Newsletter by John Hines
March 22, 2004
Volume 7, Issue 2

Quote of the Week
"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these 'It might have been'."
John Greenleaf Whittier


No Victory at this Stadium
Victory Stadium in Roanoke, very similar to City Stadium in the Hill City, is one of those strange places that is better fitted for Football than Soccer, yet for lack of a better venue has to serve a pur-pose. Unfortunately, it also carries a strange mystique that seeming provides the hometown teams with an advantage over visiting squads that is very rarely overcome.

Last Friday night, the GW Eagle teams would swoop down into this enemy territory, with hopes of at least one or the other snatching victory from the home standing Patriots from Patrick Henry. Yet in the end, neither spirit nor effort would bring home victory for Danville on this opening night of a new sea-son.


The Lady Eagles
The Lady Eagles would kick start the season by testing their counterparts, the Lady Patriots, in this first of a home and home Western Valley rivalry. If an outcome of a match was determined on shots taken, one could say that the Ladies from Danville fared in decent shape, trailing in that category by only a 9 to 8 tally. Yet, Soccer like many other sports is measured on scores, and on this particular evening, Patrick Henry would be more efficient with their shots, finishing the match with a 4-1 tri-umph.

The Lady Eagles were faced with a major challenge that would require intense defensive pressure against a most effective player, junior Kristen McCoy, who in the first encounter between these teams last year would net an amazing five goals before retiring with fifteen minutes remaining. On this par-ticular night the Lady Eagles would be better prepared, holding this phenom to only two shots, yet one of those shots found the mark, treating the Lady Patriots to a slim 1-0 halftime lead.

Only down a goal after the first stanza, GW started the second half with renewed energy and thoughts that with a little luck, anything could be possible. Yet, Soccer is a game of momentum and taking ad-vantage of breaks when they fall your way, and at least this time, it would be the home team not the visitors that would reap those rewards. A Patriot kick from forty yards out would sail over the head of the Eagle goalkeeper, providing what would be the winning mark. Yet, the home squad wasn't fin-ished yet, and like sharks reacting to blood in the water, the Lady Pats would take control of the match, first turning an errant Eagle pass into a third score, then later completing their scoring with a penalty kick and a 4-0 lead.

Yet, the ladies from Danville, despite facing an uphill battle, would fight back, eventually burning the nets and avoiding a shutout. The Eagles were not to be denied as Amanda Chaney captured a ball thirty-five yards out, adeptly finding striker Sam Halnon camped in the 6 yard area, who in turn ham-mered home what would be GW's first score of the young season. While a loss of any type is always disappointing, the fact that this young team never gave in despite the odds, and fought long and hard, speaks very highly of their collective effort.

The Guys Hit the Field
Similar to the girls, the guys would likewise initiate their season with a visit to Roanoke for a heated battle with their Patrick Henry counterparts. While the Eagles would keep their rivals close throughout the match, the result would be unsatisfactory to both team and fans alike. Despite maintaining a de-termined effort and following a sound game plan, GW would fall by the closest of margins, 2-1 to the home standing Patriots. Yet for the first match of a new season, the team played well showing signs that with continued practice and patience, better things are still to come for this group.

Defensive kudos go out to keeper Brandon Owen, who despite giving up two goals, did turn away twelve other shots in his first varsity start, while on the offensive side, Joe Bracey would tally the first Eagle score of the young season on an assist from teammate Trevor Owen. Surely this is a tough de-feat to endure, yet keep in mind that a major part of last year's offense plus several starters have graduated, leaving the coaching staff with challenges of chemistry and consistency to be replaced. Still one match does not a season ruin, and more opportunities remain before the dust settles on this latest version of Eagle tradition.

The Kicking Eagle for All
The Kicking Eagle needs your assistance to provide encompassing weekly coverage. Lack of informa-tion and timing have been deterrents previously, yet if an individual or individuals associated with the junior varsity squads be willing to submit scores, commentary, or just bullet points then that informa-tion will be included weekly. It is unfair to exclude those young players that will one day evolve into the warriors of the varsity, yet without your assistance and cooperation their heroics and efforts will be lost to posterity. For anyone who may be interested, please forward all pertinent information to hinesres@adelphia.net.

On the Web
For those with comments, input and questions, please e-mail the Kicking Eagle at hinesres@adelphia.net. For anyone interested in Danville area Soccer, including the Danville Soccer Club, local high schools teams, links to the GW varsity web sites, and other Soccer re-lated links, go to www.danvillesoccer.com for your local contacts and information. This web site has grown through the years to keep the pace with the popularity of Soccer in the Danville-Pittsylvania area. Every Soccer player and fan should look through these valuable pages, as perhaps you find something of interest among this wealth of soccer information.