Guilford College Men's Soccer

@ Covenant College 9-17-2011

2011-10-06T16:13:42-04:00

After a hefty bus ride to Tennessee the whole team was ready to find their hotel room and get some much needed sleep. After waking up around 9 am and enjoying the breakfast provided by the hotel we hopped on the bus and started our ride up the side of the Appalachian Mountains. Although the scenery was beautiful, as we could see what felt like all of Tennessee, we kept our mind on our task at hand, which was to play successful soccer and further solidify our team chemistry. We knew the whole weekend was going to be a test of our skill and mental strength as we were in line to play two very good teams. We arrived on the campus at Covenant College and you could easily see the whole team was in game mode. The field was flawless and the weather matched as we started our warm-up. After a crisp warm-up coach brought us in and we discussed the game plan and saw the starters walk out onto the field for the kick off.

At 1 p.m. sharp the game was underway. Both teams took a few minutes to settle into the game, but gradually the ball started to move more fluidly and Guilford began to find success through our wide players. However, against the run of play, a through ball was sent in behind our defense to a Covenant forward clearly three yards offside. The linesman, however, decided it was not offside and the forward found the back of the net. Outcries from the sideline could be heard throughout the mountains, as we thought it was obvious, but assistant coach Zane Campbell made sure to keep us cool, calm and collected. Guilford continued to move the ball around well, but had a difficult time finding the final ball into goal scoring positions in the first half.

After a motivating half time speech, we were more than ready to start the second half. We knew we could get in behind Covenant and capitalize, but had to be patient in doing so. The second half did not start out exactly how we had planned as Covenant found the back of the net on a great strike by their forward. We knew it was going to be an uphill battle after this set back, but kept our composure and began to fight back. We saw most of the play throughout the second half, but the ball just wouldn’t find the goal. It seemed that we couldn’t even buy a break, until we finally scored a goal as Freddy Gomez dribbled into the box and sent a cross into the box, which was directed in by one of the Covenant defenders, although Drew Gunter, being one of our top finishers of the ball, was recorded as saying “I would have scored that one with my eyes closed if the defender didn’t touch it.”. But we will never know if this would have been the case. After the goal, we felt even more determination to get an equalizer as we continually found success on the wing. Our outside mids did a great job of providing services into the box creating goal scoring chances, but it wasn’t meant to be as the whistle blew signifying the end of the game. It was a tough loss, but we knew we had to shake it off and get back up on our feet for a tough game against Emory the following day.

Richard Page Jr. #10

A View From Coach Bateson

2011-10-06T15:49:50-04:00

Hello-

It's been too long since I've written you all. I always (plan to) sit down each Monday and email a recap of the week...then life gets in the way!! Perhaps this time it's a good thing, though. I think if I had recapped the past weeks separately I would have missed seeing who this team is really becoming and what we were (perhaps) missing early in the season. And by that I mean...

...Lynchburg (L 0-1)
As you may have heard, this was a pretty crazy game. Each team had a player and an assistant coach sent off in the second half. Both teams had plenty of chances to score - LC's keeper actually took 3 goals away from us on great saves (in my opinion). Although I felt we actually played well and the game was a good one (at least entertaining to watch) I feel like we were missing some"thing"...

...Greensboro (T 2-2)
This was a strange game to play in my opinion. The timing of the game was not good as it was played in the middle of the ODAC schedule, which makes it tough since it doesn't "count" for anything. However, it is an in-city rivalry and many of the players know each other quite well. Greensboro has a new coach and he has transformed them into an entirely different team than they have been the past couple of seasons. We gave up a rebound/bobbled goal early in the game, but responded by possessing well around them and having a number of good chances to level the game.
At half time we talked about how we played well and that I wasn't concerned about their play/abilities. We spoke about what it takes to accomplish your goals. We spoke about finding that "thing" that makes separated good teams from great ones.
We went down 2-0 with about 25 minutes to play and, at that point, we began to fight back. In the past perhaps we put our head's down and let the time tick off the clock. However, a couple of subs came on and gave us the energy necessary to level the game at 2-2 by the time regulation time had expired. In OT I feel we should have won it with a couple of great chances on goal. Although we were dangerous and "could have won", we came closer to finding out who were needed to become. I at this point I think the team began feeling some"thing" different than they have in the past...

...Randolph-Macon (W 3-1)
(We actually scored all four goals in this game!) This was the first game that I felt a team was able to out-possess us for longer periods of time in a game. What I was impressed with from the players was that they didn't get nervous, upset, etc about it. They stayed in good team shape and good spirits about how we were playing. (Maturity?) With that being said, we made a couple of changes in the first half to give us more pace out wide so we could try to get in behind their OB's and push their backs/team further into their end. We did the same thing to start the second half and it worked well. 20 minutes into the second half we entered our starting four forwards/middies and they made the game 3-0 very quickly after entering. With 10 minutes left 6-7 players who have worked very hard throughout the year but haven't played much in games got their chance to close out the game. Unfortunately R-M was able to keep the ball deep in our end for the first few minutes that they were in and we gave up an own-goal to make the score 3-1. Nervous? I was a bit, but the players gathered themselves nicely and close the game out with grit and determination...some"thing" we've been searching for..?

...VWC (W 2-0)
That "thing" we've been talking about and searching for came through in full effect on this night. The field was soggy, sponge-like grass, which is not something we're used to and it certainly affected the way we usually like to play. VWC is a talented team going forward and we were strong enough and mature enough to absorb their attack but not allow (m)any easy chances on goal. We finally found a goal from a corner kick - the first one I can remember in quite a while. We also scored a great goal with 1 second remaining in the half that deflated VWC's thoughts of getting back in the game. Although they came out hard at us in the second half, the entire team dug deep down and played with true heart and determination...that "thing" we've been needing. It wasn't our best game of the season, but it may prove to be our most important (up to this point).
I asked the team before the R-M game to think about why they are playing. What drives them to be on the field? What makes them practice everyday and strive to compete? Although they all love to play and compete, I wanted them to find out what actually made them want to win, to be better, to not allow the other team to beat us...that feeling inside every champion...every person who really wants to accomplish something special. I think we found that at VWC. Now I hope they can find it again tomorrow versus EMU...and every game from here on out.

Guilford @ Lynchburg

2011-09-28T11:23:52-04:00

By: Tamer EL-Amoor #17

I want to start off this week’s recap by going back a few days before the Lynchburg game. The practices were crisp and competitive. There was a fire in the chests of all the players. We wanted this game, and we knew what was at stake. We were to play a conference rival and the defending national runner-ups.

The day of the game we departed at approximately 3:15 pm. The bus was ride was to be about 2 hours long. The trip was silent. All was focused; every player from the youngest to the oldest. We were all dialed in. We arrived safely in Lynchburg, dressed, warmed up, and the battle began.

The first half was a hard fought match. It was physical, fast, and attractive. Both teams were playing well, and it seemed that both teams had done an excellent job on scouting reports. Early on both teams were very conservative in their approaches, but as the half got moving both teams got more ambitious. Both teams were getting great opportunities, but none willing to yield that ever-precious goal. The environment was very hostile. The fans had our names and were saying things that were inappropriate at times and actually funny at times. Regardless, we tried our best to zone them out. Within the game the verbal environment was not any better.

The second half started routinely, but within the first few minutes of the second half the shenanigans began. First of all our opponents continued to pressure forward and get us out of our game plan. Secondly the referee made some questionable call that, in my opinion, should have been no calls. This lead to a handball penalty, which the Lynchburg player (#13) launched over the goal. The ball never lies! The score remained zero-zero.

Minutes later Lynchburg player (#5) provoked Tamer El-Amoor (#17) into an on field confrontation which resulted in both players being sent off with red cards and a Lynchburg Assistant Coach to be sent off with a red as well. The match continued to be very heated with both sides getting opportunities. Unfortunately Lynchburg played a good ball down the line which (LC#9) crossed into the box for (LC#29) to get a foot onto and give defending runner-ups a one-goal lead. We would push on for the rest of the half getting some good opportunities by Ronnie (#12) and Gomez (#7). We also had a great work rate by all our players. The midfield was run by our distributer Richard Page (#10), and the backline along with our keeper did very well. Before the half ended our assistant coach Zane Campbell got a red card for his discussion about Lynchburg player’s dangerous play on Guilford Soccer players. It was a hard fought match, and there was no shame in our loss. We played like men, and we played for each other and our community.

Guilford v. Berry

2011-09-20T21:30:23-04:00

The Berry College game was truly a game of two halves. I’m not sure if it was the tedious bench moving and picture taking we had to show up a hour early for, or the unfortunate event of the team not being able to see Zane’s pump-up video, but we did not start the game to our expectations. We were not pressing Berry as we should have been or playing to our strengths offensively, as coach said “we weren’t playing within the system”. Due to this, unfortunately in the 36’ minute we found ourselves trailing 1-0. Even though the referee missed an obvious handball, which Drew “BigDawg” Gunter made sure the referee was aware of. The half ended with us still trailing Berry College 1-0.

At half we were defiantly a little down due to our performance, but coach reassured us the game was far from over “You lost the first half... now go win the second!”. We took to the field with a new load of confidence and did just that. We were spreading them out and getting great balls in behind their defense. In the 51’ minute Ronnie “Torta” Castellanos played a perfect driven ball into Freddy “Chica” Gomez who’s excellent one touch goal was his third of the season. We were really on top of Berry putting a lot of pressure on their back’s when the pressure and energy paid off. Ronnie and the Berry keeper were in a full out sprint to a loose 50/50 ball inside of Berry’s 18’. Due to the pressure of Ronnie the ball squirted out to Greg “Old Man” Carnovale who was in the right place at the right time to pass the ball into the goal for the game-winner. Even though Greg’s slow rolling shot/pass put us all on tilt wondering if it was ever going to go in, he reassured us after “You just got to trust me! I knew what I was doing!” With our second win of the season over a solid Berry side we are on our way towards our season goals as a team.

Justin Torrence Jr. #16

Berry (9-11) through Emory (9-18)

2011-09-20T11:09:41-04:00

(Coach Bateson's weekly comments/email to the Soccer Parents. Recent updates from the players will be posted shortly.)

Hey all-
I realized last night that I did not send you all an email last week...I'm really sorry! I hope everything is well on your end of things. I'll try to recap as best I can everything going on here on campus / with the team.

So, since I last emailed we've played four games - Berry (GA), Emory & Henry (VA), Covenant (GA) and Emory (GA). I'm sure you all know the results, but here's what we've been talking about here.

Berry - We had a bit of a slow start to the game. Perhaps it was the fact that it was a Sunday afternoon game, perhaps it was because it was pretty hot on the turf, or maybe it was because we had team pictures right before the game. Whatever the reason, we started slower than we wanted. Berry was able to get a goal 1/2 way through the first half (hand ball?!!? - I think so). We did our best to get even before 1/2 time, but we unsuccessful in doing so. Fr the most part, we weren't following the game plan as written before the game. With a reiteration of what needed to be done, we played a much better second half, spreading them out and getting in behind the defense. 2 second half goals by Freddy Gomez and Greg Carnovale brought us home a 2-0 win over a very good Berry team. After the game, the players and parents in attendance feasted on quite a lot of food - I know the players enjoyed it as they talked about it for a couple of days after. THANKS to all of you that were able to help put this together. (W 2-1)

Emory & Henry - They were a better team than they have been in the past. They were certainly better than the scouting reports I was given. And they deserved to win the game on the night. That being said, we didn't just give in. However, we didn't do what was asked from the beginning and had to play catch-up for the rest of the game. Unfortunately we weren't able to catch up with either clock or Emory & Henry. (L 1-2)

Convenant - The goals for the weekend trip to GA were: Successful Soccer & Tea Camaraderie. First, the first...although we did not come away with the win against Covenant, I believe we played pretty good soccer. Their first goal was unlucky for us as the player was definitely and obviously offside. But those tings happen, and you keep playing the game. The second was our mistake for not clearing the ball properly. So - to explain why I thought we still played successful soccer - being down 2-0 early in the second 1/2, the team didn't panic. We didn't just heave the ball in over top and try to play long ball. We still continued to play on the ground and keep the ball. We did, however, make attacking the end line and the goal more important in the final 40 minutes. We got a great service across the goal by Freddy Gomez that ended up deflecting off a Covenant player for our (own) goal. We had 2 excellent opportunities on corners late in the game that said just over and wide of the goal...just one of those would have given us (a deserved?) tie.

Second, the team comaraderie component was made a success by two different things. 1, we held a roommate draft on the bus for rooming assignments. The seniors were room captains and were able to draft who they wanted for their roommates in the hotel that night. I have to say, if I ever need a GM for a draft, I may have to give Chris Matteo a call...2, we had dinner at the Olive Garden Saturday night. I asked that the players put their cell phones away for dinner and actually talk to each other. MOST did a good job, but the freshman group got a little shakey toward the end of dinner. It was only after dinner that many of the players realized that their texts and Facebook accounts didn't go away for the hour during dinner. I was fun to see how much fun the players had with each other at dinner...and a bit disturbing (I have to say) as to how much they ate - never ending pasta bowls...WOW). I also NEED to say THANK YOU to the parents who were able to send their support for dinner that night. I - and the players - REALLY APPRECIATE the support.

Emory - We played a very good and solid first 1/2. We were both dangerous in their end and good in our end during the first 1/2. Peter Truitt made 2 excellent saves in the first, keeping the score tied at 0-0. In the second 1/2 we changed our game plan a bit and decided we needed to stretch them out a bit. We spent the first 15-20 minutes looking to play fairly direct, making the CB's and MF's move further into their end. Thankfully, with excellent play from our players, it worked. We scored 3 very good goals within the final 30 minutes of the game, giving us our first-ever win against Emory - a historically excellent program. The Successful Soccer and Team Comaraderie came through in superb fashion during the game, hopefully spurning us forward into ODAC play this weekend.

Lynchburg this weekend at their place. I'm sure Lynchburg will be ready to see us as they feel they owe us from last year...we beat them late in the season to ruin their perfect ODAC run. It's always a great atmosphere there...hope many of you can make it.

-Jeff

Guilford vs. NC Wesleyan

2011-09-12T15:03:59-04:00

After returning from Georgia, we had two days to prepare for what is historically one of the most difficult games of the season. I am a senior and I remember all too well the times we had been blown out by a very strong NC Wesleyan side only two and three seasons before. It had been closer last season, but up until this point Guilford had lost all recent Men’s Soccer matches against NC Wesleyan.
When the two teams took the field the atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying. There were many fans, both family of players, and students of Guilford College, who came out to support our efforts in this first home match. From early on the match was a back-and-forth struggle. Wesleyan had many tall players, and they won nearly everything in the air. We however, controlled the game when we kept the ball on the pitch and created some very good early chances in the first half. However, the score was still level at 0-0 when the first half ended. When the second half began, we still seemed to have the upper hand as far as possession and chances on goal were concerned but we couldn’t seem to find the net past an on-form NC Wesleyan goalkeeper that must have been having the game of his life that night. Speaking of goalkeepers I have to mention that Peter Truitt, the starting keeper for Guilford, also played an amazing game with big saves throughout the game that kept us level with an increasingly aggressive and assertive Wesleyan side. The most notable save being the one he made very late in the game to stop a very powerful and well placed shot by launching himself into the air and tipping the ball out far enough that it bounced away off the post of the goal.
The second half also ended 0-0 and two ten minute periods of overtime were played. The overtime periods were fast paced and exciting but both teams were too desperate for a goal to really think and try to possess the ball so it ended up being a back and forth battle where both teams were trying to counterattack as the other lost the ball. There were still no goals, and the game ended in a draw.
The entire team played very well during this game with terrific efforts all around the field. We created chances, which is very encouraging, but we failed to put them away and that is something we will make sure to address and fix before our next game.

By: Ethan Byrd (Sr., #5)

THE 2011 SEASON IS UNDERWAY! Guilford v. Oglethorp (9-3-11)

2011-09-06T12:21:51-04:00

We begin our player-written season re-caps with our elder states-man on the team, Greg Carnovale. Greg is in his final year and showing tremendous leadership so far this season. If everyone had his passion and enthusiasm the world would be a much happier (and chattier) place! Without further ado...

After finishing up an intense and successful preseason, with all the players putting in maximum effort, we were all ready to get the highly anticipated season under way against Oglethorpe College. We departed from Guilford at 8am, ready to get the five hour bus drive out of the way, so we could play our opening game of the season.
Before getting off the bus Coach wanted to start off the season well by giving us a pre-game talk that would even pump the average fan up. The talk was centered around getting mentally focused and thinking about what your individual job is on the field. Coach then gave out the starting line up and had us begin our pre-game warm up which went well as we got more anxious to get on the pitch and start the game.
We had no scouting report on Oglethorpe, and we didn’t care. All we cared about was playing our game and getting the win. After the pregame talk and warm-up was over we began our long anticipated start to what we hope is going to be a very successful season. The whistle blew and we were under way.
We started out in 4-1-3-2 formation, and we came out guns-a-blazen. The momentum was strongly with us in the first fifteen minutes, but being that Oglethorpe was strong and big, and we were more technical and faster, it was a fairly evenly played first half. At halftime Coach was satisfied at the collective effort the team was putting out on and off the field. We started the second half the same way we came on the first half.
The second half started with high pressure from both teams, but Oglethorpe managed to sneak the first goal in about 10 minutes in the second half. We quickly responded when we earned a free-kick on top of the eighteen. One of the best free-kick takers on the team, “Fredino” Gomez, confidently stepped up and buried the ball in the back of the net to tie the game up at 1-1. After we tied the game up, both teams began to feel the pressure and pick the speed of play up tremendously. With twenty minutes left in the game a soft foul was called at the top of the eighteen against us, which resulted in a free-kick goal from Oglethorpe. We refused to the let the game go, and did not drop our heads like in years past. We fought to get the passion back in our favor until the final whistle blew. However, unfortunately the end result did not go our way.
We were upset with the final result of the game, but knew that we didn’t lose from lack of effort. Coach spoke to us post game and told us he was happy with the over all effort we put in, and told us not to hang our heads low because Oglethorpe was a good team. He went on to explain that they were going to be one of the better teams we were going to face and if we continuously brought that kind of effort to the field every game we were going to be very successful. We headed back to the hotel, and were already focused on our next opponent and how we were going to beat them.

Sincerely,
Greg Carnovale #23 (Sr, Captain)

Guilford v Roanoke - as told by special guest, alumnus Patrick Childs

2010-10-21T08:53:15-04:00

Tuesday night's game against Roanoke College was like a golf shot I once had. Excited to reach the green from 180 yards out, I lined up my shot, gripped my club, licked my lips and grinded my teeth. I swung my club 100 miles per hour, but instead of hitting the ball I hit the soil beneath the ball causing a thick patch of grass to lift from the ground it was planted in.

The patch of grass went further than the ball. After yelling profanity, I looked down at where the ball had sat to find a divot in the rough.

Tuesday was a divot of a day.

I walked onto the bus at Guilford excited to be back with the team. I played three years of soccer at Guilford before graduating this past May. This year, I made the move from the field to the broadcasting booth. The best part of my week this fall has been broadcasting the Quakers games on the Guilford Quaker Network.

I was pleasantly surprised when I walked on the bus to see the smiling face of Henry Cordiel. Henry, a fellow graduate and alumni soccer player made the trip with the team. Henry was one of the team captains from a year ago and is one of the most energetic and emotional players I ever played by. I was lucky to have Henry agree to join me in the broadcasting booth to give expert analysis.

Emotion and determination filled the team's 32 faces before the game. This was a Quaker team that was seeking its sixth win of the season in the ODAC - the most since the 2004 team that finished with a 6-2-3 conference record. To earn their sixth win and a second place position in the ODAC standings, the Quakers needed to topple the number two team Roanoke.

The Quakers came out slow against the Maroons, but escaped the first half with a 0-0 score thanks to the Quaker Quick Defense, anchored by rookie goalkeeper Marko Mandalinic. Mandalinic blocked a breakaway shot, and handled the Maroon crossing attack by playing quick off his line.

In the first half the Quakers struggled to get the ball by the organized and fast Maroon defense that has allowed only 10 goals in their first 17 games this season. The dominant Maroon defense continued their surge in the second half.

Within the first five minutes of the second half the Maroons snuck their first goal past Mandalinic off a corner kick. Maroon defender Michael Stark buried a blast of a shot in the top shelf of the near post to give the Maroons a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes following the first goal, the Maroons caught the Quaker defense off guard when defender Jason Ryan made a sneaky run to the corner of the Quaker 18-yard box. The senior received the cross, took a touch and ripped a shot far post, past the diving Mandalinic.

In the remaining 30 minutes, the Quakers matched the play of the Maroons and created chances that challenged the Roanoke defense. But the Maroon defense held strong and stopped late chances by the Untouchable Freddie Gomez, and Jordando - Jordan Alexander.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 2-0 in favor of the Maroons. The loss to Roanoke is a short hiccup in the 2010 season. The Quakers are never willing to lose, but they are willing to learn from their mistakes. I see this game as a learning experience for the Quakers as they approach the ODAC tournament.

As I said in the Hilton Garden Inn Pre-Game Show, all signs pointed to this game being a fall classic. The chilly fall breeze at Donald J. Kerr Stadium carried the soft smell of fall that pairs perfect with soccer. Everything about Tuesday night had a fall, October feel - even the bus ride home.

In a far-from-familiar town in the spooky mountains of Virginia, our grumpy, old bus driver took a wrong turn off the main road onto a narrow, dark, winding road. Half of the team was convinced that the hills had eyes when the driver drove the bus into a steep slant of the mountain, and wedged the bus into the pavement of the road. The bus was stuck.

Some players believed that we were all characters in a scary movie, others planned escape strategies in case of an encounter with a bear, and a few of us considered the idea of the entire team manually pushing the bus out the pavement.

In case we didn't come out of this incident alive, Freddie Gomez captured everybody's last words on Josh Berry's video camera in a goofy documentary-style film that captured Michael Robles weeping (typical freshman).

Good thing a tow-truck came and dragged us out of the wedge because the documentary would have showed some reputation-damaging sides of many of the players. Also, if the truck couldn't pull us out, we would have had to walk a mile through the haunted hills to a place where another bus could find us.

After the truck straightened the bus out, almost all 38 passengers checked out the large divot in the road that the muffler of the bus made. A chunk of pavement lied next to it.

There is no question that Tuesday was the day of the divot. Sometimes the excitement of succeeding serves as a distraction from ones strategy.

I see the Quakers taking what they learned from their loss to Roanoke and bouncing back strong in their next two games at home against Virginia Wesleyan and Lynchburg. This ODAC-title bound team are about to turn many heads in the ODAC.

Make sure you watch and listen to the Quakers on Saturday at 3 p.m. and next Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the Guilford Quaker Network.

Guilford College v. Bridgewater 10-16-10

2010-10-21T08:49:33-04:00

On a windy Saturday afternoon the men's soccer team made its way onto Bridgewater's campus anxious to improve on its current three game win streak. On a beautiful natural field the ref signaled for the start of the match with both teams trying to find their collective feet during the first few minutes.

It was not long, though, before Bridgewater's goalkeeper was collecting the ball from the back of his net as Gregorio Carnovale sprinted down the right wing and sent a delightful cross onto the foot of Ethan Byrd who made no mistake in finding the top right hand corner. A mere five minutes later the Quakers went up again thanks to a brilliant strike from the golden-footed Richard Page.

After Jordan Alexander forced a corner, Freddy Gomez quickly took advantage of Bridgewater's defensive disorganization and slipped a short corner to Page who sent a ferocious shot far post, leaving the opposing keeper on the ground and confused.

With a two goal lead the Quakers began to find their rhythm, looking the far more dangerous of the two teams. The Eagles were able to scrape together a few chances, but nothing more than the occasional long-range shot. In the 25th minute Jordan Alexander made sure to squash any remaining hopes for Bridgewater.

Once again the tireless Gregorio Carnovale was involved as he ran down the flank, cutting the ball back at the end line for Jordan who, drawing upon his predatorial instincts, buried the ball in the back of the net. Jordan celebrated his goal by running to the sideline and embracing recently injured Ronnie Castellanos, showing the immense camaraderie of this year's team.

Three goals up Coach Bateson then showed unyielding confidence in his team by subbing all ten field players at once. Despite the subs, the tempo hardly changed. Guilford maintained a tight grip on the game, even scoring a fourth thanks to a cool finish by freshmen Josh Berry who benefited from assist master, Keirith Pinnock.

Half Time. Guilford 4, Bridgewater 0

The second half started in a very different fashion than the first and showed that in the ODAC nothing is predictable and no game can be taken for granted. Bridgewater pressured the Quakers who seemed to the think the game ended after the first 45.

After fifteen minutes Bridgewater scored with a superb strike from 20 yards out. The Eagles continued to push forward and should have scored a second were it not for Tamer El-Amor. Tamer took a lesson from Mr. Myagi and produced a flying karate-like kick to clear the ball from the goal line.

The second half continued much in the same fashion with Guilford lacking a certain spark but still managing to keep the ball out of the net. The game ended 4-1 and Guilford moved up to third in the ODAC, a position they haven't held in nearly a decade. Next up is second-place Roanoke and the chance to show the rest of the ODAC that this year's team is hardly an anomaly.

-Hugh Griffis, Jr

A fairly philosophical review of the Hampden-Sydney game.

2010-10-14T12:26:05-04:00

Guilford College hosted the Hampden- Sydney Tigers Wednesday night pulling off a dramatic win, leaving the Quakers with an 8-3-3 overall record and a 4-1-1 record in the O.D.A.C.

The game started after a passionate warm-up in which the only thing on the Quakers mind was to beat the team that was picked to win the conference. This energy then carried itself into the first fifteen minutes of the match which the Quakers spent predominately defending the Tigers. During this beginning fifteen minutes our top goal-scoring forwards, Jordan Alexander and Freddy Gomez - whom were playing the wing forwards - dropped back to help thwart the Tigers consistent onslaughts. This left junior captain Ethan Bird up top to lead the attack when the Quakers regained possession of the ball.

The Tigers had one great opportunity in the first fifteen minutes. A shot bounced off the lower left post causing the Guilford crowed to sigh in relief and the visiting Tiger fans to moan in vexation. But thanks to the great defending of a solid back line, the Tigers attempts were reprimanded for the entire first half. The back line consists of such players as Griffen Gilbert, another junior captain whom has a quick and an audible presence on the field; Tamer El- Amoor a strong and moxie player with a bank load of endurance; Drew Gunter a solid sweeper whom holds and maintains a Herculean authority when playing his position; and Jared Dapkevich a solid player whom has an impeccable touch and is always on the look for the best and smartest decision in where to distribute the ball. Last but not least Marko Mandalinic, a freshmen goalie, had many saves throughout the entire game and was the overall catalyst in insuring the Quakers late victory.

The Quakers finally had a break in the middle of the half. Sophomore Freddy Gomez was fouled in the box. The Quakers were awarded a penalty kick in which Freddy put away with no problem.

Towards the end of the first half, such players as Chris Matteo - a player whom started the game and has a shot so hard that it could easily take out half a city block - was subbed out as well as Jordan Alexander, Ethan Bird, Sean Dwyer, and later on Freddy Gomez in order to give them a bit of a respite before the second half. To compensate for their absence, head coach Jeff Batson subbed in Eto’O Kemda-Kemtsop, Michael Robles, Hugh Griffis, Amir Moore, Greg Carnovale, and later Josh Berry into the game. This group brought a strong presence, from Greg’s constant hustle to Eto’o’s alacrity to play and do a great job. The Quakers had an opportunity semi late in the half in which freshmen Josh Berry had a shot but was reprimanded by the Tiger goalkeeper. The ball kept bouncing and the attack was finally quashed by Amir Moore whom volleyed it left foot but hit the ball just a bit wide.

It is important to understand the energy and passion the new Guilford College freshmen present to the team when they come in and play. Although young they are all full of potential and as a soccer player I am happy to have them on the team and further see them develop.

At half time the Quaker Coach Bateson delivered a game plan, which helped the Quakers take the game in the second half. Coach stated, “You guys have seen their best soccer.” On this note the Quakers knew they had to pick the game up a notch and take the game to Hampden-Sydney, because in end sometimes a man has to take what he deserves, and that was the overall tone of the second half.

The Quakers started out the second half with relatively the same formation as when they started the game. Such players as Richard Page, whom played mostly the entire game, bring a constant energy and strength the team. A few ways to describe his playing style is that he takes command of situations, and his toughness would probably intimidate any U.F.C professional fighter as he brings a heroic feel to the squad with a never backing down mentality.

The Quakers started off stronger then they did the first half but they soon gave up a goal to the Tigers. The score was then tied at one and the Quakers knew they had to do something in order to take the game for themselves. After various shots and attempts by Richard Page, Freddy Gomez, and a breakaway shot by Amir (who hit the ball just a bit wide) the Quakers were then feeling a bit of pressure as the Tiger attack still kept coming. But scoring for the Quakers proved not the be a stymie as Amir Moore, off an assist from Michael Robles, scored the second goal sending it low into the right corner.

This goal was a symbol of all the hard work and effort the Quakers had put into the game and would not of happened if it weren’t due to the passion of the entire team. From the starting line-up, to the guys viewing the game from the bench, everyone had a say in that game. For as I would put it, a man’s worth is not measured from the accumulation of his successes, but his ability to transcend past adversity with a positive mindset. The Quakers were then able to deny the Tigers through the rest of the game and win 2-1 leaving them third in the O.D.A.C. standings with thirteen points.

-Amir Moore, So.