Watch out!

(Published Vype High School Magazine, September '09)

You won’t see a lot of hardware in the trophy cabinets of these players’ teams, but watch out for them this season. They -- and their programs -- may surprise you!



Boys
Layth Masri, Louisville Collegiate

It may have never won a district, regional or state championship, and it may have only 100 plus boys in upper school, but look out for Louisville Collegiate this fall.
In particular, pay attention to Layth Masri.
Described by his coach Brad Davies as "special," Masri has just returned from England after he was chosen along with Javanon '92 teammate Taylor Hafling (Male) to train and compete at Chelsea FC in London.
The pair also participated in the US Youth Soccer National Championships for the second successive season with Javanon.
"Technically and tactically, Layth is very good, and he is a fantastic athlete," says Davies. "His biggest asset, and the one that will help his game continue to improve in college and beyond, is his psychological approach to the game. Layth embraces a growth mindset. As a result, mistakes are not moments where he begins to doubt or criticize himself, but rather opportunities to learn and become better."
Davies says Masri, who has verbally committed to Northwestern University, competes with class. "He is the best player on our team, but has not fallen victim to the narcissism that can often accompany high praise.”
Since 2000, Collegiate has enjoyed seven winning seasons and some very exciting district and regional championship games.
"We believe our program is making great progress," says Davies. "Competing with the larger schools is a very fun challenge."

Drew Mattingly/Andrew Rosenberg, Christian Academy of Indiana
Christian Academy of Indiana sounded a warning shot last year days ahead of sectionals that they were no longer cannon fodder for powerhouses Jeffersonville and Providence. They knocked off the Pioneers 4-3.
Helping the Warriors that day was goalkeeper Drew Mattingly, who made 11 saves, and Andrew Rosenberg, who scored a hat-trick.
In fact, Rosenberg, whose season tally was 24, was ranked ninth in goals scored in Indiana last year.
"Andrew has great footwork, explosive speed and can put away shoots on goal with both feet," says CAI coach Will Lorigan. "He has emerged over the last two years as a genuine goal scoring threat regardless of the opposition."
Mattingly, a senior, has recorded 16 career shutouts, seven of them last year, earning him a place on the Indiana Soccer Coaches' Association's All-District 5 first team.
CAI also has a solid core of lower and upper classmen to add strength, experience and ability to the lineup, highlighted by junior sweeper Ross Heinz and sophomore midfielder Chris Smith.

Rob Daugherty, Bullitt East
This year's Bullitt East boys' team will be the best in its history, says coach Mike Brangers, thanks in no small part to a senior group which started playing in the Bullitt County YMCA and became part of first competitive soccer team in the county, YMCA Thunder.
One of them is standout senior Rob Daugherty, who as a junior was one of the top strikers in the area with 15 goals.
"Rob has the respect of his team, coaches and opponents," says Brangers. "Most of the team's defense key on Rob from the kick off - his effort in a match is top notch."
Bullitt East is clear in its goal this season, says Brangers: to win an elusive district championship, and a trip to the regional final.
With 15 returning seniors, the Chargers may achieve it.

Taylor Shaver, Shelby County
Shelby County has been overshadowed by district rivals Oldham County, North Oldham and South Oldham for years, but confidence is high that this year the Rockets will finally secure some hardware.
Coach BJ Andriot, who was a member of the first Shelby County team founded in 1984, says striker Taylor Shaver will have a big say in the destination of trophies as he spearheads a 4-3-3 formation.
"He is an amazing hold-up player who is very crafty, and for a 6-foot guy, moves a lot and combines well with the midfield," says Andriot.
In fact, Shaver scored the opening goal in the Rockets’ first game of the season against reigning state champion St Xavier. Although going down narrowly 2-1, the team drew a lot of confidence from the game.
It's by no means a one-man show at Shelby County, which returns 10 seniors. Other Rocket men of note are junior Brandon Shuck, Carlos "Mighty Man" Carias, Louis Cervantes, John Lisby and David Breen.
"I think, teamwise, this is the best we've had -- there are no weak links," says Andriot.

Girls
Lucijana Vrebac, Atherton

It’s the Atherton girls' misfortune that they are in a district which features two of the best girls’ teams in Kentucky in the shape of Sacred Heart and Assumption.
However, Atherton is no slouch, finishing 2008 with an 8-6 record. And in 2007, it posted a 13-4 record and scored 73 goals, placing it among the top six teams in Kentucky in scoring.
According to coach Carlo Ellard, the Rebels have a good incoming freshman class which must fill the gaps left by six senior starters from last year. "If everyone can stay healthy, I believe we will have a successful year," he says.
One player he will be praying the soccer gods will sprinkle full fitness dust on is Croatian born Lucijana Vrebec.
Vrebac has scored 60 goals in her high school career thus far, netting 14 last year to add to the 26 and 20 goals in her sophomore and freshman years respectively. As a sophomore , she was an honorable mention member of the all-regional team.
Vrebec attended Noe Middle School and played soccer on their all-boys' team. In fact, she's played against males a lot. She lives near Douglas Park, where playing pickup soccer with boys and grown men has helped cultivate her creativity.
"One interesting thing about Luci is that she [would] rather meg a player than score, which points to the fact that she loves being creative on the pitch," says Ellard. "I believe this was something born out of the pick-up soccer she played at Douglas Park. It is something that at one point I tried to temper but I now realize it needs to be encouraged." [ED: What does “meg a player” mean?]

Meredith Garner/Margaret Giesel, Kentucky Country Day
Most of the players on the Kentucky Country Day roster have built the four-year-old program from the ground up. Several of the girls have made a huge impact, says coach Sarah Shartzer, especially juniors Margaret Giesel and Meredith Garner.
Giesel is the team's primary keeper, but moves out and up to forward when KCD needs to make an offensive push.
Garner, the school's leading scorer and offensive MVP last year, is primarily an outside midfielder, but can play almost anywhere.
"We have a huge group of juniors on the team, but these two have really stood out in terms of commitment, knowledge of the game and athletic ability," says Shartzer. "At keeper and forward, they are able to control both ends of the field for us, but they probably have an even bigger impact on the rare occasions we get a chance to put them together in the midfield."

Emma Wesp, Jordan Dent, Sophie Higazy, Charlestown
Charlestown introduces a girls' varsity soccer program for the first time this year, making it an exciting one for coach Marcy Satkoski and her 19-strong squad. Five of the team have already tasted action as part of the Pirates' coeducational team, including its three co-captains, Emma Wesp, Jordan Dent and Sophie Higazy.
Wesp, a sophomore, took on the boys as a freshman and also managed to find the net a couple of times.
"I want to see the team grow this year and continue to improve over the next few years," she says.
Also captaining the team are senior Dent and junior Higazy, who will bolster up defense.
Satkoski says all three are great players and have strong leadership skills, and are joined by a nice mix from all grades.
This is Satkoski's first role as head coach, having been an assistant at New Albany for six years. She says she looks forward to the future of the program. "The girls have fantastic attitudes and have been working very hard. We're excited to get out there and see how we match up against other girls' teams."

Ginny Zimlich, Presentation Academy
It is no coincidence that goalkeepers are high profile players, as they are often seen as leaders on the field. Presentation Academy senior Ginny Zimlich fits that bill.
"She is now a three-year starter and very much the 'leading-by-example' leader of this team," says coach Brad Lipe. "She is a 'first to show, last to leave' kind of player when it comes to practice. She even puts in time after practice to work out and fine tune the skills needed to be an effective goalkeeper."
Lipe, a graduate of Bellarmine University where he was a vital member of the men's soccer program, says a couple of sophomores are also expected to step up and take more of a leadership role this year -- Shelby Minton and Andrea Koesters.
"Both provide a lot of athleticism, the ability to learn quickly, and dependability," he says.
Junior Maddy Clark, a vocal leader, will inherit the role of center midfield from Allyson Palmer, now playing at Bellarmine.

Press box dedication to “ultimate soccer mom”

Providence’s new soccer press box was dedicated in honor of soccer fan Kathy Brown last Tuesday ahead of the Pioneers’ girls’ rival game against Floyd Central.

Brown was married to local soccer coach Tim, and was the mother of Providence varsity team members, juniors Trent and Wade, as well as U10 Net-Surfer, Bailey. She died after a brave battle with colon and liver cancer in January.

“Kathy was a loving mother, faithful supporter of Providence and avid soccer fan,” said Pioneers girls’ coach Dave Smith.

Located a lot closer to the action than the previously used baseball press box, it will be blessed by Father Mathew Choorapanthiyil, resident priest and junior high theology teacher at Providence. A brass plaque will be affixed to the exterior in Brown’s honor.

The structure, which measures 28' x 14' and is two stories tall, contains a storage area on the ground floor, and a viewing area on the second floor to accommodate media, photographers, scorekeepers, timekeepers and announcers.

A new public address system and electronic LED scoreboard with wireless controls, which will serve both the soccer and baseball programs, have also been installed.

Construction of the edifice and other improvements was made possible through the generous donations of an anonymous benefactor. In fact, it was the donor’s suggestion to dedicate the box to the memory of Brown.

Kathy's husband, Tim, said he could not think of anything more fitting to honor his wife.

“All I can say is that we all -- Wade, Trent, Bailey and I -- are very honored to have the press box dedicated in Kathy's memory,” he said. “We would like to express our deep thanks to the anonymous donor for honoring her in this special way.

“The boys are honored to be playing in front of a press box dedicated to the memory of their mother, and Bailey hopes to play in front of it one day.”

Tim said that his wife’s courage fighting her cancer was “amazing.”

“Kathy was the ultimate soccer mom who touched a lot of people with her
positive and energetic can-do attitude,” he told Kick It this week.

“She got sick just before the start of the boys’ freshman year, so she really did not get much of an opportunity to support the boys’ soccer program. If she hadn’t have been sick, she would have been right in the middle of the action, working the gate or the concession stand.”

Tim said Kathy had colon cancer that had already gone to her liver before she was diagnosed.

“People should be screened at age 50, or earlier of there is family history of colon cancer,” he said. “Kathy was 47 when she was diagnosed and had no family history of it.”

Brown said the family is greatly appreciative of all of the support it has received
from Providence, Holy Family Church, friends, family, and the local soccer community.

*For more about Kathy and her battle with colon and liver cancer, check out: www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathybrown

Trio gets set for Hoosier Cup

Three of the area’s high school teams will be involved in this year’s prestigious Hoosier Cup, which takes place in Bloomington this weekend.

Providence and Christian Academy of Indiana boys’ varsity squads will be joined by Floyd Central girls at the tournament, which will be held on Friday and Saturday at three locations and will feature 48 teams from Indiana and Kentucky.

All will face tough opposition in their respective divisions, none more so than reigning sectional champion Providence.

The Pioneers will be pitted at Karst Park against Brownsburg on Friday, before taking on South Bend Adams and Washington — ranked 14th in the latest Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association poll — on Saturday.

Providence is 1-1-1 after a 2-2 tie with Floyd Central last week and hopes to add to the win column ahead of the Hoosier Cup with a victory at Jennings County tonight.

Christian Academy of Indiana will face Madison at Edgewood High School on Friday night, and it then will take on Edgewood Saturday morning, before finishing out with a matchup against Vincennes, both at Karst Park.

CAI is 3-1-0 this season, following its first defeat on Saturday, a 2-1 loss to Jeffersonville. The Warriors will be hoping to bounce back with a victory at Silver Creek at 6 tonight.

Another of our sectional champions, the Floyd Central girls’ team, will play the current ISCA team to watch Guerin Catholic of Noblesville on Friday evening. The Highlanders will then play Edgewood and Richmond on Saturday. All games will be at Karst Park.

The Highlanders moved to 2-1 on the new season in the past week after a 2-0 defeat at Mercy Academy of Louisville last Thursday, followed by a 3-0 victory over South Dearborn on Saturday. It will prepare for the Hoosier Cup with a game at Jasper this evening.



Brothers in arms! All set for the Hoosier Cup, which takes place in Bloomington this weekend, are Providence’s three sets of brothers (from left): Cody (freshman) and Weston Schrank (junior); Pierce (freshman) and Zev Crawley (senior); and Trent and Wade Brown (both juniors). Says Zev Crawley, “l like playing with Pierce because when I tell him to do something on the field, I don't have to sugarcoat it. He knows I love him regardless. As for playing with the other brothers on the team, it is fun to see how each one reacts when I tell them the other brother is playing better!”

Youth Soccer Month is here

Today (Sept. 1)is the first day of the seventh annual Youth Soccer Month and there are many local activities planned throughout September.

One of the highlights to look out for is Youth Soccer Day at Community Park in New Albany on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The event will feature mini-clinics and friendly matches led by Southern Indiana United coaches, as well as a yard sale of soccer items with nothing costing more than $5. You can still drop off donations for the yard sale at Community Park the day before the event (Saturday, Sept. 12) from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

There also will be a soccer fair on the day with information on proper nutrition and hydration during games, refereeing and coaching and prevention and treatment for common soccer injuries.

Another highlight of note is the SIU club night with the University of Louisville men’s soccer team at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11 at Cardinal Park.

The Cards will play their first regular-season home game that night against SIU-Edwardsville, and SIU’s coaches will get the opportunity to sit in on the pre-game talks, while the U12 girls’ team will retrieve the balls during the game.

Its U9 Academy will participate in the “Little Kickers” program and will be walking out with the team to be recognized. All youths (18 and under) wearing their SIU jersey will be admitted free.

Other activities throughout September include a number of “Wear Your Jersey to School” days, a Gatorade hydration day, and youth soccer nights at local high school games, which youth soccer players can gain free entry to by wearing their club jersey.

“This is such an important initiative to help make our communities more aware of the impact youth soccer brings throughout Indiana,” said Shannon Stuart of Indiana Youth Soccer. “We want to emphasize the fun, fitness, family and friendship elements of our sport.”

A proclamation has been signed by New Albany Mayor Doug England in which he encourages all citizens of the city to observe Youth Soccer Month.

For further information on events, log on to www.siusoccer.com. If you want to help out with activities, contact Debbie Webb at 812-945-5627 or 502-523-4382.

Jeff siblings have Seoul!

A Jeffersonville soccer mad brother and sister revisited the place of their birth and got to meet their heroes thanks to a winning YouTube video.

Brian (14) and Sarah (10) Fischer were adopted as infants from South Korea and realized they had a fantastic opportunity, not only to return there, but also to meet the players of their favorite team, Manchester United, who were on an Asian tour.

They made a short video on their own explaining how they were adopted, wanted to return to Korea and how they have been playing soccer since they were little.

Brian is a freshman at Jeffersonville High School, and plays for Southern Indiana United U16s, while Sarah is a 10th grader at St Anthony's and plays with Net-Surfers U11s.

Their entry was a hit with the judges, and was chosen as one of five winning entries out of about 200 submitted. The contest was sponsored by the City of Seoul as part of an on-going effort to increase tourism there.

The prize was an all-expenses paid trip to Korea to see Manchester United play FC Seoul, and other winners came from England, China, Nepal and Germany.

The day before the game, Brian and Sarah got to participate in a skills clinic with United's junior team coach, and a celebrity exhibition game where they played with and against some United players, including Ji Sung Park, who is also Korean, and Dimitar Berbatov, John O'Shea, Johnny Evans, and Gary Neville.

Others taking part included the Mayor of Seoul, "Rain" (Korea's version of Justin Timberlake, we are told!), and a select Korean team of talented 10-11 year-olds.

"As far as the experience goes, it was amazing, and being able to play with part of Man Utd was amazing too," said Brian. "I myself took several different interviews for the newspapers and tv stations there. It kind of felt like being a celebrity for a day.

"The fact South Korea is mainly mountainous, made for many stairs. Anywhere we went there were tons of stairs or hills we would follow our tour guide on. However whenever we reached the top the view was spectacular and the city was so lighted up at night."

If you want to check out the winning video, log onto: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7XzXcF6Ba4&feature=PlayList&p=1B9B61D63AD029FA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=69

Above: Jeffersonville's Brian and Sarah Fischer are pictured with Manchester United coach Mickey Phelan during their trip to South Korea, which they won after submitting a YouTube video.

First week in the books

The first week of the new high school fall soccer season in southern Indiana is in the books and it turned out to be a good one for two of our squads at the Columbus North District 5 round robin tournament.

Both New Albany and Providence's girls' varsity teams chalked up a pair of victories with 15 goals between them. The Bulldogs beat South Dearborn 5-0 and Lawrenceburg 1-0, while the Pioneers comfortably held off Cascade (3-0) and Oldenburg Academy (6-1).

The third of our participants at the tournament, Jeffersonville, lost narrowly in a goalfest to Cascade 5-4, and went down 3-0 to Oldenburg.

We recently featured the new Charlestown girls' program, and it played its first game against Switzerland County Saturday. The Lady Pirates found the opposition tough, losing 6-0, but it's early days at Charlestown and lots of improvement should come with experience.

Over to the boys and another team we featured, Christian Academy of Indiana, got off to 100 per cent start in its two weekend games, with a 3-1 victory over South Ripley, and a 6-1 win against Scottsburg. We told you to look out for striker Andrew Rosenberg, and he followed up his pair in the South Ripley triumph with five against Scottsburg. For the record, Paul DeVore (South Ripley) and Chris Smith (Scottsburg) were the other scores for the Warriors.

CAI will play at unbeaten Jeffersonville (2-0) on Saturday (11 a.m.) in a game not to be missed. The last time the pair met was at the 2008 sectional, when the Red Devils ran out 2-1 winners.

New Albany, with Ben Vigar as new head coach, lost its first game of the season at home to Forest Park 2-0. The Bulldogs' next matchup is against Corydon on Thursday (5.30 p.m.), before heading to the Shelbyville tourney on Saturday.

Pioneers extinguish Jeff at Firefighters' Cup

Providence pipped hosts Jeffersonville to the boys' junior varsity Firefighters' Cup at the weekend.

In the first game of the three team tournament played last Wednesday, the Pioneers beat Butler 3-0 thanks to an Andrew Wimp hat-trick.

The deciding matchup between Providence and Jeffersonville on Saturday was a tight affair, with the game scoreless at the half. However, the deadlock was broken with five minutes remaining when sophomore Grant Vance netted what turned out to be the clincher.

In the final game of the tournament, Butler took a 2-0 lead against Jeffersonville but the Red Devils staged a comeback to run out 4-2 winners, thanks in no small part to a hat -trick by junior Gavin Leavell.



Providence's boys' junior varsity squad celebrates after clinching the Firefighters' Cup at Jeffersonville on Saturday. Photo by Dana Crawley.