Dave Ornauer

Pacific SportsBlog

Okinawa-based sports reporter Dave Ornauer on military-related sports in the Far East.

Rivalry Wednesday: Big head-to-head showdowns (with one key ingredient shelved

Mutterings and musings heading into Wednesday's Pacific high school soccer slate, which looks like a Who's Who of the Pacific pitch with one rising star on the shelf, perhaps for quite awhile:

-- Kadena at Kubasaki, girls at 5 p.m., boys at 7 p.m. Most storied Class AA Tournament programs, Kadena girls with five titles, Kubasaki girls with three; Kubaski boys with two, Kadena boys with four. Boys get to smack each other around after getting smacked around by adult programs Peru Nikei and Mil United. On girls' side, question of which defense will be more successful in shutting down Kadena's Stephanie Eik (7 goals), Helen Schrock (7) and Cassie McDonald (9) or Kubasaki's Bridget Ramirez (10) and Sara Harter (6).

-- Seoul Foreign at Seoul American, boys at 3:30 p.m., girls at 5 p.m. Signature rivalry in the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference. Host Falcons boys (7-1-1) must find a way to shut down Remco Rademaker (27 goals this season, 149 for career) and Crusaders, who are 7-0 this season and 76-2-3 the last 4 1/2 seasons. Falcons girls, however, are in high-tide mode at 10-0, with Erica Anglade (16 goals) and Sarah Eades (11, 5 assists) doing major damage.

-- Zama American at Christian Academy In Japan, boys, 5 p.m. Visiting Trojans went 5-0 in the first month of the season, but must find a way to halt the Knights, twice Class AA champions in the past three years, and high-scoring junior Leo Kobayashi (65 career goals).

-- Nile C. Kinnick at Yokota, boys, 5 p.m. Jimmy Niescier (6 goals, 5 assists) has emerged as a pleasing surprise for host Panthers (4-1); even more surprising has been the play of the Red Devils (3-1-2) with playmaking midfielder Ivan Rivera (8 assists).

-- Yokota at Zama American, girls, 5 p.m. Heartbreaking news in Panther country -- Courtney Richards (16 goals, 4 assists) will be shelved for at least six weeks with a broken left ankle suffered last Friday against Matthew C. Perry. Julia Martel (8 goals, 6 assists) and Lauryn Thomas (8 assists) and the Panthers (8-1) will attempt to adjust offensively, and shut down Ashilman sister tandem Aubrey and Mallarie, each with seven goals) and the Trojans (school-best 5-1 start).

Should be a fun evening. Excellent way to close out the first five weeks of the season and enter the week-long spring break.

Stepping Out

Okay Orny, you've been giving lots of ink to Zama, deservingly, but now it's time to show some love to the Yokota Lady Panthers. After getting whooped in their first game and losing their top scorer, Coach Whipple and the girls stepped up big time tonight and beat the Lady Trojans. He made some adjustments to his lineup and the girls got it done. This may be Whipple's coming out party as the next Master Coach at Yokota!

One person....

Proof, soccer is played by 11, not 1. Players make plays, teams win games! Are there any other cliche's I can use here? Good job Matt and the Lady Panthers. Rumor had it, Zama didn't practice because they heard of the injury!? Is it true?

Rumor has it...

I heard they practice but didn't wear socks, I knew that would be their demise.

Why rub it in? You won- enjoy it!

Bad night for Zama

OUCH! Just saw the box scores in soccer. I hope this isn't the of the run of good press for Zama.

Earn it

Zama has played 3 tough games, two against Yokota and one against Zama. They're 1:2, not too impressive.

Just one night

Yes, Yokota earned it, but it was just one night.....

It's all in the socks...

I had this one pair of socks at band camp, and I played soccer in them once and .....c'mon...It was a question. I will say that if any of you players (no I don't care what school) needs socks, I do suggest the black Tri-Stripe Addias.

I forgot

Yokota was also missing 2 starting defenders who were gone at Far East JROTC. Way to go Ladies!

Yokota Boys

The Lady Panthers did a great job, but so did the boys. Scores of last four Yokota Boys wins: 6-1, 7-1, 9-0, and 6-0, and the opening loss was by just one goal in a lightning-shortened game.

Tests

Yokota's true test will come after the break when they have to travel to CAJ.

Very True

And when they play Kadena on April 12, if that comes off. Back to back games against Kadena and CAJ will truly be the best measure of how far the team has come this year...and how far they will need to go.

AHH Sticky

Dude, I don't know what you are thinking. "Just one night" come on give me a break. Zama is having a very good year, but let's be honest. As ghostwriter said they have played 3 tough games, and only won one of them. Yokota has had 3 tough games and won two. I would love to see how Zama does against Kinnick, and their last game vs ASIJ. Yokota at Kinnick should be interesting, and they still have to play the Mustangs twice. There's a lot of soccer left to play, may the best team win the Kanto.

"...a lot of soccer left to play'...

So if there is "...a lot of soccer left to play..." soccer left to play, then it was just one night. Simple logic Yok-oach! I am glad you agree with me.

All you Yokota People

Zama was ALSO missing their leading scorer Aubrey Ashliman do to an injury.and NO it is not true that we, the Zama girls soccer team did not have practice because we heard the leading scorer was out. we did have practice that monday and tuesday before the game, but because of some certain reasons tuesdays practice was a WHOLE sprinting practice. full-field suicides the whole time from 3-5:15. that is why we did not wear socks. That was our coaches mistake in making us do that the day before our game. Congrats on their victory over us, but we were missing players as well, INCLUDING our staring goalie. Yokota was not the only team missing their players. We did blow them out the first time, and that was our first game without some of our key players. That will not happen during fareast i can garauntee you that.

Great spirit!

Hey it is good that you are standing up for your team, but don't knock your coach or make excuses about losing. Hold your head up high and remember it was just one night.

You go girl!!!

Knock the coach!!! I'm just glad no one said anything like..."those darn refs!!!....." I love it. I kick, I run, I pass, I shoot....it was the refs fault we lost....It was the coaches fault we lost....darn you Whipple, you should have taken the shot yourself...then you could say, I missed the shot but it was Sam's fault!!!!

"Zama Soccer Girl"

You should really calmn down with the repitive comments about how you'r missing a player, and your coach did this, and your team was tired... A loss is a loss. We got it, Aubry A. was injured, and the last I heard will be injured for the rest of the season. Don't waste your time making excuses, just do your best and prove your team's ability by winning, not talking about it. BTW, you're embarassing yourself and our school..and remember, it's not how you start, it's how you finish :)

wow why does none of this

wow why does none of this make any sense
zama finally gets some recognition for something
that schools dont just produce every day
all the zama teams practice very hard and when they are not
practicing they are either doing hw
or just being teenagers
yokota beat zama once and now all of a sudden they dont get enough credit
thaat is garbage the fact that zama is doing this well and no team cant win them alll with soo many games... ild say if you dont have an accurate statement to better the news in the paper dont respond at all it a waiste of time and its annoying!!!

It does make sense

Yes, it does make sense because Zama girs did get the credit they deserve. They beat Yokota and they were recognized in the paper. If you want more recognition, you need to accomplish something higher. Yokota beat Zama, Zama beat Yokota....all this happens throughout the season. You all are talking about ONE game played in the season. Is it really that big of a deal? When a team wins Kanto, JSL or Far East, thats where the big news is.

What?

What has Zama done that schools don't produce every day? A butt-kicking over Yokota? That's the only accomplishment this team has reached this year. You can't get too excited over beating the pants off of the lower level teams.
You have the potential to do well this year, but results are what matter and so far you haven't produced great results. Here's hoping you do reach that potential.
Poorly written posts are annoying to me.

Zama Girls/Yokota Girls

Doesn't matter...ASIJ won Kanto

Re: Zama Girls/Yokota Girls

Thursday, May 8, at Trojans Field:

Zama 4, ASIJ 0

OUCH- Dave!

ASIJ won what? Looks like Far East will be very interesting this year....Go Zama!

Still won

ASIJ still won the Kanto. Congrats to Zama though. Let's see if you can step up at Far East.