soccerfanatic
Active member
ISU had a marvelous first outing against Northern Nazarene. I think Coach Gibson got exactly what she needed… a chance to see all of her players in action and a confdence booster for the team. However, I do not envy the Coach at this point in that she is going to have a really tough time figuring out her starters. (However, that is a problem every coach wishes they had.) I did not see a weak player on the field. I am SUPER excited about our new freshmen. The returners are going to have to really fight hard if they want to have a starting position on this team. Every one of the new freshmen I saw have the ability to earn a starting position.
As promised, I will focus this discussion on the new freshman, as I have devoted more than enough space to the returning players. But first, just a couple of game notes:
Defense: You can measure the toughness of the defense by the number of shots allowed. Given, NNU is not an offensive powerhouse. Still, ISU only allowed four shots on the entire game, and only one of those was a real threat (and it was taken from about 25-30 yards out.) Kudos to all of the defensive players (new and old) for a great job in shutting down every offensive attack.
Keepers: Unfortunately, the great job by the defensive field players left Coach Gibson with very little opportunity to observe her keepers in action. Sophomore Kat Ford made the best save of the day… a stretching one-handed deflection near the upper left hand corner of the box. Each of the other keepers had saves, but the shots were weak and almost directly into the hands of the keeper. Of course, that is what you want; a defense that channels and controls the flow of shots and a keeper that knows where the most likely shot is going and is ready to shut it down. I was also extremely impressed with the collegiality of all four keepers. I would probably be extremely jealous of the other keepers, secretly hoping that they would fail. These four appear to be truly rooting for each other and celebrate each fine move. No telling who Coach will choose… maybe a slight edge to Ford as she has the year of experience. I am sure part of the choice will have to be based on who is willing to take a red-shirt year, as Coach will not want all three using a year of eligibility.
Offensive teamwork: My big concern for the year was that we would have 4 or 5 players on the field who tried to do everything themselves and interrupted the flow of the game rather than showing true teamwork. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Every player had a significant number of touches on the ball, no one played a selfish game, few of the shots were forced shots, and most of the time, players took less than 3-4 touches on the ball before they sent it on to a waiting teammate. The combinations were smooth and the team really played together. Probably the biggest weakness was not finishing some plays where a score seemed eminent. But most of that can be attributed to first game jitters. However, they will have to settle down and make solid shots on goal when they start to play D1 teams.
Okay, finally to the new players:
Megan Stainbrook: Coach totally surprised me by starting two freshman: Stainbrook and Larsen, but both played like they had earned the honor. Stainbrook started at defensive wing, a new position for her as I think she has usually been a forward or sometimes a midfielder. Stainbrook did a great job of not only stopping any attacks, but moving the ball up the field from the wing position. She played a very smart game and could easily earn a starting role at that position.
Ellen Larsen: Larsen started at the midfield position and did an excellent job. She was particularly strong as a defensive midfielder, shutting down runs before they had a chance to develop. Another very intelligent player, she made smart passes on a limited number of touches and really helped direct the flow of the offense.
Alex Hansen: Hansen impressed me on several fronts. First, she was extremely energetic with a nose for the goal. She put up six shots on the game, the most of any of the freshmen, and she has a powerful leg. She is extremely strong and I pity the defender who tries to body up against Hansen… they will lose. Her flip throw adds an offense weapon that ISU has not had in the past… it gives us the opportunity to put an out-of-bounds ball into the box from the sideline and to make every throw-in a powerful offensive weapon.
Ashley Askwig: Askwig plays a very solid midfield position and reminds me a lot of Kiley Quigley. In fact, I expect her to inherit Quigley’s role on the team when Quigley graduates after this year. It was fun to watch her get her first goal. She is extremely active on the field, breaking up offensive attacks and getting off quick passes to her teammates.
Kacey Ball: Ball played some at both the defensive wing and central defense position and was strong both places. The offense did not challenge her much, so we didn’t get to see much of what Ball can accomplish. But, she looks like she really fits Coach Gibson’s defensive style and we may see much more of her as the season progresses.
Jen Munro: Munro is a second player who brings the offensive weapon of the flip throw to the table… and she does a great job of it. Munro started the second half and saw about 25 minutes of playing time. She did a good job of getting involved in the offense. It would be nice to make sure that either Munro or Hansen is always on the field so that we have a player who can make a deep throw a scary offensive threat for our opponents.
Noelle Sanders: If Askwig reminds me of Quigley, Sanders reminds me of Hofstetter. She has strength and size and really controls the flow of traffic in the middle of the field. She made some excellent passes and scored her first goal as a Bengal. I think she is one of the freshman who has an excellent chance of earning a starting position early in the year.
Benecia Brogan: Brogan probably impressed me the most of any of the freshmen. She seemed to be playing out of her head. As a defensive wing, she was extremely active. If Coach Gibson wants a defensive wing who can transition quickly into an offensive attack, she has found her player in Brogan. Brogan gave the NNU defense all they could handle and more. She is so fast that no one could keep up with her. And with the Bengal offense putting on as much pressure as they did, NNU had no idea of what to do when the attack starting coming at them from the rear. If Brogan keeps playing with that level of intensity, Coach will have no choice but to keep her on the field.
Michelle Harrison: I don’t know if Harrison will earn the starting keeper role this year, but she is certain to spend substantial time in goal for ISU over her career. Her size and reach has to be intimidating to the other team, particularly compared to our other keeps. She has a 7-inch advantage on Williams and an 8-inch advantage on Ford. Additionally, she has a powerful leg that can turn a goal kick, punt or drop pass into an offensive weapon. However, if I were Coach Gibson, I would be hoping that Harrison would be willing to spend five years at ISU so I could red-shirt her this year while Eves is available, and use her heavily over the following four years.
Bailey Williams: I didn’t feel like I got much of a chance to see what Williams could do at the position. The NNU offense never really challenged her at all, and she had almost no touches on the ball. She only had one shot taken against her, which she handled with ease. She seems to be extremely fast. I hope we see more of her in the future.
It will be fun to see who Coach Gibson puts on the field tomorrow. Utah State should be a good challenge for the Bengals, but I expect us to have our way with the Aggies. I imagine we will continue to see Coach rotate a lot of players into and out of the games as she gets more familiar with the various combinations on the field. It is also great that these newcomers will push the veterans to put forth their best effort. I don’t think we have a veteran on the team whose job is 100% secure. If the veterans play, it is not because they have more experience, it is because they have fought hard to earn their position and continue to give their all for the team.
As promised, I will focus this discussion on the new freshman, as I have devoted more than enough space to the returning players. But first, just a couple of game notes:
Defense: You can measure the toughness of the defense by the number of shots allowed. Given, NNU is not an offensive powerhouse. Still, ISU only allowed four shots on the entire game, and only one of those was a real threat (and it was taken from about 25-30 yards out.) Kudos to all of the defensive players (new and old) for a great job in shutting down every offensive attack.
Keepers: Unfortunately, the great job by the defensive field players left Coach Gibson with very little opportunity to observe her keepers in action. Sophomore Kat Ford made the best save of the day… a stretching one-handed deflection near the upper left hand corner of the box. Each of the other keepers had saves, but the shots were weak and almost directly into the hands of the keeper. Of course, that is what you want; a defense that channels and controls the flow of shots and a keeper that knows where the most likely shot is going and is ready to shut it down. I was also extremely impressed with the collegiality of all four keepers. I would probably be extremely jealous of the other keepers, secretly hoping that they would fail. These four appear to be truly rooting for each other and celebrate each fine move. No telling who Coach will choose… maybe a slight edge to Ford as she has the year of experience. I am sure part of the choice will have to be based on who is willing to take a red-shirt year, as Coach will not want all three using a year of eligibility.
Offensive teamwork: My big concern for the year was that we would have 4 or 5 players on the field who tried to do everything themselves and interrupted the flow of the game rather than showing true teamwork. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Every player had a significant number of touches on the ball, no one played a selfish game, few of the shots were forced shots, and most of the time, players took less than 3-4 touches on the ball before they sent it on to a waiting teammate. The combinations were smooth and the team really played together. Probably the biggest weakness was not finishing some plays where a score seemed eminent. But most of that can be attributed to first game jitters. However, they will have to settle down and make solid shots on goal when they start to play D1 teams.
Okay, finally to the new players:
Megan Stainbrook: Coach totally surprised me by starting two freshman: Stainbrook and Larsen, but both played like they had earned the honor. Stainbrook started at defensive wing, a new position for her as I think she has usually been a forward or sometimes a midfielder. Stainbrook did a great job of not only stopping any attacks, but moving the ball up the field from the wing position. She played a very smart game and could easily earn a starting role at that position.
Ellen Larsen: Larsen started at the midfield position and did an excellent job. She was particularly strong as a defensive midfielder, shutting down runs before they had a chance to develop. Another very intelligent player, she made smart passes on a limited number of touches and really helped direct the flow of the offense.
Alex Hansen: Hansen impressed me on several fronts. First, she was extremely energetic with a nose for the goal. She put up six shots on the game, the most of any of the freshmen, and she has a powerful leg. She is extremely strong and I pity the defender who tries to body up against Hansen… they will lose. Her flip throw adds an offense weapon that ISU has not had in the past… it gives us the opportunity to put an out-of-bounds ball into the box from the sideline and to make every throw-in a powerful offensive weapon.
Ashley Askwig: Askwig plays a very solid midfield position and reminds me a lot of Kiley Quigley. In fact, I expect her to inherit Quigley’s role on the team when Quigley graduates after this year. It was fun to watch her get her first goal. She is extremely active on the field, breaking up offensive attacks and getting off quick passes to her teammates.
Kacey Ball: Ball played some at both the defensive wing and central defense position and was strong both places. The offense did not challenge her much, so we didn’t get to see much of what Ball can accomplish. But, she looks like she really fits Coach Gibson’s defensive style and we may see much more of her as the season progresses.
Jen Munro: Munro is a second player who brings the offensive weapon of the flip throw to the table… and she does a great job of it. Munro started the second half and saw about 25 minutes of playing time. She did a good job of getting involved in the offense. It would be nice to make sure that either Munro or Hansen is always on the field so that we have a player who can make a deep throw a scary offensive threat for our opponents.
Noelle Sanders: If Askwig reminds me of Quigley, Sanders reminds me of Hofstetter. She has strength and size and really controls the flow of traffic in the middle of the field. She made some excellent passes and scored her first goal as a Bengal. I think she is one of the freshman who has an excellent chance of earning a starting position early in the year.
Benecia Brogan: Brogan probably impressed me the most of any of the freshmen. She seemed to be playing out of her head. As a defensive wing, she was extremely active. If Coach Gibson wants a defensive wing who can transition quickly into an offensive attack, she has found her player in Brogan. Brogan gave the NNU defense all they could handle and more. She is so fast that no one could keep up with her. And with the Bengal offense putting on as much pressure as they did, NNU had no idea of what to do when the attack starting coming at them from the rear. If Brogan keeps playing with that level of intensity, Coach will have no choice but to keep her on the field.
Michelle Harrison: I don’t know if Harrison will earn the starting keeper role this year, but she is certain to spend substantial time in goal for ISU over her career. Her size and reach has to be intimidating to the other team, particularly compared to our other keeps. She has a 7-inch advantage on Williams and an 8-inch advantage on Ford. Additionally, she has a powerful leg that can turn a goal kick, punt or drop pass into an offensive weapon. However, if I were Coach Gibson, I would be hoping that Harrison would be willing to spend five years at ISU so I could red-shirt her this year while Eves is available, and use her heavily over the following four years.
Bailey Williams: I didn’t feel like I got much of a chance to see what Williams could do at the position. The NNU offense never really challenged her at all, and she had almost no touches on the ball. She only had one shot taken against her, which she handled with ease. She seems to be extremely fast. I hope we see more of her in the future.
It will be fun to see who Coach Gibson puts on the field tomorrow. Utah State should be a good challenge for the Bengals, but I expect us to have our way with the Aggies. I imagine we will continue to see Coach rotate a lot of players into and out of the games as she gets more familiar with the various combinations on the field. It is also great that these newcomers will push the veterans to put forth their best effort. I don’t think we have a veteran on the team whose job is 100% secure. If the veterans play, it is not because they have more experience, it is because they have fought hard to earn their position and continue to give their all for the team.
