Dear Friends -
As the first days of the Hanover High School season come close, we will begin daily blogs with updated information about tryouts, preseason, and the school season ahead. I ask every player and parents to check the blog every day, in the morning. No more travel stories. The blog will be confined specifically to Hanover High soccer. We currently have 94 players registered through the Family ID program, most of these are complete and "cleared". Several players need to have physical examination results uploaded or turned in to the athletic office. No player can participate without a completed registration. Please contact the HHS Athletic Office with questions.
All players in all grades, trying out for any level of soccer, are invited to fitness testing on Sunday and tryouts beginning on Monday. There will be tryout opportunities for subvarsity players on August 26-27, but these will be more limited that usual due to the later start date for tryouts.
There will be registration and fitness testing on Sunday, August 18 at 6:00 p.m. at the high school. Players should wear training or running shoes. There will be no soccer and no soccer balls. We will met in the back parking lot near the running track. We are still working on the format for fitness testing, due to the ongoing work on the turf field. We will be done by 7:30 pm.
Tryouts for all levels will begin on Monday, August 19th at the Dresden Athletic Fields in Norwich. Players must be equipped with shin guards. Mouthpieces will not be required for the first three days, but all players must be prepared to use a mouthguard beginning on Thursday, and every player must provide his own mouthguard. HHS will not provide mouthguard this year. Players must bring plenty of drinking water. One 8-12 ounce bottle of water is not enough. Morning tryouts will be from 10:00 - Noon on Monday-Wednesday. Evening sessions for candidates will be from 5:00- 7:00 on Monday, and from 4:00 - 5:30 Tuesday and Wednesday.
There will be featured games every evening Monday-Wednesday. On Monday there will be two games at 6:00 - Juniors vs. Seniors and Freshmen vs. Sophomores. On Tuesday, we will host the Royal Grammar School from Newcastle, England, playing a squad of varsity-level players. Kickoff is at 6:00. Every Hanover player in the program is invited for a picnic supper after practice, just before kickoff. The Hanover and Newcastle players will have their supper after the game, washed down with the obligatory chocolate milk. The 30 or so Newcastle players will be staying with us for two nights, and we are still looking for hosts. The RSG requirements are for players to be housed in pairs. Please contact me if you are able to host.
On Wednesday morning, during tryouts, we will have a second game with the RGS and Hanover Varsity reserves, kicking off at 10:30. The Newcastle players will be on their own during the afternoon, and return to host families in the evening. The featured game at Dresden Wednesday evening will be the annual Alumni Game, kicking off at 6:00.
There will be tryouts continuing on Thursday and Friday morning only, from 10:00 - Noon. We will be sending Varsity and Varsity Reserve teams to Keene on Thursday and Friday for scrimmages.
The Thursday games will be at Keene State College at 7:00 and 8:00, departing HHS art 4:30. The games Friday will be at 4:00 and 5:00, departing at 2:30.
The Varsity team will be named Friday night at 8:00 p.m. The Varsity will train twice on Saturday, and a JV group will play in the West High School Jamboree. The Varsity will travel to Windridge on Sunday, August 25 at 2:00. All other teams will be off on Sunday.
Stay tuned for daily updates to the schedule. Please check the blog daily, and contact Coach Grabill with questions: coachgrabill@gmail.com
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Last Day in Ireland! Heading Home Monday
Today was the final day of our trip, and it was a wonderful culmination in many ways. I snuck out early and went to church in center city Galway at the 800-year old St. Nicholas Church, now Church of Ireland (Anglican). We had toured this amazing place as part of our walking tour earlier in the week, and I have visited it several times on earlier trips. The early Communion service was held in one of the small chapels, and attended by about 20. It was straight out of the Book of Common Prayer, and very nourishing for me. Afterwards, I chatted briefly with the Priest, Linda, who was headed to an 11:00 o'clock service at a parish in Connemara nearby. I confessed that I am an ordained minister and she smiled and said "I knew it". I had breakfast at a small local coffee shop, definitely not a tourist place. All the better. A bowl of porridge and the Irish Times, and I was good to go for the rest of the day.
Our first team function was a final meeting at 3:00. We looked back at the week, and Brian and Tom, our wonderful leaders, sought feedback from the players. This is Tom Johnson's 30th trip, and he is still seeking ways to do it better. Brian has been going on trips since 2005, and has been a great source of knowledge and inspiration for the boys. I kept a low profile all week, and was happy with my role as a go-fer. The boys will be tired of me soon enough.
We met Eric and his bus at 4:00 and drove to the nearby town of Salthill, a thriving resort community with one of the prettiest seashores in all of Ireland. Along more than a mile of sandy beach, there is a wide Promenade, with all sorts of restaurants, souvenir stores, arcades and big hotels. It's sort of like Hampton Beach with an Irish accent. At one end is the famous Diving Tower, an old but still very functional way to plunge into the frigid water from various heights. Around here, many locals do it year-round. We had a wonderful team dinner at McCabe's a local restaurant owned by a friend of Tom Johnson's. Everyone here is a friend of Tom Johnson's. He had arranged for tables in front of the huge television, and we arrived in time to watch the Premiership match between Manchester United and Chelsea. The Man. U. fans delighted in the 4-0 victory by the Red Devils. After the meal, we strolled on the Promenade and got gelato at The Creamery. We all love Morano Gelato, but the Creamery is pretty amazing. Then the boys walked to the end of a pier jutting out into Galway bay as the setting sun illuminated the amazing views of the highlands of The Burren across the way. Then it was time to file into the large auditorium of a huge amusement complex to watch Trad on The Prom, which is well-known as the #1 show in all of Ireland, according to Trip Advisor's ratings. The music and dancing lived up to the breathless advance billings. Performer after performer was introduced as world champion this and that. The pipes player, for instance, Martin Fahey, has done most of the composing for Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance". Many have been principals in Riverdance. I saw the show five years ago, and was thrilled to see how fresh and innovating this version was. Some of the younger performers are 18 and 19, and are absolutely fabulous. The show was fast-paced, energetic, and most of the audience spent most of the evening clapping, cheering and hooting. Earlier in the week we had immersed ourselves in Irish sports. This time, it was full immersion in Irish music. This also meant, of course, that we were listening to the precursor to bluegrass, which was started in Appalachia by Irish immigrants fleeing the famine 150 years ago. It was a wonderful way to strengthen our appreciation for this amazing place, so full of hospitality, talent and warmth.
Tomorrow we'll get up early, pack, and take the bus to Dublin to start our long journey home. We will take one night off from the blog, and then it's all business as we gear up for the coming Hanover High season. Mark your calendars for the week ahead: conditioning boot camp resumes on Tuesday and Thursday, and there is a Touchline 4 practice on Wednesday to prepare for the final summer soccer event, a four-team tournament at St. Johnsbury on Saturday. Whoops, I've already switched from Ireland to New Hampshire. Time to call it quits for now. Goodnight!
Our first team function was a final meeting at 3:00. We looked back at the week, and Brian and Tom, our wonderful leaders, sought feedback from the players. This is Tom Johnson's 30th trip, and he is still seeking ways to do it better. Brian has been going on trips since 2005, and has been a great source of knowledge and inspiration for the boys. I kept a low profile all week, and was happy with my role as a go-fer. The boys will be tired of me soon enough.
We met Eric and his bus at 4:00 and drove to the nearby town of Salthill, a thriving resort community with one of the prettiest seashores in all of Ireland. Along more than a mile of sandy beach, there is a wide Promenade, with all sorts of restaurants, souvenir stores, arcades and big hotels. It's sort of like Hampton Beach with an Irish accent. At one end is the famous Diving Tower, an old but still very functional way to plunge into the frigid water from various heights. Around here, many locals do it year-round. We had a wonderful team dinner at McCabe's a local restaurant owned by a friend of Tom Johnson's. Everyone here is a friend of Tom Johnson's. He had arranged for tables in front of the huge television, and we arrived in time to watch the Premiership match between Manchester United and Chelsea. The Man. U. fans delighted in the 4-0 victory by the Red Devils. After the meal, we strolled on the Promenade and got gelato at The Creamery. We all love Morano Gelato, but the Creamery is pretty amazing. Then the boys walked to the end of a pier jutting out into Galway bay as the setting sun illuminated the amazing views of the highlands of The Burren across the way. Then it was time to file into the large auditorium of a huge amusement complex to watch Trad on The Prom, which is well-known as the #1 show in all of Ireland, according to Trip Advisor's ratings. The music and dancing lived up to the breathless advance billings. Performer after performer was introduced as world champion this and that. The pipes player, for instance, Martin Fahey, has done most of the composing for Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance". Many have been principals in Riverdance. I saw the show five years ago, and was thrilled to see how fresh and innovating this version was. Some of the younger performers are 18 and 19, and are absolutely fabulous. The show was fast-paced, energetic, and most of the audience spent most of the evening clapping, cheering and hooting. Earlier in the week we had immersed ourselves in Irish sports. This time, it was full immersion in Irish music. This also meant, of course, that we were listening to the precursor to bluegrass, which was started in Appalachia by Irish immigrants fleeing the famine 150 years ago. It was a wonderful way to strengthen our appreciation for this amazing place, so full of hospitality, talent and warmth.
Tomorrow we'll get up early, pack, and take the bus to Dublin to start our long journey home. We will take one night off from the blog, and then it's all business as we gear up for the coming Hanover High season. Mark your calendars for the week ahead: conditioning boot camp resumes on Tuesday and Thursday, and there is a Touchline 4 practice on Wednesday to prepare for the final summer soccer event, a four-team tournament at St. Johnsbury on Saturday. Whoops, I've already switched from Ireland to New Hampshire. Time to call it quits for now. Goodnight!
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Hanover Surprises Salthill Devon 3-0; Unbeaten in Ireland
The premise of Hanover's trip to Ireland was for a bunch of players to get ready for the season ahead by playing better teams that would push them around and teach them valuable lessons, with a castle and a church or two thrown in for good measure. It's a formula that has worked in the past. Thus, rallying from two goals down to tie Corrib in the first match was a pleasant surprise. Coming back from a goal down in the second half to beat Mervue and earn a rare win was icing on the cake. Playing the Salthill Devon U16s, the defending Irish Cup holders, was supposed to be the toughest test. So it's fun to report that after being pushed all over the park in the first half, and with no subs left on the bench at the start of the second (lots of little nagging injuries, nothing major), Hanover scored three goals to earn an impressive win, and close the playing part of the trip with a flourish.
All week long, Salthill Devon has been hosting the Galway Cup, a major youth tournament on the European club calendar. Many international teams have participated every year, and the standard of play is very high. Five years ago, we lost ever match when we played in the U16 bracket. There is no older bracket this year, but we still felt part of things, living in Corrib Village at the University with many of the teams. On Saturday, we rolled into the parking lot at Dorm, the fabulous soccer facility owned by the club, just as the Championship matches were being played. We found a great vantage point on the second floor clubhouse, with huge glass windows overlooking the four immaculate full-sized pitches. It was raining lightly (have we mentioned that it rains a bit here?), but the quality of play was impressive. Then it got ridiculous. We watched an Irish U16 player take the opening kickoff of the second half and score directly. This was no parabolic moon shot, but a driven ball that dipped and sank and handcuffed the poor goalie. As they say on late-night tv, but wait! That's not all. Five minutes later, the same player his a perfect bike for his second goal in a short span and eighth goal of the tournament. This is not rec soccer. We got the word that we would be playing on Drom's fabulous, amazing, brand-new astroturf pitch. It's huge and beautiful, with no competing lines for other soon-to-be obsolete parochial American sports on it.
We warmed up and lined up and played most of the first half on our back feet, hosting off the skillful and strong Salthill lads. Our back four of Kyle Doucette, Judd Alexander, Dylan Kotlowitz and Tucker Monson were playing well in front of Andrew Enelow in goal, giving ground but not conceding and close range shots. Things got a little dicey when Monson and Tony Correa rolled their ankles and were lost for the rest of the match, but we made it to halftime with the match scoreless. We had mustered a few looks at goal, but had been clearly outplayed. There is a real risk in telling oneself "Oh, we're a second half team". That might work some of the time, but it's a dangerous habit to have to depend on giving ground and then rallying. Nevertheless, that's what happened. Hanover started the second half with more confidence and calm, and began stringing passes together. Ten minutes into the half, we seized a half chance and made the most of it. Play was stopped by the referee (switching balls, we think), and we were given a drop ball top restart. Charlie Adams, who can suss out the best way to gain an advantage in any sport played (having added hurling and Gaelic football to this list earlier in the week) quickly fed a through ball to Eli Stack, who raced ahead of the defense and beat the goalkeeper with a shot that rolled slowly toward the goal line. Just in case, Charlie caught up with the ball and pounded it into the net. The referee requested a VAR review, which confirmed that the ball had crossed the line nanoseconds before the well-intentioned poaching attempt, and Stack was awarded the goal. Predictably, Salthill pushed back, but by now the energy was on the size of the mason-clad visitors. Several stalwarts played valiantly in different positions. Mitchell Rowley gave a great account of himself at right back. Charlie Adams dropped to holding center mid, and Jack Gardner became a midfielder, flanked by the tireless Eric Ringer and Nathan Subrahmanian. Predictable, Hanover didn't sit back and play defense. With 15 minutes to play, Adams beat a defender on a run down the left side and went a ball into the box. Jack Gardner dummied perfectly, and a swooping Blake Palmer blasted the ball home with his nearly-forgotten left peg. A few minutes later, Eli Stack beat his defender to a through ball and was in along before being thwarted by a nice save by the Salthill goalkeeper. He would not be denied for long, subsequently racing free on the left flank and centering the ball to Palmer, who crashed it home for his second goal of the day and third of the tournament. Both teams played hard until the final whistle, and Kyle Doucette saved the shutout when he made a goal line save on a close in shot that resulted from Andrew Enelow making a rare error and spilling the ball from a corner kick. Enelow's clean sheet was well-deserved.
It was an exciting result for a crew of players that has come together all in a short time, and still managed to learn valuable lessons, despite not losing. On Sunday the team will rest, and after eating out at Malone's a favorite local restaurant and pub, that will hopefully have their TVs turned to the Man. U v. Chelsea match, we'll head to the big hotel in Salthill and enjoy the spectacular Trad on the Prom. You should google this show. It's all of the best traditional Irish musicians, with Riverdance principals, pipers, fiddlers, and much more. It's one of the most popular stage shows in Europe. We're lucky to be going. Then we'll head home and pack and begin the long flight home. Look for us at Midnight at the Dartmouth Coach depot in Lebanon if you want to have a parade or something.
Goodnight!
All week long, Salthill Devon has been hosting the Galway Cup, a major youth tournament on the European club calendar. Many international teams have participated every year, and the standard of play is very high. Five years ago, we lost ever match when we played in the U16 bracket. There is no older bracket this year, but we still felt part of things, living in Corrib Village at the University with many of the teams. On Saturday, we rolled into the parking lot at Dorm, the fabulous soccer facility owned by the club, just as the Championship matches were being played. We found a great vantage point on the second floor clubhouse, with huge glass windows overlooking the four immaculate full-sized pitches. It was raining lightly (have we mentioned that it rains a bit here?), but the quality of play was impressive. Then it got ridiculous. We watched an Irish U16 player take the opening kickoff of the second half and score directly. This was no parabolic moon shot, but a driven ball that dipped and sank and handcuffed the poor goalie. As they say on late-night tv, but wait! That's not all. Five minutes later, the same player his a perfect bike for his second goal in a short span and eighth goal of the tournament. This is not rec soccer. We got the word that we would be playing on Drom's fabulous, amazing, brand-new astroturf pitch. It's huge and beautiful, with no competing lines for other soon-to-be obsolete parochial American sports on it.
We warmed up and lined up and played most of the first half on our back feet, hosting off the skillful and strong Salthill lads. Our back four of Kyle Doucette, Judd Alexander, Dylan Kotlowitz and Tucker Monson were playing well in front of Andrew Enelow in goal, giving ground but not conceding and close range shots. Things got a little dicey when Monson and Tony Correa rolled their ankles and were lost for the rest of the match, but we made it to halftime with the match scoreless. We had mustered a few looks at goal, but had been clearly outplayed. There is a real risk in telling oneself "Oh, we're a second half team". That might work some of the time, but it's a dangerous habit to have to depend on giving ground and then rallying. Nevertheless, that's what happened. Hanover started the second half with more confidence and calm, and began stringing passes together. Ten minutes into the half, we seized a half chance and made the most of it. Play was stopped by the referee (switching balls, we think), and we were given a drop ball top restart. Charlie Adams, who can suss out the best way to gain an advantage in any sport played (having added hurling and Gaelic football to this list earlier in the week) quickly fed a through ball to Eli Stack, who raced ahead of the defense and beat the goalkeeper with a shot that rolled slowly toward the goal line. Just in case, Charlie caught up with the ball and pounded it into the net. The referee requested a VAR review, which confirmed that the ball had crossed the line nanoseconds before the well-intentioned poaching attempt, and Stack was awarded the goal. Predictably, Salthill pushed back, but by now the energy was on the size of the mason-clad visitors. Several stalwarts played valiantly in different positions. Mitchell Rowley gave a great account of himself at right back. Charlie Adams dropped to holding center mid, and Jack Gardner became a midfielder, flanked by the tireless Eric Ringer and Nathan Subrahmanian. Predictable, Hanover didn't sit back and play defense. With 15 minutes to play, Adams beat a defender on a run down the left side and went a ball into the box. Jack Gardner dummied perfectly, and a swooping Blake Palmer blasted the ball home with his nearly-forgotten left peg. A few minutes later, Eli Stack beat his defender to a through ball and was in along before being thwarted by a nice save by the Salthill goalkeeper. He would not be denied for long, subsequently racing free on the left flank and centering the ball to Palmer, who crashed it home for his second goal of the day and third of the tournament. Both teams played hard until the final whistle, and Kyle Doucette saved the shutout when he made a goal line save on a close in shot that resulted from Andrew Enelow making a rare error and spilling the ball from a corner kick. Enelow's clean sheet was well-deserved.
It was an exciting result for a crew of players that has come together all in a short time, and still managed to learn valuable lessons, despite not losing. On Sunday the team will rest, and after eating out at Malone's a favorite local restaurant and pub, that will hopefully have their TVs turned to the Man. U v. Chelsea match, we'll head to the big hotel in Salthill and enjoy the spectacular Trad on the Prom. You should google this show. It's all of the best traditional Irish musicians, with Riverdance principals, pipers, fiddlers, and much more. It's one of the most popular stage shows in Europe. We're lucky to be going. Then we'll head home and pack and begin the long flight home. Look for us at Midnight at the Dartmouth Coach depot in Lebanon if you want to have a parade or something.
Goodnight!
Friday, August 9, 2019
Back to School to Learn Gaelic Sports
Today's "off" day actually had a lot of sporting action. After a late breakfast, we piled into Eric's familiar coach an motored out to the East end of Galway to the Liam Mellows Gaelic Athletic Association facility for some lessons in traditional Irish sports. The drive was worth mentioning: we followed a road to the edge of Galway Bay, and then turned onto a narrow road along a stunning beach. Looking across the Bay, we could see the rain clouds gathering over the Burren, the desolate rocky highlands on the south side of the Bay, and beyond them the famous Cliffs of Moher. The tide was out, and the sound and smell of the sea was very evocative. The clubhouse and fields are perched right the one of the edge of the water. We trooped inside the immaculate clubhouse, full of mementoes of past athletic triumphs, and were met by our instructor Stephen, who showed us a brief video describing the sports of hurling and Gaelic football. Hurling in particular is the quintessential Irish sport, dating back 3,000 years. During British rule, it became a way for the locals to train for war and carry weapons, and in many counties and at various times, it was banned. It speaks to the heart of Irish tribalism. The highest honor for Gaelic athlete is to represent his/her county in hurling. This weekend, the semifinals of the all-Ireland Cup will draw 60,000 and more fans to Croke Park in Dublin. These are all amateurs. There are no trades or transfers. If you are born in a particular country, you play for that county for life. No one would think of switching teams. Fan loyalty is the type that gave rise to the word "fan", derived from "fanatic". Yet there aren't separate sides in the stands, and all is pretty peaceable. Even in his short talk, Steven was able to convey a wonderful sense of this, and why clubs all over the country work hard to teach the sport to youngsters, and anyone interested. The cities in Ireland lean more to soccer and rugby. But out in the country, Gaelic sports rule.
Thus impressed, each of the boys was issued a stick and a helmet. There was actually an argument in the letters section of the "Irish Times" (yes, I ready the Irish Times every day) about whether these should be called 'hurls". No definitive answer. We went outside to an enclosed astroturf field, and each player was issued a ball, more like a baseball than anything else, with raised seams. Stephen patiently and expertly taught everyone the stick skills to lift, carry and hit the ball, which can also be caught barehanded before being passed (but not thrown to an opponent). Before long, the boys were moving confidently up and down the field, and hitting the ball on the run, with a bit less force than Stephen's amazing 100-mile-an-hour strikes. Goalie in hurling? No thanks. Soon we were playing seven on seven. It was remarkable to see how quickly our lads picked the game up. Stephen was complimentary, even excited, then worried a bit as the teams bashed about.
We all survived hurling, and it was on to Gaelic football, which combines soccer, volleyball, and bits of lacrosse. The balls are like soft soccer balls. They can be dribbled ofd the ground and off the foot, but no more than two in a row of one type of hit. The can be punched out of your hand to a teammate. The game moves quickly and invites tackling, although wrapping someone up football-style or hitting from behind is not legal. We did a lot of wrapping people up and hitting from behind. We progressed through the drills, and once again were fully engaged in a scrimmage that threatened at times to damage us more than some of the testy veteran players that we have encountered. So much for a light day off. Actually, it wan ideal way to break a sweat using non-soccer muscles. All ended well, and then thanks to Tom Johnson we went back to the clubhouse and were given a chance to buy some game-used old uniforms for only 5 Euros. These will be the best souvenirs some of our lads will bring back. We shook hands with Steven, presented him with an Atlantic Crossing shirt, and made it back for a late lunch. The boys had the rest of there day off as the coaches sorted their laundry. We even matched their socks. Already, we are looking towards tomorrow's culminating match with Salthill Devon at Drom, the amazing facility that is currently hosting scores of teams for the high-level Galway Cup. As the tournament winds down, we have a chance to sneak onto one of these amazing fields and play the best U16 team in Ireland. Sounds like a nice way to end the trip, and push ourselves a bit more. Full match report tomorrow. Goodnight!
Thus impressed, each of the boys was issued a stick and a helmet. There was actually an argument in the letters section of the "Irish Times" (yes, I ready the Irish Times every day) about whether these should be called 'hurls". No definitive answer. We went outside to an enclosed astroturf field, and each player was issued a ball, more like a baseball than anything else, with raised seams. Stephen patiently and expertly taught everyone the stick skills to lift, carry and hit the ball, which can also be caught barehanded before being passed (but not thrown to an opponent). Before long, the boys were moving confidently up and down the field, and hitting the ball on the run, with a bit less force than Stephen's amazing 100-mile-an-hour strikes. Goalie in hurling? No thanks. Soon we were playing seven on seven. It was remarkable to see how quickly our lads picked the game up. Stephen was complimentary, even excited, then worried a bit as the teams bashed about.
We all survived hurling, and it was on to Gaelic football, which combines soccer, volleyball, and bits of lacrosse. The balls are like soft soccer balls. They can be dribbled ofd the ground and off the foot, but no more than two in a row of one type of hit. The can be punched out of your hand to a teammate. The game moves quickly and invites tackling, although wrapping someone up football-style or hitting from behind is not legal. We did a lot of wrapping people up and hitting from behind. We progressed through the drills, and once again were fully engaged in a scrimmage that threatened at times to damage us more than some of the testy veteran players that we have encountered. So much for a light day off. Actually, it wan ideal way to break a sweat using non-soccer muscles. All ended well, and then thanks to Tom Johnson we went back to the clubhouse and were given a chance to buy some game-used old uniforms for only 5 Euros. These will be the best souvenirs some of our lads will bring back. We shook hands with Steven, presented him with an Atlantic Crossing shirt, and made it back for a late lunch. The boys had the rest of there day off as the coaches sorted their laundry. We even matched their socks. Already, we are looking towards tomorrow's culminating match with Salthill Devon at Drom, the amazing facility that is currently hosting scores of teams for the high-level Galway Cup. As the tournament winds down, we have a chance to sneak onto one of these amazing fields and play the best U16 team in Ireland. Sounds like a nice way to end the trip, and push ourselves a bit more. Full match report tomorrow. Goodnight!
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Hanover Beats Mervue in Comeback Thriller
It was back to soccer on Thursday in Galway, as we passed the halfway mark on our trip to Ireland. We trained on the Westside turf pitch in the morning in preparation for our night game at Mervue, and had a relaxed afternoon before meeting for a team meal at GBC, our favorite restaurant in the heart of Galway. We took the shuttle back to our dorm at the University, and then were met ay 7:45 by Eric in his sleek Mercedes bus for the short hope to Mervue. Mervue FC has an impressive home facility, with a dazzling grass pitch and a huge turf field, both with floodlights. We faced off against a combined group of their U18 and U23 players. Mervue took the initiative right from the start, and with a strong wind in our faces, the harbinger of the rain that would be coming shortly, we spent the entire first half defending. With the help of some decent tackling at the back and a very friendly goalpost, we managed to struggle out of the first half with the score tied at 0-0. Any thought that having the wind at our backs would be an advantage in the second half was dispelled 10 minutes into the second half when Mervue broke down our defense and scored a clinical goal to take a 1-0 lead. A combination of factors would soon turn the tide, however. We were the fitter squad, and despite being reduced by injury and illness (relax, parents, we're all good), we managed to find more time and space to connect some passes and generate some offense. It didn't hurt that they were subbing a bit, either. Midway through the half, Charlie Adams got a ball at midfield in transition and raced into the heart of their defense. Drawing a defender, he laid a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Blake Palmer, and the senior striker scored his second goal in two games, tying the match. His modest celebration was well-earned and well-deserved. We earned several corner kicks, and both Adams and Palmer his dangerous balls into the box. With 15 minutes to go we nearly took the lead on a great shot by Eli Stack that would have beaten any goalkeeper in NH. The Mervue keeper made a great dive to deny Stack, but it was a sign of things to come. With ten minutes to play, goalkeeper Andrew Enelow sent a long ball down the left side that connected with a streaking Eric Ringer, who took a touch into the attacking zone and struck an amazing shot, a 30-yard line drive with just enough dip to fly over the keeper's hands and tuck under the bar. We saw the end of the game off well, and celebrated our first international win with pizza back at the dorm, delivered by the owner of a small local pizza shop who makes amazing, amazing pizza. We have accomplished so many of our objectives so far! We have been trained by two expert coaches, Brian Dougher and Phil Trill. We have been pushed hard by strong opposition. We have learned a lot from our many mistakes, but never at the expense of what has become a very good team culture. We are tired and sore, and some of us have the sniffles. But we have found a great rhythm to the trip. Friday is another day away from soccer until our film session in the evening. After breakfast tomorrow, we will take a bus trip to a local GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) facility to get instruction in hurling and Gaelic football, two extremely popular Irish sports. They are expecting 60,000 people in Croke Park in Dublin the Saturday for the semifinals of the national hurling championship. It's already Friday morning as I finish this, so it's time for a bit of rest. Goodnight!
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Sightseeing and Rest on Wednesday/ Fitness Training Thursday at Huntley
After a demanding full day of soccer on Tuesday, our Wednesday was a scheduled respite, which gave us a chance to do some serious sightseeing. In the morning, we jumped onto our coach with our old friend Eric and headed North by Northwest along the shore of Lough Corrib (the second largest lake in Ireland) to Aughnanure Castle, burly by the O'Flaherty clan family in 1500. Standing on what is virtually a rocky island, the castle is a particularly well-preserved example of an Irish tower house. We climbed up to the top of the tower and had a brief lecture from a docent about the history of the families who owned it during a turbulent time in Irish history. We jumped back on the coach and motored over the high hills that took us back toward Galway Bay, passing through Ireland's largest commercial wind farm, which was surrounded by peat bogs. Turf is still harvested and burned for fuel in this most Irish part of Ireland. We worked our way SxSE back along the coast and through the resort town of Salthill, where they have an ocean-side diving tower that is used all year long. It's crazy cold in the summer, so use your imagination. Perhaps later this week some of us will get back and try the tower. We made it back in time for lunch, and then walked to the oldest part of the University, The Quad (dating from 1864) to meet our tour guide Connor, a distinguished archeologist, who has done many digs in and around Galway. He took us on a wonderful walking tour of the city that hit all of the high points: The magnificent Cathedral, the river walk along the Corrib, St. Patrick's church, 800 year old, the Lynch window (where the term "lynching" was said to have originated), Lynch's castle, the old Medieval wall, enclosed by a shopping mall, the Spanish Arch, the Claddagh settlement on the banks of the Corrib as it empties into the harbor, and finally the Galway Museum. Connor was too modest to mention how much he has contribute to this institution. At that point (4:00 or so), we released the boys in small groups, gave them each 15 euros, and gave then the next four hours to eat supper, walk through Galway, and meet us back at the dorm for film study. Everyone made it back safely, and thanks to Brian Dougher's superb editing we enjoyed the film of the Tuesday game. Although there were some interesting spots (nice rainbow, Latham), it was a valuable team training exercise, and it got our mind back on soccer. We train tomorrow morning and then play a night game at Mervue on their turf field, under the lights (and in the rain according to the forecast). It was an excellent humpday. Goodnight!
p.s. For the folks back home, don'r forget the fitness sessions available Thursday ay 6:00 at Dresden (and next Tuesday and Thursday as well) offered by Jared Walked of Amped Fitness. We had a good turnout Tuesday, and hope as many players as possible take advantage. Sessions are $10 each.
p.s. For the folks back home, don'r forget the fitness sessions available Thursday ay 6:00 at Dresden (and next Tuesday and Thursday as well) offered by Jared Walked of Amped Fitness. We had a good turnout Tuesday, and hope as many players as possible take advantage. Sessions are $10 each.
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