4/25/09 Game Recap (0-0 Tie)

Playing on the road for the first time this Spring, the Devils turned in another defensive gem, tying the Central Valley Jaguars 0-0 at Femmatre Middle School in San Jose on Saturday. The Devils held the Jaguars to a single shot on goal, while applying plenty of offensive pressure on their cross-town opponents.

Courtney turned in a fine performance, demonstrating her quickness on the right side. She employed several crossing chances that setup scoring chances for the other forwards.

Marlene almost converted midway through the first half with a shot that hit the goaltender in the arm and slipped through her grasp. With the ball rolling toward the goal, Courtney pursued the loose ball, but the keeper pounced on it with a big lunge before the Devils forward could reach the ball.

Jess has quietly become a solid defender, and her initiative to the ball is being recognized by the coaching staff. She played one of the most aggressive games we’ve seen from a Devils backliner, stopping offensive chances by anticipating passes and moving to the ball well.

The Devils almost scored what may have been the games only goal early in the second half with a booming shot from well outside the box. A Jaguars defender just managed to step in front of the shot, deflecting it just enough to push the ball wide of the right post. The shot only missed by an agonizing 2 to 3 feet.

Sammie played with cool confidence on the backline, stepping into several attempts by the Jaguars to move the ball up the line. She has become more fearless when an opposing player tries to barrel up the line. She used her strength to flat out stonewall several attempts by the Jaguars to encroach into the Devils zone on Saturday.

Game Positives—

Good Offensive Drives: When we gained possession of the ball, the forwards and mids drove to the goal in proper formations, which enabled several quality scoring chances.

Crosses: The forwards are starting to employ crosses much more effectively. Courtney had several chances from the right side, and Christene put two chances into the box from the left side.

Defense: The mid and full backs were well positioned and did a great job of stepping into shooting lanes when the opposition would wind up for a shot. The defense limited the Jaguars to two shots on goal, both of which were not high percentage shots.

Development Areas—

Right of Way: There were numerous occurrences of players stepping into the path of a teammate who had control of the ball, or would try to overtake a teammate when facing the wrong direction.

Lack of Shooting: Rather than taking shots when the opportunities arose, we had too many instances of ball handlers trying to walk the ball deeper into the attacking zone.

Defensive Stance: While the overall defense was fantastic, we had several instances of the defenders be flat footed with hips open to the attacker, rather than being in the defensive stance that we have been practicing. This led to attackers moving around the defense.