08-19-2022, 01:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-19-2022, 01:21 PM by OCcardinal.)
It's hard to read too much into this game as 1) this was not a highly-ranked opponent, 2) this was the first game and a lot of players with limited (or no) experience competing with Stanford got minutes, and 3) Andrea Kitahata had not returned from the U20WWC yet, but here's my thoughts...
1) it was rough not seeing Katie Meyer back there in goal. I see there's no #19 on the roster. Don't know if that's just for this season or permanent.
2) While the defense looked disorganized at times (could have easily given up 2 goals had the opponent just shot straight), that was not unexpected for the first game with this young group. On the plus side, freshmen defender (and #1 recruit) Elise Evans demonstrated she has a higher gear than almost all of the players on that field. I'm excited to see how Paul Ratcliffe takes advantage of that in the years ahead.
3) I was happy to see junior Amy Sayer score. She's had caps with the Australian senior national team and I've been expecting her to become one of the stars on this team. But she only had 2 goals and 2 assists in 19 games last season. She also was great in helping us maintain possession. My money's on Amy being a key driver of our success going forward.
4) Junior Samantha Williams is another player I've expected to make an impact on this team. At the club level she was utterly dominant (alongside teammates Trinity Rodman and Reilyn Turner). She had 2 goals and an assist, which matches her total from all of last season. She has the talent (and speed) to be involved in goals almost every game. Fingers crossed we see her at the center of many celebrations to come.
4) Beside Evans, Ratcliffe also started freshmen Allie Montoya (f) and Jasmine Aikey (m). Both got shots on goal, which is a good sign, as is Ratcliffe's trust in starting them. Their high recruiting rankings (3 and 6, respectively) seem justified. Interestingly, it was a fourth freshman, sub Lumi Kostmayer (f), who earned the first goal for this stellar class. She scored on a very impressive hustle play where Kostmayer was able to get to the ball (on a slow defensive passback) just before the keeper and without fouling. Very athletic. Looked like a play Jaeln Howell might make. (See the video in the Daily article linked above.) If our 4th-best recruit can continue to make plays like that, watch out! (Although she didn't get the assist, Samantha Williams' hustle initiated the defensive scramble that lead to Kostmayer's goal. Again, just a tremendous night for her.) Freshman Aki Yuasa also got a good, productive number of minutes off the bench.
5) So wonderful to see both Paulson twins back on the pitch. They were both seriously injured within minutes of each other in the USC game in spring 2021 (part of the delayed/COVID season) and had missed all of 2021/22. Catherine was particularly active, getting 6 shots, the most of any player in the game, including a PK that rattled off the post. She'll make some of those shots later in the season. Keep shooting Catherine!
6) Both keepers looked okay, but weren't tested much, unlike Sacramento State's keeper. who had 15 saves!
7) With all the caveats mentioned above, this team looked way underranked at #21 in the pre-season coaches' poll. (Conversely, USC seems overranked at #15, having just lost 0-3 to unranked Purdue yesterday. Still, just the first game, and they'll be more dangerous once Simone Jackson gets back).
1) it was rough not seeing Katie Meyer back there in goal. I see there's no #19 on the roster. Don't know if that's just for this season or permanent.
2) While the defense looked disorganized at times (could have easily given up 2 goals had the opponent just shot straight), that was not unexpected for the first game with this young group. On the plus side, freshmen defender (and #1 recruit) Elise Evans demonstrated she has a higher gear than almost all of the players on that field. I'm excited to see how Paul Ratcliffe takes advantage of that in the years ahead.
3) I was happy to see junior Amy Sayer score. She's had caps with the Australian senior national team and I've been expecting her to become one of the stars on this team. But she only had 2 goals and 2 assists in 19 games last season. She also was great in helping us maintain possession. My money's on Amy being a key driver of our success going forward.
4) Junior Samantha Williams is another player I've expected to make an impact on this team. At the club level she was utterly dominant (alongside teammates Trinity Rodman and Reilyn Turner). She had 2 goals and an assist, which matches her total from all of last season. She has the talent (and speed) to be involved in goals almost every game. Fingers crossed we see her at the center of many celebrations to come.
4) Beside Evans, Ratcliffe also started freshmen Allie Montoya (f) and Jasmine Aikey (m). Both got shots on goal, which is a good sign, as is Ratcliffe's trust in starting them. Their high recruiting rankings (3 and 6, respectively) seem justified. Interestingly, it was a fourth freshman, sub Lumi Kostmayer (f), who earned the first goal for this stellar class. She scored on a very impressive hustle play where Kostmayer was able to get to the ball (on a slow defensive passback) just before the keeper and without fouling. Very athletic. Looked like a play Jaeln Howell might make. (See the video in the Daily article linked above.) If our 4th-best recruit can continue to make plays like that, watch out! (Although she didn't get the assist, Samantha Williams' hustle initiated the defensive scramble that lead to Kostmayer's goal. Again, just a tremendous night for her.) Freshman Aki Yuasa also got a good, productive number of minutes off the bench.
5) So wonderful to see both Paulson twins back on the pitch. They were both seriously injured within minutes of each other in the USC game in spring 2021 (part of the delayed/COVID season) and had missed all of 2021/22. Catherine was particularly active, getting 6 shots, the most of any player in the game, including a PK that rattled off the post. She'll make some of those shots later in the season. Keep shooting Catherine!
6) Both keepers looked okay, but weren't tested much, unlike Sacramento State's keeper. who had 15 saves!
7) With all the caveats mentioned above, this team looked way underranked at #21 in the pre-season coaches' poll. (Conversely, USC seems overranked at #15, having just lost 0-3 to unranked Purdue yesterday. Still, just the first game, and they'll be more dangerous once Simone Jackson gets back).