Soccer report, Oct. 27

Oberlin soccer families got a different taste of fall color on Saturday as teams from across the county gathered for the Lorain County Soccer League invitational tournament held here in Oberlin.

The top teams in each division were invited, including Oberlin's U11 co-ed team, coached by Thomas Cadenhead and Jim Van Dyke, which had already won the season's championship. It was cold, windy and rainy, many of the players sported caps, but neither their, or their hunched parents' enthusiasm seemed to suffer.

Oberlin faced a team from Sheffield Lake in their first game, and treated spectators to a display of skills and tactics. Oberlin used confident foot skills and deft passes to advance through the Sheffield Lake defense, and could often be observed looking up, and reading the field before making their moves. Mistakes were few, it was a treat to watch, and Oberlin handed their opponents a stingy 4-0 loss.

Players routinely play all positions at this level, however many are showing a strong preference for one end of the field. Notable were Daniel Hill, Serenity Crowley, Matthew Kudlow, and Dorian Levine, all solid on defense, stripping the ball from the Sheffield Lake forwards, moving it outside and clearing it up the field. Tam and Ty Cadenhead, Per Van Dyke, and Jack Debouter handled all shots and kept the Sheffield Lake team from scoring. Speedy forwards Zion Hicks, Matthew Kudlow, Jack Debouter and Tam Cadenhead scored for Oberlin with lots of help from midfielders Matt Stanfield, Per Van Dyke, Alex Conklin, Jordan Fairplay, Eli Arbogast, and Maya Peters and Ty Cadenhead.

The second game against the skilled team from Wellington turned out quite differently. An overconfident Oberlin seemed off balance in the first half with a team that executed smart passes and quick strikes with as much poise and anticipation as the Oberlin players have at their best. Oberlin defenders kept Wellington attackers at a distance, as trained, but Wellington answered with low odds, long distance shots that somehow came in just under the bar or in the upper corners. Oberlin had its chances with good penetration and shots that normally would've been goals, except they were directed right at the opposing goalie. Oberlin regained its confidence and played a strong second half. Defenders showed some grit and began winning races and challenging physically. The lone Oberlin goal came from Jack Debouter on a nice goal kick from Serenity Crowley. Oberlin had to settle for second place in the tournament, with this loss.

However, the final score never tells all, and there was much else to celebrate. The Oberlin U11 children played with determination, talking to each other on field and using words of encouragement with one another. The game ended with handshakes, smiles, laughter, and silly faces for the camera. Watching the children receive their championship t-shirts and trophies you could not sense any disappointment. On the contrary, they all seem very pleased with their improvements as players and as a team. They had fun and learned some lessons about practice and team work, and spirited play.