Game 8

The Sharks did not let a bitter cold spring morning dampen their spirits as they started the spring season with a 5-0 blanking of the Green team. Goals were scored by Luke, Nate, Jake (2), and Sophie. Grace and Sophia also had good scoring opportunities, and Izzy and Cameron added energy in winning loose balls. With a very strong defensive effort in front of some excellent goal tending by Liam, Matthew, and Nate, the Sharks recorded their first shutout of the year.

The win moves the Sharks' record to 7-1. They have now outscored their opponents by a 49 to 13 margin.

Next week the Sharks have a bye before returning to action against the Yellow team on May 1.

Practice 4/15

We enjoyed another beautiful evening for practice on Thursday. We worked on foot skills and passing, and spent a good amount of time getting the players used to passing ahead of teammates and then running to the ball. Those through passes are key to breaking down defenses, and we will continue to work on running to and passing to space on the field.

After practice we had our parents meeting and distributed schedules. All parents should have received the schedule by email as well. Other notes:

- This is a continuation of the fall season and we hope to continue our success on the field.
- The coaching philosophy has not changed: we will focus on teaching the kids how to play the game and play it the right way, and will try to instill in them a love for soccer. This spring we will continue to focus on fundamentals, but will also emphasize spacing and positions, defense, and playing as a team.
- Your help is needed! We need parents to get more involved in the league and we also need more players to register. So talk to your friends about how much fun you had playing this year and encourage them to sign up for next year!
- We will continue to post pictures on the blog, so feel free to email or post on Facebook any photos you take.
- The league end of year picnic will be June 5 starting at noon, at Memorial Park.

Practice - 4/13

It was so great to get back on the soccer field for our first practice last night. We had beautiful weather and a very enthusiastic group of players ready to start the spring season. For those who couldn't make it, we did some passing drills, some shooting drills, and has a brief short-side scrimmage to review our positions.

We look forward to seeing everyone at Thursday's practice.

The Sharks are on Facebook!

The sharks now have a group on Facebook! Check us out, join the group, and share additional photos, videos, and stories from this year's season.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=103106036393842

Spring Schedule Released

The spring season is nearly upon us! The schedule has been released by the league, and the Sharks will open the spring campaign the way they ended the fall: with another showdown against the Green team. The spring schedule features seven games, with two games each against the Maroon and Green teams, both of which played tough against the sharks in the fall.

Practices will begin the week of April 12. We look forward to continuing to have fun and to grow as a team!

Game 7

Earlier in the season the Sharks and the Green team played a memorable and exciting game that dealt the Sharks their first loss. The Sharks were really looking forward to this week's rematch not only because it was the final game of the fall season, but because they wanted to redeem that loss and end the fall with a win and the league's best record.

Despite a sloppy, muddy field and cold temperatures, the Sharks left no doubt who was the hottest team in the league, securing a 4-1 victory with solid defense and excellent teamwork. Coach Mike and Coach Ryan were awesome as they took over duties on the sidelines. They kept the Green team guessing with new lineups and aggressive substitutions.

The defense kept the Green team's star players in check, while Nate, Liam, Jake, and Matthew were able to come up with some great saves in goal. Sophia returned from being out sick to play strong. Sophie, Grace, and Isabella added real excitement hustling after the ball and challenging opposing players. Goals were scored by Jake, Luke (2), and Amber.

It was a great team effort and a fitting end to this fall season.

Game 6

The offense continued to roll as the Sharks poured it on in a 9-3 victory over the Blue team. Despite some defensive lapses in the second quarter, the Sharks dominated both sides of the field and and everyone got involved in the action.

Goals were scored by Luke, Amber, Nate (3), Jake (2), Grace, and Matthew. Sophie added two assists, and Isabella was fearless in attacking the bigger players. Jake, Amber, Luke, and Nate played strong in goal. They were helped by a team defensive effort as the Sharks implemented the principles of supporting and covering that they learned in practice last week.

The Sharks have now scored 40 goals in six games, while holding their opponents to only 12 goals. Next week will mark the end of the fall season with a much-anticipated rematch against the Green team.