Marshfield Blue Jays Soccer

September 20, 2011 – Marshfield:  The game for Webster County soccer supremacy – at least until the next meeting on October 11th – was a feast for soccer fans young and old.  Most of the game was played between the 18's, but there was plenty of excitement on the outer edges as well.  Possession was overall much improved for Marshfield.  In the 14th minute, a powerful long range shot by Robert Norton hit off the crossbar.  In the 18th minute, Joseph Huber latched onto a loose ball just outside of the 18 and blasted it into the waiting net for a 1-0 Jays lead.  In the 20th minute, a free kick at midfield by Nicholas Harden was delivered expertly into the box, bit cleared by the defense.  In the 38th minute, a pass from Lucas Cheeney to Cuyler Obermaier was taken from long range, but saved by the 'Cats Keeper.  In the 39th minute, a booming punt by Jays Keeper, Nic Yonter, to the top of the 18 was controlled by Cuyler Obermaeir, but just barely cleared by the defense.  

In the second half, the exciting play  continued from both sides.  In the 46th minute, a promising header from Robert Norton into the 18 was cleared away,  In the 53rd minute, a run by sweeper Koty Jones, who had a nice cross into the box, was just barely cleared out.  In the 59th minute, minimal contact by a Jays defender and contact with the ground by Curt McHenry was somehow ruled a penalty kick.  The kick was taken by Tucker Brown and the score was knotted at 1.  In the 64th minute, a long range shot by Taylor Presson was cleared.  In the 70th minute, a nice free kick by Christian Harden into the box did not find the correct player.  In the 77th minute, a rocket by Joseph Huber was parried away by the keeper to a waiting Sean McCorkle, but the defense collapsed on him to send the game into overtime.  Marshfield Keeper Nic Yonter ended the game with 18 saves.

After two relatively uneventful 10-minute overtime periods, the teams went into penalty kicks.  Rogersville ended up winning 5-4 in penalty kicks.  Even though some would have preferred a different outcome, it is hard to imagine that anyone in the large crowd did not enjoy the game, judging by the involvement of the fans.  A special thank you to the fans for all of your support!

The J.V. game was also rather exciting.  Cole Wigginton put the hometown up by one in the 8th minute.  Rogersville tied the game in the 15th minute, and added the last goal of the game in the 43rd minute. 

We now have the 2011 Bolivar Liberator Fall Classic Varsity Tournament to look forward to.  We are in the "Blue Pool."  {2 pool, 6 team, placement tournament}  The first game is at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 22nd against Warrensburg.  The second game is at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, September 23rd against Camdenton.  The placement game is on Saturday, September 24th at 12, 1:45, or 3:30, depending on the results of pool play.  

{A copy of the flyer will be in the next post}

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September 19, 2011 – Marshfield:  The West Plains Zizzers came to town with some lightning in their pockets they would take out later in the first half. The offensive pressure; however, was exerted first by Marshfield.  In just the second minute, the Jays got the action started as Koty Jones hit a rocket that was just wide.  In the 9th minute, a header by Harrison Jones went into the box, but was cleared away.  In the 20th minute, an accurate long ball from Harrison Jones to Taylor Presson ended up in a nice run, but the defense collapsed on him late.  In the next minute, a long range bomb by Taylor Presson was cleared away.  In the 21st minute, the crowd was ready to cheer as a chip by Harrison Jones over the keeper was going toward the goal, but cleared at the last second by the flying West Plains defender.  In the 29th minute, excitement was floating around again as a shot from Robert Norton went toward the upper 90, but hit off the crossbar.  In the next 5 minutes, the Zizzers took out their lightning and zapped through the defense to put up 2 quick goals into the net.  Zizzers -2 , Jays -0.

There were just a few offensive opportunities for the Jays in the second half.  In the 46th minute, Taylor Presson gave chase to a bouncing ball in the box, but could not quite corral it.  In the 50th minute, a long range shot by Joseph Huber was slightly high.  In the 53rd minute, a free kick taken by Koty Jones was just too tall.  In the 76th minute, a smash by Taylor Presson was wide.  There would be no more scoring this night.  

Marshfield Keeper Nic Yonter ended the night with 15 saves, giving him an even 888 career saves, which moves him ahead of Brandon Wheeler {Caro, Michigan (2002-05) – 875 career saves} for sixth all-time for career saves in the nation.

The J.V. also had a  solid effort.  West Plains scored in the 27th minute and was answered by Cuyler Obermaier 2 minutes later.  A penalty kick goal in the 55th minute minute by the Zizzers closed out the scoring for the night.

Our next game is Tuesday, September 20th at HOME against Rogersville at 5:00 p.m. 

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THIS GAME

September 15, 2011 – New Covenant Academy:  (Varsity Only) Sporting snazzy new uniforms, the Marshfield Blue Jays played their best all-around team game.  Just 20 seconds into game, Taylor Presson gave the ball a ride into the onion bag for a lightning quick 1-0 lead.  In the 6th minute, a pass from Taylor Presson to Harrison Jones looked promising but his tricycle volley kick was just wide.  In the 9th minute, it looked like New Covenant was going in for the equalizer, but Robert Norton and Lucas Cheeney cleared away the danger.  In the 12th minute, Joseph Huber had a rocket shot that was saved by the NCA Keeper.  In the 25th minute, a nice run by Taylor Presson was stopped by the keeper again.  In the 27th minute, a pass from Taylor Presson to Koty Jones was cleared away by the Warrior defense.  In the 31st minute, a well-timed run, stop and chip by Robert Norton was just inches wide.  In the 39th minute, a cross by Koty Jones was headed by Shane Shingleton right to the keeper's waiting arms.

The entertaining possession game by the Jays continued into the second half, but the score remained the same – at least for awhile.  In the 53rd minute, a nice pass from Joseph Huber to Harrison Jones went screaming toward the goal, but was saved again by the keeper.  In the 64th minute, a cross to the far post by Robert Norton to a diving Cuyler Obermaier was headed, but did not find pay dirt.  In the 66th minute, a long range shot by Koty Jones sailed just high.  In the next minute, a long ball from Koty Jones to Taylor Presson was shot off the post, came right back to Taylor and smashed into the net for a 2-0 lead.  In the 72nd minute, Joseph Huber had a through header to Harrison Jones who accurately chipped it over a sliding keeper to make the score 3-0.  In the 75th minute, a hard shot by Robert Norton was cleared by the defense.   Throughout the game, the Jays defense kept throwing their bodies and heads in front of shots, intercepting passes, and keeping the Warriors surrounded.  Kudos to Christian Harden, Lucas Cheeney, Hunter Heape, Nicholas Harden, Sean McCorkle, and Robert Norton.  Jays Keeper Nic Yonter had 10 saves and his first clean sheet of the year.

The team gets a few days off as our next game is Monday, September 19th at 5:00 p.m. at HOME against West Plains.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THIS GAME

September 13, 2011 – Bolivar:  Many old friendships renewed, new ones forged – this is what an old-time rivalry is all about.  Going to Bolivar to play soccer is predictable yet always exciting.  This match was no different.  Other than the lopsided possession, amount of time the ball was inside the Marshfield 18, the number of shots and number of saves, the game was pretty even.  Even with all of the disparity, if Timmy "Buzz Saw" Armstrong was not doing his best impression of New England's Tom Brady from the night before {perhaps not 517 passing yards and a QB rating of over 121, but at least a close soccer equivalent}, we may still be playing…  In the 3rd minute of the game, Timmy Armstrong got past the defense and started his night by putting Bolivar up by a goal.  The offensive pressure continued from Bolivar for the next 20 minutes with the Jays' defense stepping up big.  In the 25th minute, Marshfield created 2 offensive chances as a pass from Robert Norton to Koty Jones ended up being cleared by the defense and a rocket by Taylor Presson was nicely saved by the Bolivar Keeper.  In the 27th minute, the Liberator's Jordan McFarlen found – you guessed it – an unmarked Timmy Armstrong to make the score 0-2.  In the 29th minute, a pass from Robert Norton to Harrison Jones looked promising, but was corralled by Conner Stillwagon, the Bolivar Goalie.  In the 30th minute, Armstrong was making a beeline for the goal again just as Hunter Heape intervened.  In the 31st minute, a cross from the baseline by Koty Jones was cleared by the Bolivar defense.  In the last 3 minutes of the half, the Jays had two good chances:  a beautiful cross from Robert Norton to Harrison Jones was smashed but inches wide, and another rocket from Taylor Presson was saved by the keeper.

The action in the second half became rather chippy but play was allowed to continue with minimal whistle intervention.  In the 48th minute, Timmy Armstrong completed his hat trick to make it 0-3.  The Jays fought back after this with extra energy.  In the 51st minute, a free kick from midfield from Christian Harden was hit into the penalty box, but was cleared away.  In the 53rd minute, Harrison Jones went up for a bouncing ball, but the Keeper was able to out jump him.  In the 58th minute, Harrison Jones again had the ball on a very nice run but the defense collapsed on him as he approached the 18.  In the next minute, a nice pass from Nicholas Harden to Harrison Jones was cleared, but then chased down by Robert Norton whose shot was inches wide.  In the 67th minute, a pass from Taylor Presson to Koty Jones at the top of the 18 was slightly high.  In the 69th minute, a free kick by Nicholas Harden was cleared away by the Bolivar Keeper.  The game ended without any other scoring.  Marshfield Keeper Nic Yonter ended the night with much sweat and 21 saves.  The final score was Bolivar – 3, Marshfield – 0.

The J.V. also had a spirited effort, but were on the short end of a 4-0 score.

After the game, a number of Bolivar parents congratulated the effort of our team and the fact there was energy until the very end.  Nice work, guys.  Now let's get that scoreboard working our way.

Our next game is Thursday, September 15 at 4:30 p.m. at New Covenant Academy (VARSITY ONLY).

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THIS GAME

September 12, 2011 – Cassville:  Ah.. a family road trip and the age-old broken record question, "Dad… are we there yet?"  Although Cassville is closer than most family road trips (less than 90 miles according to Mapquest), it just seems soooo far away.  Well, it should be only mildly surprising that in the last 4 years, the home team has won every game.  Although bucking history is always a possibility, our Jays will have to wait until the next opportunity to do so.  The first half ended with the Jays facing a 2 goal deficit.

In the second half, the Jays kept possession for most of the 40 minutes.  There were a multiplicity of opportunities they created, but finding the back of net was not in the cards.  Keeper Nic Yonter ended the night with 13 saves.  Although the play of the Jays merited a different result, the scoreboard did not cooperate:  the final score was Cassville 3, Marshfield 0.  

The J.V. had a much better final result as they won 6-2.  Cuyler Obermaier had what is believed to be the first hat-trick in Marshfield J.V. history with goals in the 18th minute (assist from Calvin Harriman), 42nd (Penalty Kick), 44th minute.  Cole Wiggington tried to equal Cuyler with two goals:  in the 5th minute (assist from Benny O'Neal) and in the 30th minute.  Alex Price joined the party in the 54th minute with his first career goal.  Excellent defensive work by Josh Bell, Calvin Harriman and Keeper Nate Strickland.  Good job, Jays!

Our next game is Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at Bolivar at 4:30 p.m.  

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September 8, 2011 – Aurora:  Coming off of two tough games, the Blue Jays were hoping for a little respite as they traveled to sunny Aurora.  Since the field does not have lights, the Varsity played first.  Playing with the most pep all season, the Jays dominated possession and the game in the first half by creating a number of offensive chances.  In the 15 minute, Taylor Presson received a ball from Harrison Jones and took an outside foot rip from 25 yards out near post to put the Jays up by 1 goal.  Just 3 minutes later, a defensive clear found its way to Shane Shingleton who chipped over the keeper right under the crossbar for a 2-0 lead.  In the 28th minute, the ball was cleared by the Aurora defense at the top of the 18.  A defender slid in an attempt to clear the ball.  However, Robert Norton arrived a split second earlier, sending the ball into the beloved upper 90 of the goal.  The first half ended with the Jays up 3-0.

The second half started the same way.  In the 50th minute, Robert Norton had hard-struck ball that went off the keeper's hands into the net.  In the 63rd minute, Koty Jones took advantage of keeper being out of position and hit a ball from 25 yards out – left foot back post to make the score 5-0.  However, the last 9 minutes of the game showed a major defensive let down.  Aurora's first goal was scored as an unmarked player (#30) scored on a corner.  For the second Aurora goal, #3 dribbled through the defense and found back of net.  The third Aurora goal was scored as the Dawgs knifed through the defense and found the back of the net.  The final score was Marshfield – 5, Aurora -3.  Marshfield Keeper Nic Yonter ended the night with 13 saves.

The Junior Varsity also had a nice result as they won 2-0.  The goals were scored by Tyler Slavens and Cuyler Obermaier.

Our next game is Monday, September 12th at 5:00 p.m. at CASSVILLE.  

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September 6, 2011 – Marshfield:  Facing the number two team in State (Class 1) from last year is a daunting task to say the least.  Normally, surviving the continuous onslaught of the Irish attack is a victory in and of itself.  The first 6 minutes were rather rough as a foul in the box in the 4th minute became a PK by Luke Straus to made it 0-1.  In the 6th minute, the Irish got behind the defense to double the score.  After this, the Blue Jay defense and keeper came alive and continued to thwart Catholic efforts.  The 17th minute saw a really good look by Joseph Huber that was smashed toward the goal, but was pushed away by the Catholic keeper.  In the 22nd minute, Evan Craig got behind the defense again for their third score of the game.  In the 33rd minute, a corner taken by Joseph Huber was cleared by the Catholic defense.  In the 35th minute, a through ball to Harrison Jones looked very promising but the keeper outran Harrison by a hair.  In the 37th minute, the ball spent too much time in the box and eventually found the nylon for a 0-4 score.  In the 39th minute, Harrison Jones was even closer to the ball as a collision with the Irish keeper was the only way possession was lost.  There would be no further action of note in this half.

In the second half, the intensity of the game was lowered considerably.  In the 49th minute, a defensive error led to the fifth Catholic goal, scored by Evan Craig. The next 12 minutes saw most of the action occurring between the 18's.  In the 61st minute (Mitchell Moncada), and 73rd minute (Landon Green), Catholic finished their scoring, ending the game with a touchdown and extra point lead at 0-7.  Marshfield Keeper Nic Yonter ended the night with 29 saves, giving him 816 career saves, which ranks him 8th all-time nationally.  

The Junior Varsity also had a good performance giving up only 7 goals.  The team played very well as a unit and had some nice possession.  Keeper Nate Strickland did some nice work between the pipes.

The improvement from the last game was just phenomenal.  The defense blocked a number of shots (especially Christian Harden, Nicholas Harden and Lucas Cheeney) and cleared many dangerous chances.  The offense had some exciting plays and created a few very nice looking chances.  Keep improving like this and good things will follow.

Our next game is this Thursday, September 8th at 5:00 p.m. at AURORA.  Since the field does not have lights, varsity will play first.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THIS GAME

August 30, 2011 – Ozark:  To slightly change Nat King Cole's song (posthumous duet with his daughter Natalie for those who are slightly younger) "Unforgettable" – this game was definitely "forgettable."  Perhaps it was the first-game butterflies, the turf field, the 7 new starters (with only 1 of the 4 returning starters playing the same position as last year).  The game was played mostly in the 30 yard area in front of the Marshfield goal.  The tenth and final Ozark goal was an own goal that mercifully ended the game.

The J.V. did not fare any better as their game also ended early, with Ozark on top by the same ten goal to nil final.

In keeping with the music theme, "Things Can Only Get Better" (Howard Jones – mid '80's).  Our next game is Tuesday, September 6th at 5:00 p.m. at HOME against Springfield Catholic.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THIS GAME

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