Wawasee ****Time Change**** for Tuesday's Game

The schedule notes that the Varsity kick off is at 5 pm but this is incorrect. The JV game starts at 5 pm, followed by a 6:45 pm Varsity start.

Getting closer........

Blast from the Past Thursday

The 2010 Sectional Championship team. (They would finally lose in the Regional Final 2-0 to Elkhart Central).

Training Session added

Due to the fact that we will play Wawasee the day after Labor Day, an extra training session has been added for Monday September 3rd at 9 am at the game field. Training will conclude around 10:30am. The Coaching Staff......see you there.

Team Dinner after practice tonight

There will be a team dinner hosted by Trent's parents after practice today. The address is 440 Hickory Lane, Nappanee. Speaking of Trent.......... Trent tore a ligament in his foot and will be in a boot for about 2-3 weeks (hopefully 2). Hopefully Trent will recover quickly so he can be back playing around the Concordia game!

Today's practice will be from 3:30-5

Bremen - NorthWood 3-3 (0-3)

FIRST HALF - 10" Parker (Kayden assist), 28" Sebastian (Andre & Landon assists), 35" Jerson (Sebastian assist). SECOND HALF 56"1-3, 75" 2-3, 80" 3-3. JV loses 0-1. Varsity record 2-2-1, JV record 0-3.

ISCA Poll

NorthWood drops out of the top 20 in 2A but fully expects to return to the top 20 in the next couple of weeks. Concord is now ranked 8th in 3A, while tonight's opponent Bremen is ranked 20 in 1A.

Match Day 5

Today's game is at Bremen (game played at the park on the east side of town, not at the High School). Due to the number of players who went out for soccer, the JV will play only one half of soccer. The Varsity contest will be played first and will kick off at 5 pm, JV will follow at approximately 6:45. Bremen is 3-2 on the season with losses to Plymouth (6-3) and Bethany Christian (2-1) and wins over Wawasee, Central Noble and Trinity. The bus will leave the school at 4 pm. The NorthWood squad will be at full strength. Players have been encouraged to hydrate the last two days due to the hot conditions this afternoon (Feels Like temperature around 100 with high humidity).

NorthWood's Amish Coach

The 5 Stooges

Frick & Frack

Luke & Lukas

A Saturday at Concord

The JV game, the Varsity warm up and the bus rolls back into town.

Concord-NorthWood 2-0 (2-0)

Another Match Day where the opponent is a 3A ranked team. This time we travel the short distance to Dunlap to play 3A #13 Concord. During the National Anthem we notice that Noah's heart is on the opposite side from the rest of us. The JV and Varsity starts are pushed back by an hour in order to allow about 4 Concord players and Kyle Luster to take their SAT's and still play some of the game. FIRST HALF - The Panthers have to do without Sebastian Guillen who received a red card in the game against Northridge. The game starts out with some back and forth play. In the 7th, Concord scores the first goal of the game after the NW midfield misses a mark coming up the field (video will be used to illustrate the defensive breakdown later this week). Three minutes later, after the Panthers have settled down some, Andre places a thru ball into Parker's feet. His first touch is away from goal but he does get the shot off. His effort misses the right post by only a few centimeters. Luke comes up big all day long. Despite the finger injury (glove was buddy taped), he is able to make a lot of diving stops. In the 23rd minute, Trent goes up for a defensive header in the box. The ball skips off his head and we are just unlucky to have it land right in front of a Concord player who scores the 2-0. Luster shows up in minute 31. HALF TIME- Overall we play well and the main topic of discussion is the organization in the back. SECOND HALF- The Minutemen's keeper punts the ball from outside the box and the referee award NW an indirect free kick on the 81 yard line. Parker touches the ball to Jerson. Jerson's shot is saved saved by the keeper at his right post. In the 60th minute Jerson receives a yellow caution. Minutes before that, Marshall getss the ball in the box and finds himself eye to eye with the keeper in stars and stripes. Marshall tries to chip the falling flag. The keeper saves the effort. Marshall might have had more success had he tried to go around the Concord backstop. Nine fingered Luke makes his final save in the 71st when he comes out on a dangerous Concord cross. The french referee blows his whistle for the final time in the 80th. A game well played by the Panthers and well officiated by the trio of arbiters. The JV loses 3-1. Marshall Beebe scores the lone NW goal. NOTES - The JV falls to 0-2 but is looking pretty good; results will surely come. The Varsity now owns a 2-2-0 record. Next game is tonight (Monday) at Bremen. The Varsity in the bleachers during the JV game.

The Brock Hilty Special

Happy Birthday to the Dutch Touch Blog

To all GFOB: Sunday will be the blogs 11th Birthday. Will probably have to celebrate it!

Match Day 4 **Start Time Change**

No time to worry about what happened yesterday because it is time to prepare for tomorrow. We travel to Concord to take on the Minutemen on their tiny field. The Minutemen are 3-0-1 with wins against Penn, South Bend Adams and Wawasee and a tie against Mishawaka Marian. The #18 Panthers (2A) play a good #13 Concord (1A). The game time for both JV and Varsity have been changed. The JV game will start at 11 am and the Varsity match kicks off at 12:45 pm. The bus will leave the High School at 10 am from the Pain Palace. The Positive Take: We will play on a small field but it will be in better shape then our home turf and odds are the officiating will be better. The Negative Take: No Sebastian.....

Soccer is known for the "wave" but you've never seen the field doing it....until now

#worstfieldinthemidwest

NW-NR impressions

NorthWood-Northridge 0-5 (0-2)

After scouting Northridge, the game plan has been discussed for days. An unlucky (read - awful field) bounce means a ball doesn't get cleared paving the way for a quick 2nd minute attack from the Raiders resulting in an early goal. In the 23rd, the Raiders find the back of the net again for the 0-2 HT score. Coach Duerksen gets a yellow caution for an improperly equipped player (no shin guards - Brock Hilty). Soon after a 56th minute NR goal, Sebastian tries to get the ball in the middle of the field off a NR player's foot. The tackle earns him a red card. The "foul" is not even worthy of a yellow. About 15 more serious fouls (the majority NR fouls) are going unpunished throughout the game and then this one gets a straight red. The sad part is that the center ref changes his story of the reason for the red (first narrative is that Sebastian had committed four fouls total and the second was that "he was going for the opponent's Achilles"). When the Raiders #8 throws an elbow in Jerson's face in the 75th, it takes the AR to tell the center ref that that deserves a card but #8 only gets a yellow. The fifth goal comes in the 79" when the Panthers are down to 10 men. On this beautiful night weather wise, the stands are packed with hundreds of fans. Unfortunately the Panthers are unable to come up with a result despite battling hard. It does not help to have an incompetent arbiter and the worst field in Northern Indiana. The boys battle hard and that same fight will be needed tomorrow when we play at Concord. Sebastian will have to sit this one out due to the red card. NOTES - Today's practice is from 3:30-4:30 at the High School. Tomorrow's games are at 10 am (JV) and 11:45 (V). The JV lost their first game of the season to Northridge 0-2. The Varsity is now 2-1-0. Concord is 3-0-1.

Match Day 3

It looks like we are going back in time. The field can not even handle 1.25 inches of rain as you can see by this picture from yesterday. Hopefully today's sun will dry the field out for the Class 1 # 19 Northridge Raiders when they come rolling into Nappanee with their undefeated 4-0-0 record to take on the Class 2 # 18 NorthWood Panthers (2-0-0). With wins against Penn, Central, LaPorte and Bethany Christian, the Raiders have shown to have a potent offense (20 goals scored and given up 4). The Panthers have had a good week of practice and need to work hard to get a result. The Panthers have the entire squad available as we do not have any injuries. This will be the Varsity's first NLC match up and it will be the JV's first game of the season. The JV will try and beat their own season best result (8-4-2) by starting with beating NR tonight. This could very well be the best JV squad ever! The preparation for both teams has been good; it is now up to the players...............Game time boys!!!!!!!!! I would like to credit the person who created this........

Blast from the Past Thursdays

Seth Douwsma 2008 MVP

Today's training

Practice today will be at the High School practice field. Typically we try and practice at the game field the day before a home game but since the girls games were canceled last night due to the field conditions, it would be wise to stay off the field and give it 48 hours to dry out before tomorrow night's game. The field is in bad shape, it looks bad, it plays bad and it is doubtful anyone will do anything to improve it since supposedly it is our third year in a row that it will be the final year we play at Nappanee Elementary School.

Lost & Found..........

#CoachDouwsmaneedsaTailgate

NorthWood ranked in 2A ISCA Poll

The Indiana Soccer Coaches Association ranks NorthWood at #18 for the 2A Boys soccer class (week of 8/20/18).

Impressions of a Saturday morning in Angola

PRE GAME LUKE WORKING ON DISTRIBUTION BEFORE THE GAME WE WILL BE BACK!!!!

Angola-NorthWood 0-2 (0-0)

Matchday 2 equals road trip #1. As the bus pulls out a little after 8 on the way to Angola, it turns into an extended Amish Country scenic tour. Because of road closures we arrive a little late. We warm up on the practice field due to the wet condition of the game field.In front of a nice size crowd of NW supporters we kick of a little after 10 for the first real challenge of the season.FIRST HALF- It starts early on in the third minute when a Sebastian header pass finds Landon who finds himself going at the Hornet stopper for the first (but not last NW) 1v1. The Parker shot goes for the high left corner but gets tipped by the GK for a corner. The Angola keeper will make a lot of saves this morning. In the 10th, Andre takes a free kick from 40 yards and his effort finds Sebastian's head. His header finds the keeper's hands to prevent Sebastian from adding to his goal total. Six minutes later, Kayden -who had just stepped inside the lines- finds himselg going 1v1 at the keeper after a nice thru ball. His shot at the keep gets stopped as well. In the 19th, Jerson slots a ball to Sebastian who goes in the box for the NW third 1v1 of the game. His attempt is directed directly at the keeper.....still no goal! A NW cross straight into the box is missed by the keeper and finds Sebastian's head but he is unable to direct it on the frame. With plenty of chances and about 80% of the possession, most of it on the Angola half, it seems it is only a matter of time before we put in the first goal.HALF TIME- Only some minor adjustments are discussed while the work rate of the entire team in general but midfielders in specific is mentioned. A solid performance with some nice soccer so far, now all we need is a goal or two. SECOND HALF- We almost witness the first goal of the game in the first minute of the second half when Angola brings the ball up the field and crosses it in the box. With nearly everyone missing the ball, Angola's top scorer finds himself with the ball on his foot about 4 yards from Luke. His shot to the near post gets stopped by a diving Luke Lingle; a great stop that could have turned the momentum! Fortunately NW takes control of the game again and in minute 43, Sebastian goes around the Hornets left defenders on the flank and crosses the ball as in a training ground drill towards the 6. At the time of the attack both Jerson (in center) and Cam Iwema (on the left flank) made hard runs into the box. Unmarked, they both go at the ball and Jerson, almost over running the cross, gets a first and then a second touch on the ball. The ball rolls in the goal for the 0-1. If the game would have been a crossbar challenge we would have been in fine shape; a long distance screamer from Jerson in the 48" finds the crossbar after a GK tip and Landon's shot in the 51st has the same result. In the 76th it looks like we will add to our lead when Andre places the ball over the top for Landon to run onto the ball. Landon's shot gets saved by the keep. Some physical confrontations seem to get out of hand mainly and probably only due to the fact that the center ref has an unwillingness to use his whistle let alone pull out his assortment of cards. Thanks to the composure of the NorthWood players, seniors specifically, does the match not turn into a mess. We have to wait until the last minute of the game for the next and last goal of the game when Jerson Sanchez decides to go on his own offensive adventure. Jerson circumvents about four Hornets and goes at the keeper and places the ball by him to the keeper's left for what looks to be an easy goal; 0-2. NOTES- The Panthers move to 2-0-0 on the young season while the Hornets fall to 1-2-0. Jerson's leadership and performance earn him the captains arm band for the next game (worn by Lukas Aukerman today for his hard work this week). By the way, Angola is also the site of this year's sectionals. Next up is the home game versus Northridge this coming Thursday. All focus in training this week will be on our next two NLC opponents this week (the aforementioned Northridge and at Concord on Saturday). NorthWood wins as does Chelsea (albeit against Arsenal); so all in all a good Saturday.

Road Closure information for Angola game

US 20 is completely closed from the circle in Angola to the High School, therefore, you will need to take the following DETOUR : come into Angola on US 20, go around the circle and head north on 27 to Harold Chevrolet then turn right onto Mechanics Street. Take Mechanics Street thru town to the 4-way stop at CR 100 East, turn right and head south to the High School. The soccer fields are located on 100 East just past the High School.US 20 in LaGrange is closed as well (I guess follow your GPS or Detour signs).

Match Day 2 preview

Saturday August 18 (tomorrow) features the match up between NorthWood and the Angola Hornets. This is an away game for the Panthers. The team bus will leave at 8 am. The Hornets are 1-1 on the young season with a win Tuesday over Woodlan (7-1) and a loss last night against Westview (2-4). The man to watch is #14 Seth Nickel who had a hat trick in his first game and added a pair in his second game for a total of 5 goals already.Tomorrow's venue is also the venue of this year's Sectional. Kick off is slated for 10 am (note the time change due to Angola not fielding a JV this season). The address for the High School is 350 S. John McBride Ave., Angola and is just south off US 20 on the east side of the city of Angola.

NorthWood-Tippy Valley Pictoral impressions

COACHES GETTING READY FOR THE SEASON OPENER THE BENCH, READY TO GO IN. KYLE IN MIDSEASON FORM ALREADY

NorthWood - Tippy Valley 11-0 (7-0)

FIRST HALF - The threat of bad weather disappears by game time much like the Vikings defense. There is none of either. A nice crowd of an even 100 (there was plenty of time to count and recount the spectators during the game; the total does include the concession stand workers, the announcers and scoreboard operators and Kyle Cripe who really does a great job running the balls on the dug out side), observes a tame game with a solid result. It takes the Panthers more then 10 minutes to change the scoreboard but once C-Bass records his first assist of the season with a nice pass to Andre, who places ball over the line with accuracy, there is no stopping them. With goals in the 12th (Sebastian goal/Landon assist), 17th (Sebastian's second, Marshall assist), again the 17th (Kayden goal, Brock assist), 26th (Chandler unassisted), 28th (Andy assist, Andre assist) and 39th (Lucas goal -over GK- with a Sebastian assist), the scoreboard is showing a 7-0 half time score.Luke touches the ball only a few times in the goal and only when the ball is played back to him. Also noteworthy in the first half is the interesting approach from Andy Duran when he takes a corner where the flag becomes the opponent. The corner flag does a nice job because the corner is short and ineffective. HALF TIME - The focus at the half is on passing to feet, moving without the ball and scoring from outside the box. With an opponent like this, little can be gained; a practice would benefit us more. It is obvious that our opponent is a new soccer program that is in its infancy and clearly plays at a different level then we do at this time. SECOND HALF - More of the same is the theme after the break. A running clock helps but it is hard to get super motivated against this opponent. Highlights of the second half include a Kayden Newcomer goal in minute 48 (Kyle Luster assist), a 49th minute Andy Duran goal (Andre assist), a 51st goal by Andre (Parker assist) and the final goal in the 75th by C-Bass (another Parker assist off a corner). Andrew Graber defended the goal in the second half and provided the highlight of the night by tripping over a ball played back to him, while proclaiming "this field is awful" although some on the bench heard it as "I want a waffle". The final score is 11-0; Sebastian Guillen finishes the night with a hat trick, Andy Duran, Kayden Newcomer and Andre DeFreitas all finish with two a piece and Chandler Bontrager and Lucas Aukerman tally one each.NOTES - Coach Duerksen fixes the scoreboard before the game so it now runs the time down correctly. Thanks to Jason Thompson and Randy Cripe for taking care of the duties in the press box and also thanks to Kyle Cripe for helping out. Also a shout out to a good portion of the JV for supporting their Varsity team mates. Next up is the away game against Angola; the bus leaves tomorrow morning at 8 am! Todays practice is at the High School and will be done by 5 pm. THE PANTHERS WALK OUT BEFORE MATCH NUMBER1.

Too bad the Boys coaching staff is not as photogenic as the Girls coaching staff........

Thanks for the pic GFOB!!!!!

Match Day 1

The 2018 season starts today with a game against Tippecanoe Valley High School. The Vikings are 1-0 after defeating the Whitko Wildcats 5-0 Tuesday night. Tippy Valley does not have a JV so this is a Varsity only contest which kicks off at 5 pm. We are hoping for a large crowd to help us kick off the season!!!! Go Panthers!

T minus 1.............

Match Day 1 is fast approaching. Tomorrow's contest vs. Tippecanoe Valley High School will be at 5 pm and is a Varsity game only (TV does not have a JV). All NWHS soccer matches are played at the Nappanee Elementary School. Today's practice will start in Room 801 at 3:30 today to go over some tactical material and will continue at the NES game field. We will be done by 5:30 pm.

2018 South Bend Adams Jamboree Results

NorthWood loses to South Bend Adams 2-0 in the first game with goals in the 5th and 7th minute. A hard fought second game against pre-season ranked South Bend St. Joe (#4), is decided after a nice Andre de Freitas split pass on the left flank to Sebastian Guillen. Sebastian keeps the right defender on his inside shoulder and finishes with his left past a falling keeper for the final 1-0 score. The jamboree has been a helpful tool in figuring out our weaknesses and strengths and gives us an indication on what we need to work on.

2018 Red-Black scrimmage

Fortunately we were able to get the game in before the weather unloaded on us. A well played game that saw plenty of playing time for everyone. A 3-1 win for Douwsma's team was a bit deflated obviously and a bit fortunate as we all witnessed but the Dijkstra coaches probably blame their risky attacking approach in the last 5 minutes compounded by the fact that the referee probably should have awarded some more undeserved free kicks for Black but we will live with the result.

2018 Alumni Game

Some with more hair, some with less........ It was great to see everyone. The game itself was of pretty good quality and evenly matched, hence the 3-3 final. Hope to see everyone again next year. Special shout out to Brody Morningstar; it was really great to have him on the sidelines!!!!!

Alumni Game and Red-Black Scrimmage information

The Alumni game will kick off at 6 pm. All current players need to be at the field by 7 pm. Red-Black kick off is at 7:30 pm. Both games will be played at the game field behind the Nappanee Elementary School.

Team Party at Duerksen's......impressions

Courtesy Maggie Duerksen Sports Photography. Thank you Coach and Mrs. Duerksen for hosting the second annual Team Sports Party. The food and weather was great. Now it is on to tonight's Red-Black game!!

South Bend Adams Jamboree Saturday August 11, 2018

NorthWood will play in the South Bend Adams Jamboree this coming Saturday. Games will be played at Tallman-Beyrer Field at 420 S. Eddy Street, South Bend. The bus will leave the high school at 2:30 pm. We will play South Bend Adams and South Bend St. Joe. Each "half" is 30 minutes and we are scheduled to play at 4 pm and 4:40 pm.

Week 2

After the coaches won their 4th (!!!!) consecutive PUGG Tournament (Team DDDDC United) it was time for all players to go home for the weekend and lick their wounds. It was the successful conclusion of week 1. Week 2 will be a busy one. This week's schedule starts the rest of the season with daily training from 3:30 - 5:30 pm.The only exception for this week will be Thursday because of the Red-Black scrimmage. Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm we will have team pictures and at night we will get together at Coach Duerksen's house for a night of games and food. It will start at 6:30 pm and run until 9:30 pm. Freshmen and Juniors bring drinks, Seniors chips and sophomores bring sweets/desserts. Thursday night will feature the alumni game at 6 pm followed by the Red-Black game at 7:30 pm. Both games will be played at the game field.

2018 PUGG Tournament CHAMPIONS (****)

2018 PUGG Tournament - 2nd PLACE

2018 PUGGS Tournament - 3rd PLACE