Koa's Fall Field Hockey Comes To An End!
Our Action Packed Weekend
This action packed weekend marked the end of our final clinics, tournaments, and practices for all of Koa's Fall Field Hockey Programs. The weekend was bittersweet, as we don't want to see seasons end, but it was exciting to see the improvement from the first week to the last!
The fall clinics at Luxmanor Elementary and Carderock Elementary concluded this fall with a final competition day. The groups were divided and the teams battled it out as they did yard stick pulls, obstacle courses, "steal the bacon", and small games. Candy, magnets, and bragging rights were on the line so everyone gave it their all! Adversary or ally, all athletes showed great sportsmanship and they were all winners in the end!
For the fall Development Teams, this action packed weekend meant their last fall tournament in Leesburg, Virginia. The U12 teams played in the morning, and knowing that those teams were going to be short on players, Penny H. and Karis T. (Rec League players,) stepped up to the challenge! Despite the extra help, teams were short on substitutes, so all of the girls got plenty of playing time between the teams' 8 combined games. One U12 team finished 3rd in their pool and the other team finished 4th - both making the crossover games! Even though they were a player short, one of the teams ended their crossover game in a tie, leading to a sudden death shootout. One of the younger U12 athletes, Maya R., stepped up as the first shooter. Maya dribbled up and pushed the ball right past the goalie before it slammed the back boards. Since this U12 team did not have a goalie a field player, Emi H., stepped in the goal fearlessly flying out to the shooter and deflecting her shot away from the cage to win the game!
The U14 Development team tournament followed the U12 tournament during our action packed weekend. Both U14 teams played awesome and really proved to the coaches what they're capable of. Molly M., a Rec League athlete, filled in as goalie and did an awesome job. Similar to the U12 teams, one U14 team finished 3rd in their pool and the other finished 4th and were eligible for crossovers. All of the girls have developed the skills to hold their own against opponents and have formed bonds with their teammates and coaches that allow them to score a lot and win games.
One last thank you to Molly, Penny, and Karis for filling-in for this tournament as they all were assets to the success of their teams.
In Great Falls, Virginia, the Koa Club teams met for a tournament hosted by Metro HC. The U12 team have really come into their own this fall season. At Saturday's tournament the team finished the day undefeated. "Koa came out very strong in the championship game and scored two goals in the first 3 minutes. They never backed down and continued to put pressure on Metro HC. We out scored our opponents 21-1" said Casey Hertel, the U12 coach for the day. Grace J. and Sadhbh M. were appointed to the All-Tournament team for the day!
The U14 White team finished second in their pool and finished 4th in the tournament! They played tough all day but finished 2-2 for the day. Coach Jen Pappas is happy with how her team has improved over the past year. Ellie R. was nominated to the All-Tournament team for the U14 White team.
Rachel Freedland was excited with how well the U14 Elite team played. The team finished 3-1 with their only loss coming in the Championship winners, Metro HC. Mikaela C. was selected to the All-Tournament team for U14 Elite!
Last but not least during this action packed weekend, the Koa Fall Rec League came to a conclusion on Sunday as Koa hosted a play-day for the athletes. Each of the teams were scheduled to play in three games, and during the time in-between there were Halloween themed games, face painting, and relay races. The day concluded with the League All-Star teams playing the current Development teams!
