Sodium Wins United Cup! [version 2.0]

To coin the very first ever blog post; 'Sodium Wins United Cup!' posted June 25th, 2007.
What a way to finish the United Cup, with back to back wins over the team that beat you in State Cup.

The Early Game
What a thing to behold when all the pieces fall into place. How fun it was to watch Sodium dominate with such finesse and patience. The game was pretty lopsided the first half with the majority of play occurring in the Hotspur end of the field. One of the golden rules of the game is 'You Gotta Finish' and despite plentiful attempts, the half-time score was locked 0-0.
Now, I don't care if you're a Sodium fan or a Hotspur fan, the second half had so many fireworks that you had to appreciate the play!
The second half started out with a supposed Andrea Theriau handball in the 18 yard box. I say supposed because I was blocked from the play and of course all the Sodium defenders deny it ever happened. That resulted in a Hotspur PK. They scored and took a 0-1 lead. Now, on the sidelines, we were having deja vu all over again!! But, if you looked really close, you could see in the eyes of the Sodium players that there was no way they were going to let that happen. That one event, Hotspur scoring a PK, was enough to ignite the lady warriors and start the attack! To tie the score Jadyn McMillan dropped a perfect pass to Lexi Frey who ripped the net and send the Sodium faithful into a tizzy! Next, it was Hannah Lautenbach's turn to feed a perfect pass to Lexi who waltzed it in for the lead! Now the stands were rally abuzz as Sodium had the lead 2-1. On the ensuing corner kick Taylor Moscoe faked and pooched a little pass to KJ. Now, if you're a loyal Sodium fan you never like to see a fake corner kick because it has become such a powerful weapon in Sodium's arsenal, but this time the Hotspur girls were caught off guard and KJ drove clear inside the 18 yard box before loading up and ripping the net at the far post before any Hotspur even knew what hit them! Sodium was now on scoring auto-pilot as they took a commanding 3-1 lead. Late in the second half when you figured Sodium might try to coast we were all surprised to find Emmy Owens feeding Lexi yet again who left a trail of SSC bodies on her way to yet another score, her third, and a 4-1 Sodium lead! With 20 seconds left Sodium let down for just a moment and the Hotspur girls squirted in a goal to bring the tally to 4-2 as the final whistle blew. This win gave Sodium the points lead in the bracket. How sweet the victory was after State Cup but the final showdown was yet to occur. The battle for United Cup Champion was to happen in just 2.5 hours, stay tuned....

The Championship
Hot. The weather, the play. The Hotspur came out inspired and fired up! They took it to Sodium from the opening whistle! The battle was fierce all first half with the play going back and forth. The first half ended 0-0.
The second started as the first ended with the battle contained mainly to midfield. Sodium caught a break and a corner kick which Laura Camp lined up and fired to Lexi Frey who took up where she had left off the first game and fired it into the net for a 1-0 Sodium lead! With just 6 minutes left the match a deflection lead to a Hotspur break-a-way and a goal to tie the match. Sodium ratcheted up their play and began a relentless attack on the Hotspur goal. Shot after shot was wide, high or gobbled up by the SSC keeper. With just under 2 minutes Emmy Owens broke down the right side and into the 18 yard box where she was heading for a certain goal! The SSC defender mugged her from behind which resulted in a Sodium PK. Jadyn McMillan was called on to attempt the PK and give Sodium the win. She calmly lined up the ball, eyed the keeper and ripped the shot past her into the net! Game, set, match. Sodium is your 2009 United Cup Champion! How fitting the victory comes on a PK.

From the sidelines:
If I had the space I would write a few lines about every lady warrior this weekend. Each one contributed at such a high level. From Taylor Luty's diving deflection in the Championship game, to Kelly Priest's consistent hard-fought midfield play, to Erika Cook who elevated her play at whatever position she was asked, to Lexi Frey's 4 goals at forward on Sunday. There were so many champions this weekends. There were so many heros.

Thanks Sodium, for giving us a great weekend of soccer. Thanks for playing your hearts out and leaving everything you had on the field. This team has that very special feel Sodium fans, the feeling that something awesome lies within their grasp.

Other Tournament News

Clash at the Border
As far I could tell, here are the results. They weren't tallied on the site.

#1. WSA Courage (34 pts) Sodium beat this team a couple weekends ago.
#2. OR Rush (30 pts)
#3. Reign 95 Purple (11 pts)
#4. FC Crush (10 pts)
#5. FC Portland (9 pts)
#6. OSA Inferno (6 pts)

Up Next:
US Club Regionals - Bellingham, WA


With the Championship medals around their necks the lady warriors scream: TEAM!

With a smug look of confidence the Sodium fans yell; GO SODIUM!!

Sodium Defense Almost Scores

In yet another impressive outing the lady warriors put the hammer down on Clackamas Elite. The first half started out with Sodium engaged in a little cat-n-mouse with Clackamas. Back and forth, testing the water, a few shots on goal but nothing spectacular. Then, with about 3 minutes to go on the half Aliyah Chance dropped a ball to Lexi Frey and BANG, the lady warriors were on top 1-0 and remained there as the half ended.
Coach Tom has commented on how this year, with the talented squad he has, he has a lot of options. [And he isn't afraid to use them!] Sodium is looking for the right mix of personality and style that will compliment each other on the field. The second half started out with some positions shifts that proved to be fatal blow for Elite. With just a few minutes expired Lexi brought the ball deep into Elite territory, launched a crossing ball that was finished by a crashing Mac Kearney to give Sodium a 2-0 lead! At the half way point in the second half Clackamas was whistled giving Sodium a free kick from 25 yards. The girls set up ready to 'Crash the Box' when Lexi Frey stepped up with other ideas. Instead of chipping a soft ball over the defenders she was determined to go for goal! She lined up and rifled a shot over the leaping keeper and into the upper far corner for a goal!!! The Sodium faithful rose and cheered and the [now clad in green] Sodium team mobbed Lexi. As the half progressed Coach Tom brought the entire defense up front to see what they could do. Taylor Coon, Andrea Theriau and Lexi rounded out the forward positions. Try as they might with headers, crosses and blasts from 18 yards they fell just a little short. Mark my words here Sodium fans, this will NOT be the last time you will see this group up front, bet on that! Time expired giving Sodium the win and the coveted 10 points they needed.
If you look at the tournament website you will notice that their have been some pretty lopsided victories. You may be asking, "Why doesn't Sodium have any 6 or 7 point victories?" Well, if you have been following this team and the coaching style of the United organization for any length of time you will see that that is not the United style. We come into games, get the job done and leave. We don't have anything to prove. We have a victory to secure and then move on. Yes, there have been games that if we, like other clubs I've watched this weekend, left our players in their perspective positions, could have posted double digit victories. But instead we chose to mix players up to give them a chance to play positions they normally don't and give them a taste of what it's like elsewhere on the filed. This process develops a respect between positions and is fun for the girls. A team only gets max points up to a 3-0 shut out so why push the girls to score 6,7 or 8 goals? That turns into a lose/lose situation for everyone. Don't get me wrong, the lady warriors are fierce and have nothing on their minds but beating their opposition to a pulp, but if they can have some fun in doing so, that's what it's all about. Besides, if you beat a team that badly there is nothing to gain. Yes, you know your forwards are better. Yes, you know your defense is better. OK? So what? Nobody gets any better or develops as a player in a 7-0 victory. So, that is why we have posted 3-0 and 2-0 wins opposed to 6 or 7.

United Cup Points Breakdown
Hotspur - 30
Sodium - 29
Clackamas Elite - 9
Sherwood Force - 8
PCU Impact - 3

Next Up:
If you aren't fired up for this match then you can't call yourself a Sodium fan. The lady warriors have waited 57 days for this rematch and it will prove to be a good one. Sodium is bigger, faster, stronger and more aggressive than the team they fielded at State Cup and can't wait to introduce themselves to Hotspur this morning!

Strap yourselves in Sodium fans, it's going to be a wild ride today!

Sodium will play Hotspur at 11:00AM at Beaverton HS to determine #1 & #2 positions in the standings then play each other again at 3:00PM to determine the United Cup Champion. This Championship will be played on REC #2, the same site they met for State Cup, how awesome is THAT Sodium fans!! - Be there or be square!

Other Tournament News

Clash at the Border in Camas, WA
Standings [in order of current points]:
OR Rush 95 Nike (18)
WSA Courage (15)[Sodium beat them last week]
FC Crush (10)
Reign 95 Purple (10) [Remember this team from Crossfire?]
OSA Inferno (6)
FC Portland GU14 (1)

Couldn't sleep a wink last night because the only thing running through my head was; GO SODIUM!!

Sodium Dominates Second Match

The PCU Impact never had a chance to catch their breath as the Sodium midfielders and forwards controlled the ball and tempo throughout the game. Right from the beginning whistle Sodium brought the house on every possession. Unfortunately the lady warriors were only able to capitalize on one effort when Jadyn McMillan found a crashing KJ who punished the keeper by blasting it right past her! The first half ended a 1-0 Sodium lead. Coach Tom must have lit a fire because Sodium came out Red Hot in the second half! Laura Camp chipped a pass over the defense to a streaking Jadyn who found the far post for 2-0! Midway through the half Erika Cook fed Mac Kearney for a two touch blast to the back of the net! The crowed went wild as Sodium took a firm 3-0 lead into the last minutes of the game. To ice the effort, Lexi Frey took the ball from her defensive position and charged up the left side. She "schooled" a couple of midfielders on her way to the 23-yard mark where she launched a perfect shot to the upper far post net! The crowed went nuts as time ran out and Sodium came away with a 4-0 victory and a solid 10 point showing!

Up Next:
Clackamas Elite - 6:00PM @ Powerlines #3

From under the umbrella's the sun burnt Sodium faithful yell: GO SODIUM!

United Cup Bracket Results Day - 1

After the dust settled on the first day the results were in;

Sodium 2-0 Sherwood Force
[See comments below]

Hotspur 7-0 PCU Impact
[No big surprise here]

Clackamas 3-2 PCU
[Could have gone either way]

Sherwood 0-4 Hotspur
[Not as lopsided as score indicates]

Points tally
Hotspur 20 [2 games]
Sodium 9
Clackamas 9
PCU Impact 2
Sherwood 0

Notes;
The much improved Clackamas Elite squad put on a good showing against outclassed PCU Impact. The surprise yesterday was Sherwood who suffered at the hands of the top 2 teams. Saturday and Sunday will be the tester. Sodium games against PCU & Clackamas should have obvious outcomes but you can never look past anyone theses days. Hotspur plays Clackamas Elite in the morning game with an outcome that is predictable. Sherwood should tally it's first points against PCU in the night cap. Sunday should prove the turning point with the Sodium vs Hotspur game. For everyones money, I am guessing those two teams will play not only at 11:00AM but again in the Championship match @ 3:00PM.
Sodium will be out for blood to say the least. Hotspur knocked Sodium out of this years State Cup and that has been the thorn that has driven this squad ever since. Especially since a Sodium parent has a photo of the ball IN the goal being hit out by the Hotspur defender with her hands!! Should have been a goal or at least a penalty kick for a handball but, like yesterday's officials, they sucked and shouted "Play On" as everyone [including Hotspur players] stood in disbelief. I will see if I can post the picture later today.

Anyway, see you all on the field!

GO SODIUM!!

Sodium Starts Off United Cup Strong!

In a word, WOW! The lady warriors came to play. Crisp passing, communication, hustle and domination. The Sodium squad brought the complete package to Powerlines this morning against Sherwood Force. Relentless pressure produced a break for Marisa Reid who chipped a perfect feed over the head of Mac Kearney who sliced it into the goal for the first score of the 2009 United Cup! The lady warriors swarmed Mac and I might add, they looked GREAT in their new green uniforms!
Even coach Tom commented on how the new uniforms looked today.
The half ended 1-0.
The second half started out with Sodium on the attack. The forwards were tenacious as they continued to pound the keeper and play remained confined to the Force end of the field. Late in the second half Aliyah Chance broke the defense and poked an excellent lead pass to crashing defensive midfielder Erika Cook who found the back of the net and sent the crowed into a frenzy as Sodium broke out to a 2-0 lead! Minutes later the whistle blew giving Sodium and opening day win and 9 points in the standings!

Stay tuned Sodium faithful, there is so much more waiting to happen as the 2010 team ensures to bring excitement each and every game!

Next up: 6/27/09 vs PCU Impact - 10:30AM @ Powerlines

With excitement in the air, your fans scream: GO SODIUM!!

Let the games begin!

This morning will mark the first day of the United Cup tournament! The lady warriors take on the pesky Sherwood Force @ 9AM at Powerlines in what could prove to be a battle! Like Sodium, Sherwood added a few players to their roster for this season so settle in for what is shaping up to be great game!

In State Cup 2009 Sodium tied Sherwood and then advanced in PK's so the lady warriors will go out with something to prove this morning!

Next up:
6/27 vs PCU Impact @ Powerlines - 10:30AM
6/27 vs Clackamas Elite @ Powerlines - 6:00PM


As always the loyal Sodium fans will be yelling: GO SODIUM!!

They said it couldn't be done......

This afternoon we were witness to a sporting event that falls just short of a miracle. #14 ranked USA men's soccer team beat defending World Cup and #1 ranked Spain to advance to the finals in the FIFA Confederation Cup.

Talk about leaving everything you have on the field and playing as hard as you possibly can for 90 minutes. Talk about coming into a hostile environment, under insurmountable odds, and pulling it off! The USA men we not considered the best team on the field. Matter of fact, they weren't expected to be there at all. But they were, and they were here to play. Despite the firestorm of shots by the Spaniards, the North American squad was able to deflect or block every effort, relentlessly bouncing back time and time again.

You see, the USA men had nothing to lose today. They had lost the first to matches and weren't expected to move on. Today they were there to prove a point. And prove it they did by walking away with a 2-0 win and a trip to their first ever world final, the FIFA Confederation Cup!

Notes: Spain hadn't lost a game since November, 2006 [35 games] and had a 15 game shutout streak coming in. The last 6 minutes [4 in regulation, 2 in extended time] USA played a player down.

Congratulations USA!

Take-a-way
Never, never give up. The USA men lost their first two games and could have cashed it in. They walked onto the field severe underdogs in freezing temperatures against a former World Cup winner. They were outclassed and outskilled. Do you think any USA player would have wanted to be anywhere else but right there? Not on your life! They live and die as a team. Situations like this are what dreams are made of. Where true champions emerge and awesome things happen. And that is exactly what USA was banking on, and exactly what happened!
So, even when the chips are down and you're the underdog, never, never give up. Give it everything you have for 90 minutes and great things will happen. Rely on your teammates and let them know they can rely on you.

That's why we play the game.......

USA! USA! USA!

GO SODIUM!

Sodium Players (and Mom and sister) place in Short Track Cycle Event

To show the diversity of the Sodium players, (and their parents & siblings) below is the results of the OBRA Short Track cycle event held at PIR.

Category 3 Women 10 - 14
Erika Cook placed #2
Marisa Reid placed #4

Category 3 Women 15 - 18
Sierra Reid placed #3

Category 2 Women (the bracket was all blurry here...... :)
Pam Reid placed #2

Congratulations on an outstanding showing!!!

Sneak Peak at US Club Regional's Schedule

My crack team of information gatherers has uncovered a preview of the US Club Regional's bracket and without further delay, here it is;

Sodium is in the U13 Girls Super Group [based on last year so U13]

Group A
Eastside FC G95 Red
THUSC Sodium
Crossfire 95 Black
SSFC G95R

A little background

Eastside FC G95 Red
WA State Champions, Regionals

Crossfire 95 Black
Challenge Cup Champion [I think it's like our President's Cup]

SSFC G95R
Challenge Cup Quarter Finalist

Other Notables:

Group B

Crossfire Premiere G95A
WA State Cup finalist (I think, I have 2 teams with this title :P)

NWN G95 Red
WA State Cup finalist

Washington Rush Nike
No info yet

Group C

Dos FC G95 Red
WA State Semi Finalist

ECFC F95 Green
No info yet

EMFC 95 Magic
We know all about the Magic!

From the Sidelines
The teams we will meet in Burlington will be formidable foes indeed. None of them can be taken lightly. Sodium will need to bring their "A" game each and every match if we hope to advance and have any hopes of going to Virginia. Play sound, smart soccer, mix in some physical play and attitude and Sodium should prove to be a strong adversary.

From the sidelines we will be yelling; GO SODIUM!

Lake Oswego Parent Voices His Opinion

In an email sent to Tom a Lake Oswego parent, Dean Geist, voiced his opinion about the blog. I interpreted his email as vile as he proceeded to call the entries 'Unsportsman-like' and referred to them as lacking courtesy and respect. He continued by misquoting a post and saying how their parents are offended and that now their kids are aware of my "diatribes". At one point he even mentions how 'embarrassed' he was for the Sodium girls and their parents and even stooped so low as to call me names.

In response I apologized to Mr. Geist for any anxiety the blog may have caused him, their team or parents and let him know we have the utmost respect for the Extreme team (which his daughter plays for) and that the blog was meant to be a lighthearted vessel to pass on information within the Sodium organization. I informed him that the blog has nothing to do with THUSC (no one that I know reads it including Tom) and that, in the future, if he would like to comment he can do it directly through the blog comment section or send me an email directly.

If any of the Sodium blog followers would like a copy of the original email and my response, just fire me off an email and I will happily send you one.

Moving forward:
Rest assured loyal followers that this will have no affect on my writing style or the attitude and content of future posts. As a matter-of-fact, now that I know the Lake Oswego folks are reading it regularly, I may have to spice it up a bit!
But seriously, I have given kudos to other teams/players and use the blog to positively impact OUR players and team. If other teams and their players read it and get all offended then I guess we have won the "mental" game. They get rattled by us months before we even take the field! I will say this; I will always promote Sodium and THUSC. I will post the great things they have and will achieve this season and beyond. I will pump up their achievements and I will point out their short falls so they can learn and improve. I played and coached with fire and passion and I will blog with that same emotion and enthusiasm. If another team doesn't like it then I suggest getting out of our way.
Tom informed me that we share the same mindset when it comes to the blog; "If you don't like it, don't read it!" So really people, if I have said anything that you find offensive, just click the "X" and move on to the next site.

This will be the last post in regards to this subject. I don't have the time or patience to commit to such follies. There is soccer to played and teams to be scouted. Onward and upward loyal Sodium fans, United Cup is just around the corner and their are victories afoot!

Into the face of the opposition we yell; GO SODIUM!!

Sodium Shines Against FC Vancouver

Sodium put together a great effort against an always tough FC Vancouver Courage today in Camas, WA. With only 11 players [and 4 Platinum guests] Sodium struck right out of the gate. Within 4 minutes of the starting whistle KJ, against her old teammates, chipped a perfect shot from 20 yards just over the leaping Courage keeper to find the upper corner of the net for a 1-0 Sodium lead! Both cheers and jeers came from the crowed as KJ trotted back to midfield with a sheepish grin. [I love that!] Later in the first half KJ again was knocking on the Courage door. A great cross was finished by a crashing Emmy Owens to punish the FC squad and go up 2-0. A momentary defensive lapse closed the half 2-1 for the lady warriors.
The second half proved to be a more 'back-n-forth' game as both teams had plenty of attempts but Sodium's outstanding keeper play by Taylor Luty proved to be the difference. First blood was drawn as the lady warriors had a 4 on 3 break that ended with an incredible Emmy Owens lead pass to Jadyn McMillan who 2 touched and rocked the goal for a 3-1 Sodium lead! The pesky FC squad would not go quietly as they scored a goal of there own late in the match to bring the tally to 3-2. As if to put icing on the cake, late in the final half KJ again got the call. The ball was blasted out of a midfield battle toward the FC Vancouver goal. An alert KJ controlled the ball and was off to the races on a break-a-way that ended with her beating the Courage keeper, ripping the net, and giving Sodium a 4-2 victory! The crowed on hand roared as the team mobbed KJ as she did her version of the airplane.

Thanks go out to the visiting Platinum players!

This is the last tune up before Sodium enters into battle for United Cup against Sherwood. Sherwood added a few players that will round out an already well balanced Force team. Sodium will need to have their game faces on, cop a serious attitude and bring their "A" game to this match. Sodium needs to play well and set the stage with a great showing this weekend.

You bring the game, we'll bring the vocals! GO SODIUM!

Regionals Update

This afternoon LOSC Extreme beat the undefeated Boise Nationals Blast 4-0 to advance to the Semi-Finals!

Saturday at 10:00AM the Extreme takes on last years Regional Champs, Mustang Fury.

GO OREGON!!

Trivia Answers

I am sure the moment you've all been waiting for! Now, given my aging mind, if an answer is incorrect then please, just send me an email and I will correct it. Please be willing to accept 90% accuracy! LOL!

#1. Stephani Day for her play in goal.
#2. Marisa Reid scored 2 goals in the Championship Game
#3. Taylor Coon was second leading scorer [I know, I couldn't believe it either]
#4. 20
#5. Sodium went winless in the month of October that year. [my birthday month, go figure]
#6. Blue Mountain Exchange [Can you name the last one before that? See #9]
#7. Crystal, Delaney, Sahalie, Cailin
#8. Hannah Hartford scored the first goal against Aloha Extreme [the very team that brought us Taylor Luty!]
#9. "Sodium wins United Cup!" was the the very first post dated June 25, 2007
#10. Sodium posted their first double digit victory with a 10-0 win over Hillsboro Crush.
#11. LOSC Extreme did not make Gold division in 2007
#12. Nope
#13. Leslie Osbourne
#14. Sodium combined scored 50 goals. Their opponents combined, 5
#15. FC Portland Platinum has always been the bridesmaid, never the bride.
#16. Sodium beat Colorado 3-2
#17. Black, Green & Grey stripes
#18. There were 17 offsides called [should have been more]
#19. Caleb
#20. Marisa, Mac & Eli made up the original 180's. [Tom dubbed them the 180's because he said their combined weight was about 180 lbs!]
#21. BLACK "Always bet on black!"

Hope you had as much fun remembering these as I did compiling them. Look for more in the future as the memories keep piling up!

GO SODIUM!

United Cup Bracket & Schedule

OK folks, below is Sodium's United Cup schedule. If this doesn't make you shake with excitement then you better make sure you have a pulse! Not only is this bracket winnable, in my opinion, none of the games should be close with the talent we are putting on the field this season.

The Schedule

Friday 6/26 - 9am Sherwood Farce vs. THUSC Sodium @ Powerlines
During state cup their coach scouted us for several games. We ended up in a tie and winning on PK's. Not this year. Let the coach scout us all he wants. There will be no stopping the lady warriors this time.

Saturday 6/27 - 10:30am PCU Impact vs. THUSC Sodium @ Powerlines
PCU has never been a problem for Sodium and it will not be any different this year.

Saturday 6/27 - 6:00pm THUSC Sodium vs. Clackamas Elite @ Powerlines
Clackamas is not in the same league in anyone's mind.

Sunday 6/28 - 11:00am THUSC Sodium vs. Southside Hotspud @ Beaverton HS
Revenge is best served cold. For 57 days the thought of the loss in the quarters has been boiling in Sodium. Today will be the day to let it out. We took their U15 team, now it's time to inflict some pain, payback time. If any, and I mean ANY Sodium player isn't as jacked up for this game as they would be for a championship match, they shouldn't be on the field. Let the bodies hit the turf!

Sunday 6/28 - 3:00pm Semi Final #1 Winner vs. Semi Final #2 Winner @ Rec Center
See you there.

The Rules
2 - 25 minute halves
Point system breakdown;
6 - Win
3 - Tie
0 - Loss
1 - Shut Out
1 - Every goal scored up to 3

Max 10 points/game

Notes from the Sidelines:
United Cup is OUR tournament lady warriors. Sponsored by United, played in our house. This is our chance to showcase our talents and let the other teams know what they are in for this season. If we can come out hot and dominate like I know we can, we should send a pretty strong message. You will notice there is no FC Portland, WSM Strikers, ESU Arsenal or LOSC this year. We know why LOSC isn't here but the rest? I am wondering if they all may be hanging back a little to see what shakes out. I think we will all get a good taste of what's in store soon enough. In the mean time, go out and give it your all, Sodium Style and let the shots fall where they may. Best of luck Sodium!

From the sidelines the faithful scream; GO SODIUM!

Regionals Update

Day 1 Results
LO Extreme beat Nevada 3-0 in day 1 action.
In 35 mph winds Extreme overcame a 0-0 first half to jam in 3 unanswered goals.

Up next today at 10:00am is West Coast FC [Bailey & Beth's "sister" team]. WCFC promises, by the twins and their dad, to serve up a severe beating on the unsuspecting LO team. Ha Ha Ha! - like Sodium has always said, it's always a good day when you beat LO!

Day 2 Results
In a surprise moment, LOSC ties WCFC 1-1! That's why we play the game folks!

Day 3 Results
LOSC Loses to a tough UT team 2-0 but advances to quarter final round on 6/19 against undefeated Boise Nationals Blast. Stay tuned for more results.

I am privileged enough to get a 'sneak peak' at the US Club Regionals bracket. I will post a little 'Pre-Party' release this afternoon with commentary [of course!].

GO SODIUM!

Sodium Players Earn Regional Spots

Congratulations to the following players for exhibiting outstanding play and earning a spot on the 2009-2010 Regional ODP squad.

95's
KJ
Emmy Owens (Alternate)

96's
Lexi Frey
Jadyn McMillan
Andrea Theriau
Taylor Moscoe (Alternate)

Way to go lady warriors! Just goes to show you how far and wide Sodium's influence really reaches.

We wish you the best of luck in representing Region IV.

GO SODIUM!

Just for fun.... :P

Thank you loyal followers of Sodium. I was looking back over the last couple years since I started blogging for the team and uncovered a couple tidbits I thought I would share;

# of hits - The first blog dedicated to the U12 team that won their second State Championship and went to Regionals, racked up a total just shy of 1600 hits [views].
Last years blog, for the U13 squad, racked up almost 7400 hits!
This year for the U14 team we have over 700 hits and haven't had United Cup yet! My goal is 10K hits! Thanks everyone who reads my words of wisdom and whimsy! [first time I have ever used the word whimsy in a blog post!]

Sodium Trivia! Yes, since I was re-reading all the past posts I thought I would pull some fun facts and let the loyal followers see if they REALLY know their favorite team.

Ready? OK, here we go!

1. U11 - Who was voted MVP of the championship game for her outstanding play?


2. U12 - Who scored 2 goals in the State Cup finals?


3. U11 - What number was Bailey?


4. U12 - Who was second leading scorer?


5. U12 - What month did Sodium go without a victory?


6. U13 - What tournament[s] did Sodium win that year?


7. U13 - Can you name the 4 guest players Sodium took to Surf Cup?


8. U12 - Who scored the first goal in State Cup and who was it against?


9. U12 - What was the title of the very first blog post?


10. U12 - On August 4th, 2007 Sodium set a milestone, what was it?


11. U12 - What State Championship team did not make Gold Bracket in 2007?


12. All - Has Sodium ever beaten Oregon Rush '95 Nike?


13. U12 - Which member of the US Women's National Team did Sodium meet?


14. U12 - How many goals did the combined Sodium teams score in the OSU Indoor Tournament?


15. U12 & U13 - Which team has been runner up the last 2 years?


16. U12 - Who did Sodium beat in Regionals that year?


17. U14 - What colors are the new Sodium uniforms?


18. U13 - In the Oswego Cup Sodium played WSA Crush. How many off-sides were called?


19. All - Erika's little brother's name is...?


20. U13 - Which players comprise "The 180's"?


21. All - What is Sodium's favorite color?

Phew, that's enough for now. I will post the answers in 7 days.

With our thinking caps on we yell: GO SODIUM!

Sayings

I am always looking for sayings, either motivational or inspirational. I found a couple this weekend that I would like to share;

"It's being strong enough to get up and go. It's the courage to get back up after they were sure they put you away for good. It's all you."

"Behind the practice, the coaches, the teammates and the fans is that little girl who scored her first goal, fell in love with the game and never looked back."

"Why are my legs bruised, my knees sore and my nails broken? I won the 50/50, beat the defender and went for all the glory..."

"If the game was easy, I wouldn't play. 18 warriors, 100% effort, 90 minutes. What do I love? I love to play soccer."

"It's never about being the best. It's about dedication. Just because I deserve it, doesn't mean they're going to hand it to me. I have to take it."

I think this last one really sets the theme for this years squad. This season is yours for the taking lady warriors. The dedication you show, the work you put in, the sacrifices you make will be returned on the field tenfold. The time is now to start developing as a team. Forming the bonds that will be strengthened throughout the season, the knowledge that, as you go into battle, the player next to you will have your back and be willing to sacrifice everything for the team.

GO SODIUM!

Important Club News

The following contains excerpts from an email sent out June 3rd.

Tryouts:
Tryouts were a huge success this year. Our Club grew by over 20 players just in the U10-U14 age group. We expect the high school age groups to grow as well when try outs occur in August. Adding 20 players may not seem like a huge jump, but for several years soccer player numbers have been flat or declining. So, an increase like we had is very unusual. I would be curious to find out numbers from some neighboring clubs. Great job to everyone for getting the word out about our excellent Club! It truly shows we Believe in United!

On the field:
Your coaching staff continues to improve and accomplish bigger and better things. Several coaches, including our own Niki Brooks, just completed their USSF National “C” license. This class entails a grueling classroom and field educational process followed by an exam. Fortunately for all coaches in the northwest, our own Janine Szpara was recently licensed to teach this course. (a 2 week classroom/field class to obtain this authorization in addition to holding a USSF National “A” license) Janine’s instruction provided a huge boost to our own coaches.

Locally:
Many coaches have been secured by the Oregon Olympic Development Program (ODP)to train the best players in the state. Congratulations to Laura Schott, Rochelle Hearns, Adam Leyland and Floyd Rocker.

Regionally:
4 THUSC coaches are training the Regional ODP athletes. These players are the best in the West and demand the best coaching. Janine Szpara, Tom Atencio, Adam Leyland and Laura Schott top the list of Regional ODP coaches. Obviously, our coaches are fantastic and the rest of the west coast is starting to see this.

Nationally:
Tom Atencio has recently secured a prestigious post on the US Club Soccer Board of Directors. This is a national governing body of youth soccer. The selection process for this Board of Directors is arduous. Tom deserves huge accolades for this accomplishment. He will be making decisions which impact soccer across the United States. Again, great job, Tom!

From the sidelines:
It is very apparent that THUSC has emerged as the Premier club in Oregon and one of the top in Region 4. We should feel very blessed to have these top level, quality coaches on our staff who believe in the program, the players, the club. They could have landed at any other club, but they chose THUSC because they saw potential. Potential for greatness. And with the huge accomplishments listed above we are well on our way. I know that other clubs & players will be taking notice of this. [And they should be]

Sodium - You should be proud of your coach and make sure you tell him so. His accomplishments are no small task, aren't handed out and don't occur overnight. He has worked long and hard to reach these goals, much the same way he expects you to push yourself, to set goals and to far exceed them. So next time you take the field of battle, feel proud to be a part of greatness. Be confident of the decisions made and know that you have an exceptional team watching your back.

Proudly we yell; Go Tom! Go United! GO SODIUM!

Schedule Update

No games on 6/6 or 6/7 as was previously announced. Remember lady warriors, it's what you do in your off time that makes you great. No bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos in front of the boob tube watching Secret Life of an American Teenager or spending countless hours in at the computer on MySpace. Go for a run, work on your green sheets, footwork or work on the skill sets sent out by coach Tom.

It's what is done unseen that will propel this team to greatness and beyond.

While choking on a Krispy Kreme I'll be yelling; GO SODIUM!