High school girls soccer

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[QUOTE=Unregistered;661767]

No many people---- but FM coached 2 teams to the Div I School State Championships. So you have to give him some credit for that[/QUOTE

Believe they were back to back and wonder if other school have done this?

Winchester has in Girls D1.

[HS Harry]

Its another year done. Here are a few final thoughts about the girls season in the North:

1. This year's tournament again shows that winning a state title is about way more than talent. I've watched plenty of Peabody games over the last few years, and this year's edition featured the shallowest amount of pure soccer quality of the bunch. Sure HD is the state's top star and a big-time game changer but beyond that, the Tanners really just featured a great group of role players that took advantage of their competition and always found the ways to win. And in the HS Tourney it is about winning. They will certainly be a contender to repeat next year!!

2. Despite some in-season and early tournament predictions that the DCL was the region's strongest league, it turned out to be a really down year for the girls from metro-west. Lincoln-Sudbury's ultra early departure was a surprise and the Peabody buzz saw dismantled the league's other three entrants (with only AB really posing much of a test). With the abundance of club talent in these towns, you'd expect the teams to last a little longer in the Tourney!

3. I like the new look Middlesex League. Sure there is the nostalgia of a 10 team league with with home and away matches against conference rivals making up your entire schedule, but the addition of ML teams to the pool of non-league games has been a welcome addition - and I think the new split will help teams like Stoneham and Wilmington in their quest for D2 supremacy. However:

4. The uneven nature of almost all leagues, coupled with the fact that teams like Bemont, Danvers and Swampscott are placed in much tougher league' environs than D2 rivals like Gloucester, Saugus, Newburyport and the afforementioned ML entrants means the MIAA has to start to explore some sort of RPI like seeding system. In D1 the GBL and Boston City teams cause similar problems - and D3 is just a seeding mess with teams like Watertown winning tourney games against much higher seeds.

5. Great to see the re-emergence of the MVC as a true player in the post season. Central Catholic's win last year, the strong play of Andover this year and the great tourney performance of Chelmsford are all excellent signs that the MVC is again competitive with the region's other leagues. Three or four years ago the MVC was looking like an ugly step sister, but today it is the League where Cinderella lives!

6. 2011 was a year of some tourney departures. It was the first time in recent memory that Framingham failed to qualify for the tournament. The first time in recent memory that neither Danvers, Fenwick or Belmont got to the D2 finals. No Arlington Catholic, Wakefield or Wayland either.

7.. Who to look for next year? D1 Peabody. D2 Newburyport. D3 Weston

Have a great winter!!

[Unregistered]

Its another year done. Here are a few final thoughts about the girls season in the North:

1. This year's tournament again shows that winning a state title is about way more than talent. I've watched plenty of Peabody games over the last few years, and this year's edition featured the shallowest amount of pure soccer quality of the bunch. Sure HD is the state's top star and a big-time game changer but beyond that, the Tanners really just featured a great group of role players that took advantage of their competition and always found the ways to win. And in the HS Tourney it is about winning. They will certainly be a contender to repeat next year!!

2. Despite some in-season and early tournament predictions that the DCL was the region's strongest league, it turned out to be a really down year for the girls from metro-west. Lincoln-Sudbury's ultra early departure was a surprise and the Peabody buzz saw dismantled the league's other three entrants (with only AB really posing much of a test). With the abundance of club talent in these towns, you'd expect the teams to last a little longer in the Tourney!

3. I like the new look Middlesex League. Sure there is the nostalgia of a 10 team league with with home and away matches against conference rivals making up your entire schedule, but the addition of ML teams to the pool of non-league games has been a welcome addition - and I think the new split will help teams like Stoneham and Wilmington in their quest for D2 supremacy. However:

4. The uneven nature of almost all leagues, coupled with the fact that teams like Bemont, Danvers and Swampscott are placed in much tougher league' environs than D2 rivals like Gloucester, Saugus, Newburyport and the afforementioned ML entrants means the MIAA has to start to explore some sort of RPI like seeding system. In D1 the GBL and Boston City teams cause similar problems - and D3 is just a seeding mess with teams like Watertown winning tourney games against much higher seeds.

5. Great to see the re-emergence of the MVC as a true player in the post season. Central Catholic's win last year, the strong play of Andover this year and the great tourney performance of Chelmsford are all excellent signs that the MVC is again competitive with the region's other leagues. Three or four years ago the MVC was looking like an ugly step sister, but today it is the League where Cinderella lives!

6. 2011 was a year of some tourney departures. It was the first time in recent memory that Framingham failed to qualify for the tournament. The first time in recent memory that neither Danvers, Fenwick or Belmont got to the D2 finals. No Arlington Catholic, Wakefield or Wayland either.

7.. Who to look for next year? D1 Peabody. D2 Newburyport. D3 Weston

Have a great winter!!

Great Post HSH. I agree with your teams to watch out for.
As coaches can play a big part in a programs success i was wondering if there were any rumors/confirmed coaching changes announced yet?

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Hello...we're out here!

You know that Mass extends west beyond Worcester right? Rarely any mention of the teams in Western Mass in these discussions. Didn't Peabody play East Longmeadow in the D1 Girls HS finals?? Wasn't just a 1-0 score??? I discount your soccer pontifications as they re clearly biased to Eastern Mass teams. How about a complete view of the talent in Mass??

[Unregistered]

Omg!

You EMASS soccer elitists are a hoot. WMASS has talent and EL DESERVES their D1 spot. Congrats on a great season girls and to coach JM. EXCELLENT RUN!!

My knowledge of ice hockey is entirely observational, but after a lot of years following others (and being dragged to rinks to watch my brothers) I see lots of similarities between the changes that have occured in that sport and what is going on with womens soccer. However, there is one HUGE difference, the NHL is a viable professional option and that is what helps drive the decisions by hockey parents. Even the most "agressive" soccer mom/dad doesn't believe that their daughter will make a living off of playing pro ball. So I don't think the talent drain will run out of HS entirely, unless D1 coaches begin dictating that their early commits MUST avoid HS for a year round club program. I hope that doesn't happen, but who knows?

Congrats to Peabody! It is so difficult to actually win a championship and there can be no doubt that they are a desrving one. I also must give East Longmeadow a lot of credit. As I pointed out before, the MIAA classification system is ridiculous and if anything they should be a D2 team (and a small one at that). Nice job getting to the final and giving a much much larger program all they could handle!!

[HS Harry]

You EMASS soccer elitists are a hoot. WMASS has talent and EL DESERVES their D1 spot. Congrats on a great season girls and to coach JM. EXCELLENT RUN!!

Its got absolutely nothing to do with elitism. The problem is that the MIAA decides that it is going to classify teams by enrollment, and then devises a system in which western and central teams are placed against schools with twice their numbers. It simply isn't fair. What the kids from EL (or any other district) deserve is a level playing field. It is incredible that these smaller schools always seem to do a great job in the finals, but it is more difficult and there is no real reason for it.

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No excuses and no daughter on the team, but L-S ended up with a disappointing post-season, probably due to the fact that they lost both of their starting midfielders just as the season was winding down (starting with loss against A-B). It's hard to pull those pieces together at a time when teams need to be building momentum. I'd say that prior to those injuries, they actually deserved their billing as one of the best teams in the state.

[Unregistered]

You know that Mass extends west beyond Worcester right? Rarely any mention of the teams in Western Mass in these discussions. Didn't Peabody play East Longmeadow in the D1 Girls HS finals?? Wasn't just a 1-0 score??? I discount your soccer pontifications as they re clearly biased to Eastern Mass teams. How about a complete view of the talent in Mass??

Only those in Central or Western Mass can comment on those areas. Like it or not, good or bad, many of those who post regarding HS soccer reside in Eastern Mass. Feel free to comment on those Central or Western Mass HS teams. Regarding EL vs Peabody, congratulations to EL that the score was only 1-0 because if you actually were at the game and saw them play, then you know Peabody carried the play at least 75% of the game and should have won by a larger score. The result was correct, which can't always be said in many soccer games.

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http://www.nscaa.com/rankings/895/Fa...bb00ab789cf001

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http://www.nscaa.com/rankings/895/Fa...bb00ab789cf001

Congrats to Peabiddy. Looking forward to next fall. Stay healthy!

[Unregistered]

Its another year done. Here are a few final thoughts about the girls season in the North:

1. This year's tournament again shows that winning a state title is about way more than talent. I've watched plenty of Peabody games over the last few years, and this year's edition featured the shallowest amount of pure soccer quality of the bunch. Sure HD is the state's top star and a big-time game changer but beyond that, the Tanners really just featured a great group of role players that took advantage of their competition and always found the ways to win. And in the HS Tourney it is about winning. They will certainly be a contender to repeat next year!!

2. Despite some in-season and early tournament predictions that the DCL was the region's strongest league, it turned out to be a really down year for the girls from metro-west. Lincoln-Sudbury's ultra early departure was a surprise and the Peabody buzz saw dismantled the league's other three entrants (with only AB really posing much of a test). With the abundance of club talent in these towns, you'd expect the teams to last a little longer in the Tourney!

3. I like the new look Middlesex League. Sure there is the nostalgia of a 10 team league with with home and away matches against conference rivals making up your entire schedule, but the addition of ML teams to the pool of non-league games has been a welcome addition - and I think the new split will help teams like Stoneham and Wilmington in their quest for D2 supremacy. However:

4. The uneven nature of almost all leagues, coupled with the fact that teams like Bemont, Danvers and Swampscott are placed in much tougher league' environs than D2 rivals like Gloucester, Saugus, Newburyport and the afforementioned ML entrants means the MIAA has to start to explore some sort of RPI like seeding system. In D1 the GBL and Boston City teams cause similar problems - and D3 is just a seeding mess with teams like Watertown winning tourney games against much higher seeds.

5. Great to see the re-emergence of the MVC as a true player in the post season. Central Catholic's win last year, the strong play of Andover this year and the great tourney performance of Chelmsford are all excellent signs that the MVC is again competitive with the region's other leagues. Three or four years ago the MVC was looking like an ugly step sister, but today it is the League where Cinderella lives!

6. 2011 was a year of some tourney departures. It was the first time in recent memory that Framingham failed to qualify for the tournament. The first time in recent memory that neither Danvers, Fenwick or Belmont got to the D2 finals. No Arlington Catholic, Wakefield or Wayland either.

7.. Who to look for next year? D1 Peabody. D2 Newburyport. D3 Weston

Have a great winter!!

Good post Harry. Just a few thoughts on resolving the Divisional issues. Add a fourth division and assign teams based upon the size of the student body for the respective gender. Teams on the cusp can be relegated up or down based upon their performance in the division. i.e. over .750 go up and under .250 go down.

- Cujo

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Its got absolutely nothing to do with elitism. The problem is that the MIAA decides that it is going to classify teams by enrollment, and then devises a system in which western and central teams are placed against schools with twice their numbers. It simply isn't fair. What the kids from EL (or any other district) deserve is a level playing field. It is incredible that these smaller schools always seem to do a great job in the finals, but it is more difficult and there is no real reason for it.

Exactly. Some of the smallest schools in Central Mass D1 on the girls side would be in the bottom 3rd enrollment wise in either the North or South.

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Congrats to Peabiddy. Looking forward to next fall. Stay healthy!

Will Peabody be as strong as this year. How many starters are seniors?

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Will Peabody be as strong as this year. How many starters are seniors?

Two or three starters are seniors. Good freshman class coming in. Next year the team will be mostly seniors.

I respectfully disagree with HSH that most of the team are role players. Six, and some times seven, of the starting players are club players, five Aztecs and one or two Stars. True one great player attracts the attention, but there is talent in the entire 12 or 13 players that start during the season, not just from those that play club.

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Will AB & LS be as strong?