DeFreitas Team Dinner

The sliders made by Andre's mom were delicious. Thanks for hosting the team dinner. Also a quick reminder to register your player on gonwpanthers.com ASAP. Make sure you list the correct sex of the player, we don't want to send any of them to the field to the west of us.....

NWCBTT

HERE IT IS BOYS! THE COVETED NWCBTT TOURNEY TROPHY FOR THIS FRIDAY!

Argos Invitational Draw

We have received the draw for the Argos Tournament that will take place on Saturday September 9th.#15 Argos plays Washington in the 1 pm game. NorthWood plays # 9 Lakewood Park Christian at 3 pm. The Losers of Game 1 & 2 face off at 6 pm while the winners meet up at 8 pm to see who takes the trophy home. I will post additional information as we get closer to the tournament.

Team Dinner Wednesday

There will be a team dinner after Wednesday's practice at Andre's house (DeFreitas residence) at 67100 CR 1, Waky. It is the house at the Southeast corner at CR 1 & 42. Hard to miss, it has the full size goal with backstop in the backyard.

State Rankings 8/28/17

The newly released polls have Goshen at #6 and Concord at #10 in 3A. Other NW opponents who made the top 20 in their classes were Argos, Lakewood Park Christian, Concordia Lutheran and West Noble.

Looking at the week ahead ........

No games are scheduled this week. Therefore we will start with an inside session today which means the team will meet in Coach Duerksen's room to go over game video and discuss formation issues. After that we will finish up the day outside. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be regular training sessions at the High school. Friday will be the NWCBDTT also known as the NorthWood Coaches Blind Draw Team Tournament. Before Friday the coaches will compose four even teams. A coach will then be matched up with one of the teams by way of a blind draw. These four teams will play in a tournament on Friday with the Inaugural NWCBDTT Trophy at stake! The location for the tournament has not been determined. We will have a 3 day weekend (Labor Day). Next Tuesday (9/5)the JV will host Westview at 5 pm. The Varsity does not return to action until a week from this Thursday (9/7) when the Wawasee Warriors come to Nappanee (JV 5pm/V 6:45).

NorthWood- #10 Concord 0-3 (0-3)

A sunny comfortable Saturday means that it is a good day to enjoy some NLC soccer for fans and players alike. Concord (ranked 6th in one poll, 13 in another) is surely one of the strongest opponents on our regular season schedule. After Seth takes over the announcing duties for Randy Cripe who couldn't make it today, we get to enjoy the National Anthem before kick off.Concord will score in the 8th, 23rd and 27th for an early lead. After some half time adjustments which mainly deal with defensive organization and communication, we are able to clean up our play and perform much better in the second. Our first shot at the Minutemen's goal comes in the 48th minute (Sebastian Guillen free kick) but we talk more and organize ourselves much better defensively. Not an easy thing to do against such a talented team. The Varsity falls to 2-2 and does not have a game on their schedule until after the Labor Day weekend. All in all, despite losing 0-3, the feeling around the team is that we are getting better each game and are excited about putting a lot more results in the win column this season. We are ready to get back on the winning track and wish our schedule was more balanced then it is. Not playing one week at all (11 days off) and having three weeks in September of having 3 games a week with a lot of back to back nights is not really helping a young talented team like ours but it is what it is. The JV put in a respectable performance and lost 0-1. Marius had a great cross (while on the ground, of course) to Kaden whose shot just didn't go left enough. Practice tomorrow will be at the High School training ground. A couple of players picked up some knocks and have a week to recover. We are hopeful that Jadon will be back for the next game as well.

Match Day 4

Match Day 4 features the NLC NorthWood-Concord match up. The JV contest starts at 10 am followed by the 11:45 am Varsity game. NorthWood carries a 2-1 record into today's game while Concord has not lost a game all year. This is another strong Concord squad which gives the Panthers another opportunity to make a statement. If the arbitrary trio today performs up to par, this should be an entertaining match at NW's home field. Jadon is still under concussion protocol but the good news is that everyone else is healthy. Game time temperature (Varsity) is 70 degrees under sunny skies so a good day to take in some real football.

Northridge-NorthWood 3-0 (1-0)

There might be rain on the way to the game but fortunately, the closer we get to "Raider Country", the better the weather. The Varsity game starts under cool but very sunny conditions. Even though this is the third game of the season, it is the first time we hear the National Anthem! The teams are introduced and we find out we are now being coached by Caoch Brad Durkson. FIRST HALF (or should I say first minute). It only takes a minute for Northridge to put the first goal against NW by any school this season, on the board. A ball into the box ends up going in near the right post and some marking confusion is to blame. The game goes back and forth for a good 15 minutes with the Panthers somewhat playing on their heels and letting the play come at them but our passing is decent, our runs are okay and we grow in the game as we go. In the 20th minute a shot from NR #11 has Micah diving to make a sublime save. In the 37th, Andre takes a free kick from the right side and targets Matt in the box. Matt's header nearly misses to the right. HALF TIME- The talk is about a couple of strategic issues and taking shots when we have the opportunity to do so. SECOND HALF- In the very first minute of the second act, Mason defends a ball in the box the way one is supposed to. He shields the ball but while doing that, the NR attacker makes contact and falls. As if a mistake in the first half that leads to a goal isn't bad enough, the mistake in the first minute of the second half comes directly from the center ref. He points at the twelve! Up to this point, he has missed plenty of calls and gets little or no direction from his overpaid AR's. But this call is a display of not having any knowledge of how soccer is played and what the rules are. The whistle doesn't get caressed by his lips until the NR bench screams that Mason's shielding is a foul. Another ref who reacts to the bench. And it just is a shame that people like this make decisions on the field that have an impact on the game. A game for which these athletes have worked hard for and prepared hard for. The PK is a good one and goes up and left, 2-0. Despite being down two goals, we produce shots in the 56", 57" and 58" and it doesn't feel that we are out of the game at any point. In the 61st, an obvious NR hand ball in the box gets called. But the center ref places the ball outside the box and not on the 12 yard dot. Another decision by an incompetent ref that influences the outcome of the game. When asked how far the ball was outside the box, he replies that it was at least a yard according to him and his AR counterpart. Maybe this guy should buy some glasses or get a new prescription. It would work wonders; you can start reading the rule book and see the game better. In the 77th, when the game is all but over, the Raiders put in the third goal. The Panthers deserve more and played well in general. The game plan was well executed and only a marking issue in the first led to a goal. We don't have the majority of the possession and don't need to but we passed well and made good runs and had opportunities.Overall, no one had bad a game, as a matter of fact some had really good games. Micah played at the top of his game, Matt played excellent, our entire midfield played well and our entire back line (Trent, SKyler and Mason) was terrific. They had to make adjustments with Jadon out and they did so very well. Juan and Jerson worked tirelessly and our subs did a great job. And speaking of opportunities; Concord is up next (Saturday -tomorrow- at home). A team that is probably a notch better then Northridge so time for another great challenge and chance for an upset. This team, which received some nice compliments from the NR head coach, is looking better every game and could really make some waves this season. JV REPORT: In this game, the refs play a role in a goal as well by virtue of a bad call. The final score is 4-0 Northridge. The JV plays tomorrow at 10 am at our home field.NOTES: Today's practice is at the game field and only an hour long (in light of the tough games last night and another game tomorrow). Training will be light.

Match Day 3 preview

Today's match is the second away game of the season and the first Northern Lakes Conference game. Today's opponent, Northridge, is 3-0-1 with wins against Elkhart Central, LaPorte and Bethany Christian. The draw came in the first game of the season against a very good Penn team. The Raiders have scored 12 goals and have been scored on 4 times. Players to watch for are #11 Mora and #16 Jimenez. The Panthers are 2-0 on the young season and have scored 14 goals while not conceding a single goal. Tonight's game will be an early test of where we are since Northridge will be one of the better teams we will play this season. The Panthers will have to do without their central defender Jadon Steinmetz who is under concussion protocol and we have a few players dealing with some minor knocks. None of these knocks will keep them out of tonight's lineup. The JV game kicks off at 5 pm, Varsity at 6:45 pm. The game field is just East of the High School on US 20. Game time temperature is expected to be around 68 cool degrees under partly cloudy skies and will drop into the low 60's/high 50's by the end of the Varsity game.

Wednesday Varsity practice update

The varsity will meet in Duerksen's room to discuss strategy for about a half hour. Warm ups will be handed out as well. JV will be on the field.

Looking at the week ahead....

"Raider Week" as Micah pointed out. The focus the first four days of the week will be on Northridge. That game is scheduled for Thursday (JV 5 pm, Varsity 6:45 pm)and is an away game. The polls show that some of our opponents are ranked. In 3A, Goshen is 7th, Concord 16th; in Class 2A (our class), Concordia Lutheran is 18th and in Class 1A, Lakewood Park Christian is 10th and Argos 12th. This week the practices are from 3:30-5:30 Mon/Tue/Wed at the High School training ground. Time and place for the Friday practice will be announced later. On Saturday we host the Concord Minutemen. JV kick off is at 10 followed by the Varsity match at 11:45. The Captains Club Tailgate tickets need to be turned in to Coach Duerksen during the school day today (room 801).

NorthWood-Angola 4-0 (1-0)

A nice and sunny Saturday starts off with the season opener for the JV. With goals from Chandler, Kaden and Omar, it is Douwsma's squad that comes out on top with a solid 3-0 home win. Not everything goes smooth as some Varsity players show up later then the mandatory time. Adjustments to the starting lineup are made which has now two freshman inside the lines at forward and midfield.FIRST HALF: With a personal cheer block present for Corbin, the kick off is almost on time. Despite Angola's bus showing up a little late, we are able to catch up some time since the national anthem was not available yet to be played before the main show. NW starts out with a lot of energy and a lot of quick possession based passing. In the 5th minute, a nicely timed pass from Sebastian reaches Landon whose shot requires a save from the Hornet's last man. Only 60 ticks later, Andre's perfect pass to Sebastian puts the latter in a good position to go at goal . He does without hesitation and slots the ball away for a 1-0 lead early on. In the 13th, Landon serves Sebastian who, by working hard, is open constantly. He collects the ball and takes a shot which goes wide to the right of the frame. In the 18th, Landon's dad makes the best sideline save of the season thus far. The sudden lift off from a sitting position excites the student section, lead by Luke Holland. HALF TIME: focus of the half time speech is on starting out the way we did in the first half but by being more accurate in finishing we need to put them away early. SECOND HALF: The second half starts out about as bad as it possibly could. Jaden gets run over from behind just outside the box, his head hits the ground en he is out for the count. It will be his last action of the day. Fortunately Mr. Widner is present and treats Jaden. Jaden will be under the concussion protocol and his return will likely take a couple of weeks. He did seem to be doing pretty good after the game so hopefully a full return won't take much longer than that. A minute after play resumes, Juan takes possession of the ball in a crowded Angola box. With three quick moves, he bypasses two defenders and is eye to eye with the keeper. He places the ball decisively in the far corner for the 2-0 lead. Juan, on his way back to his own half tells Jaden that "this one's for you!". NW keeps pressing and possessing the ball. Landon goes near the box, crosses and reaches Jerson who in turn scores the 3-0 (45"). The next time NW crosses the middle of the field, Angola's #19 tackles Kyle so hard that Kyle responds with "football was last night, bro". #19 never did take off his football gear but also never tackled another NW player. In the 59th, Marius goes right by the Angola left defender and once close to the corner, he crosses a perfect pass into the 18 that seems headed for Juan's forehead. Juan misses but the ball lands in front of Sebastian who rips the ball hard onto the bottom part of the crossbar but over the line; 4-0. In the 65th, Sebastian does a move in the box that puts a defender out of position, the ball falls in front of Andy. Andy takes a nice hard shot but the Hornet's GK saves the ball with a nice diving effort. All in all, the result is a good one. The only bad news is that Jaden is out for a few games which will mean some changes in the back 3. The Panthers move to 2-0 on the season. Micah and Luke combined for another shut out (their second of the season). NW has scored 14 and not given up a goal in a while. NW had three shut outs at the Panther Classic and two shut outs to start the regular season. Fourteen goals have been scored so far. NOTES: The JV is 1-0 on their season. Both teams play again next Thursday. We will face a very good Northridge team. Like Micah said after the game; "It is Raider week!". We have three full days to focus on the first NLC matchup. JV start Thursday at Northridge is 5 pm, followed by the Varsity game at 6:45. Time to rest up and nurse the knocks from today.

Match Day 2 NorthWood-Angola

Angola has played twice so far this season. In the season opener, Angola drew Woodlan 3-3 and last night, Westview beat then 1-0 in OT. That last result indicates that the Hornets are a much improved team. Barely able to field a team last year is a stark contrast to the team that has decent results and a JV squad to field as well. Again, kick off at the first of only 6 home matches is at 10 am (JV) tomorrow, followed by a 11:45 start for the Varsity. No injuries were picked up last night so we have everyone available for the game.

Impressions from Tippy Valley

THE WINDMILL, THE BENCH, THE PREGAME TALK AND A PRESS BOX BACK WINDOW.

Tippecanoe Valley - NorthWood 0-10 (0-6)

Even with the bridge out in Mentone, the Egg Basket of the Midwest, we still arrive on time downtown Corn Land AKA Tippy Valley High School. I should have brought my wooden shoes because I don't remember the last time I spent this much time by a windmill. The soccer complex butts up against the football field and the back window of the football press box apparently is the front window for the press box for soccer matches. After the warm up and pre game talk by Coach Duerksen (Durkesen if you are from Tippy Valley), the team gets announced while still in the huddle. It is not the only hiccup in pre game festivities. Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before a game apparently is custom here and they like it so much, they try to do it twice. If there was a musical rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner available, it was not turned on so the Tippy Valley soccer manager sang it and actually did a great job. Things will not get any smoother for the Vikings however. Due to the high amount of scoring, I will refrain from a flowing game report but instead, I will summarize the score sheet. FIRST HALF The Panthers fans, who seem to outnumber the TV supporters, only have to wait 8 minutes before they see Landon Parker pass a ball to Jerson Sanchez who does not miss this time and places the ball against the back of the net for the first lead of the season, 0-1. Two minutes later, NW utilizes the bench for the first time and exchanges 4 players, two of whom are freshmen. A thru ball from Juan Pantoja to Landon, places Landon in a 1v1 with the keeper (and to quote coach Duerksen "he will probably lead the State in saves by the end of the day") and goes around him, 0-2. Role reversal in the 24th means that Landon passes to Juan at the halfway line who coasts straight at the GK and once in the box, decides to place the ball in the right corner for the 0-3 lead. Marius Ley's slick pass to Sebastian in the 28th results in the 4th goal of the game. Kyle Luster signs for the 5th NW goal in the 32nd (Marius assist). Six minutes later Marius, in an off sides position that is not called, blasts a nice shot at the goal but the TV goalie (surely their best player) touches the ball onto the crossbar. Right before the half time whistle, Andy Duran slips the ball to Marius who decidedly puts the ball against the ropes for a 0-6 lead. HALF TIME Possession and one/two touch passing is the main theme at the half while also making sure we do not get scored on. SECOND HALF We start with about 4 minutes of straight possession with some good passing. By the end of the game the possession meter has to show about 80/20. Luke Lingle replaces Micah Pippinger between the pipes. In the 48th a corner from the right (about 9 yards from a healthy looking corn stalk), taken by Lucas Aukerman goes intentionally between Landon's legs and the ball ends up in front of Corbin Taylor who scores his first of the season. His quest to beat his brother's senior record has begun! In minute 60, Andy pushes the ball left to Sebastian Guillen who scores by placing the ball on the ground and in the corner, 0-8. Andre de Freitas signs for goal number 9 when he scores in the box off of a Marius throw in. The final goal of the day goes again to Corbin who "volleys" (uhuh sure....) the leather in the net. Final score 0-10. Our defense plays a solid game with Skyler, Jadon and Mason and our subs fulfill their duties well all game long. Our flyers (Lucas and Trent and Kyle) have an easy day since they meet little resistance. The other midfielders Corbin, Matt and the guys coming off the bench have an easy afternoon and perform well. NOTES NorthWood is 1-0 on the season. Saturday (tomorrow) will be the second game of the season and the first home game. The opponent is Angola (again, the school, not the country). The JV kicks off at 10 am, followed by the Varsity match at 11:45. Today's practice is at the High School's training ground and will run from 3:30 -5 pm.

Match Day 1 Tippy Valley - NorthWood

NorthWood defeated the Vikings a year ago at home 8-0 in Tippy Valley's first game of their inaugural season. Tippy Valley improved quite a bit during their first season and their final record was 4-12 going into sectionals. The Panthers are hoping to repeat last year's performance. This will be our first trip to Tippecanoe Valley. The High School's address is 8345 SR 19 in Akron, IN. Drive time should be around 45 minutes or so if you want to see this clash between the two SR 19 Schools. NorthWood has no injured players and will thus travel with the full squad. The bus will leave between 3:30-3:45 and all players are asked to be ready behind the Pit at 3:30 pm. The weather looks to be cooperating so we are hoping for a good number of traveling fans! Hope to see you there!! This is a varsity game only, the JV will have the day off.

Angola contest Update

It has been confirmed by the Athletic office that Angola will indeed field a JV squad. The 8/19/17 Saturday JV game will start at 10 am and the Varsity game will kick off around 11:45 am.

2017-2018 schedule

The soccer schedule for both the Varsity and JV can be found on "gonwpanthers.com".

Season 2017-2018 about to start

This week in NW soccer features practices from 3:30 - 5:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday while Thursday and Saturday are Match Days. The Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday practices will be at the practice ground while the Friday practice is TBD but probably at the game field. Thursday 8/17/17 will be the first match of the season and is an away game. We will play the Tippy Valley Vikings. Saturday 8/19/17 is a home game and kicks off at 11:45 am. Both matches are Varsity only since neither opponent field a JV. A Matchday preview will be posted Thursday.