March MADNESS

What a difference a year makes!

Last year this time, we were excited about a great group of girls on the pitch. These girls were and still are legends in our own lil' corner of the soccer world, but to the rest of the country, they were but a nameless though scrappy bunch.  We anticipated hosting the W-League Finals and the potential for the hoisting of a cup.  We dug around for fresh gossip & hearsay about possible connections and promotion into the WPS.  The Aux consisted of a small group of hardcore supporters who couldn't wait for the W-League season to start up.  We were excited about a game from which we could sing off the balcony at MadPizza.  We put together another 5 or 6 two-poles for the girls and were hopeful that we could get 30+ ECS members to two or more matches.

This year we are simply drooling with anticipation.  First, Hope & Syd.  Then, Alex.  Elston. LP. Julia Roberts. Veronica Perez.  Rumors and speculation abound about new signings every week.  Even as I write this, I wonder if I am up to date with our most recent jaw-dropping addition.  When will new GM Amy Carnell be satisfied?  The ENTIRE National Side and EVERY Husky legend???  To this, I cannot be sure, but people are starting to take notice of our club.  As supporters, we are looking at upwards of 100 Aux Members, increased beer/food discounts, organized Away-Trips, ticket allocations, drums, banners, tifo parties, press passes, OH MY!

Now, many have openly wondered how many games these stars will be available for, and we are rightly concerned.  However, we've gotten confirmation that the big names will be around for as many as 8 of the 10 home games, only parting due to Olympic Team duties.  As a supporter, it is and always will be Club before Country.  But as a player, the opposite is true.  The Olympics & World Cups in the future will be all the sweeter with OUR Lady Sounders on the pitch.

If all goes as planned, this will not be a flash in the pan gimmick.  These girls will be here to stay.  Young talent like Julia Roberts have come to Seattle to train with the best...

...and it is our job to deny them any thought of ever leaving.  This is OUR club and the atmosphere we create at Starfire will, no must, rival, if not exceed, the talent on the pitch.  GM Amy Carnell has put the world's best talent on the pitch, it is our turn to rise up and let them know that OUR pitch is where they belong!

2012 will be a year of color, noise, AND FUN in the terrace.  IS YOUR VOICE READY?!?

JOIN THE AUX BY CLICKING HERE!
Membership will be free this year and include a card, which will allow you to purchase discounted tickets.  Food and Beer Discounts are at the negotiation stage.  BC, LA, and Colorado travel packages for away games are also in the works.

Get geared up with official AUX Merchandise at TheAuxShop and have it delivered by April 9th!  

UP THE SOUNDERS!  UP THE AUX!  UP THE ECS!

See you in the Terrace.

Almost Game Week (Preseason style)

With the ladies taking the pitch against Western this coming Thursday, its time to look at the women's game.

For those of you who've never seen a ladies' game, it is a different animal than the men's game.

However, as I began writing this piece, I recieved a tweet from David Falk and the Seattle Soccer Examiner with an interesting article examining some of the differences between the men's and women's games from a referee's perspective: Behind the Whistle: How do boys and girls play soccer differently?  Rather than recreate the wheel, I will submit myself humbly to Ray Moffatte's years of experience on the pitch.

What to expect Thursday evening at Starfire:
The combinations coming from early practices this spring have shown that the aught'11 Lady Sounders will bring a more fan-friendly attacking game than most would suspect.  The late night battles of recent weeks have been hardfought, fast-paced affairs; one can only wonder what will happen when they unleash on an opponent.

The roster for Thursday's affair will be made at Tuesday night's practice.  Thus far, Leighton has been holding his cards close and it should prove be an interesting list of girls making the cut.  Good luck ladies & welcome back Leighton!


Coach O'Brien back with the USL Sounders in '05 (Taken from GOALSeattle.com)

OSU Recap, Mini-Apple Cups, & TV

OSU RECAP
As a spectator, a 0:3 drubbing rarely leaves you with much positive thought. That being said, there was a lot to take from the match Sunday.

For one, our ladies created a lot of solid opportunities. Headers flew just inches over the bar and there were several shots on target, saved by the very capable OSU keeper.

Center-mid Tafara Pulse agreed with a positive outlook on the match, "Overall, we had some good possession, we had a couple good chances that we didn't finish. We just need to continue to work on our patience."

Oregon State brought their traditional physical game, a characteristic not foreign to the Sounders ladies with Pac-10 experience. It was great to see the girls' battle back against some rough play and loose officiating. Rather than flop & dive, our girls adapted to the situation and continued to attack and battle through some tough challenges.

Our girls got out of the battle with only some minor injuries. The most notable coming early in the second half when Outside Back Beth Drollinger left the game with an unknown injury. After some tending to by the training staff, she sat the remainder of the game but seemed to be in good spirits. I'll dig for an update on her condition.

Thursday night's matchup with the Huskies of Montlake will likely be another physical affair. The Huskies are wrapping up a Spring season that opened with a drab scoreless draw at home against SPU. That was a rather shocking result, considering the Huskies were coming off a competitive second round of the NCAA Tournament where they only fell after a competitive battle against the home-side and national powerhouse Portland Pilots.

MINI-APPLE CUPS:
There are a pair of Cougs roaming the Sounders Side who will have a spring in their step Thursday. Forward Brooke Bemis & keeper Katie Hultin. Hultin loves heated, physical games and can't wait for this matchup.

Former Sounder and Coug Defender, Niki (Ironside) Bonnell had this to say about facing the Dawgs as a Coug Alum:

"This is our Apple Cup. Anytime you get to face the Huskies, whether you're wearing the Crimson & Grey or Blue & White, you get up for the match. It's always going to be more meaningful; the rivalry runs deep inside of you. Elbows tend to swing a bit higher and the tackles are a bit more aggressive. It is always a really fun game."

TV:
The game will also be aired on Comcast On-Demand. Whether you can make it to Starfire Thursday night or not, be sure to check out the game on Comcast. Decent viewership will certainly lead to more televised games and will only be another step toward bringing Seattle a WPS side.

Allison Tenney's Collar Bone Broken

Its official: Allison Tenney broke her collarbone in Thursday's preseason win at SPU. Out 8 weeks, but vows quick recovery.

Story at David Falk's Seattle Soccer Examiner:
Seattle Soccer Examiner

OSU 3:0 Sounders Women.  FINAL

SPU recap & OSU preview...

The first preseason home game for the Lady Sounders will be at 1pm Sunday, April 2nd, on Starfire Field #11.  Admission is to cost $1.  Be sure to bring your own chairs, as Field #11 has no spectator seating.

This game presents a unique opportunity as a fan/supporter.  Being played on Field #11, the Sounders Men's practice field, this will be the first chance for many a Sounder Supporter to cross through the beautiful gates of the world-class Starfire practice facility onto the fine, full-sized 120yd pitch.  This game will be about as intimate as imaginable.  Those of you seeking an old school feel to the game, this is your chance (on an artificial surface).  Fans will line the field and better be ready to collect errant passes, strong clearances, and chide the opponent from mere meters away!

Oregon State made a run to the Sweet-16 in the NCAA Tourney last season and is coming off of a tough 0-1 decision to the National Team's U-23 side.  In that game, the Beavers fought hard and had many scoring chances.  They are a team that is very aggressive in the opening minutes of the game, so our ladies may find themselves on their heels for a few minutes to start.

OSU plays Saturday afternoon at Interbay against SPU.  It's a 3pm start for those of you interested in a preview of tomorrow's action.

If our game with the Beavers is to be anything like Thursday night's battle against SPU, we can expect a pressing Sounders side.  The ladies were relentless in their attack and well rewarded for their efforts.  Some early sloppy play was expected but the girls cleaned it up quickly and found their pace.

Without Michelle French, a former National Team player, at the holding midfielder position, the Sounders had a decidedly new look.  Tafara Pulse stepped into the role nicely on Thursday at Interbay.  The former  Hibernian Saints midfielder looked confident and comfortable in her role organizing the front five.  Between her and new coach Leighton O'Brien, it seems as though the ladies will be taking a more direct approach in their attack this season.  The straightforward 4-4-2 looked at times like a 2-4-4 with the aggressive pressing of our outside mids.  It was a very fun product to watch.

Other Sounders returners also looked in top form:

Chalise Baysa, at the left outside mid position, pressed forward and had several nice runs that kept the back line of SPU busy all night.

At Keeper, Katie Hultin was not tested often, but commanded the 18 with her usual intimidating presence.  She was scored on early with a magical knuckleball from 20 following a missed clearance.  That goal, however, sparked cleaner, less-hurried passing for the remainder of the night as the ladies found their pace.

Kelli Smith played her usual game with several heady decisions and pressing long-balls and Erin Redwine was a constant threat when the ball moved forward into the box.

The only troubling aspect of the night came soon after SPU's opening goal.  Defender Allison Tenney, a former defender with the WPS's Washington Freedom, found the losing end of a collision and sustained a collar bone injury of some sort.  Hopefully she's okay, both for her sake, and that of the Sounders.  Her experience will be missed on the back line.  I'll do my best to find out more about her recovery this weekend.

We finally found net in the 37th minute after a beautiful run up the left side by Baysa.  She settled the ball and found an eager Jocelyn Charette (former SPU Falcon) in front of the goal who easily netted the ball.  The result followed a long stretch of Sounder possession that saw many a near goal.

Our ladies continued the press through the break until Kelly Irving put her strong right foot to the ball and left the SPU keeper with no chance in the 53rd minute.

All in all, Leighton O'Brien's inaugural debut as the Lady Sounders' Head Man was a success.  The girls found their rhythm with minimal hiccups and were the dominant side for the majority of the match.  Tomorrow's test against the Pac 10's Oregon State will be a solid increase in competition and a good test for our ladies as they continue to refine their play.

See you tomorrow at MAD Pizza.  ECS Members will receive discounts on food.  So show your card & bring your voices.  March to the Match promptly at 12:40.

Sounders 2:1 SPU. FINAL.