Athletics

Soccer Season Report

In many ways the boy’s soccer team had an excellent fall season.  We played entertaining, fast-paced, quality soccer, scoring 44 goals in 13 games, while conceding 33.  We only lost two games at home.  We had fun at practice, on the long drives to away games, in the half-time huddle and on the field.  We had two captains that led the team with authority, skill and conviction, a goalie that was strong, brave and has great ball handling, a small but lightning quick defensive line, a midfield that was creative and never stopped running and forwards that did just what forwards need to do… score goals.

Our goal at the beginning of the season was to have a 50% record, to win as many as we lost, which would have enabled us to qualify for the state play-offs.  Early in the season after close games against Red Rock and Chino valley, the powerhouses of the state, a trouncing of Grand Canyon and a tie against Camp Verde (a team that had outscored us 14-0 last season), it looked like this would be very likely.  However, we didn’t manage that and ended up with a 4-7-1, or 42% record and came fifth in the west region, the same position as last season.

Looking back on the season there are moments or events that stand out in my mind more clearly than others: Jullian emerging from nowhere to stop a certain goal against Red Rock; Jae Whan controlling the ball on his chest and then performing a gymnastic bicycle kick pass during the practice with torrential rain, brilliant sun and a vivid rainbow; Evan side-footing a hat trick against Ash Fork; Sascha saving a penalty against Northland Prep; the absurdity of the half time talk at the Grand Canyon, where no-one could quite believe what was happening to us; Maksim jinking his way past four bemused Red Rock players and the stunned silence of the Red Rock home fans; Eugene’s first goal against Chino Valley, where he emerged from a cloud of dust and broken bodies with arms raised and the ball in the net; Brett’s stunning opening goal against Camp Verde after 37 seconds of play; Tony’s goal celebrations of double peace signs and a huge grin; and I could go on and on and on.  However the one moment that had the biggest impact on our season, in my opinion, was an innocuous looking tackle by Zach against a Chino Valley forward that led to him limping off the field and spending the rest of the season in crutches.  Had we had Zach in the heart of the defense there is no way that Camp Verde would have bowled us over to come back to win from being 2-0 down, nor would Northland Prep taken a victory from us in Flagstaff, and the game at the Grand Canyon in which we lost to a team that we had beaten 13-2… well, who knows, that was a very, very strange game.

Soccer is a team sport and boy what a team we had!  Twenty eight different players pulled on the green and white over the course of the season and each contributed greatly in their own way, and I would like to thank them all.  However the AIA gives five individual awards to Verde Valley School: One 1st XI all-region award, which is for the MVP of the team, two 2nd XI awards for outstanding play throughout the season, and two honorable mentions for players of a very high caliber who made great contributions to the team.  In addition VVS gives out a most improved award for the player that has shown the greatest improvement in individual skill and team play over the season and a golden boot award for the player that scored the most goals.

The winners of the awards for the fall ’06 season are:
T. H.  -  Golden boot   
Hyun Soo (Harry) Kim  -  Most improved   
Maksim Malyugin  -  HM   
Eun Sik (Eugene) Park  -  HM   
Seung Hyun (Brian) Lee  -  2nd XI all region   
Jae Whan Lee  -  2nd XI all region   
Brett Smith   - 1st XI all region   

Looking forward to next season the goals are unchanged: Have fun, play beautiful soccer, and qualify for the regional finals by placing in the top four in the west region.  We have a young talented crew returning, will add a number of international and local talents, and take it from there.  Look out Arizona!