20 Feb 2000
20 Feb 2000
In the final day of the Great Day of Soccer Girls Tournament, the
Millennium beats Bay1 by the score of three goals to zero, achieving
the maximum of 10 points for the win, and locking down a 4th place
finish in our bracket.
Millennium's Great Day of Soccer Tournament record: 1-2.
Tournament Trivia:
19 February 2000, LB1 vs. Slidell: 0-3 (loss)
19 February 2000, LB1 vs. South Madision: 1-2 (loss). Shayna(1)
20 February 2000, LB1 vs. Bay1: 3-0 (win). Shayna(2), Lizzie(1)
Regular Season record: 5-0-1 (no, we're not going to count forfeits)
Team record to date: 10-2-1
The tournament's U12 championship game at 2:00 had the Slidell team facing a team from the Mandeville Soccer Association in an "all-Louisianna" final. Slidell takes home a well-deserved championship trophy.
The U12 Long Beach 1 Millennium cordially invites the Slidell team back to Harrison County Mississippi, at their convenience, for a friendly rematch. We'll even provide a referee :^)
19 Feb 2000
In the first day of the Great Day of Soccer Girls Tournament, the Millennium is humbled by a team from Slidell 3-0 in the morning, then 2-1 by a team from South Madison in the afternoon. Shayna's first quarter goal against South Madison kept the Millennium in the game until near the very end, until an awe inspiring rainbow kick from midfield by the opposition found the top of the goal. In other news, Annette's stop of a 4th quarter penalty kick contributed to keeping South Madison out of the finals. (We hope they won't hold a grudge, should we eventually meet somewhere down the road).
Tomorrow's action will see the Millennium seeking revenge of their only non-win of the regular season, when they meet Bay1 in the final game of the tournament for both teams.
After the first day's bracket competition, the leader of Bracket A was the Orange Grove 1 "Yellow Jackets", having received the maximum 10 points for each of their two wins. OG1 is a team that the Millennium just happens to be familiar with :^). Though the pairings from the three games in Bracket A seemed to be inequitable, there will be no complaints from the Millennium. We came wanting to play the toughest competition available, and we believe we found them -- or maybe they found us :^)
17 Feb 2000
Coach Bill hands out weekend schedules, explains the rule change with the "dribbling through cones" event, then turns practice over to Coach Erin. In the nearby distance, "words are exchanged" on the field, partly due to having too many teams present for the available practice areas, and more than partly due to a case of unbelievably bad behavior.
14 Feb 2000
Biting gnats (insects) eat the team alive during Monday practice. A few girls retired to relative safety off-field, while the remainder of the team scrimmages as hard as they can -- outrunning each other as well as all the gnats.
12 Feb 2000
Originally scheduled for a BYE on Saturday, the Millenium is told on Wednesday that they'd have a 3:00 game against BAY2, then on Friday afternoon that BAY2 wasn't interested in playing an afternoon game, so instead, we were scheduled for a 12:00 game against OG1. The U12 comissioner reported that that game would not be played.
So, coach Bill gets on the phone and tries to inform everyone, the night before, that we'd have no game to play on Saturday ... a day in which pretty much every other team in South Mississippi would be scheduled for 2.
Except, of course, for all the forfeits.
10 Feb 2000
The Millennium is humbled, 2-0, by a handful of U14 Boys during a Thursday night scrimmage. The team spin: "They only scored on us twice."
5 Feb. 2000
It was cold. Bitterly cold. North wind 6+ MPH, wind chill 26 Deg. Brrr.
The game started slowly, with the field of pre-teen girls resembling a collection of popsicles more so than soccer players. But the teams eventually thawed, and Annette actually got to block a few shots -- keeping her from freezing to death in the goalie box.
On the offensive side of things, Maggie and Jennifer got some more time at forward, though it was tough convincing Maggie to stay upfield (working against her natural instinct to defend her goal). Numerous scoring opportunities were squandered in the first half, but Jennifer broke into the scoring column after a center pass from Lizzie trickled through the Orange Grove defense.
It was undoubtedly the quietest goal of the season. With most of the parents and other supporters huddled on the sideline near the opposite goal, no one was really sure if the She-wolve's goalie had prevented Jennifer's shot from crossing the plane of the goal -- but when the teams lined up for the ensuing kickoff, coach Bill walked back and announced that "yes, we scored", which resulted in the obligatory cheers. Jennifer gets a goal, and the game winner, no less.
The second half was a little one-sided, with the North wind working very much in the Millennium's favor. Shayna worked hard for her two third-quarter goals, while Kellie relieved Annette in the deep freeze.
The fourth quarter saw Lizzie blasting a shot into the goal from fairly close range, and then a powerful shot into goal from extremely close range -- after the goalie was unable to wrap-up a blocked shot of Shayna's. Angie and Aimee get special mention for volunteering to sit out the final quarter, and Allison for stopping each and every shot that came her way in her role as fourth quarter goalie.
LB1 5, OG2 0. Regular season record: 5-0-1
3 Feb 2000
With the team decimated by the Long Beach Middle School talent show (occuring the same time as practice), the Millennium is humbled by the Long Beach Girls U-14 team during a Thursday night scrimmage. Tie your shoes, Rachel :^)
29 Jan 2000
It was cold, and it rained, so Saturday's games were postponed.
27 Jan 2000
At a Thursday night scrimmage, the Millennium is humbled by a U-11 Boys Select team. In other news, the team finally got their socks (hurray!) and also received an impromptu pep-talk from Eddie Finley. Thanks, Mr. Eddie.
22 Jan 2000
Happy Birthday, Angie!
In the regularly scheduled Saturday game, the LB1 Millennium faced Gulfport 1 in a rematch of the U12 Championship of the Turkey Shootout. It was, of course, the "game of the season" for both teams. Since Annette had to be away, Kinsey and Ashley tag-teamed at goalie, playing their defensive games of the season.
The game started out slowly, with the playing field being changed twice in an attempt to avoid the toxic smoke from a burning pile of trash near the usual U12 playing field. By the time the fire department had arrived to extinguish the hazard, the game had been relocated to a barely-lined U14 field -- one with knee-high grass at midfield.
Both teams made the most of the poor playing conditions.
Shayna began the scoring for the Millennium, with a first quarter goal off a beautiful assist from Lizzie. Shayna continued her usual scoring onslaught with a second quarter goal off a breakaway. Ashley and Lizzie's near misses in the first half should have sealed the victory, but the game was destined to be more exciting than that ...
In the third quarter, with Coach Bill resting a well-worn Lizzie and Courtney, Gulfport's Jill avoided Jennifer's stifling midfield defense long enough for a powerful shot into the goal from the top of the box. The third quarter ended with LB1's lead shrinking to 2-1.
With the game on the line and LB1's undefeated streak hanging in the balance, Coach Bill demonstrated that he's the Coach of the Millennium by taking the best goal scorer of the team, and arguably of South Mississippi, out of the game (?!). The team responded with the required sense of urgency, with Angela scoring a goal off a well-placed pass from Lizzie, extending the lead to 3-1 early in the final quarter.
After Gulfport's Lizzy answered with a goal to bring the score to 3-2, the Millennium's defense bent, but did not break, denying numerous scoring opportunities by Gulfport. Allison's towering kick from a midfield defensive position proved to be a game highlite, and punctuated a well-earned team victory.
Regular season record: 4-0-1.
15 Jan 2000
The LB1 Millennium faced Orange Grove 1 in a rematch of the Nov. 20th game
from the Turkey Shootout. LB1 wins, 2-0. 
Shayna's first quarter goal was all the team needed, though she added
an insurance goal in the second quarter before relieving Kinsey in the
box. Kinsey, Shayna and Lizzie combined at goalkeeper for the shutout.
Some game highlites:
Angie takes a shot from outside
Lizzie takes the ball down the wing, drawing 4 defenders, then centers the ball
to a wide-open Jennifer -- who misses high.
Jennifer's breakaway (blocked by the goalie)
Jennifer races to the goal, but can't get much on the shot as the defense
collapses around the ball.
Regular season record: 3-0-1.
8 Jan 2000
While having numerous opportunities to score throughout the game,
the Millennium could manage only a 1-1 tie against Bay-St-Louis 1.
Lizzie's 3rd quarter goal was answered shortly thereafter,
and though the 4th quarter was played almost entirely on the
BSL side of the field, neither team scored again. How do YOU spell
rusty? R-U-S-T-Y!
Regular season record: 2-0-1.
6 Jan 2000
Happy Birthday, Kerri! Belated Happy Birthday wishes, also, to Maggie and to Coach Bill (who are among those whose birthdays preceded the formation of the team way back in November. No fair!).
A scrimmage against a boys team results in a 4-2 loss during the Thursday night practice, though the team insisted that two opposing goals should have had off-sides calls. Also, the team nearly mutinies after the coach did not play the strongest lineup possible, for as long as possible. It's called practice, ladies. Please remember what happens when you're out-hustled, regardless of the position you're asked to play!
5 Jan 2000
Desperate to pad the Millennium's soccer page with interesting reading for our foreign subscribers, Coach Bill uncovers a few amazing statistics:
After a pre-season tournament and only 2 regular season games
4 Jan 2000
Commissioner Scott Hutto calls to say that the uniforms should be returned in time to be handed out at the Thursday practice ... in plenty of time for our, uh, third game of the regular season. (Update: We got our uniforms before the commish did, hehe).
31 Dec 1999 / 4 Jan 2000
Coach Bill gets some email (paraphrased for public consumption):
HAPPY NEW YEARS To all the soccer girls, I hear you have been doing great! Keep it up, and practice hard, Lizzie, tie your shoes. I can get your e-mails, so try to write often, I like hearing from all the soccer girls. Good luck, and have a safe New Year. I linked with the soccer page this morning, amazing ain't it? It's a great way to keep in touch, almost like being there, NOT!
Miss everybody, keep in touch.
Jenns DAD.
NOTE: Jennifer's Dad's email address, as well as others, can be found on the team's private web page.
29 Dec. 1999
Coach Bill gets email from Jennifer, reminding him to remind the team that the next practice isn't until January 3, 2000 ... and 30 minutes later than usual.
18 Dec. 1999
The Millennium closes out 1999 with a come-from-behind victory against a strong Bay St. Louis 3 team, scoring 4 goals against 2, with the second half of the game played in the freezing rain. Game-tying goals were scored by Lizzie and Courtney (woohoo!), and Shayna's 2 second-half goals sealed the victory. Once again, the team got outstanding goalie play from Annette.
Lizzie, Ashley and Maggie played very well in the second half
of the game, considering they could hardly see with or without
their glasses. Regular season record: 2-0-0.
Team record: 6-0-0.
The Millennium insisted they had played Bay3 in the turkey shootout as a few opposing players were recognized prior to the start of the game, but Bay St Louis 3 did not play in that tournament. The mystery remains. [ Maybe BAY3 was called BAY2 for the tournament, since there were only 2 teams playing from Bay St Louis?? ]
11 Dec. 1999
Because there are 7 teams in the SMSC U-12 Girls league, every weekend during the regular season there will be one team without a scheduled game. Saturday December 11 is our first such "bye".
4 Dec. 1999
The regular season begins with a 5-0 victory against Orange Grove 2. (Happy Birthday, Big Byrd). Goals were scored by Lizzie (2), Shayna, Ashley and Allison (woohoo!). With Annette away at a goalie clinic, Ashley, Kellie, and Shayna combine at goalkeeper for the shutout.
21 Nov. 1999
After qualifying for the finals of the SMSC 1999 Turkey Shootout Tournament with a record of 3-0 within bracket competition, the Long Beach 1 Millennium defeats a strong Gulfport team in a penalty kick tie-breaker to win the Championship.
Tournament Trivia:
Sat. November 20, 1999, 8 AM: LB1 4 - OG1 0 : Shayna (2), Lizzie, Angela Sat. November 20, 1999, 2 PM: BAY2 1 - LB1 4 : Shayna (2), Lizzie, Ashley Sun. November 21, 1999, 9 AM: LB1 5 - OG2 0 : Shayna (4), Lizzie Sun. November 21, 1999, 2 PM: LB1 1 - GPT1 1 : Lizzie
11 Nov. 1999
Second practice. Due to a scheduling conflict, the team practice was split between the north half of field 1 and the south half. The team voted to call itself "Millennium".
Note: Maggie (and a few others?) think that "Millennium" isn't that great a name for the team, because she (and even Coach Bill) believes that January 1, 2001 is more properly the start of the next millennium. But, after all, who says that the team-name is referring to the next millennium? Hmmm?!
8 Nov. 1999
First practice. Because the wrong field had been lined for a 5:00 game, we had to relocate to field 3 (this one time). Jennifer's dad helped with practice. A few players didn't bring Soccer balls to practice :^(. Mostly excellent attitudes, though, so the first team practice was an undeniable success.
6 Nov. 1999
Happy Birthday, Ashley!
The U-12 Girls Commissioner, Scott Hutto, confirms that Meaghan will be playing U-14 this year, but that Claire Patterson (a late registration) is to be added to the team roster. Welcome, Claire!
5 Nov. 1999
Coach Bill learns the correct spelling of the word "practice".
4 Nov. 1999
First team meeting. Coach Bill passes out a team roster and an SMSC calendar of events. Also, a Team Mom is "elected", and the practice schedule is discussed.