlier in regular season, giving them a slight edge. Francisco Bravo, Matt Steggeman and goalkeeper Luke Minter should feature for Salem, while the Dragons will look to juniors Ethan Dolbeare, Cody Staton and Evan Wray, as well as sophomore Tyler Schroeder. Verdict: Salem.

Championship – Floyd Central vs. Salem (Saturday 7 p.m.)
Whoever comes through the tougher half of the draw will be rewarded with a game on Saturday likely to be used as a good preparation for the regional championship next week. It may be that neither of these teams will reach the final, but if they do, it will be a repeat of last year's first round tie, when Floyd Central beat Salem 10-1 -- a baptism of fire for the Lions. However, they were only 2-1 down at the half and showed enough with 10 freshmen to suggest there will be improvement this time round. Verdict: Floyd Central.

Jeffersonville sectional
Match 1 – Jeffersonville vs. Rock Creek Academy (Thursday, 6 p.m).
Last year, Rock Creek Christian Academy of Sellersburg went out 4-0 to Christian Academy, and Chris Butler's charges will need to improve greatly on last year's performance to trouble Jeffersonville. Verdict: Jeffersonville.

Match 2 – Charlestown vs. Providence (Saturday, 9 a.m.).
Providence beat Charlestown 7-0 last year and the Pioneers should not be troubled by the Pirates this time either. Verdict: Providence.

Match 3 – Christian Academy of Indiana vs. Jeffersonville (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Christian Academy of Indiana made it to the final last year, where it went down 2-0 to Jeffersonville. This year, the Warriors under coach Will Lorrigan are fielding an all-boys' team for the first time, one which has had some good results against the likes of Charlestown (6-0) an Scottsburg (2-0). CAI players to look out for are juniors Drew Mattingly (goalkeeper) and Paul DeVore (midfield), and senior sweeper Michael Wilson. While the Red Devils not had the best of regular seasons -- losing to Providence, New Albany and Floyd Central -- they should still come out on top here. Verdict: Jeffersonville.

Championship – Providence v Jeffersonville (Saturday, 8 p.m.)


Providence's Omar Salguero

Last year, this game was a semi-final clash which saw a battle to the end, won by Jeffersonville on penalties. The recent matchup between the pair, which the Pioneers won by a convincing 4-0 scoreline, suggests there will no penalty shoot out this time round. However, the Red Devils do have home advantage and Ryan Bixler’s boys won't give up their sectional title easily. To repeat, it will need big performances from the likes of seniors Dylan Abrahamson and Scott Meneou, juniors Spencer Whiteman and sophomore Lucas Rigsby. Providence, meanwhile, will look to All-District midfielder Ben Hughes, defender Nathan Marshall, and all-rounder Keenan Sparks for inspiration, while Omar Salguero, Zev Crawley and keeper Spence Kraft should also be instrumental for Adam Giovenco’s charges. Verdict: Providence.

Draws produce interesting sectional tilts

The draws for the boys' and girls' 15th annual IHSAA Soccer State Tournament series were made yesterday – throwing up one outstanding early round tie.

The Jeffersonville and New Albany boys' sectionals (59 and 60 respectively) kick off on Thursday, Oct. 9, with the finals on Oct. 11.

The Jeffersonville girls' sectional - comprising a record nine teams this year, with the addition of newcomers Salem, Silver Creek and Christian Academy of Indiana - starts Oct. 13, with the final on Oct. 18.

There are no prizes for guessing the tie of the early rounds, with New Albany's Lady Bulldogs being drawn against Providence in what is effectively a quarter-final matchup. Both teams have beaten reigning sectional champion Floyd Central this year, and both are in fine form going into post-season.

Pioneers coach Dave Smith is also director of coaching at girl travel soccer outfit Net-Surfers, and Bulldogs boss Julie Deuser coaches there also.

"Coach Julie has been with the Net-Surfers for many years and has done a marvelous job for us, just as she and assistant coach Jason Crane have in their short time with the Bulldogs," said Smith. "We're pleased with the draw, and have great respect for the New Albany team and coaching staff."

Coach Deuser said she believes they are prepared for “any team out there.”
“I like doing things the hard way,” she said. “ I think that the game against Providence will be a challenge, but it is not something we can't succeed at. These girls have worked hard all season and I believe they can beat any team they play.
“I spoke with the girls and they are ready for the challenge. They are pumped up and ready to go as far as they can.”

And if anyone wants to search for clues as to how the game might pan out, they can catch the pair this evening at Providence (action starts at 5.30 p.m.).

Floyd Central should have a reasonably comfortable trip to the finals, as they have drawn the winner of North Harrison and Corydon in the quarter-final. The winner will face Jeffersonville or Christian Academy of Indiana in the semi-final.

In other first round ties, Salem will take on Silver Creek, with the winner going on to play New Albany or Providence.

The girls' winner at Jeffersonville will play the winner of the Columbus North sectional in the regional final on Oct. 22.

In the Jeffersonville boys sectional, the Red Devils and Providence will be happy to have avoided each other this year after last year's epic semi-final battle. Holders Jeff take on Rock Creek for the opportunity to face Christian Academy, who they met in last year's final.

The second semi-final will see Providence against Charlestown in a repeat of last year's first round game, which the Pioneers won comfortably. Pioneers coach Adam Giovenco said, "One thing I can say for sure is I'm much happier about playing Charlestown in the semi-finals as opposed to the play-in game on Thursday. We can't overlook anybody at this point in the season though, but having said that, I think we will be ready to play."

The New Albany sectional will see the hosts most likely meet Floyd Central in the semi final after they were drawn to play North Harrison, while the Highlanders will face Corydon.

What that means is that either Salem or Silver Creek will reach the final for the first time.

The boys' sectional winners progress to the four team regional finals (with Seymour and Madison winners) at Floyd Central on Oct. 15 and 18. The victors of that progress to semi-state at Evansville Central on Oct. 25.

The boys' and girls' state finals will be held at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis on November 1.

Sectional draws
Boys: Jeffersonville (5) Match 1 – Jeffersonville vs. Rock Creek Academy. Match 2 – Charlestown vs. Providence. Match 3 – Christian Academy of Indiana vs. Winner of Match 1.Championship – Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner of Match 3
New Albany (6) Match 1 – New Albany vs. North Harrison. Match 2 – Floyd Central vs. Corydon Central. Match 3 – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2. Match 4 – Salem vs. Silver Creek. Championship – Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4.
Girls' sectional at Jeffersonville (9) Match 1 – North Harrison vs. Corydon Central. Match 2 – Silver Creek vs. Salem. Match 3 – New Albany vs. Providence. Match 4 – Christian Academy of Indiana vs. Jeffersonville. Match 5 – Floyd Central vs. Winner of Match 1. Match 6 – Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner of Match 3. Match 7 – Winner of Match 4 vs. Winner of Match 5. Championship – Winner of Match 6 vs. Winner of Match 7.

Coaches vs Cancer success

A large turnout at the Providence/Jeffersonville boys' varsity game on Saturday ensured more than $2,000 for the "Coaches vs. Cancer" fundraising effort.

The money raised from gate receipts and raffles will go towards Livestrong — the organization founded in 1997 by champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. As reported last week, the idea of a Coaches vs. Cancer game -- which was held in conjunction with Providence's senior night -- came about as a response to what has been an epidemic among parents of the team’s players.

“We have had at least five parents affected by cancer in the last five years,” said Pioneers coach Adam Giovenco. “ It was just our little way of saying we care.”
The winner of the Manchester United Henrik Larsson jersey was Penny Neace, mom of freshman Max from the JV team.

Team mates battle for bragging rights

They're the best of team mates in the spring, but come fall they're the fiercest of rivals.

And tomorrow (Monday), that rivalry will be firmly in the spotlight when 11 members of Southern Indiana United's U18 boys' soccer team feature as New Albany hosts Providence at Prosser field (varsity 5.30 p.m. kick off).

The SIU players --- all seniors -- are split six for the Bulldogs and five for the Pioneers.

In the red and black corner, you have Sheldon Albertson, Alex Blum, Stephan Kossis, Chris Newland, Keegan O'Connor and Zacharia Litzelswope.

In the blue and white corner, you've got Nathan Marshall, Ben Hughes, Steven Meyer, Andrew McCartin and Nick Knear-Bell. Another, Patrick Leistner, also played with the team in the past.

Add to that the fact that many of the schools' underclassmen play for other SIU teams and you've got all the ingredients for a tasty tie.

New Albany forward Stephan Kossis said that the Providence clash is one they always love playing because it gives the winner bragging rights for the remainder of the year.

"It's an advantage playing against Ben, Nathan, and the other guys from SIU who are my teammates in the spring but my rivals in the fall," said Kossis. " I know their tendencies and their weaknesses and it enables us to exploit them. Throughout the game we are pushing and shoving, but at the end of the game we all shake hands and laugh it up."

Trying to blank out Kossis and the rest of the Bulldogs will be Providence defender Nick Knear-Bell, who says he is looking forward to playing against his 'own team'.

"Since I have played with them, I think that will give me an advantage in helping to defend Providence's goal," said Knear-Bell. "Providence has the majority of the defenders and mid-fielders and only a couple of the offense from our SIU team. Come on out and watch one of the most exciting soccer games of the fall high school season."

There hasn't been much of an opportunity for either team’s players to brag in recent years, as the last two games between the sides have ended deadlocked (0-0 in '07 and 2-2 in '06).

Providence are 7-4 on the season after last night's 4-0 thumping of rivals Jeffersonville, with all of its losses coming to Kentucky opposition, including state champion St Xavier (2-0) and Oldham County (4-2).

New Albany, meanwhile, comes into the game in good heart after a morale boosting 3-2 victory over Jeffersonville on Tuesday, and a 1-1 tie against Eastern High School -- securing a share of the spoils after a goal in the dying seconds -- on Thursday.

Photo above - Team mates become rivals(from left to right): Zacharia Litzelswope, Steven Meyer, Keegan O'Connor, Nick Knear-Bell, Sheldon Albertson, Ben Hughes, Stephan Kossis, Andrew McCartin, Alex Blum, Nathan Marshall, Chris Newland and Patrick Leistner.

Devils lock horns with Pioneers

The regular season clashes between Jeffersonville and Providence boys' varsity teams can be a good indicator as to how the legendary sectional battles are going to go, and this Saturday should prove to be no exception.

The last time these two teams met -- in last year's sectional semi-final -- the Red Devils came out on top of a penalty shoot out following an exhausting, energy sapping 94 minutes which had the teams deadlocked at 1-1.

In regular season play, Jeffersonville also got the better of Providence with a 1-0 victory, so the Pioneers will be looking to turn around their fortunes when Saturday comes at Providence (6 p.m.).

The game, which is also Providence’s senior night, will be titled “PHS Coaches vs Cancer”. All gate money will be donated to cancer research.

“We have had at least five parents affected by cancer in the last five years,” said Pioneers coach Adam Giovenco. “ It's just our little way of saying we care. We are looking to have a great crowd for a great cause.”

Giovenco believes his team, now sitting at 6-4 this season, is gaining momentum coming into this week, having beat Madison 4-1 last night.


Providence midfielder Ben Hughes, who scored twice for the Pioneers against Madison last night (Tuesday), will be in action against rivals Jeffersonville Saturday.

"I have been fairly pleased as to how the season has gone so far," said coach Giovenco. "We had a poor showing in the Hoosier Cup, losing to two teams we should have beat, but we followed that up with a very good win against Jennings Co. 6-2, and a great effort against St. Xavier (ranked #3 in the country at the time)."

On the Jeffersonville game, Giovenco said they have had some great battles with their rivals over the last three or four years.

“No matter who has had the upper hand talent wise, it always seems to be a close game and I expect this to be no different,” he said. “ Ryan Bixler is a great coach and gets the maximum out of everybody on his team. He'll have them ready to play. We'll see if we can match their level of play.”

Jeffersonville, meanwhile, suffered defeat at the hands of New Albany last night (3-2)-- its senior night -- and coach Ryan Bixler says the team -- which is 5-6 at present -- has played "very inconsistent" this year.

"We are having trouble putting 80 good minutes out on the field. We have good 10 minute spurts here and there, but 10 minutes here and there doesn't amount to much. We definitely still have a lot of improving to do before we are playing at a high level consistently, and with only two weeks left in the season time is not on our side."

Bixler believes Providence are as strong as they have been in the last three or four years.

" I expect them to be our toughest opponent so far this year, and playing on their home field will make it even tougher," said Bixler. "It will take the best 80 minutes we are capable of playing to get a good result."

Girls set for battle royal

The girls' varsity results in southern Indiana to date are pointing to a battle royal when sectionals come round in October.

First you had Providence knock off reigning sectional champion Floyd Central 3-2 in a barnburner of a game two weeks ago.

Then you had new kids on the block, New Albany, beat the Highlanders 3-2 last week, informing anyone who hadn't already listened that they will be in the mix come sectionals, which commence at Jeffersonville on October 13.

All of which you will imagine will have Floyd Central coach Lewie Stevens and his talented bunch all fired up when it comes to the business of retaining its title. That crown is one the Highlanders have split 2-2 with Providence over the past four years, winning the last two.

And now with the Lady Bulldogs getting stronger under new coach Julie Deuser, we’ve got a third team with real prospects of lifting the hardware. (Let’s not also forget that Corydon Central, Jeffersonville, North Harrison, Salem and Silver Creek are involved, and getting stronger.)

So you may want to catch New Albany’s visit to coach Dave Smith’s Providence next Tuesday (Sept 30, action starts 5.30 p.m.) – a game definitely worth putting in your diaries if you’re looking for clues as to how post-season will shape up.

Not so wise Owls!

Jeffersonville has filed a protest with the IHSAA following its 2-1 varsity boys' loss to Seymour Tuesday.

Apparently, the Owls had a player on the field for all four halves of the junior varsity and varsity games. The IHSAA rule states that in a single session (i.e. jv and varsity game right after each other), a player can only play in three halves. Oops!

Seymour, admirably, has also reported itself to the IHSAA for the rule violation, and will likely have to forfeit the game as soon as there is a ruling on it.

For the record, Seymour's goals were scored by Mahlon Davis and Chaz Hague, while Lucas Rigsby netted for the Red Devils.