October 24, 2007
Greetings from the Midway!
I hope that all is well with you wherever you may be. We are rapidly approaching the completion of our 2007 regular season and although we have experienced some fantastic weather (high 70's this past weekend) there is a chill in the air that reminds us that, in fact, we do live in Chicago.
Our boys have been working hard and striving to improve with every bounce of the ball. In the last four matches we have gone 1-2-1.
On October 6, we built a hard-fought 2-0 lead over Carnegie Mellon until we surrendered it very late in the match. We were very dangerous in the attack but failed to put the game out of reach when the chances were there.
The following weekend we traveled to Boston and New York to take on Brandeis and NYU, respectively. We played hard and well against Brandeis producing a 1-0 victory. We were all very pleased with the tremendous improvement in our defense as we held our lead against severe pressure from the Judges.
On the subsequent Sunday, a tough and physical NYU team took us to our physical limits. With a 3-1 deficit with 10 minutes remaining, we fought hard and regained a goal through a Stuart Phelps penalty. We pressed until the last moments of the game but could not find a way through a very experienced NYU defense.
Later that week we took on a very very talented Wheaton College Thunder. It is a great regional and Chicago-based rivalry. We played very well on the day and were unlucky to have the story line read as it did 0-4. As with our NYU match, I was very pleased with our performance and our fight even though we trailed throughout the match. The 0-4 scoreline does not tell an accurate picture of how well we defended, and attacked. But as we all know... there is only one statistic that matters...goals!
Recently, stress has been at a high level as we are five weeks into the fall quarter and exams seem to be around every corner. Daily training has provided a needed break to the studies and we are excited to take on two fantastic opponents this weekend.
On Friday we will challenge Case Western who currently stands with a #1 NCAA Great Lakes Regional ranking. They are a talented team that will test our resolve and abilities.
Sunday, we will embark on another difficult challenge. We host University of Rochester at Noon. Rochester is currently ranked #2 in the NCAA Northeast region. In fact, of our 17 opponents this season, 10 are currently ranked in their respective NCAA regional rankings. Eight are currently ranked in the D3kicks.com National Top 25.
Currently our record stands at 6-7-1. We have played one of, if not the most difficult schedule in the country. Our opponents currently have a combined record of 133-51-15.
Although we would prefer more wins and fewer losses, our progress through the year has been enjoyable to witness. We are a young team learning to be more consistent, mature and physical and are growing with great experience verse many of the country's best teams.
We currently sit in sixth place in our league, and play three matches verse teams ahead of us in the standings. We have had several energetic and fun practices this week and are very excited to close the season with three great performances.
We hope you will find some time to check us out at Stagg Field. All three matches will be played at home.
We thank you for your support throughout the year and hope to see you on the sideline soon. |
