The Alexander girl's soccer team made their way back into the semi-finals for the 6th time in the last 7 years last night with a 2-1 win in overtime over Caledonia-Mumford Friday night in Caledonia.  Alexander entered the game as the 5th seed and Cal-Mum was the 4 seed.

Alexander ran out to a 1-0 lead early in the game as sophomore forward Julia Pettys scored a goal off a cross from freshman midfielder Abby Shilvock to put Alexander up 1-0 with the strong wind at their back in the 1st half.  The wind was blowing from one end of the field to the other and gusting an estimated 20 miles and hour throughout the game.  The score remained 1-0 at halftime.

In the 2nd half Alexander would have to go into the wind and preserve the lead.  Caledonia wasted little time knotting the game at 1 as they scored on one of their many corner kicks in the 2nd half 9 minutes into the half.  Alexander struggled to clear their defensive 3rd the entire half and worked incredibly hard to keep the score at 1-1.  Junior goalkeeper Hannah Wilson made a fantastic leaping save late in the 2nd half to keep the score 1-1 and send the game to over time.

Alexander again had the wind at their backs in the first half of overtime.  Alexander went right to work and put pressure immediately on the Cal-Mum net.  3 minutes into the 1st half of overtime senior forward Anna Dominick received a ball 40 yards from goal and went to work dribbling past the entire Cal-Mum defense and getting inside the 18 yard box.  Passing up an average shot she drew the sweeper in and cut the ball to her left around the sweeper and beat a diving keeper in the lower right hand corner to make the score 2-1.  Alexander had a couple chances to make it 3-1 but didn't find the net.

In the 2nd OT Alexander would again have to protect a 1 goal lead going into the wind.  This time they made that lead stand up as the defense and midfield worked incredibly hard and limited Cal-Mums chances.  Alexander's forwards held possession of the ball and helped kill the final minutes off the clock.

With the win Alexander moved to 14-3-1 on the season and has a matchup Tuesday night against 8th seeded Nazareth who upset the top seeded Bloomfield Bombers in the quarter finals.  Alexander and Bloomfield met in the quarterfinals 2 years ago with Alexander winning that game.  Very few players are left from that team but it is sure to be a great battle.

Alexander picked up 2 wins over the last week with a 3-1 win over Attica last Thursday and a 2-0 win in Kendall Wednesday night.

In the win over Attica, Tessa Bigelow, Anna Dominick, and Kylie Bank had the goals with Dominick picking up 2 assists and Summer Bliss picking up the other one.  The score was 1-1 at the half before Alexander scored 2 unanswered in the 2nd half to win the game.

Last night Alexander had a great 1st half picking up goals from Megan Schmieder (from Anna Dominick) and Julia Pettys (from Amber Finan) to get out to a 2-0 halftime lead.  The 2nd half Kendall put on a ton of pressure but Junior Keeper Hannah Wilson made 7 saves in net picking up her 7th shutout of the season with the defense playing solid in front of her.  Savannah VanSon cleared a ball off the goal line after Wilson had made the initial save.

Holley and Byron-Bergen played to a 0-0 tie meaning that Friday night Alexander travels to Holley for a 6:30 contest that will decide the GR Division 1 (and GR League) champion.  Alexander enters the game 12-2-1 (11-2-1 league) while Holley enters the game 13-1-1 (12-1-1 league).  Holley needs only a tie to win the league title.  Alexander needs a win which would knot the teams at 12-2-1 in the league with a 1-1 record against each other and the league title would come down to divisional record where Alexander would then have the advantage.  The first time these two teams played Holley picked up a 2-1 win in Alexander.

Alexander picked up a 4-1 win in Elba last Friday to move to 10-1-1 on the season and then dropped a 2-1 decision to Pembroke at home Tuesday to drop to 10-2-1 on the season.

In the game against Elba Alexander got goals from Amber Finan, Julia Pettys, Tessa Bigelow, and Kylie Bank to pace the offense while the defense nearly pitched a shutout as Elba's only goal was scored late in the game on a well placed shot off an indirect kick.

Alexander fell behind early 1-0 and was down 2-0 in the 1st half to Pembroke before attempting to rally in the 2nd half but falling short.  Autumn Atkinson blasted a direct kick into the net 10 minutes into the 2nd half to bring Alexander back to within 1 at 2-1 but Alexander couldn't find the net again and would fall by that score.  Alexander's defense got off to a very slow start but were much more energized in the 2nd half and welcomed Junior Taylor Antinore back to the lineup as she returned from a month out with Mono.  Alexander had chances in the 2nd half, possibly the best one was when Senior Anna Dominick hit the crossbar late (she also found the bar in the 1st half) but it stayed out of the net.  Pembroke played a great game of defense and got some great goalkeeping to preserve the lead.

Alexander's next game is home Thursday against Attica.

Since a 1-1 tie with Wheatland-Chili Alexander has picked up 4 wins in a row and has improved to 9-1-1 on the season and remains in 2nd place in the Genesee Region, 1 point behind league leading Holley.

Alexander started the winning streak with a 9-0 win over Lyndonville last Thursday.  Megan Schmieder, Kylie Bank, and Abby Shilvock each had 2 goals while Julia Pettys, Morgan Mattice, and Amber Finan each had 1 goal.  Lydia Spiotta had 2 assists, while Schmieder, Sarah Loranty, Summer Bliss, Ashley Szymanski, and Claire Hartl each had 1.  Hannah Wilson had 4 saves for Alexander.

Alexander then picked up a 2-1 win over Alden Saturday.  After a scoreless regulation Abby Shilvock scored 2 goals in the first 10 minutes of overtime to give Alexander a 2-0 lead.  Alden pulled one back in the 2nd OT to make the final score 2-1.  Anna Dominick, Tessa Bigelow, and Autumn Atkinson each picked up an assist in the win.  Hannah Wilson had 6 saves in net.

Alexander beat Bergen 2-1 on Monday in Bergen for their 3rd win in a row.  Ashley Szymanksi scored the first goal assisted by Amber Finan before Bergen tied it at 1.  Anna Dominick put Alexander back ahead off an assist by Claire Hartl late in the 1st half and that was all the scoring that would take place.  Hannah Wilson made 5 saves in net for the win.

Last night Alexander picked up a 5-0 over Oakfield at home.  Autumn Atkinson scored the first goal off a cross from Abby Shilvock and Julia Pettys.  Abby Shilvock then scored off a pass from Anna Dominick to make it 2-0 inside the first 10 minutes.  Dominick then scored from Shilvock to make it 3-0 16 minutes into the 1st half.  In the 2nd half Alexander picked up 2 more goals as Shilvock scored her 2nd on a pass from Megan Schmieder with 9 minutes left in the game.  Julia Pettys then scored to make it 5-0 off a pass from Tessa Bigelow.  Hannah Wilson made 2 saves in net for her 6th shutout of the year.

Holley beat Wheatland-Chili 2-0 to improve to 10-1 and remain 1 point ahead of Alexander (who is 9-1-1) on the season.  Holley and Alexander play in the last game of the season and it could be for the division title, if both teams were to win their 4 games leading up to that game (or have similar results).  There is still a lot of work left to be done, but the potential for a huge matchup is there.

The 2nd place teams in division 1 and division 2 played to a 1-1 tie Tuesday in Alexander.  Wheatland-Chili jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal in the 4th minute by Elizabeth Weir.  Alexander answered back in the 29th minute when Junior Tessa Bigelow converted a Penalty Kick that was awarded after Freshman Abby Shilvock was brought down in the box by a Wheatland-Chili defender.

Wheatland nearly went ahead 2-1 late in the 1st half when a direct kick was fired in on goal but Junior Hannah Wilson tipped it over the bar.  Alexander had several chances in the 2nd half to go on top but misfired on some good chances in front of the net.

In OT Alexander had several chances to put the game away but again misfired on shots around the net.

Wilson made 8 saves in net for Alexander.  Alexander had 13 corner kicks and was unable to convert any of them and that proved to be the difference in the game.

Alexander record moves to 5-1-1 and their next game is Thursday at Lyndonville.

Alexander found themselves in OT again and prevailed again thanks to a header by Junior Morgan Mattice off a corner kick from Junior Autumn Atkinson 2 minutes into the first over time to make the final score 2-1.

Alexander had scored first 28 minutes into the game when Mattice's cross found Sophomore Julia Pettys who settled the ball and finished in the top left side of the net to make the score 1-0.  Alexander had 2 breakaways that they failed to convert and also had another goal called back due to a questionable offsides call and lead just 1-0 at halftime.

Kendall tied the score midway through the 2nd half and Alexander was unable to go back on top.  Junior Goalkeeper Hannah Wilson had 10 saves in the game and was helped by a strong defensive game from Seniors Leah Johnson and Freshman Abby Shilvock as they shut down the top scorer on Kendall's team.

With the win Alexander continues to keep pace with Holley in division 1 and has a 5-1 record on the season.  Alexander's next game is Tuesday at home against Wheatland-Chili in what should be another close hard fought game.

Alexander picked up their 4th win on the season with a 6-0 win at home against Batavia Notre Dame Wednesday afternoon.  Alexander dominated the possession on the ball, especially in the 2nd half, and didn't allow Notre Dame to get a shot in the game.  Alexander's keeper never handled the ball with her feet or hands, Alexander did not take a goal kick.  Notre Dame did have one corner kick midway through the 2nd half but it was headed away by an Alexander defender.

Alexander's first goal of the game came in the 31st minute when Senior Anna Dominick found Junior Autumn Atkinson in front of the net and she found the net.  7 minutes later 8th grade Lydia Spiotta (up from the JV team for the game) finished off an assist from Junior Amber Finan.

In the 2nd half Alexander played much better soccer and found the net 4 more times.  In the 43rd minute Finan finished off a cross from Sophomore Julia Pettys.  One minute later Pettys scored from Finan.  In the 50th minute Junior Morgan Mattice scored a header on a cross from Freshman Abby Shilvock.  In the 68th minute Spiotta netted her 2nd of the game from Sophomores Megan Schmieder and Ashley Szymanski.

Alexander moves to 4-1 on the season while Notre Dame falls to 1-4.  Alexander hosts Kendall on Friday as they begin a stretch of 7 games in 17 days.

After suffering their first loss of the season on Tuesday at home Alexander tightened the GR Division 1 race back up handing Pembroke their first loss of the season with a 2-0 win in Pembroke on Thursday.  Holley picked up a win over Attica meaning that both Holley and Alexander have 3-1 records and Pembroke is 2-1-1 (Pembroke beat Holley and tied Bergen earlier in the season).  Both Pembroke and Holley have beaten Kendall (who sits at 2-2) and Alexander will play Kendall next week.

Alexander came out quick in the 1st half and got on the board early as Junior Keeper Hannah Wilson hit a booming punt that landed past midfield, bounced over the head of the sweeper, and streaking Sophomore Midfielder Julia Pettys ran onto it, took a couple dribbles and beat the Pembroke keeper low into the left side of the net for the 1-0 lead.  Alexander nearly made it 2-0 when Senior Forward Anna Dominick hit an excellent shot that was stopped by a diving save.  Junior Midfielder Tessa Bigelow hit the cross bar on a shot just before halftime again nearly doubling the lead.

Alexander continued to attack in the 2nd half and again nearly found the net to make it 2-0 as Junior Forward Morgan Mattice found Dominick in front of the net but her first time shot was stopped by the keeper again.  Alexander had another cross that Dominick nearly got on the end of but the keeper punched it away.  Finally with 11 minutes left in the game Dominick found Mattice on a cross at the top of the 18 and Mattice finished with her first touch chipping the keeper who was out challenging the play.

Alexander's defense was strong and organized throughout the game with Senior Leah Johnson, Senior Jamie Neth, Freshman Gabby Kwiatek, and Junior Amber Finan doing most of the marking and Junior Sweeper Savannah VanSon keeping things organized in the back.  Junior Goal Keeper Hannah Wilson made 7 saves in picking up her 3rd shutout of the season.  Freshman Midfielder Abby Shilvock had a great game on the outside marking one of Pembroke's quickest and most dangerous attackers.

Alexander is off until next Wednesday when they are home against Notre Dame.

Alexander suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday at home 2-1 to Holley.  Alexander held a large advantage in shots (12 to 6) but the only thing the matters is the final score line and that was in favor of Holley.

Alexander got off to a quick start putting a large amount of pressure on the Holley net but was unable to get one in the back of the net.  Around the 10 minute mark Holley got their first good push down the field and Alexander Goalkeeper made an excellent diving save on the first shot that was hit, but a crashing Holley midfielder cleaned up the rebound and it was put in the net for a 1-0 Holley lead.

Alexander nearly tied it 5 minutes later as midfielder Autumn Atkinson hit a great direct kick from 19 yards but Holley keeper Julie Brooks made a great diving stop and the rebound was knocked away by Holley to keep it at 1-0.  Alexander looked strong possessing the ball throughout the remainder of the first half but couldn't put the final pass together or get the finish around the front of the net that they needed.

The 2nd half started in a similar fashion to the 1st half for Alexander as they immediately went down the field and put pressure on Holley.  However 3 minutes into the half Holley came down the field and had a quick give and go in the middle of the field that resulted in Holley's midfielder Emily Troup putting a ball in the net for the 2-0 lead.

Alexander continued to control the ball but still struggled to complete the final dangerous pass or get a shot on frame (several were sent over and wide) to get back in the game.  With 20 minutes left Forward Morgan Mattice found Forward Anna Dominick who beat 2 defenders and stuck the ball in the net to make it 2-1.  Alexander continued to push forward but the bad play in the final 3rd continued and they fell by a 2-1 score.

With the loss Alexander drops from 1st to 3rd in the GR standings.  Pembroke beat Kendall 1-0 and jumped to 1st while Holley moves into 2nd.  Alexander faces Pembroke on Thursday in Pembroke.

Alexander played at Attica Wednesday night and came away with a strong 7-0 victory.  Alexander took a bit to get going but once they took control of the game they didn't slow down.

In the 13th minute Senior Defender Jamie Neth took a pass from fellow Senior Defender Leah Johnson and sent a high shot over the keepers head for the 1-0 lead.  5 minutes later Senior Forward Anna Dominick headed a corner kick from Junior Defender Savannah Vanson to make it 2-0.  Junior Forward Megan Schmieder made it 3-0 in the 27th minute (assists to Junior midfielders Autumn Atkinson and Kylie Bank).  3 minutes later Freshman Forward Abby Shilvock made it 4-0 (assists to Dominck and Bank).  A mere 2 minutes later Neth had her 2nd of the game (unassisted) to make the halftime score 5-0.

In the 2nd half Alexander continued to control play but wasn't getting the ball to the front of the net until Junior Midfielder Claire Hartl won a 50/50 ball and scored in the 31st minute (unassisted).  With 90 seconds left in the game Dominick had her 2nd (assisted by Atkinson) making the final 7-0.

Junior Goalkeeper Hannah Wilson made 3 saves for her 2nd shutout of the season with a strong help from her defense of Neth, Johnson, VanSon, Freshman Gabby Kwaitek, Junior Taylor Antinore, and Junior Summer Bliss.

Alexander moves to 2-0 on the season and is off until they face Holley at home next Tuesday.

Highlights(from Alexander's perspective) from Alexander's 1-0 win over Byron-Bergen last Friday.

Byron-Bergen visited Alexander Friday evening in the opening game for Alexander and the 2nd game of the season for Byron-Bergen.  BB entered the game with an 0-1 record after suffering a 3-0 loss to Kendall earlier in the week.

Alexander came out hot in the beginning moving the ball down the field and creating a couple scoring chances that didn't find the net.  After the first 10 minutes BB settled in and controlled the play for the remaining 30 minutes of the first half with some excellent short passing and ball control.  Despite their large advantage in possession time BB struggled to create any dangerous scoring chances.  The most dangerous scoring chance in the first half was created by Alexander when Senior Forward Anna Dominick sent a cross from the left side of the field to the back post where Junior Forward Morgan Mattice was making a great back post run but her sliding attempt at goal was wide and the score remained 0-0.  Tessa Bigelow hit a great shot from 25 yards out but Amanda Brown made a diving stop to keep Alexander off the board a few minutes later.  BB had a cross to the front of the net late in the first half but the volley was put over the bar.

The 2nd half was more of the same with BB controlling the play but not creating much as far as scoring chances.  Dominick had a great chance midway through the 2nd half but Brown again came up with a diving stop.  Alexander had another great chance with 10 minutes left in the 2nd half when Junior Autumn Atkinson sent a direct kick to the back post and Junior Claire Hartl headed the ball just wide.  BB's Stacey Maskell had a breakaway late in the 2nd half but was challenged by Junior GoalKeeper Hannah Wilson and was unable to get a shot off before Wilson pounded on the ball.

In OT Alexander settled down a bit and began to move the ball around.  Sophomore Julia Pettys had a great run at the start of the 2nd OT but was unable to get a shot off as the last defender took the ball off her foot.  BB looked to have the game's first goal with under 5 minutes left off a corner kick but Junior Amber Finan headed the ball off the goal line just as the ball was about to find the net.

With under 30 seconds in the left Alexander finally found the net as Freshman Abby Shilvock sent a cross from the right side of the field into the center of the 18 yard box where Dominick beat 2 defenders and the goalkeeper with a shot low in the right corner of the net.  Alexander killed off the last 30 seconds of the game and the final was 1-0 in favor of the home team.

With the win Alexander is now 1-0 on the season while Byron-Bergen falls to 0-2. 

Alexander has finished up their scrimmages with a trip to Newark last Saturday and hosting Holley today.  On Saturday Alexander traveled out to Newark to scrimmage Marion, Bloomfield, Naples, Newark, Pal-Mac, Gananda, and Rush Henrietta in an 8 team scrimmage.  Alexander played Marion first and scored a goal (Amber Finan from Anna Dominick) and didn't allow any in the 2 25 minute halves.  Alexander faced Pal-Mac next and in the first half Pal-Mac scored while Alexander didn't.  Then the weather turned nasty and the rest of the scrimmage had to be cancelled.  Alexander looked strong in their 2nd scrimmage of the pre-season creating many scoring chances but failing to capitalize on all but one.

Today Alexander hosted Holley in a different type of scrimmage.  The teams played 6v6 for the first 75 minutes of the scrimmage in 3 25 minute periods and then played 9v9 for the final 25.  Both teams looked very good as these two teams should be two of the strongest teams in the GR.  There were 4 returning GR All-Stars on the field with both goalies (Junior Hannah Wilson from Alexander and Junior Julie Brooks from Holley), 9th grade forward Abby Shilvock from Alexander (who was an all-star defender last season) and Midfielder Emily Troup from Holley. 

Alexander opens up the season on Friday at home against Bergen while Holley opens up next Wednesday (the 9th).

Finishing out our Alexander player bios:

Junior defender Taylor Antinore - played on the JV team last year as the sweeper will move to an outside defender this season and is expected to be a big time contributor on Alexander's back line.  One of the fastest girls in the GR during indoor and outdoor track, her speed allows her to run almost any player down if she does get beat.  An indredibly tough player both mentally and physically.

Junior Midfielder/Forward Kylie Bank - played on the JV team last season as an outside midfielder and a forward.  Has a great cross and a powerful shot and is a very experienced player.  She has seen time on the varsity field during both her 9th and 10th grade season in sectionals and will contribute some key minutes off the bench this season.  Has 54 club goals and 26 club assists in 278 club games.

Junior Defender/Midfielder Summer Bliss - played on the JV team last year as a central defender.  Will play several positions off the bench this season including central and outside defense and all 4 midfield positions as well.  A very physically strong player who is excellent out of the air and has the ability to get forward.  A very strong player on set pieces and had 2 goals on corner kicks this summer on the 16 and under team.  Has 214 club games primarily as a defender.

Junior Forward/Midfielder Megan Schmieder - played on the JV team last year primarily as a forward.  A great ball handling forward who has excellent touch on her shots from distance.  A very strong passer and above average out of the air.  Is expected to contribute some important minutes up front and in the midfield this year.  Has 76 club goals and 34 club assists in 377 club games.

Sophomore Midfielder/Forward Julia Pettys - spent most of the season on the varsity team last season where she had 2 goals and 4 assists primarily as a forward.  Will play both outside mid and forward this year.  Is an incredibly fast player who can handle the ball, distribute the ball, and is one of the better finishers in and around the net on the team.  Despite her size she is very good out of the air and is a very physical defender.  She has 102 goals and 21 assists in 221 club games.

Freshman Midfielder/Forward (and defender) Abby Shilvock - was a starter on Alexander's defense last year as an 8th grader and earned all-league honors in that position.  Is a great ball handler, strong finisher, and has great touch on her short passes.  Strong with both of her feet and has begun to step up her physical play and play out of the air.  Has the ability to play several different postions including an outside defender, outside midfield, and forward.  Has the potential to be an all-league player at all 3 positions as well.  She has 66 goals and 9 assists in 92 club games (she played for Holley Soccer Club this summer).

Freshman Defender Gabby Kwiatek - started every game but one last season as an 8th grade defender and is a physical presence on the field as well as being one of Alexander's best 1v1 defenders.  Strong out of the air, can play the ball with both feet, has great touch on her short passes, and is a very hard worker during games.  Played on 3 teams this summer (U14 girls, U14 boys, and Women's team) and has improved a great deal.  Has the potential to be a great shut down defender in the very near future.  Has played 139 club games primarily as a defender.

Thats the varsity team, I will profile a few JVs that will see some varsity action before our first game.

Alexander played in a 4 team scrimmage today at Cal-Mum with Cal-Mum, Alexander, Bloomfield, and Wheatland-Chili all taking part.  The team played 4 20 minute scrimmages with Alexander giving up no goals over the full 80 minutes and picking up 2 goals of their own.  Both goals were scored by Freshman attacker Abby Shilvock on rebounds from shots by Senior attacker Anna Dominick.  The first Dominick beat the goalie and hit the post with Shilvock finishing it off from inside the 6.  The 2nd Dominick beat the goalie and hit a hard low shot on net that the keeper kicked and Shilvock cleaned up the rebound again.  Alexander headed a corner kick off the bar (Tessa Bigelow) and had a couple other great chances just miss.  Junior GK Hannah Wilson had a quiet day making only 3 saves over the full 80 minutes as the defense played strong.

Alexander's JV team also pitched a shutout over the 4 20 minute scrimmages and found the net once as Freshman midfielder Maria Dominick scored the teams lone goal.  The JV team looked solid despite only have 13 players at the game many of which were seeing their first action above the Jr. High level.

Alexander is back in action Saturday at the Newark 8 team scrimmage.  Newark, Pal-Mac, Gananda, Rush-Henrietta, Naples, Bloomfield, Marion, and Alexander will play in a mini-tournament style scrimmage Saturday from 11 to 5pm.

Some more player profiles for Alexander:

Junior Midfielder Tessa Bigelow - Tessa made her first varsity appearance as an 8th grader and played in 6 games her 8th grade year.  Her entire 9th grade year was lost to an ankle injury suffered in the first scrimmage of the year.  Last year as a 10th grader she was a full-time starter as a center midfielder and that is the position she is likely to man this year.  An incredibly strong player who is good with the ball, has good vision and is strong out of the air she will help direct much of the Alexander attack.  She had 2 goals and an assist last year on the varsity team.  Tessa has 64 club goals and 44 club assists in 325 club games.

Junior Midfielder Claire Hartl - Claire was a starter in a few different positions as a Sophomore last year spending time as a defender, an outside midfielder, and as a central midfielder as well.  An incredibly smart player who is very strong out of the air and is one of the tallest players on the team as well.  Despite growing up as a full-time defender she has developed into a central midfielder with great vision.  Claire has played 361 club games, primarily as a defender.

Junior Midfielder Amber Finan - Amber made her debut on the varsity team as an 8th grader and played in 6 games.  She spent the majority of her 9th grade year on varsity as well and her entire 10th grade year as well.  Amber is a very versitile player who can play all 11 positions on the field (including goalie).  She has started games at forward, midfield, defender, and has also seen some time in goal during her varsity career.  She figures to be primarily a midfielder this year but is sure to see time at other spots on the field as well.  Amber has 3 goals and 3 assists in her varsity career.  She has 69 goals and 36 assists in 326 club games as well.

Junior Forward/Midfielder Morgan Mattice - Morgan made her varsity debut late in her 9th grade season and is an excellent ball handler and fantastic out of the air around the front of the net.  As a sophomore she saw actional as a central midfield player in addition to her natural position as a forward.  Morgan had 2 goals and an assist last year as a 10th grader.  Morgan has 45 goals and 32 assists in 270 club games.

Junior Defender Savannah VanSon - Savannah started every game and played nearly every minute as a Sophmore last year in the center of Alexander's defense.  Savannah is a solid all around defender and plays the last man role in Alexander's defensive scheme.  She is an above average player out of the air and strong with both feet.  Her "traffic directing" from the back has come a long way over her career.  Savannah has 325 club games over her career, all as a defender.

Junior Midfielder Ashley Szymanski - Ashley made her debut on varsity midway through her 9th grade season as a JV callup to fill in for injuries.  She split her time as a sophomore between the JV and Varsity team.  Ashley is a very versitile midfielder who has the ability to play all 4 midfield positions in Alexander's scheme and is solid with both of her feet.  She picked up an assist her 9th grade year on the varsity team.  Ashley has 26 goals and 23 assists in 289 club games.

I will post the remaining 7 players soon...

After 3 and a half days of preseason the Alexander girl's soccer team is coming along quite nicely.  Despite the abnormally hot weather this week (and the shocking lack of rain) a lot of work has been put in by the girls.  Both the JV and Varsity teams are coming into form nicely thus far.

There are just 33 total players out for the teams this year which is way down from the numbers that we usually have, but it appears that both teams should be very strong this fall as practice has been spirited and a lot of strong play has been shown.

The varsity squad returns 10 starters from last year's team including 2 all-league selections in GK Hannah Wilson and Defender Abby Shilvock.  In all likelyhood Abby will be moving back to her more natural role as an attacker this fall but don't be surprised to see her on the defensive line in some big games this year as well.  Despite the face that the team will only have 3 seniors there is loads of varsity experience with 12 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 2 freshmen on the team.  Both of the freshmen were starters last year as 8th graders.  The sophomore was a starter for a majority of the year as a 9th grader as well.  All of the 12 juniors have seen action in a varsity game prior to this year and many of them have been on varsity for more than one season already.

Here are 5 player profiles (I will give a rundown of all the players on the team over the next few days).

Senior Defender Jamie Neth - Jamie returns to the team this year after and ACL tear during March of 2008 kept her off the field last fall.  Jamie has varsity experience during her 9th and 10th grade years as an injury call-up and has seen time in sectionals during both her 9th and 10th grade seasons.  Jamie trains with the team year round and has amassed 182 offseason games over the past 5 years.

Senior Forward Anna Dominick - Anna returns for her 4th full season as a varsity forward and will be one of the central points of the Alexander attack this season.  Anna saw action her 8th grade year on varsity as well and has been a mainstay on the Alexander varsity team since her 9th grade season.  Anna is the school record holder in assists (which she broke last year) with 25 and currently is 6th in goals with 27.  She is only 9 goals behind 2nd place entering this season.  She had 7 goals and 8 assists last season.  Anna trains year round with the team, has played 162 games the last 5 years, has scored 97 goals and has 39 assists.

Senior Defender/Midfielder Leah Johnson - Leah was a contributor to an exteremely young defense last year for Alexander and is versitile enough to play a few different positions.  She has an incredible work rate on the field and is a very strong and physical on the ball defender.

Junior GoalKeeper Hannah Wilson - Hannah was an all-league selection last season after posting 9 wins, 7 shutouts, and picking up 169 saves on the season.  She has seen action in her 8th and 9th grade years on varsity filling in for injuries and other situations on the varsity team.  Hannah trains with the team year round and holds every goalkeeping record for the Alexander Soccer Club.  She has played 439 club games over the last 5 years (which is the club record) and made over 3000 saves, has nearly 200 wins and 150 shutouts in that same time period.

Junior Midfielder Autumn Atkinson - Autumn has been a member of the varsity team since early in her 8th grade year.  She has the ability to play several different roles in the midfield and can fill in as a defender if need be.  She has 5 assists and 2 goals in her varsity career.  She also takes many of Alexanders set pieces and is very accurate with her corner kicks.  She trains year round with the team and has played in 423 total games the last 5 years (2nd only to Wilson) and has amassed 59 goals and 73 club assists in that time period (she is 2nd in career assists for the club).

To be continued...

It was the first day of soccer practice in Alexander...who ordered the heat?  Despite the heat 31 girls took to the field nad worked out this morning from 8-11am and will return tonight from 5-7pm in what looks to be similar hot circumstances.  Alexander's teams look to be small in numbers this year with only 18 players coming out for the varsity team and 14 for the JV team.  However there is a lot of experience coming back to both teams.

Alexander will have only 3 seniors this year (Anna Dominick, Jamie Neth, Leah Johnson) and then a whole bunch of underclassmen (12 Juniors, 1 sophomore, and 2 freshmen).

Despite the heat the girls looked good in our first workout of the season.  Both the U16 and U14 RDYSL teams won division titles this summer and the Women's team finished 2nd and was promoted up a division as well.

I will post some player bios as the week goes on and keep a running blog of practice throughout the August practices.

The Batavia Community Soccer Fields open tonight and host their first game which is a Rochester District Soccer League 2nd Division Men's game between Central Western United and the Rochester Rockets.  Central Western United is a team based out of Genesee County that is run by Alex Taille and Chad Flint and features many players from Genesee and Livingston Counties as well as some players from in and around the Monroe County area.

The game is at 6:30 and I would like to welcome anyone interested in seeing some great amateur soccer to stop out and see the game.  Central Western United won the 3rd division last year and was promoted to the 2nd division where we have continued our strong play remaining near the top of the table.  CWU also knocked off Red Stripe of the 1st division in the league cup before falling to Bristol Valley in the 2nd round.

CWU features many local college players on its roster.  I am on my way out to get ready for the game and will post more information about the team later on including a full roster.

I would like to thank everyone involved with the Batavia Community Fields for providing us with a great place to play our home games, especially Ted Hawley who has worked with me to assure that we have a place for our Men's and Women's team to play our home games.

If you come out to the game stop and say hi, I wear number 3 and usually play at either left or right back (defense for you non-soccer people).

Alexander played in the Newark Varsity tournament on the Sunday before MLK day and came away with a solid performance.  Alexander started the day with a 2-1 win over Gananda with goals from Anna Dominick and Julia Pettys with Gabby Kwiatek picking up an assist.  Alexander then beat North Rose Wolcott 1-0 on a goal from Dominick.  In the final game of the round robin Alexander fell to Pal-Mac 1-0.  Alexander was the 2nd seed from their group and Pal-Mac was the top seed with a 3-0 record.

In the other bracket Addison cruised to a 3-0 record and the top seed while Newark was 2-1 with their only loss a 3-0 beating from Addison.

Alexander and Addison played in the semi-finals and Addison jumped out to a 1-0 lead.  Dominick tied it at one but Addison took the kickoff and went right down the floor and fired a shot in to go ahead 2-1.  Alexander was unable to come back again and feel 2-1.  Newark then beat Pal-Mac 1-0 in the other semi-final and in the rematch from the earlier in the day Addison won 1-0 in OT.

Alexander's roster was Sopomore keeper Hannah Wilson, Junior defender Jamie Neth, Sophomore defender Savannah VanSon, 8th grade defender Gabby Kwiatek, Sophomore midfielders Autumn Atkinson and Tessa Bigelow, Junior forward Anna Dominick, Sophomore forwards Megan Schmieder and Morgan Mattice, and 9th grade forward Julia Pettys.

The Genesee Lancers (Chilano) took hom the Medina U19 tournament title with a 3-1 win over Alexander in the final game.  The Lancers scored seconds into the final to take a 1-0 lead.  Alexander scored a few minutes after that to knot the score at one a piece.  The Lancers would score just before the midway mark to make the score 2-1.  Just after the mdiway mark the Lancers scored a 3rd goal to go ahead 3-1 which was the final score.  It was a very competitive final game with some great soccer to watch.  Both teams moved the ball well and had some great chances on goal.

During the earlier games of the tournament Alexander clinched the top seed with a 3-0 record with a 1-0 win over the Lancers (Hein), a 3-1 win over the YMCA/ND team and a 1-0 win over Gananda.  The Lancers (Chilano) earned the #2 seed with wins over GVBBSC and Attica and a loss to Albion.  Albion was the #3 seed with a win over the Lancers (Chilano), a tie against Attica, and a loss to GVBBSC.  The Lancers (Hein) earned the 4th seed with a loss to Alexander, a tie against Gananda, and a win over the YMCA/ND team.  Gananda had a solid day as well with a tie against the Lancers (Hein), a win over YMCA/ND, and a loss to Alexander.  The Lancers (Hein) earned the 4th seed thanks to a slight tiebreaker advantage over Gananda.

In the 1st round of the playoffs the Lancers (Chilano) avenged their loss to Albion with a 3-0 win in the 1st semi-final game.  Alexander knocked off the Lancers (Hein) 2-0 to earn their spot in the final.

Alexander's roster included sophomores goal keeper Hannah Wilson, sophomore defenders Savannah VanSon, Summer Bliss, and Claire Hartl, sophomore midfielders Tessa Bigelow and Autumn Atkinson, sophomore forwards Kylie Bank, Amber Finan, and Ashley Szymanski, and 8th grade defender Gabby Kwiatek.

The Alexander Girl's Soccer team outplayed many peoples predictions and gave Geneseo all they could handle in the 2nd round of the class C sectionals and lead 1-0 at halftime, but Geneseo came from behind in the 2nd half and put two in the net to win the game 2-1 and move on to the semi-finals to face York.

Geneseo came out hot in the 1st half and peppered the Alexander goal with shots but only a few found the target and were turned away by Sophomore goalie Hannah Wilson.  Alexander struggled with Geneseo's formation in the first 15 minutes and had to make an adjustment, but settled down after the inital Geneseo flury and played quite well from there on out.

Alexander struck first on their first good chance of the game as Junior Anna Dominick found her sister 8th grade Midfielder Maria Dominick on a cross to put Alexander up 1-0 with 10 minutes left in the first half.  Alexander held the lead into halftime and knew they were in for a fight in the 2nd half.

Alexander held strong for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half but #14 finally got lose down the left flank and crossed a ball that just eluded a leaping Wilson at the near post and was ran into the goal by #3.  Alexander didn't back down and kept working hard all over the field.  With #11 on the bench Alexander saw the 2nd goal find their net as #2 had a great little play inside the 18 and fired it inside the right post to make it 2-1.  Alexander kept attacking but just couldn't get a ball in a dangerous spot.  Anna Dominick had a cross that was grabbed by the keeper with 5 minutes left and Alexander had 2 corners in the final 2 minutes but couldn't get either in a dangerous spot.

Lost in the scoreline was the play of 8th grade marking defender Abby Shilvock who held Sarah Bono (who has 23 goals this year) to under 5 shots on net throughout the game.  Shilvock seemed to be inside Bono's head reading her moves and winning the ball throughout the game.  Sophomore Tessa Bigelow did an equally strong job on #10 from Geneseo who is another fantastic player.

Great performances were turned in by Sophomore defender Savannah VanSon, 8th grade defender Gabby Kwiatek, 11th grade defender Leah Johnson, 10th grade midfielders Claire Hartl and Autumn Atkinson, 9th grade midfielder Julia Pettys, and Senior Midfielder Rachel Pettys.  Great minutes were contributed by 10th grade Mid Ashley Szymanski and 10th grade forward Morgan Mattice off the bench.

Congrats to Geneseo on a great game and a great season.  I am very proud of the way that all my girls played in this game, you all really stepped up to the plate in this game and gave Geneseo all they could handle.  Great job to all of you - you should be very proud.