Men's Soccer - Game Summaries

- Varsity - JV -

Contra Costa Times article:
Hornets in the Hunt for Post-Season Birth (1/19/12)

Varsity

vs. Encinal
February 11

Hornets 4, Jets 1

Dedicated Alameda high school soccer fans enjoyed mild spring-like, but cloudy, weather on Feb. 11 to watch two home-town rivals square off in an end-of-season “friendly” at the Encinal Jets field. Neither fans nor players seemed put out by the one-hour delay in the match's starting time due to the lack of a referee squad, which simply meant extra time to practice on the lush green grass (remarkable for mid-February) or a chance to catch up on the local gossip with neighbors in the stands. A “World Cup” style introduction of the players from both teams helped fill the time while a volunteer referee and two club linesmen were mustered, and then the game began.

Alameda posted higher numbers than Encinal in most categories for the game, including players--the Hornets' 9 substitutes on the bench compared with the Jets' 3 indicated the relative strength of these soccer programs. While Encinal claimed the first shot on goal 5 minutes into the first half, it would prove to be a fleeting opportunity as Alameda’s aggressive backfield quickly smothered further probes by the Jets. In comparison, Alameda posted 13 shots on goal in the first half, with 3 of them finding their target.

Alameda’s first goal came at minute 21 as forward Laurent Siroit, after receiving a pass from mid-fielder Fernando Maghidman, deftly slipped the ball by the advancing Jets goalkeeper and found empty space to take an easy shot. Siroit’s two previous attempts had just missed the goal. Five minutes later, Siroit fired again while the keeper was down, but this shot ricocheted off of the right post and out-of-bounds.

Encinal continued to struggle in clearing the ball from its territory while under attack from a swarm of Hornets, who were passing the ball and communicating well. Alameda was a little too eager though, as several of their advances were reversed by offside calls. With only 3 minutes remaining in the half, it was finally Maghidman’s chance to strike as he recovered the ball on the left side. The Jets’ keeper, who had departed the goal area to intercept, suddenly realized his vulnerability and quickly retreated, but not in time to block Maghidman’s smart and well-placed shot which sailed over his head and into the goal for a 2-0 lead.

In the final seconds of the half, Alameda was awarded a corner kick after a drive up the center by left wing Kenny Lee was neutralized by an Encinal slide tackle, and Tomas Martinez-Granata successfully headed the kick for Alameda’s 3rd goal, a sweet reward for a player whose own daring slide tackles had taken the wind out of many of Encinal’s attacks.

The second half began a little uniquely, as the tardy referee squad finally arrived and took their places on the pitch. With sun finally breaking through the clouds, the new referee squad quickly validated their predecessors’ judgement as off-sides flags against the errant Hornet forwards continued to wave.

Speaking of breakthroughs, Encinal capitalized on an Alameda mistake in the 47th minute after Martinez-Granata toppled a Jets player in the penalty area. An accurate Jets’ penalty kick was placed low and in the left corner, well outside goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle’s reach, to bring the score to 3-1.

Despite their break, penetrating Alameda’s defense continued to be a struggle for Encinal in the second half. Defensive plays by Martinez-Granata, Ron Desmond, Alejandro Ramirez-Jasso, and Amir Razavi made it a relatively easy day for VanWinkle. In comparison, offensive challenges by Siroit, Maghidman, Kenny Lee, and Kenneth Lee kept the Jets' defensive team busy, despite Alameda’s penchant for being offside. With 27 minutes remaining, Siroit executed a quick pass to Kenneth Lee, who shook his defender to punch in Alameda’s final goal and up the Hornets' lead to 4-1.

As he had in the final home and ACCAL game vs. Pinole Valley on Feb. 7, Coach Dannylo Ayllon rewarded his senior players with extra playing time. With 16 minutes remaining, Alameda subbed out keeper Van Winkle and a three others, and brought in 4 fresh players to finish the game. Most fans remained in the stands until the finish, and those who did were rewarded to see senior Danny Radding make an excellent and difficult shot that would have scored had the Encinal keeper not gotten a glove on it, and senior Evan Lee made a nice juke move to shake his opponent before crossing the ball for another Alameda attempt. As the final minutes ticked away, Encinal continued to do its best to contain its stronger and more aggressive opponent.

This “friendly” was by no means a grudge match between the two rival schools, and players and fans on both sides enjoyed the spirited competition. It’s nice to see these two teams come together to play well and demonstrate good sportsmanship. With this win, Alameda upped its overall record to a 10-10-2 to finish the season with a .500 record.

Submitted by: M. Bliven

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

vs. Pinole
February 7

Hornets 2, Spartans 2

This was the final home game at Thompson Field (and the final ACCAL league game) for the seniors on the 2011-12 Hornets men's varsity soccer squad. A small but enthusiastic crowd gathered, despite the wet conditions (more on that below), and there was even a banner and a brief appearance by the Hornets' mascot! Let's recognize these nine seniors (listed alphabetically by last name):

Hornets head coach Danny Ayllon tried to give all of his able and available seniors meaningful minutes in this game, and they came through with a solid effort against a big, strong Pinole Valley (PV) Spartans team.

This game was as close and even as the score implied--shots on goal were basically dead even in both halves, and both halves ended with tie scores. It was played in marginal conditions at Thompson Field--it had rained the previous night and much of the day, and there was rain and wind at the start of the game, though both tapered off as the evening progressed. But the field was wet and slippery with small puddles at midfield, and got more treacherous as play progressed--not exactly ideal conditions.

Some background on the PV Spartans--they're big, they're strong, and they can use throw-ins like corner kicks, placing balls right in the mouth of the opposing team's goal.

PV used this strategy effectively against the Hornets. The Spartans had the wind at their backs during the first half, and they scored the game's first goal at 11:35 into the first half off--what else--a long throw in. A long throw from the right sideline found an open Spartan on the left side of the Alameda penalty area. That PV player placed the ball perfectly into the left side of the Alameda net for a 1-0 PV lead.

But Alameda rallied back, inspired, perhaps in part, by the well-timed mid-half appearance on their bench of team leader Sasha Michkovsky, who was still recovering from a laparoscopic appendectomy he had just three days earlier.

Alameda had been passing well, despite the mud, and putting consistent pressure on the PV goal. One of those opportunities finally paid off when a Kenny Lee cross from the left wing bounced off a couple of players, then found senior Kenneth Lee, who kicked it into the PV net to tie the game at 1-1 at 22:30 into the first half. That was the final score of the half, though Alameda had a couple more strong chances, and PV had a scary opportunity off a free kick at the end of the period.

The pace of play picked up in the second half as weather conditions improved--while there were only 8 total shots on goal by both teams combined in the first half, that amount more than doubled to 17 in the second half. But only 2 of those shots found their mark, one for each side, and they didn't go in until late in the game.

The exact game clock time of the second-half goals was difficult to determine because of an extended play stoppage that misaligned all of the sideline clocks with the referees' official game clock. The stoppage occurred to allow an Alameda ambulance to transport a PV player (who had passed out on the PV sideline after being hit in the head and removed from play during the first half) for medical treatment. He wasn't the only player in this game with a headache afterward--Alameda outside back David Walrod also left the game in the second half after taking a couple of hits to the head.

Senior Danny Radding ably substituted into the game in this situation, as he had during the end of first half, when he came in at forward and helped create some chaos in front of the PV goal, nearly scoring on a couple of plays. Seniors Evan Lee and Ricardo Longo also came in and put pressure on the PV goal in the second half. Lee, in fact, was instrumental in helping to set up Laurent Siroit for his team-leading 6th goal in league play, which tied the game at 2-2 (after PV had taken the lead with a rebound shot off a long free kick). Earlier in the half , Longo scorched a left-footed free kick from just outside the PV penalty area over the crossbar. (Alameda had been awarded the kick when Siroit was tripped by a PV player.)

Another Alameda senior who contributed greatly to the tie was inside defensive back Tomas Martinez-Granata. He executed a gnarly slide tackle at 13:30 into the first half that drew ooh's and ah's of appreciation from the Alameda fans, he dominated his area of the field in the second half (seeming to command every possible head ball near him) and he came close to heading in a Siroit corner kick at the end of the first half. Fellow senior inside back Amir Razavi also had a strong game, and a head shot opportunity (from a Kenny Lee corner kick midway through the second half).

At the end of the game, Alameda appeared to have the momentum and the upper hand, and was trying frantically to score the tie-breaking goal, but couldn't quite do it, despite strong efforts from Siroit and Selaab Ghafouri.

So Alameda ended the ACCAL season at 4-6-2, which wasn't bad, but it was a bit disappointing, given the quality of the team (especially on defense--the senior defensive back line of Desmond, Razavi, Martinez-Granata, and Ramirez-Jasso will be missed next year) and the team's expectations. Those two Hercules losses loom large--had Alameda won those two seemingly winnable games and won at least one of the close home losses to either Berkeley or Richmond, they would likely be in the playoffs, with some momentum.

The Hornets varsity plays one more "friendly" at Encinal on Saturday, Feb. 11 before calling a close to their season. It's been a memorable one--Go Hornets!

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

vs. Richmond
February 2

Hornets 0, Oilers 4

This was a “must win” game for the Hornets. They knew it, and they knew that if they played well, they had a chance to win, given the close contest between the two teams last month. Unfortunately, the Oilers controlled the ball with quickness and precision to overwhelm Alameda 4-0 on Richmond’s home turf, and snuffed the Hornets' last hope to qualify for North Coast Section playoffs.

As the first half began, Hornet fans enjoyed a rosy sunset on this mild winter evening, but soon realized that it was going to be a long chilly night of watching their Hornets struggle to keep up with the rapid and precise passes of the Richmond squad. Despite their struggle to mount an attack, Alameda miraculously held on. Plucky defense from David Walrod and Tomas Martinez-Granata, and several saves by Hornet goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle, kept Richmond at bay until the 38th minute when an Alameda foul in the penalty area resulted in a penalty-kick goal for Richmond, giving them a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Hopes of turning the tide in the second half quickly faded as Richmond came on strong. A Richmond corner kick two minutes into the half fortunately sailed high. The Oiler midfield continued to turn the ball well and found space to serve up scoring opportunities to their attacking line. Eight minutes later, Richmond capitalized on an Alameda defensive misplay to punch an open ball into the net for a 2-0 lead.

The remaining 30 minutes turned into a struggle for Alameda, with a blur of yellow cards, a swarm of attacks to fend off, and two more Richmond scores. Martinez-Granata was cautioned in the 12th minute for pushing, then Richmond earned a yellow card in the 15th. The final yellow went to Alameda in the 28th for a push just outside of the penalty area. None of the yellow-card free kicks changed the outcome of the game. Richmond's 3rd and 4th goals came in quick succession—in the 22nd minute, after the Hornet defense failed to clear the ball from the goal area, Richmond broke through with an easy low kick to the right side of the goal. The final goal, two minutes later, was another penalty kick, after a Richmond player was tripped inside Alameda’s penalty area.

Throughout the match, the Oilers anticipated well, confidently moved the ball with quick crisp passes, and frequently delivered the ball back to their goalkeeper to reset the play. At times, Alameda seemed a step behind. Alameda’s switch from a 4-3-3 formation to a 3-5-2 in the second half did not seem to improve the situation.

This match was not as close a contest as the first time these two teams met. Maybe there was some home-field advantage, but a quick and accurate passing game from this disciplined Richmond squad gave them the momentum to score. Alameda’s defensive work prevented more Richmond shots from finding their home. The Oilers should do well in the playoffs.

Submitted by M. Bliven

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

vs. De Anza
January 31

Hornets 1, Dons 0

The final score makes this game look a lot more competitive than it really was.

As it had back on Jan. 5, when it previously defeated the Dons 3-0, Alameda actually dominated play for much of the game and played much more of the "beautiful game" than the Dons--executing wall passes, making effective use of back passes, reversing field, moving the ball down the wings, etc. It was fun for the Alameda fans to watch, on this cold, clear, windless night in El Sobrante. And the Hornets looked good for another reason--they were wearing their brand-new yellow uniforms! (THANK YOU, BOOSTERS!!!)

The Hornets' good, mostly selfless team play created numerous scoring opportunities, particularly in the second half, but again, as in past games, they couldn't quite capitalize. Alameda outshot De Anza 15-6 for the game and had numerous opportunities in the Dons' penalty area, but only one Hornet shot found the back of the net. At 31:40 into the first half, Alameda center-forward Selaab Ghafouri broke away up the middle, faked the De Anza goalkeeper to the right and placed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal for the game's lone score (and Ghafouri's fourth in league play).

For Ghafouri, the goal helped provide some payback, because he was viciously taken down from behind earlier in the half and knocked out of the game for about 10 minutes. That play resulted in a yellow card for coach Dannylo Ayllon, who protested, seemingly justifiably, that De Anza should've received a yellow card for the take-down of Ghafouri, which it didn't. Alameda did get a free kick, but couldn't capitalize (which was a consistent theme for the game). Again, the Hornets probably missed the scoring/finishing presence of leading scorer Laurent Siroit, who didn't play for the second-straight game.

But a win is a win. It evened the Hornets' overall season record at 9-9-1, it kept Alameda in contention for post-season play, it was the Hornets' second shutout of the league season (both against De Anza), and it was a nice road win.

And Siroit's absence from the line-up did give more time and opportunities for forwards Boyan Tzvetkov (who narrowly missed scoring on a header on a cross by midfielder Ivan Chavez, and on two other opportunities within the penalty area set up by passes from Ghafouri), Ayo Pigott (who made two great passes from the right wing position to set up scoring opportunities, and also had a head shot off a Sasha Michkovsky corner kick blocked by the Dons' goalkeeper), Kenny Lee, who put pressure on the Dons from the left wing, and Kenneth Lee, who showed his versatility by playing both wing forward positions after starting the game at outside back on defense.

Speaking of the Hornets defense, the standouts in this shutout included defensive midfielder Harshal Patankar (who also applied offensive pressure up the middle and nearly had a goal and an assist early in the second half), goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle (who was called on to make only six saves, but three of them were challenging and critical to preserving the win, as the Hornets clung to a one-goal lead), outside back Ron Desmond (who did a nice job subbing in for injured Alejandro Ramirez-Jasso in the second half), and inside back Amir Razavi and outside back David Walrod, who returned to the line-up after missing recent games.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

 

vs. El Cerrito
January 26

Hornets 1, Gauchos 1

The Hornets successfully snapped a two-game losing streak and kept their playoff hopes alive with a tie vs. the visiting Gauchos.

This game was pretty evenly played all the way through--neither team really dominated. Shots on goal were basically even in the first half (Alameda had a slight 8-7 edge) and neither team shot much in the second half (Alameda had a 4-2 edge). In fact, in the tightly contested, hard-fought second half, Alameda had as many yellow cards as shots on goal! Perhaps one reason for the low shooting and scoring totals, at least on the Alameda side, was the absence from the line-up of leading scorer Laurent Siroit. Boyan Tzvetkov picked up a start on the front line in Siroit's absence, and Fernando Maghidman and Kenneth Lee also received some playing time in the center-forward spot.

In this defense-dominated game, neither team scored until 32:25 into the first half, when the Gauchos finally broke through on a perfect, classic, soccer scoring play---a long cross to a head shot into the net. That made it 1-0 El Cerrito. Until then two of the biggest, most notable plays of the game were defensive stops by inside backs Tomas (the Beast) Martinez-Granata and Karl Bliven (starting, and playing well, for the injured Amir (the Rock) Razavi).

After the Gauchos' goal, the Hornets buzzed back about two minutes later. When there are opportunities to advance with the ball or receive passes, Alameda's outside backs are encouraged to attack up the wings and apply offensive pressure. Senior Alejandro Jasso-Ramirez had just done so when he was fouled in the El Cerrito penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick. Selaab Ghafouri converted it, evening the score at 1-1, where it remained for the rest of the game.

Perhaps Alameda's best chance to push ahead came in the last 10 minutes of the first half, when the Hornets dominated play and kept the ball on the Gaucho's side of the field, probably more so than at any other time of the game. But as in the Hercules game, the Hornets couldn't quite convert before halftime, and then settled into more of a slugfest and slogfest on the still-muddy Thompson Field in the second half.

P.S. Despite all of the yellow cards, the Hornets are good, wholesome guys--they sang a loud, rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" to midfielder Sasha Michkovsky's mom after the game, and ate birthday cupcakes with their families and fans.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Hercules
January 24

Hornets 1, Titans 2

This was a good news/bad news kind of game for Alameda.

First, the good news:
Defender Matt Neff won an appeal of his second red card from the last Hercules game (back on Dec. 8), was reinstated, and played in his first match since that game, playing the entire second half.

Freshman Ayo Pigott scored his first goal in league play, off a rebound, which gave Alameda a 1-0 lead early in the second half.
Alameda outshot Hercules 17-10 for the game, outshot Hercules in both halves, and clearly dominated stretches of the game, with superior passing and play.

Selaab Ghafouri's passing was very strong in the first half, from the attacking midfield position, when he set up his teammates for several scoring opportunities. He also had several shots on goal himself.

But here's the bad news:
Despite outpassing and outshooting the Titans, the Hornets couldn't capitalize. The score at halftime was 0-0, when it could easily have been 2-0 or 3-0 in favor of the Hornets. Too many missed opportunities in the first half put Alameda in a more pressured situation in the second half, and the Hornets couldn't shake the stubborn Titans, who showed similar gumption the last time these two teams played.
Alameda couldn't capitalize on its bench advantage--Hercules had only 14 varsity players suited up. (It didn't even field a team for the JV game.)

Hercules converted more of its scoring opportunities. Its first goal, at 24:30 into the second half, was a beauty--a long cross from the right wing to the left wing, who controlled it and fired a shot into the right corner of the goal. The second goal was a killer near the end of the game--a counterattack that started in the middle, worked to the right, and ended with a shot to the left corner of the goal.

David Walrod, an Alameda sophomore who had worked his way into the starting line-up at outside back with his size and speed, was declared academically ineligible. Fortunately, Alameda still has experienced outside backs in seniors Alejandro Ramirez-Jasso and Ron Desmond, plus the reinstated Matt Neff.

Bottom line: Alameda let Hercules escape with another win. Those two losses could come back to haunt the Hornets come playoff selection time.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Berkeley
January 20

Hornets 0, Yellowjackets 1

Rain. Berkeley. The two have become almost synonymous—Hornets head coach Dannylo Ayllon noted that this was the third-straight year that Berkeley hosted Alameda in the rain.

And it wasn’t a little light mist either. It came down in sheets, driven by high winds. Both the rain and the wind would be significant factors in this contest. But despite the monsoon conditions, the game went on. Berkeley is blessed with a high-quality artificial turf field that drains well, so the game would have been called off, according to the referees, only if the drainage had failed ( water had pooled) or if there was lightning.

Neither of those extremes had occurred by kickoff, so the spectators got wet, the players got wetter, game notes had to be taken by text on a cell phone (it was raining too hard for pen and paper), and a close, exciting game ensued.

Berkeley had the wind at its back in the first half, and sought to leverage that advantage by taking outside shots and hoping some would be misplayed and slip through. But Hornet goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle was sure-handed in the wet conditions. The first half ended in a 0-0 tie, despite Berkeley outshooting Alameda by something like an 8-2 margin, including a point-blank shot in the penalty area in the 39th minute that VanWinkle stopped. Defensive inside back Amir Razavi also had a strong first half for the Hornets, making stops and clearing the ball.

The Hornets had the wind advantage in the second half, but it didn’t seem to help much. Berkeley put the clamps on defensively, doing a good job of controlling the middle and limiting the ball touches by Alameda’s top offensive threats, Laurent Siroit and Selaab Ghafouri. Siroit didn’t get a shot off in the second half until almost the end of the game.

Meanwhile, the Yellowjackets maintained their offensive pressure, building a 10-4 second-half shot advantage. And one of those shots finally found its mark—a hard shot that was drilled in from the 18-yard mark almost mid-way through the half that gave the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Record to Date: 

ACCAL stats (through this game):

vs. Pinole
January 12

Hornets 3, Spartans 2

A small throng of Alameda fans (6 total counting one pre-schooler) huddled to stay warm at Pinole Valley High School as the temperature dropped on this January evening. They were rewarded to see the Hornet men's varsity team hold off persistent attacks by Pinole Valley in the final minutes of play to finally secure a 3-2 victory. Eleven minutes into the first half, Alameda posted the first score of the game when sophomore midfielder Laurent Siroit (26) broke through the defenders for a shot which rebounded off of the opposing goalkeeper. Siroit was able to recover the errant ball and continued into the goal for a score. As in many subsequent plays, Alameda had patiently worked the ball up field with solid midfield control and crisp passes up the middle to create scoring opportunities for the attacking Hornet forwards.

Alameda kept its offensive pressure on during the remainder of the first half, but was not able to capitalize on any attacks. Defense was equally solid, and quicker Alameda midfielders, such as Kenneth Lee (10), Will Upp (17), and Ayo Pigott (11), were often first to the ball for turnovers, defusing several attacking penetrations by Pinole Valley. Consequently, Pinole Valley was forced to take shots from its midfield position. One such shot was powerfully kicked, but Alameda keeper Erik VanWinkle dropped to his knees to parry the ball and then quickly recovered it for a save. The first half ended with a corner kick for Alameda, which was too low to convert into a score. Coach Danny made 5 substitutions in the first half, including two to give injured players a breather.

The second half started with a bang as Pinole Valley continued to attempt long ball shots on goal, the first coming within minutes of play, but just missing the goal by a foot high. Alameda continued its business-like approach in the second half, moving the ball well on offense. Five minutes later, Alameda struck again when Siroit drew the Pinole Valley keeper out of the goal box during his drive, and then exploited the goalkeeper's misjudgment to driving the ball in for a 2-0 lead. Alameda fans did not have long to savor the play, however, when Pinole Valley drew two corner kicks 5 minutes later. Their first corner was no threat, and the second one sailed long as well, but Alameda defenders struggled to clear the ball as a Pinole Valley forward capitalized with a decisive close shot into the back of Alameda's net.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, what appeared to be a third successful score by Siroit was called back by the referee for an offsides foul. Both teams sensed that the game could go either way and the intensity of play began to escalate. Following the call, Alameda regained its composure and began to diligently move the ball to create scoring opportunities. On one such play, Alameda left wing Salaab Ghafouri (27) broke away, but was tripped by his opponent just inside Pinole Valley's penalty area. Alameda was awarded the penalty kick and Ghafouri made it count with a low centered shot that the keeper could not stop.

The 3-1 score should have given the Hornet's some breathing room, but Pinole Valley ratcheted up its attacks and Alameda's mid-fielders began to sag after 60 minutes of hard play. The next minutes featured several close quarter battles within the goal area at both sides of the field as neither team seemed to be able to clear the ball effectively. On one such play, Pinole Valley fired a ball across the mouth of Alameda's goal. Alameda defender Karl Bliven (8) reacted quickly to block it, but the ball deflected instead into Alameda's own net to bring Pinole Valley its second goal of the night. The final 15 minutes were nail biters as both teams sensed the momentum shifting.

With 12 minutes remaining, VanWinkle continued his almost flawless defense, with good backfield support, by stopping a well-placed and powerful direct kick which would have otherwise tied the score. Pinole Valley was winning more balls in the air with their bigger players, but failed to control the ball as well on the ground. At minute 35, Alameda forward Kenny Lee (7) took a powerful shot on Pinole Valley's goal that sailed just wide of the left upright. Bliven successfully deflected a similar shot by a Pinole Valley attacker to protect Alameda's goal. Alameda settled down and controlled the ball as the clock wound down, but not before giving Pinole Valley one final corner kick with no time remaining. The ball fortunately flew beyond the goal and could not be converted for a tying score before the final whistle blew.

Overall, the Hornets turned in a strong performance tonight against a well-respected and bigger Pinole Valley team, and their level of intensity was a notch higher than seen in their recent loss to Richmond. Sophomore David Walrod (12) continued to show his spirit and determination in running down loose balls and harassing his opponents. Freshman Ayo Pigott (14) also turned in a good performance as a first half starter. Junior Will Upp was a welcome return following several weeks of recovery from a broken toe. With nine eligible subs on the bench, the Hornet team looks strong and healthy. They will need all hands on deck next Friday when they try to even the score in a second seasonal match-up at Berkeley.

Alameda improved their overall season record to 8-7 (3-3 league record) tonight.

Reported by M. Bliven

League Standings as of 1/16/12

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats:

vs. Richmond
January 10

Hornets 1, Oilers 2

In a spirited and tightly contested battle between two evenly matched teams, the Oilers slipped by the Hornets, aided by some controversial referee rulings. There was no home-field advantage this night for the Hornets as several key infractions appeared to be decided more in favor of the Oilers, despite the loud protests of the mostly pro-Alameda audience.

The seemingly inconsistent/errant calls were a shame, because this was otherwise an entertaining and well-played game at Thompson Field. Richmond ended up outshooting Alameda 15-9, due mainly to the Oilers' dominance in the first half, but the second half was closer, following some controversy in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

At the 21:00-minute mark, down 1-0 on a goal scored just 90 seconds earlier by Richmond (on a well-played follow off an Oiler shot deflected off the left post by Hornet goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle) Alameda sophomore outside back David Walrod (who started his second straight game and was playing with increasing confidence) made a nice run up the right sideline that appeared to result in a hand ball well within Richmond's penalty area. The play seemed like it should've resulted in a direct penalty kick (PK) for Alameda from the 10 meter line.

Instead, the infraction was ruled to have occurred just outside the penalty area, resulting in a direct PK from there. Senior attacking midfielder Sasha Michkovsky lofted the ball to fellow senior Tomas Martinez-Granata for a header attempt that sailed just high.

Later, an Alameda goal off a corner kick was disallowed because of an alleged goalkeeper obstruction foul on the Hornets, which wasn't apparent from the sidelines or the stands, which led to grumbles from the Hornet faithful.  Those grumbles intensified when Alameda freshman forward Ayo Pigott appeared to be purposely taken down within the left side of the penalty area, but, again, a free kick was awarded from outside the penalty area, not the 10 meter line.

Meanwhile, Richmond extended its lead to 2-0 early in the second half.  The Oilers slipped in a beautiful backside goal from the left side of the penalty area after a long cross from the right side caught the Hornet defense overshifted.

The Hornets countered two minutes later when a long cross from the left side by Alameda outside back Alejandro Ramirez-Jasso found junior attacking midfielder Fernando Maghidman for a header to the back of the net.  That made it Richmond 2, Alameda 1.

From then on, it was back and forth, with both sides putting pressure on the goalkeepers.  Alameda's VanWinkle made a great punch save at 13:50 to prevent a goal. The Oilers goalkeeper made his presence felt at 28:30, with a great save on a shot by Alameda junior attacking midfielder Ivan Chavez.  Moments later, on the corner kick that resulted from the Oiler goalkeeper's save, Martinez-Granata had another near miss on a header, fed to him by junior forward Selaab Ghafouri.

In some ways this game felt like the one earlier this season against Berkeley--a solid performance by Alameda against a strong opponent in which the Hornets just couldn't seem to catch enough offensive breaks, despite good opportunities for goals.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

Hornets' ACCAL stats:

vs. De Anza
January 5

Hornets 3, Dons 0

The Hornets stuck the Dons with a multiple-milestone defeat at Thompson Field, in Alameda's fourth league game of the 2011-12 ACCAL season. The 3-0 Hornets victory: 

This was an important win in terms of building confidence and momentum for the rest of the season. The low-scoring first half featured exciting defensive plays by both teams. DeAnza's goalkeeper smothered a couple of strong attacks by senior Alameda forward Kenneth Lee. Hornets senior inside back Tomas Martinez-Granata returned the favor with two sliding deflections of DeAnza scoring opportunities and by running down an open Don attacker on another.

The defensive plays on both sides almost resulted in a 0-0 tie at halftime, but Alameda's junior forward Selaab Ghafouri finally managed to outduel the Dons' goalkeeper, slipping the ball by him in the final minute of the first half after a nice feed by Hornets junior attacking midfielder Ivan Chavez.

Seeking to build on its 1-0 halftime lead, Alameda dominated the first 16 minutes of the second half, and tallied two more goals. At the 7:25 mark, senior attacking midfielder Sasha Michkovsky took a short pass off a corner kick and bent in a high shot from near the right border of the penalty area, to put the Hornets ahead 2-0.

About eight minutes later, Hornet sophomore forward Laurent Siroit, working with Kenneth Lee, effectively sealed the win with his third goal of the league season. But DeAnza didn't roll over and die. After the third goal against them, they began to apply more pressure, making Alameda goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle earn the shutout.

Other defensive standouts and noteworthy players for Alameda included junior inside back Karl Bliven, who played a strong first half; sophomore outside back David Walrod, who received significant playing time in this game and showed off his speed; and sophomore defensive midfielder Harshal Patankar, who appeared fully recovered from the concussion that had kept him out of some earlier games.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

Hornets' ACCAL stats:
Goals For:  7 (Laurent Siroit 3, Kenny Lee 1, Kenneth Lee 1, Selaab Ghafouri 1, Sasha Michkovsky 1)
Goals Against: 5
Teams Shut Out:  1 (DeAnza)

vs. El Cerrito
January 3

Hornets 3, Gauchos 1

The Hornets men's varsity soccer team earned its first ACCAL win of the season with a convincing victory over the host Gauchos. As in the previous game against Pittsburg, all of the scoring occurred in the first half, but this time it was the Hornets who came out strong and dominated the action. Alameda's three goals were scored by sophomore Kenny Lee, senior Kenneth Lee, and sophomore Laurent Siroit, who almost added another in the second half on a shot that ricocheted off the goal post. Of course, the offense wouldn't have had its opportunities without a strong Hornet defense, which preserved the win with a shutout second half.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

vs. Pittsburg
December 19

Hornets 0, Pirates 2

The Hornets men's varsity soccer team lost 2-0 against a strong Pittsburg Pirates team that Hornets Coach Danny Ayllon later said he'd like his team to emulate, in terms of its attacking style. Game highlights (provided by Hornet parent Matt Bliven) included:

First Half (when all of the game's scoring occurred):

Alameda's offense struggled to break past midfield and control play. Pittsburg was often first to the ball and stronger on attack, maintaining possession on the Alameda side for about 75% of the half.

Minute 16 - Pittsburg scored its first goal on a shoot-out melee in the mouth of Alameda's goal. Alameda stopped two shots but the third shot got through. Score 1-0 Pittsburg.

Minute 32 - Alameda's Sasha Michkovsky had a nice shot on goal from a throw-in, but it was deflected over the net by the Pittsburg goalkeeper.

Minute 37 - A Pittsburg cross that was deflected by Alameda goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle was punted in for an easy Pittsburg goal. Score 2-0 Pittsburg.

Second Half (which was scoreless):

Alameda came on strong and matched Pittsburg offensively for the first 10-15 minutes of play. With only 3 eligible substitutes on the bench, Alameda players became fatigued and weren't able to overcome Pittsburg's stronger offensive play. Alameda's defense held its own and kept Pittsburg scoreless in the second half despite numerous corner kicks and shots on goal.

Minute 7 - Alameda's Sean Welch broke into the Pittsburg penalty area and had a chance to score, but his shot was punted high over the net.

Minute 14 - Alameda's Selaab Ghafouri took a direct kick just outside of the Pittsburg penalty area, tried to bend it, but the shot soared just over the net.

Minute 16 - Alameda's Ivan Chavez tried to do the same from the other side, but his shot was too soft.

Final Post-Game Notes:

Pittsburg had approximately 16 shots on goal to Alameda's 5. Eight Pittsburg shots would have scored had it not been for strong Alameda defense and quick hands of goalkeeper VanWinkle and ball clearing by others. Many of Pittsburg's shots on goal were too high, sailing over the goal, which helped keep the score close. Pittsburgh was awarded 6 corner kicks (including 4 in the second half), but never capitalized on them.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

vs. Foothill
December 17

Hornets 0, Falcons 1

Wow. What a heart-breaker for the Hornets against the Falcons, on a beautiful day in Pleasanton where, unlike what the old radio ad says, it definitely was NOT "where everything is pleasant." It felt more like Mudville, after Mighty Casey had struck out. What seemingly should've been, at worst, a 0-0 tie (or even arguably could've been a 1-0, or 2-0 Alameda victory, based on the opportunities that the Hornets had in the second half against a strong Foothill team) suddenly and shockingly came unraveled in the final seconds of this very entertaining, back-and-forth, tense game. After Alameda had outshot the Falcons 12-6 for the second half, produced several near-goals, and played tough, aggressive defense, suddenly Foothill played a ball through the middle of the field that found an open Falcon forward at the front edge of Alameda's penalty area, who controlled it and put it past onrushing Hornet goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle (who had shut out Foothill up to that point) for the winning goal. Moments later, just after the ensuing kickoff, the game ended. It was like a walk-off home run in baseball. Even the Falcon fans were stunned, and offered condolences to the Alameda faithful. Despite the magnitude of that final play, you can't blame it entirely for Alameda's defeat--there were several missed opportunities earlier that could've broken the tie in the Hornets' favor. And we mustn't overlook the good things that the Hornets did: VanWinkle had a terrific save six minutes into the first half, when Foothill was dominating the game; Alameda forward Laurent Siroit was later robbed by a fabulous Falcon goalkeeper save at the end of the first half, and had several other excellent scoring opportunities; Selaab Ghafouri executed solid passes and crosses to set up his teammates for offensive opportunities; and outside back Danny Radding made a memorable tackle on a breakaway attempt in the second half, after sprinting across the field to intercept the Falcon forward. Those plays were easy to forget after what happened in the final moments against the Falcons, but they provided hope for future games against other tough competition.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

vs. Washington
December 16

Hornets 3, Huskies 1

A good, bounce-back home win for the Hornets, who buzzed back and stung the Huskies after the Heritage loss. Unlike the Heritage game, which was dictated from the onset by the Patriots, the Hornets set the tone early in this one, jumping to a 1-0 lead just 13 minutes into the game on a goal by senior Kenneth Lee off an assist by junior Selaab Ghafouri. That's where the score stood until the second half when, again, Alameda attacked early, going up 2-0 in just the 4th minute on a goal by sophomore Laurent Siroit off a feed by junior Fernando Maghidman. The Huskies countered with a goal 20 minutes later to close the gap to 2-1, but the Hornets effectively clinched their fifth win of the season (all in non-ACCAL play) with a final long goal by junior Ivan Chavez from outside the penalty area, off a pass by senior Danny Radding.

Submitted by: J. Eichel
w/assist from G. VanWinkle and T-H Nguyen

Var Record-to-Date:

vs. Heritage
December 13

Hornets 1, Patriots 4

The good news was that Alameda, after some strong half-time words and a bit of a shake-up to their line-up by Coach Dannylo Ayllon , held Heritage scoreless in the second half of their game at Thompson Field, and outscored them 1-0 during that period. The bad news was that the Hornets had already been stung by the Patriots for four goals in the first half, including two headers off corner kicks, and were outshot 13-5 in the first half and 11-4 in the second half. The Hornets welcomed back last year's leading scorer, Selaab Ghafouri, a junior from Afghanistan, who had been training in the San Jose Earthquakes Academy program. Ghafouri ended up scoring Alameda's only goal, on a second-half penalty kick. But the Hornets were playing without senior inside back Amir Razavi, due to an injury, and his presence was missed---Alameda's back-line defense, normally a team strength, looked out of synch and vulnerable up the middle, especially in the first half. The defense tightened in the second half, but the offense still couldn't quite get it going. Senior attacking midfielder Sasha Michkovsky sent some nice through balls to Alameda's forwards in the first half, and senior inside back Tomas Martinez-Granata headed a corner kick from sophomore forward Kenny Lee off the right goal post during that period, but the Patriots dominated most of the offensive statistics.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Berkeley
December 6

Hornets 1, Yellowjackets 2

Starting North Coast Section league play with a 3-1 non-league record built with the help of a solid, experienced defense (featuring senior backs Alejandro Ramirez-Jasso, Tomas Martinez-Granata, Amir Razavi, and Ron Desmond, along with junior goalkeeper Erik VanWinkle), Alameda was feeling quietly confident about its chances versus perennial league power Berkeley.

That confidence showed in the first half, when Alameda jumped to a 1-0 lead, and had a few other golden scoring opportunities.  On the one that found the net, Hornets sophomore forward Laurent Siroit volleyed in a rebound off a long free kick by Amir Razavi at the 19 minute mark.  That woke up Berkeley, and the rest of the half was pretty evenly matched.  Berkeley outshot Alameda 9-5 in the first 40 minutes, but Alameda had the better scoring opportunities. It was Berkeley, however, that scored the half’s only other goal, a nicely played cross and header combination at the 38 minute mark, resulting in a 1-1 tie at halftime.

Berkeley really put the pressure on to start the second half, and ended up outshooting Alameda 9-3 for the half. But after the six-minute mark, Alameda began countering, including two near-scores on corner kicks. However, it was Berkeley that finally broke the tie, scoring on a half-volley at the 33:45 mark.  Alameda battled hard in the final minutes to tie the score, but came up just short.  It was a great game by both teams, and a terrific competitive contest to start the North Coast season.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Hercules
December 8

Hornets 0, Titans 2

Perhaps it was inevitable that Alameda would have a bit of a letdown after the intensity of the Berkeley game. Matters were compounded by injuries and other commitments, which meant that Alameda was missing some key players.

Whatever the case was, the Hornets looked a little flat in this road game, and it cost them. Hercules outshot and outhustled Alameda in both halves, and the Titans could easily have led 2-0 at halftime after two near-misses that struck the crossbar and sidebar of the Hornets’ goal. Instead, it was 0-0 at the break.

That didn’t last long. Hercules came out aggressively to start the second half, and scored in the first two minutes on a long free kick. The Hornets tried to counter with a nice run by sophomore forward Laurent Siroit at the 12 minute mark, but the Titans goalkeeper made a great leg save on a slide tackle.

Another key play of the game occurred two minutes later, when junior outside defensive back Matt Neff was red-carded. Not only did this knock Neff out of the contest and force Alameda to play short-handed for the rest of the game, it was Neff’s second red card this season, which automatically disqualifies him from playing in the remainder of Alameda’s games.

Hercules, which really didn’t need any more favors in this game, capitalized on its advantage and applied more pressure, scoring on another free kick at the 33 minute mark to effectively end the contest and send the Hornets varsity home empty-handed on this cold December night.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Mission San Jose
December 10

Hornets 4, Warriors 0

In non-league, weekend action, Alameda exploded with four second-half goals after a scoreless first-half tie, totally dominating the last 40 minutes to defeat the visiting Mission San Jose Warriors 4-0 on Dec. 10 at Alameda’s Thompson Field.

The Hornets’ wing forwards swarmed with a purpose in the second half, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes. The first came just a minute into the half on a long ball from the right sideline by senior outside forward Danny Radding. It was probably intended to be a crossing ball, but it veered into the upper left corner of the net…a perfect shot. Four-and-a-half minutes later, junior outside forward Boyan Tzvetkov scored from the left wing, and the rout was on over a clearly demoralized Warriors team.

At the 13:30 mark, Alameda senior outside back Alejandro Ramirez-Jasso was tripped in the penalty box after a long run up the left sideline, and subsequently scored on the resulting penalty kick. The Hornets’ final score was tallied by senior attack midfielder Sasha Michkovsky, who slammed in a rebound off a hard shot by sophomore outside forward Kenny Lee.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

JV

vs. Pinole
February 7

Hornets 1, Spartans 1

The final game of the 2011-12 season for the Hornets mens JV soccer team was a good, close one against a strong team, the Pinole Valley (PV) Spartans. The final score was the same as when these two teams last met on Jan. 12, but it was actually a closer contest--the shot differential was narrower this time (though still in PV's favor) and the Hornets defense allowed significantly fewer shots on goal than last time.

(The lower shot totals may have also had something to do with the marginal playing conditions at Alameda's Thompson Field for this game--it had rained the previous night and much of the day, so the field was wet and slippery, with small puddles at midfield. The field became more treacherous as play progressed--not exactly ideal conditions for passing and shooting.)

All of the scoring in this game took place in the second half. The first half ended in a scoreless tie, dominated mainly by the defenses. Alameda goalkeeper Jake Coghe had four saves to preserve the first-half shutout, and defensive inside back Ian Thorne had a notably strong half for the Hornets, clearing everything that came his way.

Alameda had some chances to break the deadlock in the first half, mainly through the efforts of Moises Powell and Fischer Davis, who would combine later in the second half for Alameda's only goal . Before that, Powell broke loose at 10:30 into the first half for a one-on-one confrontation with the PV goalkeeper , who won that battle with a nice foot save. Powell worked free again from his right wing position at 12:45 to send a cross to left wing Nick Chen, but the PV defense recovered to stifle that attack.

Later in the first half, at the 19:20 mark, Davis, who had subbed in for Powell four minutes earlier, sent a nice through-ball to center-forward Kenyon Ebert, who made a run at the Spartan goal that the PV defense stopped. Davis also sent a nice crossing ball across the PV goal mouth at 33:30 that, unfortunately, none of his teammates was able to put a foot on.

The game remained scoreless until 19:50 into the second half. In fact, PV held Alameda without a shot on goal for almost 30 minutes into the half. Meanwhile, the Spartans finally broke through with a long free kick into Alameda's penalty area, which was converted into a shot into the right corner of the net for a 1-0 PV lead.

But the Hornets battled back, culminating at 30:30 into the half when Davis won a midfield battle for a loose ball, fed Powell on the right wing, and Powell blasted a shot into the upper left corner of the Spartans' net to tie the game. Alameda kept the pressure on for the next five minutes, including another Powell run at the goal at 32:40 and a corner kick near game's end, but couldn't quite put the ball in the net again.

So the Hornet JVs finished their ACCAL season at 1-5-3, and at 3-9-6 overall. The large number of ties certainly stands out. Convert some of those into wins, and the record starts looking better.

It was a team that clearly improved as the season progressed. Looking at their last 6 games, against mostly tough competition, the Hornets earned 3 ties (twice against a tough PV team, once against an even tougher Richmond squad) , a win (dominating Piedmont), and two losses (including a close 1-0 loss to Berkeley, one of the best teams in the league). So the team was moving in the right direction and finding itself at the end of the season. The passing improved, combinations were clicking on offense, and the defense looked more in synch and was communicating better.

This team, unlike the Hornets varsity, suffered from the fact that many/most of its players hadn't played together previously or played before in this type of 4-3-3 system. But this primarily freshman team eventually learned the system, the players started to increasingly know and trust their teammates, and together they created some solid building blocks for future Hornets soccer successes!

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

 

vs. Piedmont
February 3

Hornets 3, Highlanders 0

This non-league "friendly" game was a last-minute addition to the JV schedule to give the JVs another playing opportunity, given that ACCAL league opponents De Anza and Hercules had been unable to field JV teams for their scheduled visits to Alameda, and that hometown rival Encinal (which was hosting the Hornets varsity for a final "friendly") also does not field a JV team.

This Friday frolic turned out to be friendly indeed for the Hornets, for a bunch of reasons:

Though Alameda dominated this game from the outset, it took the Hornets a while to put a ball in the back of the net. In fact, the first half ended scoreless, though Alameda outshot Piedmont 9-2 while playing a front line that featured Pravash Gautam on the left wing, Jacob Charney on the right, and Moises Powell in the middle (supported by Mike Woodworth and Timmy Lee at the left and right attacking midfield positions, respectively).

The best play of the half was recorded by Alameda defensive midfielder Marc Osborn, who, in addition to having a very strong half overall, made a terrific play to clear a loose ball near the Alameda net when Hornet goalkeeper Jake Coghe was taken out of the play by a hard collision with one of his own defenders (fortunately, neither player was hurt).

Guest player Pigott played much of the second half, and made his presence felt with his ball control and passing. In fact, he helped set up Osborn for Alameda's final goal, a 20-yard blast at the 31:00 mark. Earlier in the half, Alameda attacking midfielder Dyonis Jauregui also dialed one in from long distance, scoring on a 25-yard bomb at the 7:55 mark. About 12 minutes later, forward Nick Chen joined the scoring party, taking a feed from Powell and running one in from the left side at 19:12.

As the offense clicked into gear in the second half, the defense also did its job--the back line of Alex Wilson Leech, Andrew Morris, Ian Thorne and Timmy Lee (with Emmett Kaake subbing in) held firm and helped Coghe preserve his shutout.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Richmond
February 2

Hornets 1, Oilers 1

Though it ended in a tie, this game wasn't quite as even as the final score makes it look. Richmond actually dominated, but the fact that Alameda surrendered only one goal was a testament to good goalkeeping and dogged defense by the Hornets under relentless pressure from a superior opponent.

Playing on their home artificial turf, the Oilers controlled the middle of the field and generated a gusher of shots on goal (32 for the game, 16 in each half) but the Hornets defense managed to cap the flow and keep all but one of them from going into the net.

Maybe it was the brand-new black road uniforms (THANK YOU, BOOSTERS!) that made the Hornets so difficult to score on. More likely, it was Jake Coghe's goalkeeping (he had 13 saves, including a doozy of a diving save off a close-range shot in the Alameda penalty area, to preserve Alameda's first-half shut-out) and the play of the back-line defense in front of him.

Outside back Emmett Kaake, in particular, was a wall in the first half, shutting down the Oilers' right wing. But the entire remaining back line of Garrett Langfeld, Andrew Morris, and Ian Thorne, along with Marc Osborn and Dyonis Jauregui alternating at the defensive midfielder position, made most of the key stops when they needed to.

Meanwhile, Alameda made the most of its six shots on goal (including just one in the second half, which didn't come until 31:08 into the period), jumping to a startling 1-0 lead 26 minutes into the game, which held up until early in the second half. The Hornets goal was tallied by center-forward Kenyon Ebert, just four minutes after he entered the game on a substitution. Alameda right-wing Moises Powell intercepted a Richmond pass deep in its territory, fired a shot on goal from the right side, Ebert fielded the rebound in front of the goal, and knocked it in, for his second goal in ACCAL play.

Alas, that was pretty much Alameda's last offensive hurrah for the game. The Oilers scored at 3:45 into the second half, taking advantage of an Alameda defensive lapse up the middle, and then clamped down with their defense. Other than one offensive penetration by Ebert at 5:15, the Oilers hemmed the Hornets into their side of the field most of the second half. Alameda did finally break through somewhat in the final five minutes--a Powell cross at 30:00 forced the Richmond goalkeeper to make a nice save, Fischer Davis worked free for a shot at 31:08, and the Hornets got a corner kick at 33:00. But that was it.

Richmond, on the other hand, fired shots at Coghe throughout the second half, but no more went through. The defense was under a lot of pressure, but it held, to earn a tough tie on the road.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. El Cerrito
January 26

Hornets 1, Gauchos 3

Though the score ended up the same as the last time the Hornets met the Gauchos (Jan. 3, in El Cerrito) this game began better for the Hornets. They jumped to a 1-0 lead on a goal by team captain Nick Chen in the first five minutes, and outshot El Cerrito 9-8 in the first half. Alameda dominated the beginning of the half, then the momentum shifted to the Gauchos toward the end.

During its dominant first-half stretches, the Hornets got good offensive pressure from outside backs Emmett Kaake and Alex Wilson Leech, while midfielder Fischer Davis controlled the middle. Besides Chen's goal, forward Moises Powell also got good shots off at the 16:30 and 26:30 marks into the first half.

Unfortunately, giving up corner-kick goals to the opposition has been one of the Hornets JV team's weaknesses this season, and it happened again in this game, not once but twice. The first time was 32 minutes into the first half, which tied the game 1-1. Alameda goalkeeper Jake Coghe knocked down the first shot that came off the corner kick, but the Gauchos scored on the rebound.

The Gauchos' second corner-kick goal came just 2:40 into the second half, putting them ahead 2-1. This time the ball was deflected, possibly by a defender, into the corner of the net. El Cerrito did more to earn its final goal, executing a perfect scoring play at 34:20 into the second half to essentially seal the 3-1 win.

Minutes before that final goal, Alameda had a couple of opportunities to tie the game. Riley Jiang, who returned to the starting line-up and played a very solid game at inside back, sent a long ball from the back line that gave center-forward Kenyon Ebert an opportunity to shoot in the penalty area, but it was blocked. Ebert had another scoring opportunity about a minute later that went off the side of the net. Pravash Gautam was also very active at a wing forward position during the second half.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Berkeley
January 20

Hornets 0, Yellowjackets 1

This was almost a “moral victory” for the Hornets, if you believe in such things, because Alameda battled hard and well against recent history and the elements.

The Hornets JV hadn’t fared well against the Yellowjackets JV in recent meetings (losing 5-0 earlier this season at home, and succumbing to a similar score last year in Berkeley). So Alameda was motivated to improve its performance in Berkeley this year.

And they did, holding the Yellowjackets to just one goal while playing under monsoon conditions very similar to what the varsity experienced (see their Jan. 20 Berkeley write-up), though not quite as bad. (The worst of the storm arrived later, during the varsity game.) The JVs just saw the preliminary showers, and the wind didn’t start to pick up until the second half of the JV game.

Which was unfortunate because Alameda had wind at its back in the first half, then had to battle against the higher wind in the second half.

The first half ended in a 0-0 tie. Berkeley played conservatively against the wind and rain in this half, starting out playing a very lateral, ball-control game. Not many shots were taken by either team in the first 20 minutes—the shot count stood even at 2-2 at that point. But Berkeley began to apply more offensive pressure at that point, and Alameda goalkeeper Jake Coghe responded, making three nice saves. Berkeley finished the half up 8-2 in the shot count, but remained scoreless.

The scoreless tie continued until 23 minutes into the second half, when one of Berkeley’s better players, left unguarded just outside the penalty area, finally managed to put a long, high shot past Coghe, for a 1-0 lead. Up until then, Coghe had been flawless, and at times spectacular, making multiple saves with a degree of difficulty that was magnified by the wet, windy conditions. Remarkably, Coghe seemed to get more and more sure-handed as the game went on and the weather deteriorated, saving one of his best saves for the 30 minute mark to help keep his team in the game.

Alas, Alameda couldn’t muster much second-half offense against the rising wind and rain, and against Berkeley’s stiffening defense. The Yellowjackets ended up outshooting the Hornets 15-1 in the second half, making the fact that the Hornet defense held them to just one goal all the more remarkable.

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats (through this game):

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Pinole
January 12

Hornets 1, Spartans 1

Again, like in previous games, the Hornets were significantly outshot (18-8 this time). But again, like in the Richmond game, the defense hung tough and nearly pulled out a win on a cold, blustery afternoon in Pinole.

The strong wind was definitely a factor, especially in the first half, when the Hornets tried fitfully to fly against it. PV's only goal for the game was a self-goal on Alameda in the first half that resulted from a Spartan corner kick that the wind appeared to play tricks with, causing the Hornet defenders to misread and misplay it. Balls in the air in general were tricky for the Hornets to handle in the first half, but the defense managed to escape without further mishap.

Meanwhile, the Hornet offense made some first-half noise, stinging the Spartans for a 1-0 Alameda lead at the 17:20 mark when sophomore Fischer Davis, playing center forward at the time, knocked a corner kick from freshman forward Moises Powell over to freshman defensive midfielder Marc Osborn, who pounded it into the back of the net. Unfortunately for the Hornets, the lead was short-lived, as the wind-blown cornerkick goal against them occurred just two minutes later.

The score remained tied 1-1 the rest of the game, though both teams fought hard to change that. Alameda freshman outside back Timmy Lee took a strong outside shot from the right side in the second half that just missed, and freshman Alameda goalkeeper Jake Coghe played a strong second half as the Spartans kept hammering away at him.

With the game on the line in the closing minutes of the second half, junior outside back Garrett Langfeld made a great hustle play, anticipating and getting back on a ball played to space in the Alameda penalty area that posed a dire final Spartan threat.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats:

vs. Richmond
January 10

Hornets 1, Oilers 3

Alameda's defense actually held up pretty well against a strong Richmond team, considering the Hornets were outshot 23-4.  Take away two relatively cheap, easy goals for the Oilers at the start of each half, and the Hornets played them pretty much evenly the rest of the way, and made them work for their road victory.

Unlike most of Richmond's shots for the rest of the game, which tended to come from 15-20 yards out as the Hornets' back line swarmed on the Oilers forwards when they came any closer within the penalty area, the two "cheap" goals came from up close and didn't give Alameda freshman goalkeeper Jake Coghe much time to react.  The first came on a defensive lapse and a deep penetration on the right side, resulting in a point-blank shot just 2:35 into the game in the first half.

The second came early in the second half, on another lapse when Coghe accidentally picked up an Alameda defender's back-pass, which resulted in a free kick right in front of the goal mouth.  From that point-blank range, Richmond pounded it in, then added a goal off a corner kick for a 3-0 advantage.

But Alameda kept fighting, earning three corner kicks during a seven-minute span mid-way through the second half, the third of which the Hornets converted into a goal.  A corner kick by sophomore attacking midfielder Fischer Davis was headed by freshman defensive midfielder Marc Osborn to sophomore forward Nick Chen, who kicked it in for his team-leading third goal of the ACCAL season.

Osborn had a solid game overall, as did two of his fellow defenders, outside backs junior Garrett Langfeld and sophomore Emmett Kaake.  Coghe had 16 saves, as Richmond's offense kept him very busy.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Record to Date:

ACCAL stats:

vs. El Cerrito
January 3

Hornets 1, Gauchos 3

The Gauchos were bigger and stronger than the Hornets and played more physical overall, but Alameda actually controlled the first 12 minutes of this game. The Hornets didn't allow a shot on goal until the 14 minute mark, but it was a deadly one--the Gauchos scored off a long crossing throw-in, the first of two such goals for them. And the Gauchos got some help from the Hornets defense, which scored a self-goal at the 22 minute mark in the first half to create a 2-0 deficit that their teammates couldn't overcome. El Cerrito added its second throw in-assisted goal at 6:30 into the second half to build a 3-0 lead, and that's where the score stood until Alameda freshman forward Moises Powell broke the shutout with a penalty kick in the final minutes, after a hand-ball call on the Gauchos in their penalty area.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

vs. Pittsburg
December 19

Hornets 0, Pirates 5

Pittsburg's performance was as dominant as the score indicated. The Pirates sailed to a formidable 4-0 first-half lead, scoring their first goal just 1:20 into the game and outshooting Alameda 17-2 for the half, keeping Hornet goalkeeper Jake Coghe extremely busy. Alameda's defense tightened and the shot differential narrowed in the second half (to 9-3), but the Pirates were still firmly in command--Alameda didn't get its first second-half shot until 22 minutes into the period, after Pittsburg widened its lead to 5-0. The Hornets put some pressure on the Pirates after that, and offered their best scoring opportunity at the 24 minute mark, when forward Nick Chen knocked a Moises Powell corner kick just over the crossbar.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

Var Record-to-Date:

vs. Foothill
December 17

Hornets 0, Falcons 2

The JVs played better against the Falcons than they did against Washington the previous day, but the Falcons provided considerably stiffer competition than the Huskies had. (Like other bigger schools, Foothill has a separate freshman team; their JV team has an older, more experienced profile than Alameda's). Foothill's strength and dominance were displayed in the game's shot stats--the Falcons outshot Alameda 8-3 in the first half, and then topped that by outshooting the Hornets 13-1 in the second half. (Alameda had no shots on goal in the second half for over 29 minutes). It's tough to score if you can't get any shots off! Alameda's best scoring opportunity came in the first half, on a Fischer Davis breakaway attempt. Unfortunately, after that was foiled, Foothill immediately counterattacked and scored the game's first goal, in the 33rd minute of the first half. The Falcons added their second goal during the second half, during their 13-1 barrage. The shut-out by Foothill broke Alameda freshman forward Moises Powell's four-game scoring string--he'd scored a goal in each of the Hornets' previous four games. In this game, Powell was marked and pressured by a strong left outside back for Foothill, who appeared to be one of the Falcons' best players. Speaking of good defense pressure, Alameda applied some too. Junior outside back Garrett Langfeld defused numerous Falcon scoring opportunities on his side of the field, and sophomore defensive midfielder Andrew Morris bounced back from a rough game against Washington to look more like his usual self, a solid force in the middle of the Hornets' defense.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

JV Record-to-Date:

vs. Washington
December 16

Hornets 1, Huskies 3

The Hornet JVs snapped a nice three-game undefeated streak by basically rolling over and playing dead (especially on defense) against the Huskies, with an uncharacteristically listless home loss that made Washington look much better than it really was. The Hornets had difficulty generating much offense until the second half (they were outshot 7-2 in the first half before evening things up in the second), but it was the porous defense that put freshman goalkeeper Jake Coghe into several breakaway one-on-one situations (two of which he stopped) and really caused this defeat. The Alameda defense appeared to miss the steady back-line efforts of freshman inside back Riley Jiang, who did not play in this game, On a more positive note, junior Alex Wilson Leech got more playing time at the left attacking midfield position, making his presence felt, and the offense did generate more opportunities in the second half, outshooting the Huskies. In particular, the Moises Powell-Fischer Davis combo that has been evolving in recent games began to click again, and Powell ended up scoring Alameda's only goal on a penalty kick at the very end of the second half to avert a shut-out. Freshman defensive midfielder Marc Osborn passed well in second half from the back line.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

JV Record-to-Date:

vs. Heritage
December 13

Hornets 1, Patriots 0 

After a very even, scoreless first half--featuring seven saves by Alameda freshman goalkeeper Jake Coghe--some offensive combinations for the Hornets started to click, and it just seemed like a matter of time before Alameda would score. The Hornets had three corner kicks in the first five minutes of the second half, and freshman forward Moises Powell sent two other very nice crosses into the penalty area that almost resulted in goals. Sophomore attacking midfielder Fischer Davis was also crossing well, and one of his feeds, from the left side, fed Powell perfectly for the game's lone goal 13 minutes into the second half. The remainder of the half was a battle. Heritage ended up outshooting Alameda 16-6 for the half and seemed to have a corner kick every other minute down the stretch, but the Hornets held on. Freshman inside back Ian Thorne blocked a close open shot at the 27 minute mark, and Alameda's other inside back, freshman Riley Jiang, had a very solid game--nothing got through or by him.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Berkeley
December 6

Hornets 0, Yellowjackets 5

The Alameda mens JV team’s first two league games were considerably more one-sided than the varsity’s. A very solid and mature Berkeley JV team (Berkeley, with nearly double Alameda’s enrollment, has a separate freshmen team) out-passed, out-shot and out-scored the mostly freshmen (11 freshmen, 5 sophomores, 3 juniors) Alameda JV team 5-0 on Dec. 6. 

However, the Hornet underclassmen bounced back to trample the Titans JV 5-0 on Dec. 8 and tie Mission San Jose 1-1 on Dec. 10.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Hercules
December 8

Hornets 5, Titans 0

The bounce-back victory over Hercules was the JV team’s first win this season, after two ties and two losses, and represented their highest scoring output by far. Team captain sophomore forward Nick Chen kicked off the scoring with two early goals, the first coming just four minutes into the first half off a nice feed by freshman midfielder Marc Osborn.

Good passing also generated Alameda’s third and fourth goals. At the 21-minute mark, sophomore forward Fischer Davis fed freshman forward Moises Powell for a breakaway goal, for a 3-0 lead, then, minutes later, junior forward Jacob Charney headed freshman midfielder Michael Woodworth’s sublime crossing pass into the Titan net. Freshman forward Kenyon Ebert closed out the Alameda scoring near the end of the first half with an opportunistic goal off a pass he intercepted from the Hercules defense.

Meanwhile, Alameda’s freshman goalkeeper Jake Coghe got some relief (and his second shutout of the season) in the Hercules game, after being the target of nearly 30 shots in the Berkeley game. Helping to keep the pressure off Coghe, sophomore Emmett Kaake had a strong game at the outside defensive back position. Also solid, with good passing, were freshman inside defensive backs Riley Jiang and Ian Thorne, and freshman midfielder Dyonis Jauregui. Freshman forward Chris Lovelady kept pressure on the Titans goalkeeper in the second half.

Submitted by: J. Eichel

vs. Mission San Jose
December 10

Hornets 1, Warriors 1

The JVs played in a much tighter non-league home game vs. the Mission San Jose Warriors on Dec. 10, which resulted in an exciting, comeback 1-1 tie. After getting beat for an early first-half goal by the Warriors, the Hornets defense stiffened for the rest of the game. The Warriors goalkeeper was very good, but his over-aggressiveness on one play in his penalty area resulted in a second-half penalty kick for Alameda, which freshman forward Moises Powell converted. After this latest tie, the Alameda JV team’s record stands at 1 win, 2 losses, and 3 ties. 

Submitted by: J. Eichel