UNDER 10 SEASON

The Under 10 Rockets - What a wonderful soccer season the Rockets had this fall! After finishing the very competitive PAGS League Division 4 season with a 5-2-2 record, the Rockets capped off their season by making it to the finals of their division in the Hempfield Fall Classic. Most important, under the guidance of our three amazing coaches—Katie Pisoni, Joe Greitzer, and Maurice Schweitzer--the Rockets developed many skills that will build the foundation for years of success on and off the soccer field. The girls’ passing and positioning has improved throughout the season as well as their kicking abilities.

All of the girls brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the team, and it has been exciting to watch them play. Our two goalies—Leslie Gladstone and Avery Yecies--made memorable saves on numerous occasions. They are both excellent field players--Leslie uses her speed on the field to her advantage and Avery is fearless—whether she is playing goalie or in the field.

The Rocket’s defensive duo of Brigitte Schmittlein and Meaghan Radice were like a wall. Brigitte is great at reading the offensive player’s next move, and she is terrifically fast getting back to stop shots on our goal. Meaghan has a great instinct to go in for a tackle. She has a strong hard kick that would clear the ball out of the defensive end of the field, and she used those hard kicks to score goals.

Our midfielders include Avital Schweitzer, who is a running machine! Avital will hustle to every ball in her area whether it is on the ground or in the air. She loves to dribble around players and fight through tackles. Lily Norris is great at getting her foot to the ball. She runs fast and she uses her speed to get to the ball first and her dribbling skills to maneuver the ball around the opponent. Abby Ritterband is one of our most aggressive players who will not let the other team take the ball away. She hustled the whole time she was out on the field. Addie Heifetz always gave 100%. She created many opportunities for our team whether she was on offense or in the midfield. Leah Raizen has mastered the understanding of using the open space when passing. Leah has been a key part of some of our team’s best passing plays. Sarah Alfred-Levow brings amazing energy and enthusiasm to our team. She is an aggressive soccer player who will not give up the ball in any one-on-one challenge on the field. Ali Zamsky is one of the best dribblers on the field. Ali is becoming more and more comfortable with her big kicks, and she has used her left foot to great advantage. The Rocket’s offense was fired by Lily Ann Raynes and Julia Greitzer. Lily Ann always has one eye on the goal. She has done a beautiful job running through the ball and staying in front of opposing players. Julia has a great way of turning the ball toward the net to score goals for our team. She has a good sense of where to go to anticipate the ball. In addition to scoring, Julia has delivered some terrific passes to assist others.

The girls have developed both individually and as a team, and it has been fun to watch them build their skills and their confidence. We are looking forward to playing this winter at Starfinders and continued tournament play during the spring. Fall 2007 Season -