Kings Men's Soccer

Garrett Householder-Kings Midfielder

September 13, 2011–The Kings Knights handled an undermanned Winton Woods team on the Warriors’ home turf tonight by a final score of 4-0.  The win levels the Knights’ record at 3-3 and starts their week of three games in five days on the right foot.  Goalkeepers Kyle Holdeman and Robbie Frye recorded Kings first shutout of the season.

Kings overcame a sluggish start that saw them seemingly play to the Warriors’ level.  But at the 25 minute mark in the game, junior captain Garrett Householder scored his first goal of the season when he took a ball out of the air from 30 yards out and hammered it into the goal.  The Knights were up 1-0 and that is the way the first half ended.

Kings came out in the second half with a much quicker pace and ball movement, establishing that their play would be the dominant play of the half.  It was.  At the 44 minute mark in the match, Max Burkert used his left foot to cross the ball to an unmarked Landon Kirby who headed the ball into the net.  Kings was one their way, 2-0.

At the 58 minute mark in the match, Householder penetrated the ball deeply into Warrior territory and found a wide open Kyle Hoover storming into the goal for the Knights third goal.  The scoring ended with Leo Mesones finding Mathis Terrier at the 77 minute mark.  Terrier made up for hitting the cross bar and post on separate chances in the first half by burying the ball into the net, giving the Knights their final 4-0 victory.

On the defensive side of the field, Kings was buoyed by outstanding, and sometimes harrowing, play by their back line and keepers.  It seemed that the Warriors hope for goal scoring tonight rested on their striker, Tony Boteng.  The speedy Boteng made exciting runs, but every time he was shut down by either Brandon Coughlin, Danny Merz or Michael Kettler.  Robbie Frye came into the game at the 66 minute mark, spelling Holdeman who had shut out the Warriors to that point in the match.  Frye made three gutsy plays, coming off his line and making fantastic stops.  Boteng ended the night exhausted, frustrated and without a goal.

Kings next opponent is the Wilmington Hurricanes whom they face on Thursday night at Kings Stadium.

Hear Danny Merz’ comments on tonight’s victory:

Starters:

F: Householder, Terrier

MF: McLelland, Mesones, Meyer, Burkert

D: Merz, Kettler, Coughlin, Fadayel

GK: Holdeman

Kyle Hoover Added Momentum

Tuesday, September 6, 2011–The Kings mens’ varsity soccer team had a few chances to fold tonight against host Bishop Fenwick, but every time opportunity came knocking, the Knights stepped right up to the challenge.  But in the end, the Falcons got too many breaks and pulled away at the end for a 3-1 non-league victory.

The Falcons got on the scoreboard at the 12 minute mark in the match. Fenwick lined up for a free kick and the ball sailed over the outstreched arms of senior goalkeeper Kyle Holdeman.  After giving up three free kick goals in their previous match against Loveland, the Knights could have thought “here we go again” and packed it in.  They did not.  The half ended in a misty rain with the Falcons holding a 1-0 advantage.

In the second half, Fenwick came out on fire.  Withing 20 seconds they had scored their second goal on a beautiful cross and header finished by their midfielder, Jake Meyer.  It was gut check time for the Knights.  Will they fight through this or fold and  call it a night?  Down 2-0, the Knights went to work.  Forward Kyle Hoover came off the bench and added instant energy to the game for Kings.  Following Hoover’s leader, Luke McLelland, Nathan Meyer, Garrett Householder and Matt Hovis each started making plays and connecting on combinations.  At the same time, the back line starting shutting down the Falcons’ kick and run offense.  Impressive tackles were consistently made by senior Michael Kettler and strong stops were registered by junior Alex Kowal.  Max Burkert fed off the momentum and scored the Knights’ goal at the 62 minute mark.  Burkert’s strike hit the far post and found the net.  The Knights had made of game of it, but still trailed 2-1.

The momentum continued for the Knights as they crashed the goal, looking for any opportunity to sneak one in and tie the score.  With the Knights in such an attacking mode, they were left vulnerable on the back line and the Falcons scored on a break away at the 79 minute mark.  That made for the final and a 3-1 Falcon win.

The “win” for Kings was their fight and refusal to fold when, on the road for the fist time this year, it would have been easy to quit and look forward to the next game.  Good job boys; we are proud of your effort!

F: Terrier, Kirby

MF: McLelland, Mesones, Householder, Burkert

D: Fadayel, Coughlin, Kettler, Kowal

GK: Holdeman

Paulson-TOOT'S POG

Thursday, September 1, 2011–The Kings JV squad was taught a difficult lesson last Thursday night—if you don’t come ready to play from the first whistle, you may not recover. The Knights played well for the majority of the 72 minutes against the Loveland Tigers, but a slow start left them in a 1-0 hole, from which they were unable to recuperate.

The Knights came into the match with their confidence riding high, coming off the heels of two solid victories. In these two matches, the Knights had shut out they’re opponents 5-0 collectively, but on this night, the streak would end. Six minutes in, the Tigers scored, beating goalkeeper Danny Merz with a decent strike into the side netting. For the rest of the half, the Knights attempted to square the play of the visitors, but to no avail. Halftime score: 1-0.

The hosts came out with a newfound energy, keeping the ball in their half for the majority of the opening minutes. Attempts by freshmen Ben Dreikosen and Eric Maier shook up the opposing keeper, but the Knights could not find the net. This trend would continue for the Knights until full-time—controlling the ball, as well as the game, but unable to score. In fact, the defense did not allow a shot on goal in the second half, but the offense was unable to finish any attacks. The game would end 1-0.

The two strongest players for the Knights were the outside fullbacks, juniors Alex Brammer and midfielder-turned-fullback captain Alec Paulson. Paulson is the choice for the TOOT’s Player of the Game.

The Knights will try to return to their winning ways Tuesday night as they will travel to Bishop-Fenwick for their first away match of the season. Kickoff will be at 5:00.

Starters:

GK: Merz
DEF: Brammer, Hacker, Guiliano, Romo
MF: Woeste, Maier, Paulson, Kratz
FWD: Kirby, Dreikosen

Kings Soccer Fans,

Toot’s night is this Wednesday, Sept. 7th from 4:00pm to 9:00pm.

This is a great way to chat with soccer friends and take a night off of cooking dinner.

Toot’s generously donates a portion of all sales of food to Kings Soccer.

Make sure you bring the attached flyer or mention that you are with Kings Soccer to your server.

Birgitt Hacker

September 1, 2011–The Kings Knights had high expectations going into tonight’s backyard battle against their FAVC East opponent, the Loveland Tigers.  The Tigers capitalized on some sloppy defending, and along with Kings’ inability to defend the Tigers’ free kicks, strolled to a 4-1 win in the league opener for each side.

The Tigers scored on free kicks at the 5, 15 and 24 minute marks in the first half.  Most of the first half the Knights were on their heels, defending an offensive attack that had three Tiger strikers adding pressure in the attacking third.  That pressure kept the Knights off balance and by the midpoint in the first half, Kings was down, 3-0.

The Knights missed a great opportunity when Max Burkert dribbled through a few Tiger defenders and went one on one with the Loveland keeper.  His touch went wide right and the Knights best chance at that point in the match went down the drain.

Shortly after that, Leo Mesones had a throw-in opportunity deep in Tiger territory.  The ball bounced around the box before Loveland cleared the ball and found forward Marty Bixler streaking down the center of the field.  Bixler outran the last Kings defender to score, putting the Tigers up 4-0 and creating a deeper hole for any Kings comeback.

Kings scored their first and only goal of the night right before halftime with Burkert scoring with the assist given to Mesones.

In the second half, Kings came out and made some early statements, winning many balls in the defensive backline and midfield.  But for a comeback to be in the picture, Kings needed every break to go their way.  But the second half for Kings was typified by what happened in the 43rd minute of the match.  After a nice offensive buildup, Mathis Terrier struck the ball that rattled the far post.  Luke McLelland converged to finish, but a Tiger defender cleared the ball before McLelland had a chance to strike. In the second half, the effort was there, but the goals were hard to come by.  The Knights had a great effort in the second half, but could not close the gap on the scoreboard.

Kings’ record drops to 2-2 with the loss.  They will try and rebound against a non-league opponent, Middletown Fenwick, on Tuesday, September 6 for their first road game of the season.

Dreikosen-Toot's POG

The Kings Junior Varsity blanked the Northwest Knights Monday evening 2-0 to get their second win in as many games. Junior goalkeeper Danny Merz and fellow goalkeeping partner freshman Liam O’Day combined for the clean sheet, though the defense did most of the work this time out. The keepers touched the ball only sparingly, as Northwest was unable to muster a single scoring threat. Freshmen strikers Ben Dreikosen (TOOT’s Player of the Game) and Logan Kirby tallied for the home team.

The Knights impressed straight from the opening whistle to accomplish their pre-game plan: possess the ball, spread the field and play aggressively. All three of which were achieved, but the most obvious was their ability to possess the ball. Kings was able to work the ball through the central midfield, which was occupied by Eric Maier, Alec Paulson, Pierson D’Enbeau, Zach Guerriero, Kris Hacker and Ben Dreikosen, all at different points in the evening.

Though they were able to have the ball for the majority of the first half, the hosts were unable to beat the Northwest goalkeeper, who proved to be a worthy adversary on the evening. Kings went into the half deadlocked 0-0, but were able to go up on the visiting Knights with about 18 minutes left. Ben Dreikosen, who scored for the second time in as many games, found the back of the net on a superb strike to beat the diving keeper.

Logan Kirby, who had been unlucky not to score in the two previous matches, finally got his name in the Kings’ books, as he coolly squeezed the ball past the near post, with about 8 minutes remaining. On the other end, the Kings’ defenders, who were licking their chops to get forward all evening, played their part well, keeping the visitors from building any kind of threat. Junior Alex Brammer and sophomore Juan Romo ran up and down the flanks all evening from their outside-back position to keep the pressure high.

The Knights (2-1-0) will take on Loveland at home Thursday evening, seeking their 3^rd consecutive win. The game will kickoff at 5:00 pm.

Starters:

FWD: Dreikosen, Kirby

MF: Guerriero, D’Enbeau, Kratz, Paulson

DEF: Brammer, Guiliano, Hacker, Romo

GK: Merz

August 27, 2011 – The Kings JV squad looked like a different team on Saturday night as they defeated the Talawanda Braves 3-0. The Knights, who fell unattractively to LaSalle earlier last week 2-0, came out firing, scoring three goals in the first half and never looked back. Freshmen forwards Eric Maier and Ben Dreikosen, as well as junior center-back Nick Guiliano (The TOOT’s Player of the Game) all tallied their first goals of the season.

The Knights came out like they had something to prove Saturday evening, possessing the ball and attacking the net straight from the opening kick. Dreikosen and his striking partner Logan Kirby showed they were in the mood for goals, creating multiple chances in the opening ten minutes, but were unable to convert any of the chances. It took a substitute to get the Knights on the board, with Maier coming off the bench fifteen minutes in. He found space near the top of the box and whipped the ball past the goalkeeper into the side netting.

Five minutes later, the Knights were awarded a corner after putting continued pressure on the Braves’ defense. Maier sent a ball in and Guiliano connected on a header, putting the Knights up by two. About five minutes before the half, Dreikosen, who had shown a nose for goal all half, finally got his well-deserved goal—a strong strike across the diving goalkeeper, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The Knights came out in the second half with plenty of scoring chances, but were unable to put any away. Goalkeepers Danny Merz and Liam O’Day combined for the shut-out, each in the net for one half respectively. The Knights’ defense looked strong all night, and they were also able to possess the ball much better than they had in the opener against LaSalle. They will try to repeat both of these feats Monday night as they will welcome in Northwest. Kickoff will be at 5:00 as usual.

Starters

FWD: Dreikosen, Kirby

MF: Guerriero, D’Enbeau, Paulson, Kratz

DEF: Brammer, Hacker, Guiliano, Romo

GK: Merz

Hear Nick Guiliano’s postgame interview:

Saturday, August 27, 2011–The Kings Mens’ soccer team did just what Coach Poggi asked them to do this week in practice.  Generate more offense.  The Knights scored early and often in the first half as they dismantled the visiting Talawanda Braves, 5-1.
What a difference a year makes.  Last year the Knights lost at Talawanda 3-0.  Even with 15 seniors rostered on the team, the Braves were no match for the Knights as the offense was relentless throughout the first half.  Brandon Coughlin got the scoring started 17 minutes into the match when he headed Leo Mesones’ corner into the upper 90 making the score 1-0.  Three minutes later sophomore Mathis Terrier scored his first goal of his Kings’ varsity career as he found a loose ball in front of the net and calmly knocked it in using the bottom of his foot.
Then, with only 23 minutes played, Landon Kirby, a recent transfer from Lakota West, scored his first goal of the match making the score Kings 3-0.  Four minutes later Garrett Householder assisted Luke McLelland who stood unmarked in front of the goal.  He found that he had an effective and accurate left foot, and that made the score Kings 4-0.  The first half ended with Kings striking again.  This time Kirby settled a ball and hit a laser into the back of the net.  In 13 minutes of match time, the Knights had rattled the Braves for 5 goals and the half ended with Kings shelling the Braves, 5-0.
The second half saw the Braves get on the board with a nice display of talent from their first team all-FAVC senior Cody Wilhelm.  The match ended with Kings winning 5-1.   Next up for the Knights is the visiting Northwest Knights and their third straight home match and second straight FAVC West opponent.  The match will be played Monday evening, August 29 at 7 PM.

Starters:
F: Hoover, Terrier
MF: Burkert, Householder, Mesones, Meyer
D: Kowal, Kettler, Coughlin, Fadayel
GK: Holdeman

Check out Brandon Coughlin’s post game comments:

You will not want to miss good food and fun at Toot’s on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 from 4-9 PM.

Plus a portion of the proceeds will go to support the women and men’s soccer teams. Bring a friend and join us for the evening!

tootsfundraiserflyer2001

August 23, 2011–The Kings Knights JV squad opened its season with a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Lancers of LaSalle on Tuesday evening.

The Lancers came off the bus ready to play, opening up the scoring within the first five minutes of the match. Junior goalkeeper Danny Merz and the Knights’ defense were unable to stop the opposing forward, who coolly slid the ball into the side netting after an impressive run. The hosts gathered their composure after this early strike, but, unable to find an equalizer, went into halftime trailing 1-0.

The Knights came out of the interval with full intention of fighting back and evening up the score, but the Lancers were unwilling to allow it. The visitors increased their lead to 2-0 after the Knights had pushed forward in attack. The finish was again slotted into the corner nicely past the diving Merz. Though the defense was penetrated twice on the evening, Merz and his defense thwarted many attacks from the Lancers to keep the Knights in the match. Unluckily, a goal wasn’t in the cards for the hosts.

The Knights’ best player on the pitch was junior Alex Brammer, but was closely  followed by his co-defender junior Nick Guiliano, who is new to the backline this season and is showing tremendous early strides. Sophomore Juan Romo left the game early with a groin injury, and sophomore Nick Kratz and freshman Adam Woeste stepped in nicely to help the defense, which was in need of numbers.

The Knights will be back on the field Saturday evening to host Talawanda at 5:00.

Starters:

FWD: Mott, Maier

MF: Kratz, D’Enbeau, Paulson, Woeste

DEF: Brammer, Hacker, Guiliano, Guerriero

GK: Merz

August 23, 2012–The Kings Knights opened their 2011 season with a disappointing home lose to the LaSalle Lancers, 2-1.  The highlight for the Knights was the great effort that each of the boys displayed on the field.

The scoring started early for LaSalle.  Eight minutes into the game, Kings was called for a foul as LaSalle was attacking.  LaSalle perfectly executed the delivery of the free kick into the box and a LaSalle player volleyed the ball into the net putting the Lancers up 1-0.  The lead, however, would be temporary.  Junior captain Garrett Householder made a run and penetrated deep into the LaSalle attacking third.  His cross was knocked out of play and Kings was awarded a corner kick.  Senior captain Leo Mesones stepped up and delivered a beautiful ball into the box.  Max Burkert was on the other end and placed a perfect header over the outstretched arm of the LaSalle keeper.  Burkert, a senior captain, had just tied the game 1-1 by scoring the Knights first goal of the season.

Kings senior keeper Kyle Holdeman found himself to be quite busy all night.  On many occasions he came out and challenged the Lancers’ forwards and midfielders, shutting down their offensive thrusts.  But with 33 minutes into the first half, Holdeman lost a one-on-one battle with a Lancer forward and LaSalle went up 2-1.  And that is how the half ended.

The Knights came out in the second half and kept battling.  There was no quit in Kings tonight.  Michael Kettler made several impressive tackles and Brandon Coughlin clogged up the middle, effectively clearing balls from the Knights’ backline.  While Mesones, Householder and sophomore Matt Hovis controlled the middle of the field, Kings put pressure on an experienced LaSalle keeper with several runs at the goal.  Coach Erik Poggi kept juggling the Kings’ lineup hoping to find the right combination of offense and find the equalizer.  But even though the effort and fight was there, Kings ran out of time as the game ended with a LaSalle victory, 2-1.  All in all, the Knights can be proud of a great team effort.

A nice crowd was on hand for tonight’s game.  And a special thanks to the Kings student body for giving such boisterous support.  Please come back Saturday night when the Knights host the Braves from Talawanda and hope to get their first win of the season.

Starters:

Forwards: Terrier, Hoover

Midfielders: Burkert, Mesones, Householder, Meyer

Defenders: Kowal, Kettler, Coughlin, Fadayel

GK: Holdeman

August 18, 2011–The JV Knights defeated Colerain High School on Thursday morning with a score of 1-0 to finish their preseason with a record of 1-1-1. Sophomore Zach Guerriero, the Knights’ leading scorer last season, netted for the home team. Goalkeepers Danny Merz and Liam O’Day combined for the shutout, with plenty of help from their well-organized back line of defenders.

The Knights came out looking strong from the beginning, with freshmen forwards Eric Maier and Carter Mott combining for some well-worked attacks. Though the Knights possessed the ball for the majority of the half they were unable to finish any opportunities. They would head into half time knotted at 0-0.  

The second frame seemed to to be more of the same, with the Knights creating a number of quality chances in their offensive third. Sophomore Nick Kratz and freshman Logan Kirby, who would later leave with a shoulder injury, sent in a number of ball into the box but were unable to find a target. Finally with fifteen minutes left in the match, the Knights scored on a scrappy goal by Guerriero, resulting from a corner kick which the Cardinal defense was unable to handle. The final fifteen minutes was all Kings, but they were unable to add to their lead. 

Overall, it was a solid performance by the Knights, certainly their best of the preseason and should give them confidence heading into the regular season. They will open play Tuesday night at 5:00 p.m where they will host LaSalle.

Hear Coach Mount’s comments: