(Standings
are at the bottom of the page)
-
Provincial
Championships - Gold Medal Game
-
5
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Okotoks Spurs -
6
-
Despite the score you see above, I just
can't see this game as a loss. We've been through so much together,
the boys have shown so much improvement over the course of the season,
they've done so many amazing things, and they played with so much heart
throughout this final weekend that all I can think right now is how proud
I am of them. Four games in two days is hard enough, even on young
bodies, but when three of them were so intense it takes real maturity and
determination to keep up the pace right up until the very end. Playing
at the highest level, in the Provincial final, the boys literally fought
hard right until the final buzzer and they showed poise and class beyond
their years.
-
Clearly we didn't get off to the start
we wanted today. I'm not sure if that was owing to nerves or fatigue,
but we spotted Okotoks a big lead which found us trying to battle back
throughout the game. There were some very bad breaks, some unlucky
bounces, but the boys never quit. When Praneil scored to finally
get us on the board there seemed to be life but Okotoks answered back to
reclaim the three goal advantage. That's when Rizwan scored.
Again we thought we were on our way back but Okotoks scored twice to stake
a 6-2 lead. On the bench we did our best to remain positive and I
can't say enough about the job Arjun did as our captain to keep telling
the bench that we had to keep going, that we weren't done... and he lead
by example too.
-
When the time came for TWA's last shift
you could see it in their eyes that they weren't going down without a fight.
They took to the field and, with the help of a defense that kept putting
the ball back right in the forward zone for them (Zach battled for the
ball and launched some huge shots back in), they simply owned the stunned
Okotoks squad. Arjun ran miles in mere minutes, weaved his way through
the defense time and time again, and added a goal. Willem fought
tirelessly on the boards against two, and even three, opponents and managed
to feed to ball out front for two of the final three goals, while Tanvir
unloaded a flurry powerful shots at the Okotoks goal and scored on two
of them. It was a very long shift and they were tired but, somehow,
they found the strength.
-
The opposing coach knew what was coming
and, after we had scored and turned the momentum in our favor, he signaled
his keeper to stay down. With no timeouts allowed at Provincials
we were powerless to stop the clock. The argument he had with the
ref about taking too long ate up more even more time and as he finally
left his keeper we could actually hear him tell the young man, "just make
sure you stay down if they score again". We can't know for sure,
but that may have been the difference because, as we roared down the field
with under 10 seconds left, you could see the play developing, the seam
was open, and the tying goal was coming. Unfortunately time just
ran out on us.
-
In every possible way this day was vindication
for last year's disappointment and we proved beyond any shadow of a doubt
that not only do we belong among the best in the province, club or not,
but that these boys are THE class of the province. They are dedicated,
they are talented, they are disciplined, they have genuine heart, they
are true sportsmen, and they are an absolute joy to watch... they are the
Lakewood Vipers!
-
Thanks Josh, Matt, Willem, Tino, Dylan,
Nik, Arjun, Gabe, Zach, Riz, Marcus, Ayman, Marin, Tanvir and Praneil for
an incredible season and an amazing ride. We are very proud of you
all.
Final Standings
-
| Gold: |
Okotoks Spurs |
7th: |
Ft. St. John Selects |
| Silver: |
Lakewood Vipers |
8th: |
Sherwood Park Team |
| Bronze: |
Calgary SWU United |
9th: |
Vermilion Strikers |
| 4th: |
Spruce Grove |
10th: |
Airdrie Aztecs |
| 5th: |
Calgary Blizzard |
11th: |
Sturgeon Storm |
| 6th: |
Edmonton Fraser |
12th: |
Camrose Selects |
|
Provincial
Championships - Game 3
-
4
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. SWU Fusion - 3
-
For a lot of the boys I think the memory
of last year's day 2 disappointment is still pretty fresh and as a team
I think we wanted more than anything to prove that we belong here - that
we can play at this level. After this match I think we've done exactly
that. Calgary Blizzard, Calgary SWU United, Fort St. John Selects,
Airdrie Aztecs, Camrose Selects... no matter what some people chose to
call them, these are club teams at this highest level of Tier 4 and I know
the boys are excited and relieved to have had the chance to finally prove
themselves. After that fierce battle last night, the boys came out
strong and prevailed in a huge test of will against the extremely talented
SWU.
-
We have spoken so often this season about
the importance of a strong start and that is exactly what we got today.
Taking that lead took off so much of the pressure for a large portion of
the game and I think it also gave the boys the confidence to hold on when
SWU began to pressure later in the game. It was an intense, physical
battle (but a clean one) from start to finish and I have to give my compliments
to the coach for the class he and his team displayed throughout the game
and even after what must have been a heartbreaking loss. They played
with heart and determination and it took a fantastic effort from the Vipers
to come out on top.
-
I really felt that every player (forward,
defender or keeper) played to the best of his ability today. No line
or defensive pair was victimized for more goals against than another, everyone
fought hard, and the win was characterized by crucial little plays which
could have gone either way. Marcus having the presence of mind to
pull that ball off the line at the last possible second, for example, defined
the little things that turned out to be huge plays. Every time something
was needed we seemed to come up with it, and when we needed goals Arjun,
Tanvir and Praneil found the way to get it done. When we were scrambling,
our defenders found a way to get the ball out. When we needed things
to slow down, Nik found a way to run some time off the clock.
-
That about sums it up... At the end of
the day it was a complete team effort in which everyone did what they needed
to do and it took real determination to fight through nerves, doubts, bumps
and bruises. I know that both Phil and I are extremely proud no matter
what happens from here on. For the very first time in the '93/'94
age group an Edmonton team will be going home with a Tier 4 medal, well
find out later today if it is gold or silver, and that is something to
be very proud of. We'll see everyone at 3:15 for the Gold Medal match
against an amazing Okotoks Spurs team. Congratulations boys! |
Provincial
Championships - Game 2
-
5
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Vermilion Strikers
- 4
-
The fear with a a game like this is that
you can take it too lightly and I think that is what we did to a certain
extent tonight. Frankly we just didn't show the drive that we needed
early on, nor the appropriate respect for our opponent, and by the time
we realized we were in a game, the nerves began to take over. After
grabbing a quick 1-0 lead on a goal by Praneil, we found ourselves constantly
having to come from behind, only to have an inspired Vermilion Striker
squad take the lead right again. (We certainly have to acknowledge
our respect for the heart and the courage they showed against us tonight.)
-
From our perspective, I think we saw forwards
tonight who looked tight and disorganized, coupled with defenders who consistently
left opposition forwards unguarded in behind them, and struggled just to
clear the ball. Like the game before, I can't really point to any
one Vermilion goal and say, "that was a really great goal". They
were the sorts of goals which shouldn't get by us.
-
So that is the negative, now the positive...
-
Like the Spruce Grove loss earlier in
the season, we found ourselves in an intense uphill battle all game long.
Unlike that game however, we were able to overcome the pressure and play
a patient, mature game for the last 15 minutes or so. I was impressed
with the amount of passing around we did to try and find an opportunity,
rather than panicking and making bad plays too quickly. The boys
never counted themselves out and they found a way.
-
Tanvir showed us three times that it is
never a bad idea to put a shot on the goal, to use the hockey cliché,
and those important goals gave us the opening we needed. Late in
the match it all came down to our captain and, like a true leader, Arjun
stepped up, powered through the Vermilion defense, and scored the game's
winning goal out of sheer determination. It was, fittingly, Arjun's
100th goal as a Viper and it guarantees us a place in the Province's top
four indoor teams for the second consecutive time.
-
While we can't deny that we made this
game much harder than it should have been, we also have to acknowledge
that this was a real character win over a team that played the game of
a lifetime and came so very close to a big upset. The boys overcame
their nerves, and their fear, and that could be a very valuable lesson
in the remaining games.
-
Tomorrow morning at 9:15 we will play
a very powerful SWU Fusion squad, Calgary's #2, in the Group 2 vs. Group
3 crossover match that will ultimately decide whether we play for gold
or bronze in the afternoon. Let's have some fun tomorrow boys.
We'll see you all then! |
Provincial
Championships - Game 1
-
10
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Sherwood Park "Team"
- 2
-
With a two week layoff coming into this
game there were some concerns about rust, so our message was to get out
of the gates quickly, establish ball control, and try to build an early
lead. It took a bit longer than we probably wanted, the rust was
there in places, but I thought the boys did a good job of getting back
into the groove and it was evident early on that we were in control.
-
The game featured the return of Rizwan
after a seven week absence due to injury, and he certainly made his presence
felt, notching the game's first goal and then adding a second marker later
on. In fact we saw some pretty good chemistry between he and Dylan
(who also scored), as well as Marcus who joined them for the second half
and added his name to the score sheet. TWA really dominated in this
game with an extreme majority of ball possession and we saw goals from
Arjun and Willem, plus a hat trick for Tanvir.
-
Defensively we got another great game
from Zach, solid performances from Marin and Tino, plus a stellar outing
for Matt who lead the defenders with a +6 game. Josh also looked
really good on "D" in the second half. He charged the ball very well
and showed good ball control in the midfield. In goal Nik was very
solid and a little bit unlucky on the goals that did get by him.
We've talked a lot about about making sure that the only goals scored against
us are good goals, not these sort of scramble-in-the-crease "garbage goals"
so this is something we'll have to focus on if we are to be successful
this weekend.
-
This win puts us in the 8:00PM match with
a very dangerous Vermilion squad who absolutely dominated their indoor
league, going undefeated with an impressive +43, 32 goals better than the
next best team. This is the sort of match which could go very badly
if we take it too lightly and we are going to have to make sure we aren't
outworked. See you this evening boys! |
Slush
Cup - Gold Medal Game
-
6
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Britannia - 1
-
Well I guess there was no point in trying
to guess who our opponent in the final would be because, somehow, it always
seems to be the same team. This was the 8th time we have met our
Britannia rivals in the last three seasons, and four of those games have
been gold medal matches. That says an awful lot about their consistency
from season to season, even with an ever changing lineup, and we have sure
played some great games with them.
-
With four games in two days, these tournaments
are physically demanding on players, even ones this young. You could
see the fatigue today, but I thought the boys did extremely well against
an opponent who played a very spirited and physical game. I know
I say this a lot, but the score is probably not that indicative of the
game as a whole. The game was fast paced, both teams had their moments
and, in the final analysis, we just did a better job of burying our chances
when we had them. The boys had good ball possession, they worked
hard, and they played a very intelligent game.
-
With Zach not feeling very well and seeing
greatly reduced time, Matt, Tino & Marin had quite a load to shoulder
today, especially dealing with Britannia's speed, and I thought they played
with real focus and heart. We are extremely happy with the increasing
maturity our "D" have shown this season and they had a huge impact on this
game. Likewise, Nik looked really solid in one of the busier games
he has seen in the last little while, and he continues to look more and
more confident for us back there.
-
Up front our scoring was shared by all
three lines again and there were some really nice goals including that
all important first goal from Ayman, goals from Tanvir and Arjun, another
off of a nice header by Willem, and a third goal of the tournament for
Marcus on an excellent hard shot to the corner. Playmaking was creative
all around and, most of the time, there was good effort to come back defensively,
especially from Josh.
-
So congratulations Vipers on another Slush
Cup championship. Throughout the weekend we saw contribution from
everyone and you really earned every goal and every win. We're in
a good spot right now, and things look great as we prepare for Provincials.
Please don't forget to come in uniform, and with your medals, to this Wednesday's
practice (6:00PM, 90 minutes) so that we can take a proper team picture,
and then it's back to work as we iron out the last few details before we
meet up with the province's best teams in just two weeks time. We'll
see you all then! |
Slush
Cup - Game 3
-
7
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Sherwood Park Vipers
- 0
-
Before this game was even one shift old,
Praneil had scored twice and I think that really took the wind out of Sherwood
Park's sails. He went on to later make it a natural hat trick with
the game's third goal and things seemed to settle into cruise control mode
where we certainly had the far majority of ball possession but didn't always
make the most of it. We were probably guilty of overcomplicating
things in terms of our play making but, in the end, we were certainly in
control most of the way.
-
Yesterday, after being on a hot streak
for quite a while, Tino and Marin had a bit of a rough game but they bounced
back today with a solid effort to go +5 and +4 respectively. Once
again, our "D" played well in terms of position and moving the ball forward.
They got caught scrambling a few times in our zone but always managed to
bail themselves out of trouble in the end. Both Niklas and Gabriel
looked sharp during their respective turns in goal.
-
Like yesterday, all three forward lines
got on the scoreboard, even though I don't think we were at our best up
front. Marcus had a very good, energetic game, setting up a nice
goal for Dylan, and Willem's board work was pretty strong, including a
very nice solo effort to score from the left side. Nik also played
a good second half on the left wing and he fought very hard against some
pretty large coverage. All in all though, I think we were certainly
down tempo after yesterday's Spruce Grove game, which isn't unexpected,
and I think we will look much better this afternoon in the final.
-
In the end, we did what we needed to do
in this game. We largely kept the momentum in our favour, two questionable
penalties against Sherwood Park (one a yellow card) helped keep it that
way, and we played a pretty smart game all around. In the process
we recorded our second shutout of the tournament (4th in the last 7 games)
and another four point game in the standings. This afternoon we will
play for the Gold Medal (4:15PM / South Centre) against an opponent yet
to be determined in Group 1. |
Slush
Cup - Game 2
-
6
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Spruce Grove - 2
-
We have been preparing for this rematch
for well over a month now, and we had devised a pretty detailed game plan,
based largely on Spruce Grove's outstanding keeper, but when the game began
we got quite a surprise - they started a different keeper! I'm not
sure what their logic was, perhaps they wanted to keep him a secret and
not allow visiting Calgary teams a chance to look at him before Provincials,
but it completely changed the tone of the game. For one thing, the
replacement keeper, who we later learned had never played a game in goal
before, really did very well for himself - shutting us out until near the
end of the first half. The other thing was that the usual keeper,
playing as a defender and later as a forward, showed us that he is quite
a force outside of the goal as well. In fact he proved to be a huge
factor all over the field, and he even scored both Spruce Grove goals.
-
In many ways the first half bore a lot
of similarity to our last game with them in that we had chance after chance,
and a huge majority of the ball possession, but we just couldn't put away
a goal. That is until Zach rushed into the forward zone and buried a hugely
important first goal shortly before the half ended. In fact, Zach
played one of those amazing games we're probably a little too used to by
now because we've seen it so many times in important games. He went
on to score our third goal as well, and he completely dominated the field.
Both he and Matt went +6 today, and there is no doubt in my mind that he
was the difference today - especially in the way he utilized the room given
to him by the Spruce Grove squad who were heavily covering our forwards.
-
You can't minimize the contribution of
all
members of the team though. Once again we saw goals from all three
forward lines and, again, I have to stress the huge amount of ball possession
we had today. This really was a hard fought game, especially being
our second of the day, and we were thrilled with the effort that went into
each shift. The boys really were very tired afterward, there were
some nasty bumps and bruises, and that is a sign of how hard they ran and
how much they were willing to give. We have so much respect for the
Spruce Grove players and coaches, and the way they force us to be the best
we can be. Their heart and their class make these games really incredible,
and we're all very proud of the way our Vipers responded today.
-
Next up (Sunday morning, 9:45, East Centre)
it's the Sherwood Park Vipers, who are one of the two SPSA teams vying
for a spot in our pool at Provincials, and then (assuming we score at least
one goal against Sherwood Park) the Gold Medal Match goes at 4:15 at the
South Centre. It was a great day today and we've got another big
day tomorrow as we try for the Slush Cup "3-peat". Get a good sleep
and we'll see you all there on Sunday! |
Slush
Cup - Game 1
-
7
-
Lakewood
Vipers vs. Calgary Titans Blast
- 0
-
The Slush Cup tournament is always great
because it offers us a chance to see some teams from outside of our league
for a change and, in this case, it provides our first glimpse of a Calgary
team as we prepare for Provincials. The flip side is that we don't
go into a game like this with any chance to scout our opponents, and so
our game plan is not nearly as specific as it normally would be.
Given the very early start, and being short two key centers, I think we
looked pretty good, and it was a pretty good start for us.
-
We have been challenging TWA to get into
the game earlier, not wait until the second half, and for the second game
in a row they struck quickly and kept up the pace for the whole game.
Tanvir had a strong game (that left footed free kick goal was amazing)
and Arjun played like a man possessed, including that brilliant one man
rush to score right off of the second half kick-off. GAP had a pretty
good effort as well. Although they struggled a bit to finish some
plays with a goal, there was some beautiful passing going on, and that
sure was an incredible shot by Gabriel on his goal. Marcus generated
a number of good chances for his line, missing their usual center, and
was rewarded for his hard work with a gritty second half goal.
-
Defensively it was another solid effort.
Zach had a few close calls with shots just missing the Calgary goal, his
shots continue to improve, while both Tino and Marin managed another +5
game. We struggled to clear the ball once or twice, but the four
of them fought hard to preserve yet another shutout. They, along
with Nik, have only allowed 2 goals in their last 5 games. And speaking
of Nik, he was tremendous in goal today. His game sense and positioning
improve daily. The confidence he has displayed, and the complete
control of his own crease, have been absolutely huge for us.
-
Because of a one point bonus for the shutout,
this is actually a 4 point game for us in the standings and that could
become very important in the final outcome. As I said off the top,
it was a very good start for us as we head into our much anticipated Spruce
Grove rematch. The boys have looked good since that loss, and I think
we're in good shape to really show our stuff. We have worked very
hard on the game plan and we're confident we will make a much better showing
than we did last time. We'll see you this afternoon Vipers! |
EMSA
Bronze Medal Game
-
6
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Woodvale
- 1
-
If you've been reading these summaries
you know that we have been driving home the idea of "contribution from
everybody" for quite some time now, and I don't think we've seen a better
example than we did today. No matter what the scores may suggest
this season, Woodvale are a team a with a lot of skilled players, who play
us with a lot of intensity, and success against them requires a very specific,
disciplined game plan. So, with the Bronze Medal and a birth in Provincial
Championships on the line, we knew we needed a great effort from all of
the boys and, once again, they came through with flying colors.
-
The game started slowly, with both teams
feeling the other out, but eventually we were able to establish a healthy
majority in the ball possession department and that lead to a lot of chances.
This was due in very large part to the play of our defenders. Phil's
guys did a whale of a job today and most of Woodvale's rushes were short
lived and the ball was quickly returned to our forwards. So strong
was their performance in fact that I would have to say Nik probably saw
less action in goal today than he saw in any of the last three games.
Against a team like Woodvale, that's quite a feat.
-
As the game progressed we began to get
more an more chances, and when we get into the groove like that it is only
a matter of time. After Tanvir got us started with the game's first
two goals, a blistering shot by Zach from way out, and a nice little deflection
on the end, sent us to half-time up 3-1. The lone goal against, while
we were shorthanded, came off of an absolutely perfect "bullet drive" and
no one could be faulted for that. At the half-time break we felt
pretty good, we knew the boys were playing well, and so the task ahead
was just to maintain our focus and to extend our possession time.
-
The second half was, in my mind, as close
to a perfect half as we have played all season. The "D" dominated,
the offence continued to generate excellent scoring chances, and there
was good thought put into every play made. The boys looked focused,
their nerves settled, they worked as a complete unit, and they repeatedly
made good decisions in critical situations. If there was any fault
in our game, it had to do with the number of great, in-close chances we
put over the goal, but that is largely owing to youthful over-exuberance
and it is something we can work on. Other than that, what we witnessed
was a high energy, all around effort and I can't say enough about the way
guys like Matt & Marin (the latter of whom was not feeling well) stepped
up and played their best games of the season, or about the way every player
accepted whatever role each individual situation required, offensively
OR defensively.
-
A couple of late goals by Arjun, one shorthanded,
secured the victory and capped an all around great effort from front to
back. You can certainly be very proud of the game you played today
boys, and we know there are even better days ahead. Congratulations
Vipers on a wonderful game and another trip to Provincials. At practice
this Wednesday we'll be preparing for next weekend's Slush Cup tournament,
and our much anticipated rematch with Spruce Grove. We have a very
detailed game plan to go over, so let's make sure everyone shows up (and
is there on time). See you then! |
Game
15 (Round 3)
-
10
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Sturgeon
Storm - 1
-
Today's match was the last regular season
game before post-season begins and it pitted us against a pretty good Sturgeon
team which, unfortunately, had to play with a very short bench due to player
absences. That undoubtedly hurt them but, honestly, I thought they
played a better game than the score would indicate and I think our boys
played a good game for the most part to earn the win. With a place
in the Bronze Medal Match (and pizza courtesy of Phil) at stake, we saw
another pretty balanced effort, with offensive contribution from all three
lines and from the defence.
-
The game itself felt like it didn't have
as much pace as our previous two efforts, and it did take us a while to
get going, but I think much of that is owing to the strong effort Sturgeon
put forth through the first three of four shifts. For the third straight
game it was the "GAP" line who got the ball rolling, scoring the game's
first three goals, and we are very encouraged by the chemistry we are seeing
with that combination. The same can be said for Marcus / Dylan /
Josh, who have scored 10 times in the last three matches, and for TWA who
continue to perform even though they face the most intense coverage game
after game. It bodes very well for us when all three lines are clicking
like that it.
-
Defensively, I know I sound like a broken
record, but once again we saw real contribution to the offensive flow of
the game as well as nearly identical, and very impressive plus minus numbers
from all four. I think there was perhaps a loss of focus at times
in terms of keeping the ball down, something that will be better next week,
but our defenders looked great again.
-
In goal, Nik wasn't as busy as he was
last week, but he had to make some pretty spectacular saves once again
and he has really done a great job of taking charge in the box. I'm
not sure what the deal was with our opponent's strategy of launching every
center field kickoff straight at him, but as long as teams continue to
underestimate him, it will play right into our hands.
So, like I said at the top, this win puts
us in the Bronze match against a very strong Woodvale squad. I am
sure this will be a very emotional & hard fought affair so we will
need to be sharp. Barring another custodian absence, we will be back
at practice on Wednesday so we hope to see everyone there on time as we
prepare for the playoffs.
P.S. We're keeping
an eye on Phil in case he tries to skip the country now that he's on the
hook for the Pizza! (Hope that loan comes through Phil) |
Game
14 (Round 3)
-
13
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Britannia
- 0
-
Well this game certainly didn't bear much
resemblance to many of the classic Britannia matches we've played in over
the years, but it was a classic Viper team performance and,
for the second week in a row, there were significant contributions from
every player and every line. The final score may not paint the most
accurate picture of this game, Britannia are a much better team than that,
but they just couldn't get any momentum going today, everything seemed
to click for us, and our boys really played an amazing game.
-
Like last weekend, we started our new
"GAP" line and, once again, we simply couldn't have asked for more.
Gabriel has been such an amazing fit with his passing ability, Praneil
has demonstrated incredible tenacity on the right side, and Ayman has responded
to the center position with five goals in his last two games. I can't
say enough about the way the three of them have responded in the absence
of a prolific scorer like Rizwan. Great work boys!
-
As if that weren't enough, the Marcus
& Dylan combination, rejoined by Josh who is back from a bout of the
flu, had another strong outing which saw them score four goals, including
a hat trick for Dylan. On one of his goals he put together a beautiful
"highlight reel" series of moves that completely deked out the keeper and
defender, actually causing them to collide, and gave himself a wide open
net for the last 10 or 15 feet. In the midst of all these outstanding
performances though, it was "TWA" who led the scoring charge today with
sharp passing, complete shift-long domination in the Britannia zone and
six goals, including a tremendous four goal outing for Tanvir.
-
From a defensive point of view, we were
absolutely thrilled with the way our four defenders performed today.
The way they aggressively charged into the forward zone, and the speed
with which they recovered defensively, had a huge impact on the game.
They showed a marked improvement from only a few games ago in the way they
handled bouncing balls, and their clearing passes and free kicks were spot
on. From a plus minus point of view the two pairs were nearly even
(+6 & +7), and they continually found a way to outwork and outplay
the Britannia attack. Even when the pairs got briefly mixed up they
played with the same chemistry and determination, and I think it was probably
the best performance of the season for Marin, Matt, Tino & Zach.
-
To top it all off, Niklas had a tremendous
game. You wouldn't think it, judging by the score, but he was fairly
busy and he made save after great save, while demonstrating how much he
has improved his game sense and positioning. Best of all, he was very vocal
and he really took charge of his goal area today. When you walk into
the main concourse after a 13-0 win and people stop you to rave about your
keeper, you know it was a special performance.
-
This sets us up for next weekend's important
match with the Sturgeon Storm, where the winner will advance to the Bronze
Medal Game and will guarantee themselves a spot in post season play.
Don't forget practice on Wednesday. There are still things we need
to work on so be there ON TIME so we can get the most out of our limited
time. See you then. Great match today! |
Game
13 (Round 3)
-
14
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Sturgeon
Dare Devils - 0
-
It would be easy to see last week's loss
as a much bigger deal than it really was, but the biggest misconception
about our team from those on the outside is that we're all about wins and
medals - which we're not. I've always believed our success comes
from our attitude, not the other way around, and we simply have a group
of great boys & parents who are get along great and who love these
games. Sure we set goals, like any other team, but being a Viper
is really about giving your best, learning & improving, being respectful
of others, and having a lot of fun. With that in mind, today was
just about getting back on the horse and doing what we've always done...
play as a team.
-
The message before the game was that we
wanted to see everyone contribute in whatever way they could.
Taking that to heart, Ayman flew out of the gates and quickly scored a
natural hat-trick to put us up 3-0 early. Missing two key forwards
today, we experimented with some new forward line combinations and saw
very positive results. Gabriel contributed a goal and some excellent
inside passing, playing on a line with Praneil and Ayman, while the pairing
of Dylan & Marcus showed good chemistry with various double-shifted
wingers. At one point Marcus, Dylan & Willem scored three goals
(one each) in a single shift. TWA also figured prominently in the
scoring and Arjun, in particular, had a terrific game. Only a brutal
trip on a breakaway in the last minute kept him from notching a second
hat trick of the season.
-
On defence, both pairings had extremely
strong games as well today. Zach and Matt showed total dominance
in their zone and did a great job of joining offensive rushes when appropriate.
Zach scored a real beauty by rushing into the slot, taking a long feed
from the boards and burying a hard, low shot to the corner. Likewise,
Marin and Tino had an outstanding game, each going an amazing +10, and
contributing a goal off a sharp shot from Tino. We even managed to
get Niklas out of the goal and he scored a nice goal from the left side
on a good three way passing play.
-
We really couldn't have asked for more
than this. 10 different players scored, all three forward lines contributed
at least three goals, our defenders had huge games in the plus/minus department,
forwards came back to help defensively, defenders contributed offensively,
and even the keeper scored a goal. It was a textbook example of Viper
soccer, and it came from every single player today. Great job everyone!
We'll see you ALL at practice Wednesday as we prepare for next Sunday's
match against our old familiar rivals from Britannia. |
Game
12 (Round 3)
-
2
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Spruce
Grove - 3
-
Well, call it the one that got away.
After an amazing 41 consecutive regular season indoor victories you knew
it was coming some day and, as it so happened, it came on the worst possible
day. That is the nature of sport though and I can't give high enough
praise for the way Spruce Grove played. They conducted themselves
with determination and sportsmanship, and they definitely made the most
of their chances when they had them. They certainly have our respect
and our congratulations.
-
Before the game we knew we had some hurdles
to overcome. We were missing a center and a defender, and several
of our boys were fighting the flu, so our bench was pretty messed up with
double shifts, boys coming off early because they weren't feeling well
or even asking to skip shifts. Some days the planets line up like
that, and these are the sorts of things we have always risen above in the
past, but we just couldn't today. It certainly wasn't for lack of
chances though - I can't even begin to guess how many shots on goal we
had. On some we squandered our chances, and on many others the Spruce
Grove keeper made brilliant saves.
-
No doubt, there were things we did very
wrong today. Knowing how much their keeper likes to cover his entire
zone, we sent far too many balls right to him, rather than showing patience
and working the ball upfield. We seldom had forwards pressuring when
there were bobbled balls in the opposition crease, we sent too many
kicks into the mesh or across three lines, and we repeatedly played bouncing
balls poorly. Even on the bench, I think we made a number of coaching
mistakes We win and lose as a team and all of us, players and coaches
together, can honestly say we could have done better.
-
That being said, in a game like this,
it is common for players to unfairly place too much "blame" on themselves
and so I want to address a few.
-
Marin, you were pretty upset with yourself
in the penalty box, but you made a good play. Two players went for
a free ball, you arrived at the exact same moment, collided, and you even
touched the ball first. If anything, you got a penalty for being
bigger than the other guy - those are the breaks. I would rather
have you challenge than sit back, so don't sweat it.
-
Marcus, I don't even know what to say
about your penalty. The field referee signaled a kick for us and,
while you were lining it up, the box ref reversed the call from the opposite
side of the field (which he shouldn't do). There was confusion, the
field ref didn't even know what was going on, and in the midst of it the
Spruce Grove player quickly took the kick and hit you with it while you
were backing away. Usually an Encroachment call follows a warning
to back up, but not this time. Even the field ref didn't want to
call it, but the box ref pressured him into doing so. They quickly
scored the winner on the resulting powerplay, but this was a refereeing
error and
not your fault.
-
Lastly, Nik, you played an excellent game,
like you always do, and there is no way to fault you on any of those goals
today.
-
So now it looks like it will take a small
miracle for us to make it to Provincials. More realistically I think
we have to refocus now on the bronze medal match and on Inter-Cities.
Though hardly devastating, this was a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but
we will learn from it and I am glad that when the day finally came it was
a team who showed as much
class as the Spruce Grove squad
did. They fought hard, they showed guts, emotion and teamwork, and
they were full value for their win. They earned it, pure and simple.
-
Vipers, we would like to see EVERYONE
at practice this week! |
Game
11 (Round 3)
-
5
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Yellowbird
- 0
-
Yellowbird is a team made up of many players
from the Twin Brooks team we met last indoor season and, like that team,
they are very good defensively but not quite as strong offensively.
Throughout the game we certainly had the fair majority of ball possession,
but Yellowbird's keeper played a very strong game and their defenders did
a good job of clearing the ball and preventing second chances. The
game stayed close for most of the game, it was still 2-0 halfway through
the second half, but, as we've seen so often, they just couldn't stay with
us over the last few shifts and, after Dylan notched the third goal, we
were able to pull away and put the game out of reach.
-
This was yet another game where we had
a few bench issues to overcome. Missing a center from the lineup
meant changing things up again, but we also had to contend with a sick
defender, one winger on the limp and still another winger knocked out of
the game with a twisted ankle. It meant a lot of line juggling, shortening
and extending shifts to make it all work, and it can mess things up when
you get away from the normal routine like that. I thought that our
forwards and defenders did very well to adjust.
-
I felt this was a game that lacked a little
intensity from both teams, and I think we certainly could have done a number
of things better, but one of the things I was very happy with was the number
of times we got out of trouble simply by playing the ball back to Nik.
There are times when we seem a little too proud or stubborn to do so, we
try to carry the ball and deke our way out, but the pass back is the most
intelligent way to do things. This had to be the most I've ever seen
our keeper utilized in this way, and that's a very positive thing.
-
One thing we do have to focus on is making
sure our defenders aren't trying to beat too many people when they carry
the ball forward. Each deke represents a gamble, decided by mere
inches, between a successful move or giving up a breakaway. To do
it too many consecutive times is tempting fate. There were two instances
today where a defender carried the ball far into Yellowbird's end
while his partner was heading to the bench for a change, and both resulted
in partial breakaways. We all know how well our "D" has played this
season, but we have to work on eliminating those kinds of little mistakes.
-
Next Sunday we meet Spruce Grove in the
first of two very big challenges we anticipate this round. It is
a game we need to be pumped up for because a stumble in Round 3 can cost
you the season, and we know they will certainly be gunning for us.
They're a talented and well coached squad who are very capable of beating
any team on any day.
-
A reminder that Wednesday practices will
begin at 6:30 from now on. This cuts us down to only an hour a week
and it is now very important that everyone be there on time.
Players walking in late will drastically reduce the amount of practice
time we actually get in so I would like everyone to be in the hallway and
ready
to go by 6:25. See you then! |
Game
10 (Round 2)
-
13
- Lakewood Vipers vs. St.
Albert (Schiavone) - 2
-
Although you wouldn't necessarily expect
a close game when first place meets last, I think reputation preceded us
again because I know our opponent was capable of a better match than they
played today - after all, they've had fairly close games against Spruce
Grove, Glenora & Woodvale. Even though the first two shifts were
played at a virtual crawl, the game was all but decided by the time eight
minutes had elapsed and it just seemed like St. Albert weren't as motivated
as some teams we've played this round.
-
Obviously there isn't a whole lot that
can be taken from a game like this but, on the positive side, I was happy
that 10 different players scored today (it's always great to see the boys
think as a team) and it was nice to get Nik and a few of our defenders
up front for a half. I was also nice to see our passing game get
a little more creative today in terms of switching the ball to the opposite
side, or playing it back to the defenders at the point to reset the play.
In the end I guess it was nice to have a low pressure game after our Polar
Cup victory and before we dig in for Round Three and another title run.
-
As for notable performances, things were
a bit confused because we were switching players all over the place, but
Marcus, Praneil and Arjun all managed to go an impressive +6 today. There
were also a few noteworthy milestones. Rizwan's first goal was his
100th
as a Viper, and Praneil's hat trick goal was his 50th as a Viper.
Congratulations to both! It is also a rare opportunity when I get
to razz Tanvir, so I just want to congratulate him on becoming the first
keeper in Viper history to actually fall into his own goal, with the ball,
for no apparent reason! I guess we'd better keep you up at center!
-
As a team, today's win brought our indoor
regular season record to 40-0 since we began, and officially concluded
Round Two. Round Three will begins next Sunday (we hope to have the
schedule by Tuesday) and now it is time to focus on fine tuning a few technical
things, on strengthening our team spirit, and on keeping this momentum
going. We're really on a roll now, we've done it with teamwork and
with class, and I think great things are very possible. Excellent
work today Vipers! We'll see everyone at practice on Wednesday. |
Polar
Cup - Gold Medal Game
-
8
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Fort
McMurray - 3
-
Like so many games this season, this one
really felt a lot closer than the score would suggest but we seemed able
to finish plays much more consistently than they were. We really
knew very little about Fort McMurray, other than the fact that they had
only allowed three goals in the tournament, so our game plan was to treat
them as a defensive powerhouse and to rely on a lot of outside running
and a lot of side to side ball movement. Fort McMurray played a strong,
fast, aggressive game, but we were consistently able to create offensive
chances by bringing the ball in from the outsides or from the corners.
-
One mistake a lot of teams are making
lately is to sorely underestimate Niklas' ability in goal and, yet again,
he proved the doubters wrong. Today we saw lots of attempts to beat him
high, or from far out, but time and time again he made spectacular, acrobatic
saves, even stopping a crucial penalty kick. It seems that whenever
our team falls into a defensive sleep he is able to recharge us with a
huge save and the game swings back our way. Likewise, TWA & RAP
were absolutely flying up front today and we saw some beautiful goals,
most especially those that resulted from three or four amazing highlight
reel passes. Defensively, the pair of Zach and Matt had a great outing
today as well. They were on for five of our goals and only allowed
one against.
-
So, for the third consecutive time, the
Vipers are Polar Cup champions and I simply can't say enough about the
quality and maturity of their play this week. Many teams make the
mistake of judging us to be a one or two player team, but every player
on the team contributes in his area of strength and, when it all comes
together, it is magic to watch. We are strong on offence, on defence
and in goal. Without those elements all working together you might
have a very different story but the boys are playing as a team, with respect
for each others' contributions, and they are definitely on a roll. Great
work this week Vipers and congratulations on another championship.
See you in 2007! |
Polar
Cup - Game 3
-
8
- Lakewood Vipers vs. St.
Albert (Brostrom) - 1
-
Our tournament schedule basically had
us facing the strongest team first and the weakest last, and since our
spot in the final was already guaranteed after yesterday's action, we knew
this game would not have the same emotion and intensity we've seen so far.
The plan today was just to play a smart game, to move the ball around,
to cut down on our goals against, and to get Gabriel a little work in goal
just in case he is needed later on.
-
Like Yesterday, we started off strong.
Rizwan got us going with a nice effort early in the first shift, Willem
and Tanvir scored on the second shift to extend our lead, but then the
game seemed to slow down. Certainly we still controlled most of the
play, but we lacked our usual aggression - although Nik was very energetic
on his forward shifts and generated several good scoring chances.
Throughout the half Gabriel looked very sharp, his goal kicks and throws
were especially strong, and we remained in control until a teamwide lapse
allowed St. Albert to get on the scoreboard just before the half ended.
-
The second half was much the same.
Ayman has really worked at aggressive forechecking lately and he was rewarded
with a goal, as was Arjun who ran marathon mileage again and converted
with a very nice header off of a good cross. Marcus, who is still
getting used to the forward position, had several strong rushes today,
and you can really see his game sense improving as he gets a better feel
for our system of play. For the second straight game Dylan and our
modified "OC" line did not allow a single goal against, in fact they've
only allowed one goal all tournament, and I am impressed with the defensive
responsibility they have demonstrated of late.
-
Defensively, it may not have been quite
as challenging as recent games, but I thought our "D" did well. Sometimes
it is tougher to play against occasional pressure than constant pressure,
you can become complacent, but it felt like our end was in control whenever
St. Albert mounted a rush. All defenders went +3 or +4 and I think
they look to be in good shape for tomorrow's gold medal final against Fort
McMurray. We head into the game as two-time defending champions and
we'll need to be very sharp if we hope to "three-peat" against a strong
opponent who we know almost nothing about. |
Polar
Cup - Game 2
-
9
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Woodvale
- 4
-
Knowing how badly both teams wanted to
win this game, and how important momentum would be, our objective was to
break our recent trend of spotting opponents leads in the first half.
We have no doubt about our ability to come back from any deficit,
but we really wanted to come flying out of the gates, and the boys certainly
met that challenge full on today.
-
Early in the first shift Willem scored
on a very nice lob shot over the Woodvale keeper (the 800th team goal in
Viper "history") and it seemed to ease any of the nerves that might have
been present. Woodvale managed to tie the game, and it stayed close
for a while, but, by the time the fourth shift rolled around, we were controlling
the play for pretty long stretches. When Tanvir scored his first
of four to make it 2-1, we were off to the races. Following some
outstanding corner work by Ayman, Rizwan and Praneil each scored on the
very next shift and we took a convincing 4-1 lead into the break.
-
Early in the second half it was pretty
obvious that Woodvale just weren't going to be able to stay with us.
There didn't seem to be a game plan there at all and our ball movement
was just too much for them to deal with so, not wanting a repeat of the
last post game incident, we laid off and weren't nearly as intense as we
were in the first half. Still, there was still some outstanding play.
Most notably, Nik was just amazing. Both referees commented at halftime
that they hadn't seen a keeper like that in years, and I think it was obvious
to anyone in attendance that he simply couldn't have given any more than
he gave today. Most of the pressure Woodvale exerted seemed to end
with a brilliant save and a big boost to our momentum.
-
Likewise, I thought our defenders did
a great job dealing with Woodvale's speed up front. It is no small
task to cover their #8, but our guys were up to the task and that took
away the Snipers' only plan of attack. Zach and Matt, for example,
only allowed one goal as a pair and did great work controlling their end.
Marin had a very visible game too, being assessed a minor penalty, taking
a hard ball to the head while still standing on the players' bench, and
scoring a great goal off a free kick - I think we'll call that a hat trick!
-
Late in the match we allowed a couple
of fairly weak goals but the game was essentially over and the intensity
was all but gone. Ultimately it all came down to the simple fact
that for Woodvale to mount anything offensively against us, they
sacrificed something defensively. Conversely, for them to fall back
and cover defensively, given the strength of all three of our forward lines,
it meant laying off on the offense. Clearly we're on a roll right
now, every player is contributing significantly in their own area of strength,
and it is a monumental task to dominate us for any extended period of time.
The task ahead is to maintain our focus and to continue to grow right up
to season's end.
-
Given the mess when these two teams last
met, I am very happy to report that this was an excellent game from start
to
finish and that both teams conducted themselves appropriately. There
was excellent play from both sides and, for us, it was a convincing win
over a strong opponent, which should guarantee us a place in Saturday's
gold medal match. Great game guys! |
Polar
Cup - Game 1
-
7
- Lakewood
Vipers vs. Fraser - 4
(as seen on tonight's
Global News!)
-
It has become a very familiar story of
late - dig ourselves a hole in the first half, and then play an unbelievable
second half to storm back and win. While this ever-growing belief
in our ability to come from behind is a very positive thing, one that may
serve us well later on, we are still going to have to find a way to demonstrate
that level of intensity throughout an entire 50 minutes. For today
though, I thought the team did very well to overcome the obstacles that
were presented to them and, once again, it came from all parts of our team.
-
Coming into the match, Fraser was the
only other undefeated team left in our league and, barring any upsets in
round three, will probably be the team we'll have to beat to repeat as
City Champions. We knew we'd be missing one forward for sure, and
we covered that by bringing a defender up front, but we were caught off
guard when another forward failed to show up and that forced us into the
situation of double shifting to keep our line rotation intact. What
was worse, a number of forwards were not feeling well, and so those double
shifts were very tough on them. With more field time for everyone,
at a higher pace than we've played all season, and having to overcome a
3-1 halftime deficit, this was the biggest challenge we've faced this season.
-
Halftime was all about reinforcing the
belief that no deficit is too big. We knew we had controlled most
of the first half, but also that we could still play a lot better, and
the boys marched back out with confidence that they would do better.
Sure enough, the second half started with a huge bang and, within the first
minute, Tanvir had counted twice to tie the match. A short time later
he set up Praneil to take the lead, and we were off to the races.
The boys played a brilliantly mature game, demonstrating patience and control
at all the right times, and fighting to mount strong counterattacks whenever
Fraser began to create pressure in our zone.
-
Up front, Dylan had an incredible game
today. He fought hard, beat players through the middle and to the
outside, and had to be blatantly hauled down at least twice. It is
frustrating when a ref chooses not to see those, but they did demonstrate
how much he dominated his coverage. His play, including that brilliant
pass on Gabriel's goal, contributed significantly to our momentum.
Likewise, Arjun had a huge game today. He ran miles, contributed
at both ends of the field, and never slowed down, even on double shifts.
-
Defensively, Tino and Marin really played
well today. Not only did both go +3 for the game, but Tino delivered
the nail in the coffin with the great low shot to the left corner.
We've put a lot of pressure on him to control his shots, to keep them from
going too high so much, and he did exactly that today with great results.
Lastly, I have to mention how incredibly well Niklas played. He faced
some very hard shots today, some that really hurt, but he never backed
down for a second and I think his fearlessness got to our opponents.
-
Great comeback Vipers (again)! The
second half was fast, exciting and, most of importantly all, a ton of fun.
It was also a real demonstration of our character and our teamwork, and
I think it sends a clear message about what it is going to take to beat
us down the stretch. Now let's take that momentum forward!
We'll see you all Thursday for our Woodvale rematch. |
Game
9 (Round 2)
-
7
- Lakewood Vipers vs. St.
Albert (Piper) - 2
-
All things considered, I think we are
pretty happy with this effort. We have a history of coming out flat
after emotional efforts, and they don't come much more emotional that last
week's game, so I was happy the boys didn't fall into that trap today.
I also think a number of boys found the turf very difficult to play on
because it was almost like sand paper. I noticed that the boys who
have rubber studs instead of grips on their shoes seemed to be tripping
quite a bit, and I also noticed that the players who usually deal best
with bouncing balls seemed confused at times by the way the ball behaved.
-
Add to all that, St. Albert really played
a great game, especially in the first half. Their keeper was just
outstanding in the way he played the whole game so aggressively, and I
was extremely impressed with the way their forwards and defenders charged
so diligently and threw themselves in front of every shot and pass they
could. I know that the boys were really impressed on the bench at
the play of their opponent today. St. Albert took an early lead and
then, after we had clawed back to tie it, they took the lead right back
again in the second half. I'm not sure what exactly broke the game
open finally, perhaps it was fatigue on their part, but we suddenly seemed
to start getting better chances and managed to chip the ball around the
charging keeper.
-
Perhaps the best thing about this effort
was the way the win really came from every member of the team. Seven
different players scored, each line had at least two goals, each defender
was on the field for at least three goals for and only one against, forwards
came back well, defenders chipped in excellently, and Nik looked very sharp
again in goal. I was really impressed with some of the nifty little
plays today too. Gabriel consistently made great little board touches
around rushing defenders, Matt made some smart turns to the outside to
steer the ball out of the traffic lanes, and Marcus dropped a beautiful
looping shot over a forward charging keeper to open our scoring.
Probably the nicest though was when Ayman, having seen the St. Albert keeper
dump a couple of guys on previous breakaways, had the smart thought to
just pass the ball off the end boards to himself and scored a very nice
goal.
-
This win officially locks up first place
in Tier 4X for us and take a little pressure off for our final Round Two
game in January. We now have our usual practice this Wednesday and
then, after a brief holiday break, we'll be back again at the Polar Cup
where we will finally meet up the the 9-0 squad from Fraser, who currently
lead Tier 4Y, and we'll also have a rematch with the Woodvale Snipers.
Excellent effort today Vipers! It was another case of adapting to
something new and you came through once again. See you Wednesday. |
Game
8 (Round 2)
-
5
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Woodvale
- 1
-
We've been both looking forward to this
game, and yet dreading it, for some time now it it certainly lived up to
both perspectives. The game itself was fast, emotional and entertaining.
It really never let up for a second, and I thought the boys demonstrated
exceptional poise and courage throughout the match and showed the class
that characterizes this team even during all of the post game nonsense.
It was a win in every way possible.
-
The one thing we knew for certain was
that Woodvale's game plan was going to center almost entirely around their
#8 and so our challenge was to keep him covered knowing full we that he
was going to get way more field time than his teammates. That did
force our hand a bit, in terms of our own shifting, and the issue was compounded
by our being penalized three times, but we've learned a lot this year about
adapting to each situation, and that's exactly what we did today.
Our four defenders had an outstanding game and kept Woodvale's star player
in check for most of the match. Our forwards played a responsible
two way game and put the ball in the net when it mattered.
-
This was a team win but I should quickly
point out a few highlight moments. Willem's nice finish to put us
back in the lead started with excellent legwork by Arjun and an outstanding
feed pass from Dylan - just an all around beautiful play. Josh had
an outstanding game today, his play was tenacious, and he was rewarded
with his 50th goal as a Viper (congratulations Josh!). Tino and Marin,
playing as a pair for most of the game, each went +3 during today's game
and played their angles just perfectly. Praneil had a great game
today too and showed very composed aggression amidst some very physical
play.
-
In the end it really
came down to the fact that every Viper played very complete games today.
They ran hard, until they had nothing left, and they supported each other
extremely well. It was a game which showed our depth, maturity, and
character. I won't comment on the post game scrum, because I think
that would cheapen a great win. We have always been above that sort
of stuff, and today was no exception. The boys conducted themsleves
admirably and that's all I can ask. Well done Vipers! We're
very proud of you. See you all next weekend (no practice this week). |
Game
7 (Round 2)
-
4
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Spruce
Grove - 1
-
Although the final scores haven't shown
it, we have felt that we've been getting challenged a lot more in our recent
games, so it was fair to assume we'd get a good match today against the
best opponent we've faced so far. Sure enough, Spruce Grove fought
a very hard game and showed us a few things we haven't seen from many teams
before - most notably the very aggressive play of their goalkeeper, who
had an outstanding game today.
-
Our plan was to come out aggressively
and set the tone early on, but the boys seemed a little unnerved at first
by other distractions. A bizarre bench penalty for a minor comment
from the crowd (without any kind of a warning first) set the tone, and
then a string of erratic calls seemed to slow the game to a crawl.
It was pretty tough to get any momentum going, but this is something we
have talked about a lot in the past. There are factors in any game
that are very much beyond our control, and not worth complaining about.
We approach every game with the belief that it is ours to win or lose,
and that no other factors will decide the outcome. It is an area
in which the boys have shown a lot of growth and I'm proud of the way the
boys displayed exactly that level of maturity today - with absolute belief
in the strength of their second half.
-
So, with a sense of urgency, not panic,
the boys put together a second half that probably ranks right up there
with some of our performances against Britannia or Twin Brooks. It
wasn't pretty, but it was sure gutsy. The game was physical, there
were lots of bumps and bruises along the way, some pretty hard tumbles,
but momentum and ball control became more and more ours. Zach, playing
sick, owned the defensive end again, and Tanvir, who always shines in close
matches, came through once again. Our wingers, all six, fought hard
along the boards and in the corners, taking some nasty bumps along the
way, and our defenders showed dogged determination whenever scrambles developed
in our box. Marcus, I thought, played his best game yet and Nik showed
great concentration in the midst of several instances of goal area chaos.
-
This is the kind of match that will really
benefit us down the road because it tested not only our ability, but our
mental makeup as well. As good as we are, that was an opponent entirely
capable of taking the game from us if you hadn't stepped up to the plate.
It was a great win Vipers, you showed real character and maturity today,
and now we have to prepare for a huge game next Sunday against Woodvale,
who will be our toughest opponent yet. They are going to be very
physical, probably a bit nasty, and there is a LOT to cover in practice
this week so we hope to see you all there. |
Game
6 (Round 2)
-
11
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Glenora
- 4
-
When we met Glenora at City Championships
this past summer, they beat us 4-2 even though we we were probably the
stronger team. It was one of those lessons about what happens when
you let an opponent get into the game and so our objective today
was to get the lead early and hold it into halftime - which we did.
I was a little surprised that Glenora didn't come out with more jump, but
these early morning affairs are a little funny that way and it can be hard
to get going. They had their chances and kept it close for a while
but, ultimately, our second half was just too much for them to handle -
again. (In fact, 48 of our 65 goals this season have been scored
in the second half)
-
Despite all of the offence today, probably
the biggest story of the day was the play of Zach. Not only did he
score from the defensive position, but he went an amazing +8 (8F,
0A) in today's game and made some pretty strong Glenora forwards look ordinary.
His goal, BTW, means that every single player on the team has now scored,
the fourth time in the last five seasons we've been able to accomplish
that team goal. The other milestone today was on Tanvir's first goal
of the day, his 100th as a Viper - Congratulations!
-
Today's match also had it's share of highlight
reel goals including Rizwan's beautiful lead pass through the seam on Praneil's
1st, an amazing touch by Praneil on his 2nd, Tanvir's great free kick cross
on Willem's goal, excellent moves by Dylan on his marker, and a gorgeous
run and goal by Josh which, unfortunately, went in just a split second
after the final buzzer. There were also some very strong individual
performances including a +5 day for Marin on "D", great mid-field coverage
by Gabriel, and a VERY strong two-way game from Ayman. When
goals are going in like crazy, it can be very tempting to ignore other
responsibilities for a chance to get in on the offence, in fact three of
our four goals against can be attributed to that, but Ayman maturely and
unselfishly played every shift like it was a tie game, contributing equally
to the offence and defence wherever needed.
-
In the end it was a much bigger margin
of victory than expected, but you could sense that Glenora weren't really
on their game today. Next week we face a bigger challenge with Spruce
Grove, a team who allowed only one goal in five first round games.
They have a strong defence, anchored by an outstanding and extremely aggressive
goalkeeper, and they have the ability to win games, even when they're outplayed,
simply by keeping the ball out of the goal. We have had some games
this season where we had trouble scoring for long periods of time, so this
should be an interesting matchup. Don't forget that there is NO GYMNASIUM
this week so we'll see you at the Southside Soccer Centre on Thursday at
5:45 - Please be on time! |
Game
5
-
9
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Aldergrove
- 2
-
Like last week, I don't think 9-2 is especially
indicative of what took place on the field today. Aldergrove came
flying out of the gates today with a lot of tenacity and a pretty physical
game. Before long they had us down 2-0 and we looked flat.
They had the jump, their defence seemed to have a pretty good handle on
our forward lines, and we seemed unable to find any flow. We did
have some late arrivals due to an accident blocking 178th Street, and that
usually messes things up a bit, but Aldergrove really played a solid first
half and we were back on our heels for much of the time.
-
As we see more and more from our team,
the boys didn't show any sign of panic though. We've been in this
situation so many times before and it was just a question of focusing on
consistency and slowly turning the pace around. That is where it
often pays to be the "Vipers" and to come in with the other team being
VERY aware of who you are. I'm sure Aldergrove desperately wanted
to beat us. They played their hearts out and kept the lead well into
the second half. Then, suddenly, they were back at square one, all
tied up again, and it probably felt like giving up an overtime goal.
You could see them start to fall apart and suddenly we couldn't stop scoring.
In all, 8 goals were scored over our last 4 shifts and the final score
gave no indication of the 8 very intense shifts that preceded our offensive
outburst.
-
I have to give credit again to our "fantastic
five" defenders for the intelligent aggression they showed, getting
involved offensively at all the right times, as well as to forwards like
Josh and Arjun for the perceptiveness they showed in covering up anytime
our defenders might not have been able to get back in time. That
sort of teamwork is why we succeed the way we do - work ethic and game
sense are the real keys to Viper ball. It doesn't hurt when you can
get a four goal performance out of a player like Tanvir though!
-
So now we must wait until Tuesday or Wednesday
to find out who we play next Sunday in Tier 4. We know who
a few of our opponents will be and it's safe to say that, from now on,
most games will be more competitive and we can really start to focus on
fine tuning. We've seen a lot very promising things this round but
it is a long season ahead and we certainly have some more things to work
on. Nice work today guys. See you Wednesday. |
Game
4
-
7
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Baturyn
- 2
-
In reality I think the game was closer
than 7-2 suggests, I think Baturyn played a hard, physical game,
but we were able to capitalize on most of our chances. Baturyn, on
the other hand, seemed to come up just a little short on numerous scrambles
in our crease due to a fair number of goal posts & crossbars, and thanks
to some outstanding goaltending by Gabriel.
-
Baturyn has given as a few problems over
the years and they know us pretty well. Right from the start they
came at us with some hard running and some pretty physical play.
Despite the fact that we seemed to get all of the ref's warnings today,
we took some pretty tough hits out there (Matt actually had to leave the
field after a hard elbow to the nose) but the boys kept their focus and
won with hard work. Zach, for example, had a HUGE first half today,
and he did it against some very strong, aggressive forwards. We continue
to see great work from our defenders and that bodes very well for future
rounds.
-
Offensively, all three lines contributed
to the scoring again, seven different goal scorers, and that too is a very
positive thing. When we play our best it tends to be the legwork
and the passing that steals the show and there was some great work again
today. We saw excellent passing again from Rizwan and Arjun, very
tenacious forechecking from Josh and Dylan, and excellent determination
from Tanvir who pulled a double shift in the second half to cover O.C.'s
left wing when Marcus was needed back on defence.
-
Make no mistake, that was a pretty good
team we faced out there today and that makes the victory all the more impressive.
Our message before the game was that teams like Baturyn can beat you if
you let them outwork you and I felt that the boys took that seriously and
outworked our opponent for most of the game, especially early in the game,
and that was the real difference.
-
So next week we meet Aldergrove to close
out round one and then it's on to Tier 4 for round two. Great work
today Vipers - see you Wednesday. |
Game
3
-
15
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Riverbend
- 0
-
On paper there was no way this game was
going to be close so we decided to change things up a bit and give our
defenders their chance to play up front and score some goals. Tino
decided just to quickly take care of his goal from the defensive position,
but Matt, Marin and Marcus (3M?) were all able to come up and tuck in first
goals, as was Nik. Zach had a couple of really strong forward shifts
as well and a showed a lot of tenacity out there.
-
There was some nice play making from the
forwards who did stay up, Rizwan and Willem made some very nice feeds,
and the forwards who went back and played "D", well... let's face it, they
looked like forwards - but they did keep the sheet clean and they contributed
well to the offensive flow. Games like this aren't especially fun,
but they are an unavoidable part of every first round, and I think this
year we are in a weaker group than usual. Rest assured, there are
tougher days ahead though.
-
This sets us up for Baturyn next weekend
(who won by a huge score again today) in what should be our first big challenge
of the indoor season. We have a history of "nail biters" with the
top Baturyn team so it should be a good one and we'll have to make sure
we're prepared. Good game today Vipers - don't forget about practice
on Wednesday. |
Game
2
-
13
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Woodcroft
- 2
-
Patience. It was one of the things
we wanted the boys to learn during this past outdoor season and it was
the point we drove home at halftime today. It was pretty clear to
all that the boys really carried the majority of the play in the first
half but that the ball just wasn't going in for them. There was no
sense of panic though because they had the experience and maturity to see
that they'd had an insane number of chances and that the ball had to go
in sooner or later - and boy did it ever. The final 25 minutes saw
what was probably the most goals our team has ever scored in a half - 11
in all.
-
The way our forwards worked the ball around
was really something to watch, there was a shift late in the second half
where TWA had control of the ball for their entire shift, and once
again all three lines contributed significantly to the scoring. I
thought Rizwan setup some great goals today (when your goal scorers become
great passers too, they are unstoppable) and the RAP line popped in 6 goals
including a hat trick for Praneil and a beautiful header by Ayman.
Despite Dylan being on the limp the O.C. also turned a huge effort today
- how do you stop a team with three lines firing on all cylinders?
-
For me though, the most positive thing
again was the play of our "D". We lost some excellent defenders this
season but these guys have really picked it up. Their intensity,
their speed, and their intelligent aggressiveness to rush into the
forward zone has made a monumental contribution to our offense. How
do you score 13 goals in a game? Simple. Never allow the ball
to stay in your own zone for more than a few seconds at at time.
Every time that ball was played out by Woodcroft, our defenders charged
and smartly played the ball to a forward or to an open corner. Whenever
our forwards needed to send the ball back to the point our defenders responded
with some huge shots towards the goal. Zach, Matt, Marcus, Marin &
Tino - Great game guys!
-
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves
though we have Riverbend up next weekend and a then a big game the week
after with Baturyn who won their first match by a huge score and who have
always given us a lot of trouble. It was a good game today, and a
fun
game, but there's still a lot to work to do Vipers, so we'll see you at
practice on Wednesday. |
Game
1
-
10
- Lakewood Vipers vs. Homesteader
- 0
-
It was the same opponent as last year's
first game and, as it turned out, the exact same score. It felt like
a pretty good start for us, and it was a really light, fun atmosphere on
the bench. There were the usual minor timing issues you find with
first games, especially since we couldn't find a pre-season exhibition
match this year, so things will definitely improve.
-
We noticed in practice this week how strong
all three forward lines were looking and, sure enough, all three ("TWA
Impact", "The RAP Line" & "The O.C.") contributed extremely well to
the scoring and to the flow of the game. Their passing was crisp,
and will get a lot better, and they seemed to have a good feel for their
linemates. Likewise our defenders ("The Fantastic Five") challenged
well, came forward well, and dominated all of their confrontations.
A rotating five, rather than three pairs, means some adjustment from shift
to shift, but they owned their end today and were an important part of
our offense as well. To top it off, both keepers, who didn't have
a whole lot of work, made some excellent saves when called upon.
This was a good start, a solid team effort, and those who've been around
a while know that when we play as a unit like that, we're virtually unbeatable.
-
Next up we meet Woodcroft who we really
don't know a great deal about, except that they should be a stronger opponent
for us. This week in practice (Wednesday 6:00 PM) we'll work a bit
more on timing and conditioning and we should see an improvement next weekend
in terms of precision and system. Good work out there today Vipers! |
- -
| EMSA
U14 Indoor League - Round 3 FInal Standings (Tier 4X) |
| Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
+/- |
Pts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Spruce
Grove (Berglund) |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
6 |
+8 |
15 |
| Lakewood
Vipers |
5
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
44
|
4
|
+40
|
12
|
| Yellowbird
(Geraldes) |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
14 |
15 |
-1 |
7 |
| Sturgeon
(Vermeer) |
5 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
11 |
24 |
-13 |
6 |
| Britannia
(Narayan) |
5 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
10 |
25 |
-15 |
3 |
| Sturgeon
(Ford) |
5 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
22 |
-19 |
1 |
- -
-
-
| EMSA
U14 Indoor League - Round 2 Final Standings (Tier 4X) |
| Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
+/- |
Pts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lakewood
Vipers |
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
40
|
10
|
+30
|
15
|
| Glenora
(Shillabeer) |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
17 |
15 |
+2 |
10 |
| Spruce
Grove (Berglund) |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
13 |
11 |
+2 |
9 |
| Woodvale
(Newel) |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
13 |
-3 |
5 |
| St.
Albert (Piper) |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
17 |
23 |
-6 |
4 |
| St.
Albert (Schiavone) |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
7 |
32 |
-25 |
0 |
- -
-
-
| EMSA
U14 Indoor League - Round 1 Final Standings (Group A) |
| Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
+/- |
Pts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lakewood
Vipers |
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
54
|
6
|
+48
|
15
|
| Baturyn
(Wesley-Firt) |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
37 |
15 |
+22 |
12 |
| Aldergrove
(Hebert) |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
23 |
21 |
+2 |
9 |
| Homesteader
(Manzo) |
5 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
19 |
29 |
-10 |
6 |
| Riverbend
(Nieberding) |
5 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
11 |
46 |
-35 |
3 |
| Woodcroft(Sutherland) |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
12 |
39 |
-27 |
0 |
-
-
Standings Sorted by:
1. Points
2. Head to Head
3. Plus/Minus
4. Goals Against
5. Goals For
- |
