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Ireland, Jagt receive top conference honors
November 14
The Southern States Athletic Conference released the annual women’s soccer awards yesterday and Faulkner head coach Jeff Ireland and senior forward Nikki Jagt received to of the year’s most distinguished awards.
Jeff Ireland named SSAC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year
Ireland was named the 2009 SSAC Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year, a first for the Faulkner program. Ireland, who just completed his third season with the Eagles, helped lead the the women’s team to its highest finished ever.
Last year the Eagles finished the season with a respectable 9-6-1 overall record (5-5 SSAC) and made it to the playoffs for only the second time in program history. Faulkner fell to Berry College 7-1 in the opening round.
In 2007, Ireland’s first season, the team was 6-10-1 overall and 1-8-1 in the league and failed to make post season play.
Ireland has continued to push this team forward and the 2009 season was its most successful yet. The Eagles finished the season 11-7 overall and 5-3 in the conference for a third place finish. The team also defeated rival Brenau University 2-0 in the opening round of the conference tournament, catapulting the Eagles into their first semi finial appearance.
The consistent progress that the Faulkner soccer team has made culminated this season with several firsts for the Eagles. The results didn’t go unnoticed by the conference and Ireland was named this year’s most outstanding coach.
Nikki Jagt named SSAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year
Jagt, meanwhile, took home the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award. Jagt missed four matches this season, including showdown’s with Berry College and No. 2 Lee University, due to an ankle injury. The senior out of Burlington, Ontario, still led the conference in total shots (6.57), shots on goal (3.79) and goals scored (1.5) per game, however, and was named the conference Offensive Player of the Week twice in the regular season. Jagt was named Offensive Player of the Week six times in her career.
Jagt finished the year with 21 goals bringing her career total to 113, good for second place all-time in the SSAC and eighth overall in NAIA history. She is also the conference all-time points leader.
Eagles' run ends in semis
Cassie Wilcox charges for the ball in the second half
November 11
Faulkner University took on Auburn University Montgomery this afternoon in a semi final showdown of the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament. The Senators took the lead a little over 12 minutes into the second half and scored a second time before the end of regulation to give the home team the victory 2-0.
The Faulkner players cheer on their team at the start of the contest
Nikki Jagt fires one toward the goal in the first period
The Eagles, for the most part, looked flat, failing to generate much offense in the match. The exception came in the last 15 minutes of the first half and the final three minutes of the contest when the birds put together some strong runs and aggressive attacks.
The event was reminiscent of the first round battle with Brenau where the Eagles spent a great deal of the game on defense. The difference however, came on the scoring front.
Cassie Wilcox takes a hard shot in the first half
Wilcox takes a secon shot off the rebound
Faulkner’s Cassie Wilcox came closest to scoring toward the end of the first period. The freshman rifled a strike at the frame, but the shot was blocked by approaching AUM goalkeeper Daisy Burnfield. Wilcox rebounded the deflected ball and took second shot, this time off balance and with less power, and it too was knocked away.
The event was scoreless at the break.
Jessica Monarch beats the defense on the outside
Samantha Ruddick takes a shot in the second half
In the second half, it was virtually all Senator action. The orange jerseys swarmed to the ball and did an exceptional job of keeping promising surges by the Eagles from fully developing. Faulkner took several good shots including two long range blasts from Jessica Monarch and Nikki Jagt, but the efforts produced no results on the scoreboard. The Eagles finished with 10 total shots with six on goal.
AUM, on the other hand, found the back of the net twice, both scores coming by way of Tschana Wade. The first was off a pass from a trapped Margret Albertsdottir across the goal. The second came on an open field charge for a one on one with keeper Lisa Gallea. The Senators had 17 shots with five on frame.
Gallea finished the game with three saves and allowed two scores.
Physical contact; Nikki Jagt is slammed near the box in route to the goal
“I’m not happy with the way we played to day,” said head coach Jeff Ireland. “We didn’t play our game. We aren’t successful at playing the other team’s game and that’s what we tried to do for too much of the afternoon. When we controlled the ball and made smart passes, we were effective at making a threat, but when we tried doing things that we just don’t do, well, we got beat.”
“I wish things had ended differently, especially for the seniors, but we have to learn from this. We need to remember it when we start training for next year and let it feed us when we think we’re tired and want to give up. I think we played hard for much of the game, but we didn’t do what we came here to do and the result reflects that.”
The goal that wasn't; Nikki Jagt's free kick looked to break the plane of the goal, but the officials didn't see it that way
Faulkner closes its season at 11-7 overall and 6-4 in league play - the best record in program history. Auburn Montgomery moves into the finals to take on the winner of the Lee University and Shorter College game. The championship game is set for Saturday with the location and time yet to be determined.
Eagles blank Golden Tigers, move to semis
Samantha Ruddick gets nothing but love from teammate Nikki Jagt after scoring the first goal
November 7
Faulkner University’s women’s soccer team hosted rival Brenau University this afternoon in an opening round showdown of the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament. The Golden Tigers defeated the Eagles in early October, but this afternoon it was the home team that clinched the win. Faulkner knocked off Brenau in a 2-0 shutout to move into the semi finals.
Latoya Panton blows by the defender in route to the goal
The first time the two teams faced off this season, the Eagles jumped out for an early lead, holding it for most of the competition. But a late rally by the Golden Tigers sent the event into double overtime where Brenau was able to punch in the winning goal handing the birds their third conference loss of the season.
Since then, the Eagles have gone undefeated in the SSAC securing third place in the final conference standings and earning home field advantage for the opening round rematch.
Jessica Monarch wins a header near mid field
Defender Shirley DeArmas fires the ball to an awaiting teammate
Today’s event was well balanced with both teams producing similar numbers on offense. Faulkner finished the game with 19 shots, 11 of which were on goal. Brenau took 18 shots with 10 on frame.
Faulkner’s Samantha Ruddick and Jennifer Parrott were the difference makers, however. After a scoreless first half the Eagles were able to orchestrate a handful of threatening runs. Parrott fed the ball to Ruddick on the game’s first scoring drive. Brenau’s diving keeper, Lisa Lesnick, halted Ruddick’s first shot, but the sophomore rebounded the blocked ball making good on her second strike.
Samantha Ruddick scores off her own rebound to set the tempo with a 1-0 lead
Jennifer Parrott beats the keeper in the one on one for the score
With only a handful of minutes left in regulation the Eagles broke free one last time. Faulkner quickly shifted the ball to the middle of the field and a well-placed pass from Shirley DeArmas gave Parrott the one on one with Lesnick for the score.
Goalkeeper Lisa Gallea knocks a shot over the crossbar and out of play
Faulkner keeper Lisa Gallea had 10 saves in the win.
Clio Rennalls brings the ball down for the Eagles in the second half
Nikki Jagt battles for position in this afternoon's showdown
"I’m happy with the outcome and of course proud of these girls," said head coach Jeff Ireland. "I was actually not happy with how we played about 80 percent of the game. We were doing things that we know we shouldn’t and can’t do, but we adjusted and put the ball in the net and got the win. We’re going to have to rest and do a lot of preparation for AUM."
The team gathers together after the win
An emotional Jeff Ireland huddles with his team after the victory
Coach Ireland discusses the game with the team
The Eagles will move into the semi finals of the SSAC tournament for the first time in program history. The shutout was the team’s seventh of the season, also a program best.
The 11-6 Eagles will take on No. 16 Auburn Montgomery in the second round contest on Wednesday, Nov. 11 with a start time that has yet to be determined. The Eagles upset the Senators 4-2 earlier this year, but if today’s match proves anything it’s that the regular season is over and its anyone’s game.
The team celebrates the first post season victory in program history
Faulkner clinches home filed advantage in SSAC tourney
November 4
Faulkner’s women’s soccer team finished third in the regular season Southern States Athletic Conference standings behind No. 2 Lee University and No. 16 Auburn Montgomery. The Eagles gain home field advantage against Brenau University in Saturday’s opening round of the conference tournament. The finish marks the program’s highest seeding ever in the final conference standings and represents only the third time the team has made it into post season play.
The Eagles’ previous best finish was in 2006 when the team placed sixth at the close of the season. Last year the team finished seventh. In both ventures to the tournament the Eagles were defeated in the first round. The birds will look to make opening round losses a thing of the past as they battle for a place in history with a tournament championship title.
For now, however, Faulkner has its sights set on the Golden Tigers who took home the 3-2 double overtime victory in early October. It was a game the Eagles led until late in the event.
“I think this team has what it takes,” said head coach Jeff Ireland when asked about bringing home a tournament title. “It’s going to take more than that though. There will be exceptionally skilled teams that we will have to play along the way and it all starts with Breanu. We have to remember that if we get a lead, it means nothing until the final whistle. Likewise, if we fall behind, it means nothing until the final whistle. If we can get healthy by Saturday and stay that way, that’s a huge part of the equation. If we play with the poise and mindset we did against Truett-McConnell and the intensity we did against AUM, then I think this team has a chance to do something that the program has never done. Lee will undoubtedly be waiting in the finals and they will be the biggest challenge for whoever makes it that far. I believe our girls can defeat them, but we will have to be aggressive and smart and virtually perfect in all facets of the game. For now though, we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. We have a very talented Brenau team that we have to prepare for. Anything after that, we’ll address as needed.”
The Eagles have all of the tools needed to make an impact in the 2009 SSAC Tournament and the action begins Saturday at 3 p.m. at the YMCA fields here in Montgomery, Ala.
Eagles have little trouble with Bears
November 3
Faulkner’s women’s soccer team took to the field for the last time in the regular season this evening against future conference opponent Truett-McConnell College. After a moderately slow start the Eagles began to heat up scoring five goals by the half way mark. The home team went on to rout the visitors 7-0.
The scoring assault started with sophomore forward Samantha Ruddick who knocked home the team’s fist two goals. Senior forward Nikki Jagt put in three of her own including a diving header off of a beautiful feed from Clio Rennalls. The birds entered the half with a 5-0 lead and subs that had already played nearly half of the game.
The starters retook the field to open the second period, but it took a bit longer to get back into execution mode. The Eagles produced a handful of great runs, before Jagt cut across the middle dishing the ball off to sophomore Jessica Monarch. The midfielder turned around a breaking defender and shot the ball into the crossbar and behind the keeper for the score. It was the second time in the game that Monarch hit the crossbar.
The final goal of the game came from Jagt on a well-placed corner kick by Ruddick. Jagt headed the ball into the opposite corner of the net to secure the event.
The Eagles looked extraordinary well composed and focused in the contest. A team that has a tendency to play at their opponents level executed very well and moved the ball quickly and with skill and determination.
“You all played extremely well,” head coach Jeff Ireland told his team after the game. “I am very proud of you. You did exactly what you know how to do. You defended well, organized some great runs and you played touch and pass just like we’ve talked about all season.”
Ireland was more than pleased with the fact that his girls didn’t let a slightly weaker opponent distract them from their method of play.
“Truett is a good team, but they didn’t have the speed and size our girls are used to seeing on the field,” Ireland commented. “It’s often easy for the girls to slack off or try to overdue it because the see a weakness and try to do things that we would ordinarily never do. Tonight they realized that their were weaknesses, but they tried to take advantage of them in a well thought out plan and when things didn’t work they simply adjusted. This is probably the best I’ve ever seen our team play. This, and probably the AUM game, stand out in my mind as examples of what we should look like at every outing.”
The Eagles limited the Bears to only three shots and only one on goal. The event’s single save went to Cassie Wilcox who stepped into the box for the first time all season in place of an injured Lisa Gallea. Kinsey Ogles secured the net in the second half for the birds and Wilcox return to the field for the offense.
Jagt led the scoring effort for Faulkner with four goals and a pair of assists. Ruddick followed with two goals and an assist. Monarch struck for a score and also had an assist. Jennifer Parrot finished with two assists and Rennalls and one assist.
In all, the Eagles took 26 shots and landed seven of their 17 on frame.
The Eagles will await the final outcome of the remaining conference games to find out where they will finish in the Southern States Athletic Conference regular season standings. It looks like the Eagles might secure third place which would give them home field advantage in the opening round of the conference tournament that will begin on Saturday.