Kings Goal Club

October 22, 2011-The Kings Knights’ varsity soccer season came to an end tonight at the hands of the Mason Comets in the Ohio high school state sectional playoffs.

The Knights finish the season with a record of 9-8-1.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011–On a cold and rainy night, the host Kings Knights came back in overtime to win the first game of their sectional tournament against Colerain, 2-1.

In the end, it seemed like a battle between “Team Kings” and Kevin Walker, the all-city player for Colerain. Walker, the explosive Cardinal player, was held in check most of the evening by the Kings backline.  Alex Kowal, playing from his outside defender position, drew Walker’s number and did a fabulous job of shutting the midfielder down.

In the first half Kings put pressure on the Cardinals defensive unit with numerous quality opportunities at the goal.  Garrett Householder, Max Burkert and Landon Kirby each had shots that just went wide right of the far post.  Kings was possessing the ball well and looking for opportunities to attack the goal.  In the meantime, Cardinal runs were being shut down and the first half ended in a scoreless tie.

Into the second half and at the 44 minute mark into the match, Landon Kirby penetrated deeply into the Cardinals’ backline.  A corner kick was awarded to the Knights and Leo Mesones delivered a perfect ball to center back Brandon Coughlin.  Coughlin delivered the first goal of the night putting Kings up, 1-0.

The rest of the match was back and forth until the 74 minute mark when the Cardinals found Walker alone and unmarked at a midfield position.  His laser strike slipped through the gloves of keeper Danny Merz and the match was knotted at 1-1.

In the final 6 minutes Kings had numerous chances at winning the match.  Playing great team soccer, the Knights pounded the goal and even winning consecutive corner kicks late in the match.  As their momentum was building, nothing seemed to fall for the Knights and regulation play after 80 minutes ended with the score 1-1.

Kings wasted little time in OT showing the Cardinals who came to play and finish the match.  Luke McLelland found Matt Hovis on a throw-in deep in Colerain territory and Hovis worked through a few defenders to find an open and unmarked Leo Mesones whose left foot found the back of the net.  Game over and match to the Knights with the final 2-1.  Kings wins their first tournament game in four years.  Congratulations coaches and boys!

The next match is Saturday, October 22 against the winner of Mason and Western Brown.

Starters:

F: Mesones, Kirby

MF: McLelland, Householder, Hovis, Burkert

D: Fadayel, Kettler, Coughlin, Kowal

GK: Merz

Junior Danny Merz first start as keeper

October 13, 2011–In one of their best all around played games of the season, The Kings’ varsity team showed an extreme degree of poise and composure in defeating the Glen Este Trojans by the score of 2-0.  It was a total team effort of coaches and players working together to spoil the Trojans’ Senior Night in front of their home crowd.

The match started with a very lengthy introduction and affirmation of the nine Trojans seniors.  Each Glen Este player received commendations and accolades from mom, dad, the high school coach, their former SAY coaches and what seemed like a host of others.  All in all, The Trojan seniors were well recognized.

From the very beginning the match started out a bit on the physical side of things.  The wet and soggy grass field conditions contributed to a style of play that seemed to play into the Trojans’ desire to play physical soccer and knock the ball over the top.

But at the 8 minute mark in the match, Leo Mesones crossed a ball that Garrett Householder headed with great force toward the goal.  The Trojan keeper could not contain the ball and Max Burkert finished the deflected ball to give the Knights the first goal and the lead, 1-0.

From there, the Knights backline of Coughlin, Kettler, Fadayel and Kowal contained the Trojan offensive attacks by shutting down, disrupting and finally controlling every one of their attacks.  Danny Merz made his first start of the year in the keeper spot and he was dialed into the game all night.  A huge improvement over past games was evidenced by the fact that the Knights defended every corner kick and free kick by staying on their marks.  In the end, the Knights defenders gave an outstanding effort to earn the shutout win.

The first half ended with the Knights leading 1-0.  At the 52 minute mark in the match, Kings went on the attack.  As they put pressure on the goal, the Trojan keeper and centerback could not clear a ball that rolled into the six yard box.  Matt Hovis closed on the ball and attempted a shot.  But before he could get the shot off, he was mugged by two Glen Este defenders and pulled to the ground.  The center ref had no choice but to call a foul and award the Knights with a penalty kick.  Leo Mesones calmly stepped up and made the score 2-0.

The rest of the match amounted to Glen Este racking up three yellow cards for overly aggressive play, the Knights continually shutting down the Trojans’ over-the-top attempts and Kings possessing the ball with poise and not retaliating with physical play.  To put a cap on the match, Merz made a one handed save look easy at the 79 minute mark to preserve the shutout.

Kings ends the regular season with an 8-7-1 mark and a 3-4-1 FAVC league record.  That earns them sixth place in the league.  The win also gives them some momentum into next week’s tournament match against Colerain.

Hear Garrett Householder’s post-game comments:

Starters:

F: Mesones, Householder

MF: Meyer, Hovis, Burkert, McLelland

D: Kowal, Kettler, Coughlin, Fadayel

GK: Merz

Austin Smith-outside midfielder

October 6,2011–The positives were few and far apart tonight as the Kings Knights were outplayed by the home team Milford Eagles 6-0.  As the season draws to a close, the Knight are trying to get back to some of the winning ways from earlier in the season.  But it would not happen tonight.

Overall, the Knights could not handle the speed and quickness of Milford.  In the first 12 minutes of the game, Kings had two decent offensive buildups, but could not put the finishing touches on any of their attack.  Their lack of possession and ability to attack left them open to an Eagle counter attack, and that is exactly what Milford did.

At the 12 minute mark in the match, Milford divided the Kings’ backline with their lightening speed to score the first of three “kick and run” goals. They scored at the 12 minute mark and again at the 17 minute mark and finally at the 39 minute mark on balls that were crossed into a speedy forward streaking down the middle of the field.

If their speed and quickness were not enough, Kings was once again plagued by a familiar nemesis–the set piece.  At the 25 and 27 minutes marks in the match, Milford capitalized on Kings’ fouls and made the most of their free kicks by banging in two more goals.  At the half the score stood Milford 5 and Kings 0.

Lots of subbing on both sides characterized the second half of play. There was one moment when Kings seemed to gain a spark.  At the 48 minute in the match, the Knights put together a series of quick touches to generate an offensive attack.  Landon Kirby was found on the left side of the field but his strike went wide left of the near post.  Milford would add another goal late in the match to make the final 6-0.

Several reserves gained some valuable playing time tonight in the second half.  Seniors Austin Smith and Blake Masencamp added valuable minutes.  Sophomore Garrett Irwin saw his first action after injuring his back very early in the season.

The challenge for Kings now is to finish the regular season in winning fashion at Glen Este next Thursday and prepare for the tournament.  With a 7-7-1 record, a winning season is within reach with a good outcome against the Trojans.

Knights, you can do it!

Starters:

F: Hoover, Kirby

MF: Burkert, Mesones, Householder, Meyer

D: Fadayel, Coughlin, Kettler, Merz

GK: Holdeman

Please note: A special thanks to Coach Eric Mount for the Varsity and JV write-ups for the Lebanon, Mt. Healthy and Walnut Hills games while I was out of town for business.  Great job Coach! 

Nathan Meyer scores his first varsity goal

September 29, 2011–Both Men’s soccer teams would like to hit the ‘Redo’ button after their performances Thursday night at Walnut Hills. In the JV encounter, the Knights were shutout in a rain-shortened sixty-minute match, 3-0. The varsity was not shutout, but they conceded a season high eight goals; all but one coming in the first half.

In the opening match, the Knights came out totally flat-footed, failing to build a reasonable attack on the Eagle defense. On the other end, however, the hosts were constantly attacking the Knights’ net, though only finding the net once. The Knights were fortunate to go into half time1-0.

Right from the kick in the second half, the Eagles looked determined to strike again. They would do so twice in quick succession, leaving the Knights in a 3-0 hole, from which they wouldn’t recover. With about ten minutes left in the match, the rains came down and lights flickered off, as players, coaches and parents would find cover and the game would be called.

The rain lightened up just enough for an 8:10 varsity kickoff, but it continued to pour throughout the match. Unfortunately for the Knights, goals would continue to pour as well, with the Eagles netting seven times in the first half. Senior Nathan Meyer would tally for the Knights, but that would be the only goal the visitors would score. Knights’ goalkeeper Danny Merz made a number of nice saves in the second half, hoping to shutout the Eagles in the second half, but with under a minute to play, the hosts tallied one final goal. 8-1 was the final.

The Knights ( JV: 7-6-0 and Varsity: 7-6-0) will do their best to erase these matches from their memory and get ready to take on Anderson on Saturday. The JV match, coinciding with Kings Senior Night, will kickoff at 5 pm, the varsity at 7pm.

Starters (JV):

GK: O’Day

DEF: Brammer, Hacker, Guiliano, Romo

MID: Kratz, Paulsen, D’Enbeau, Guerriero

FWD: Dreikosen, Mott

Starters (Varsity):

GK: Frye

DEF: Fadayel, Coughlin, Kettler, Kowal

MF: McLelland, Mesones, Householder, Burkert

F: Terrier, Hoover

Sam Fadayel scored his first varsity goal

October 1, 2011–On an unusually cool October evening at Kings Stadium, seven seniors gave their all in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw with their FAVC East opponent Anderson Redskins.

Kings came out in the first half determined to erase their most lopsided defeat of the season on Thursday evening at Walnut Hills.  The first ten minutes of the first half showed they could move on, but they could not finish on a few quality offensive buildups.  Then at the 14 minute mark in the match, the Redskins capitalized on a ball that the Kings’ defensive unit could not effectively clear.  Junior James Comodeca finished the loose ball and the Redskins drew first blood in the match, 1-0.

The first half would end with the Redskins leading 1-0 but not without goalkeeper Kyle Holdeman making a spectacular save with under a minute to go providing some momentum for the Knights going into the intermission.

In the second half, Kings came out strong by dominating possession and creating chances to score.  Finally, at the 65 minute mark in the match, Sam Fadayel, working from the left outside midfield position, moved the ball down the left side of the field and out maneuvered several Redskin defenders to score his first goal as a varsity Kings player.  Kings finally scored the equalizer to knot the score at 1-1.  Kings controlled the balance on the match, but could not put the right combinations together for the final goal.

Quality minutes in the match were contributed by several players.  Luke McLelland possessed the ball well, Michael Kettler and Garrett Householder made hard and impressive tackles, and both Alex Kowal and Brandon Coughlin each took on talented and speedy Redskin strikers, shutting them down.

The draw gives the Knights a 7-6-1 overall record with their next match being played at Milford on Thursday, October 6.

Starters:

F: Householder, Terrier

MF: Smith, Mesones, Burkert, Meyer

D: Masencamp, Kettler, Coughloin, Fadayel

GK: Holdeman

Hear Kyle Holdeman and Michael Kettler comment on tonight’s match

Leo Mesones had game winning goal for Knights

September 27, 2011—The Knights got back to their winning ways on Tuesday evening as they fought for a comeback victory against Mt. Healthy. Seniors captains Max Burkert and Leo Mesones scored for the Knights, both in the second half.

The Fighting Owls of Mt. Healthy looked a different squad than the one the Knights defeated 6-0 last season. With a strong and speedy defense, the visitors were able to shut out the hosting Knights through the first half, though the Kings’ offense tried from all angles. The Knights’ attempts were spoiled on multiple occasions by the Owls’ strong defense and their impressive goalkeeper. Despite a few decent chances, the Knights would go into the half with a 0-0 score line.

The Knights were surprisingly staring at a 1-0 deficit early in the second half after a fifty-yard strike from the Owls. Yes, a fifty-yard strike. The free kick just grazed underneath Robby Frye’s crossbar and into the back of the net. The Knights were on the back foot, but were determined to fight back.

The chance came ten minutes later when Burkert finished an out-swinging corner kick from Mesones, into the net at the back post. The Knights were back in it and pressing hard for a second. The hard work paid off with ten minutes left with a beautiful goal from the Knights: senior Sam Fadayel found Berkert on the line, who crossed the ball to junior Garrett Householder. Householder unselfishly laid the ball back to Mesones who coolly placed his 20-yard strike past the diving goalkeeper. This is all the Knights would get, but it was all they would need—2-0 Knights.

The Knights (7-5-0) will travel to Walnut Hills on Thursday night at 8 pm.

Starters:

GK: Frye

DEF: Fadayel, Coughlin, Kettler, Kowal

MID: Meyer, Householder, Mesones, Burkert

FWD: Terrier, Hoover

Kyle Hoover scored Knights' lone goal

September 24, 2011—The Kings Knights lost a tough match away to the Lebanon Warriors on Saturday evening. Though the two sides fought hard all evening, the play on the field will likely not be what is remembered best. It was a contentious and emotional match that would end with two Knights being cautioned and one, goalkeeper Kyle Holdeman, being sent off.

From the opening kick, it didn’t seem like it was going to be the Knights’ evening. After only five minutes, the Warriors scored against the visiting Knights to take an early 1-0 lead. The Knights would not be able to beat the strong goalkeeper before the half, and they would go into halftime trailing by a goal.

The second half would begin with a couple of dubious refereeing decisions that would lay the groundwork for the ensuing events, shortly following the Warriors taking a 2-0 lead. The Knights, after missing an opportunity on a corner kick, would be caught in a counter-attack by the Warriors. The Knights’ goalkeeper, Holdeman, would leave the penalty area trying to cut down the angle on the attacker. The senior goalkeeper made contact with the attacker, cutting him down outside the area, earning him a red card. The referee saw it as a clear goal-scoring opportunity, which earned the sending off.

The Warriors would put in a third against the ten-man squad, now with sophomore Robby Frye in the net. The Knights would tally a consolation goal about five minutes before the final whistle, thanks to a header by junior Kyle Hoover, making it 3-1. The final whistle sealed an emotional and disappointing evening for the visiting Knights.

The Knights (6-5-0) will take on the Fighting Owls of Mt. Healthy on Tuesday night at 7 pm.

Starters:

GK: Holdeman

DEF: Fadayel, Coughlin, Kettler, Kowal

MID: McLelland, Mesones, Burkert, Meyer

FWD: Householder, Terrier

Toot's Player of the Game

September 22, 2011–The Kings JV squad had their second consecutive three-game week this past week, which culminated in a 2-1 victory away to the Lebanon Warriors on Saturday evening. This win marked the sixth victory of the season by the squad, doubling their total from a year ago. Freshman Ben Dreikosen and junior Alec Paulsen scored for the Knights. This win came on the heels of a tough 2-0 loss to the visiting Spartans from Turpin on Thursday.

Thursday night’s match was a tough one to swallow for the Knights, after having played a very strong, smart match. The hosts came out ready to play against their inter-conference opponent, shutting down the visitors on every early attack the Spartans threw their way. The Knights, led by sophomore goalkeeper Robby Frye (TOOT’s Player of the Game), looked strong until the Spartans scored on a contentious corner kick  with ten minutes left in the half. The Knights put their best spell of play together in those final ten minutes of the half, threatening the Turpin goal on two occasions. Freshmen Dreikosen and Eric Maier each had a chance to draw the Knights even, but their efforts were thwarted by the strong Turpin goalkeeper. The Knights would head into the half down 1-0.

The second half started well for the Knights, battling in the midfield and keep chances at a minimum. Unfortunately, the lack of chances went both ways. The Knights were unable to produce any real scoring threats, with the exception of a free kick taken by Maier. He hit the ball well, but unfortunately it went straight to the keeper. The Spartans would then get a final counterattacking goal, to seal the match with a 2-0 scoreline.

Starters:

FWD: Dreikosen, Maier

MID: Kratz, Paulsen, D’Enbeau, Guerriero

DEF: Brammer, Guiliano, Hacker, Romo

GK: Frye

September 22, 2011–The Turpin Spartans proved too much for the Kings Knights tonight, pulling away in the second half for a convincing FAVC East victory.

Kings went toe to toe with Turpin for 38 minutes of the first half.  But a familiar nemesis showed up at the worst time for Kings, who brought a four game win streak into the contest.

That nemesis was an inability to defend corner kicks, throw-ins and set pieces.  By the end of the evening, in a similar way the Loveland match went, Kings had given up two goals from throw-ins and another goal off a Spartan corner kick.  The Knights could not recover.

In the first half, Kings defended the big Turpin throw-ins well.  On a few occasions, the Kings’ midfielders placed dangerous balls to strikers Mathis Terrier and Landon Kirby.  But Turpin’s backline played with a seasoned composure, often clearing the ball 40-50 yards and avoiding any danger.

At the 38 minute mark, Turpin struck.  Off a huge throw-in, the Spartans flicked the ball just inside the far post and they had their first goal and the lead they would never relinquish.

The Knights went into the halftime break down 1-0 with every hopes of regrouping and countering early in the second frame.  A comeback was not in the picture as Turpin came out and scored at the 42 minute mark, making the score Turpin 2-0.

Turpin would add insurance goals at the 50 and 66 minute marks in the match to make the final score 4-0.

Turpin proved they are the #1 ranked division I team in the city with an impressive and poised effort against the Knights.  Kings falls to 6-4 (2-2 in FAVC play) as they head to Lebanon to play the Warriors on Saturday evening.  Match time is 8 PM.

Starters:

F: Terrier, Kirby

MF: McLelland, Householder, Mesones, Burkert

D: Kowal, Coughlin, Kettler, Fadayel

GK: Holdeman