It was a warm but windy evening as two strong teams played each other in the first round of the play-offs. Marcus had the wind first half but had difficulty penetrating their defence. Long range shots were easily dealt with by the goalie. Hall dribbled around but her shot went wide. Pembroke then drove in a free kick but Vonstrohe’s header was saved. Marcus gambled with the wind and sent an extra player forward. It put them under pressure but neither Hall, Presley or Jackson could make inroads. Scott had a great chance from Hall’s right footed cross but her header went over the bar. Jackson too blazed a shot over from 20 yards out and then slide past the defender but her shot was easily picked up. Emily Talbot was booked for arguing with the ref. The first half ended with no score.
Marcus faced a strong wind second half and came under more pressure. However they could have taken the lead when Hall fed Presley but her shot was superbly blocked by the sweeper. Kuhl was in the goal this half and she held comfortably under pressure. Tue came to the rescue when a cross floated over Kuhl but Tue headed off the line. Kuhl had to make several more stops. Singleton ran on to Hall’s through pass but the goalie easily saved. Free kicks by Marcus were pumped into the box but Carroll easily won the battle. The game became more physical . Carroll’s Crocco was yellow carded for a foul on Abbey Talbot then red carded for arguing but they still kept 11 on the field. #13 was yellow carded for kicking the ball away. The officials were struggling to control the intense game. Our defence held firm and the 80mins ended 0-0.
The game went to overtime. Lurvey’s’s throw was directed to Vonstrohe and she let the ball go, but the defender handled in the box. Thurman stepped up to coolly tap home. The next 30 secs changed the game. Marcus celebrated and as they marched back the coaches frantically called for Hall to sub in. The officials missed it and blew the whistle. Unable to change tactically with an extra player at the back came back to haunt them within 15 secs as Carroll knocked the ball down and #3 volleyed home. The tide shifted back to The Lady Dragons. They attacked our defence and Pembroke chased back only to see their shot go inches wide.
Second overtime had Marcus pinned back . Presley shot tamely well wide and then had a chance as she ran onto Hall’s through ball but the goalie came out to make a sliding save. Three mins from the end the game was topped as Talbot ran into #4 who appeared to break her wrist. It resumed after several minutes. With 2 mins remaining Carroll went ahead . A shot by #13 hit Vonstrohe, ricocheted upwards and Alvarado headed it backwards and into the top corner . Carroll held out to secure an important win and Marcus season was over. Tears flowed and the bus drive was quiet as the sang their last song as they returned home.
Overall :19wins 6 losses 2 ties
District 11 wins 2 loss 1 tie Second Place

Tremendous thunderstorms and 5 ins of rain fell on Tues which forced the game to be moved to Wed . Bright sunshine greeted the teams as Coppell celebrated Senior night. Marcus warmed up in the indoor and then sat in their meeting room to watch the festivities. On the board had been left the starting line-up and how Coppell were going to play. This information must have been very helpful to Marcus as the raced into a 2-0 lead within 10 mins.
We almost scored in the first minute with Pembroke and Hall so close. Pembroke sat on the ball and goalie as she tried to flick it in the goal. The Hall nearly bundled it in . At 37 mins it was 1-0. A free kick by Thurman found Vonstrohe to knock it through to Presley to volley home. At 30 mins it was 2-0. It looked like a player was injured after tackling Vonstrohe but she continued with the ball and fed Hall to outrun them and slot past the goalie. Our midfield was controlling their attacks. Seniors went off and other players came on for Coppell. It livened them up and they put Marcus under pressure. Our outside midfielders did a great job of tracking back to defend. Abbey Talbot had to be carried off after spraining her ankle. Several free kicks by Coppell put us under pressure but Carr confidently saved. Jackson lost her shoe and Hall had problems with a contact lense. It was end to end play as we created chances and they counterattacked with speed. Presley was though but her shot went just wide of the post.
Second half Jackson was causing problems with her speed. She had a breakaway on goal but the defender came back to tackle. Our defense held firm and frustrated their forwards. Singleton handled the ball in the box twice but was not called for it. At 18 mins they broke through but the shot went over Carr and just past the post. Scott turned the defender but her shot was saved. The final 10 mins saw great field management by Marcus and Coppell were frustrated by fewer opportunities
Overall :19wins 5 losses 2 ties
District 11 wins 2 loss 1 tie
Hebron 36 points
Marcus 34pts
Coppell 32pts
Creekview 21pts
Bi_district:
Hebron v Keller
Marcus V Southlake Carroll at Coppell 8pm Tues
Coppell v Colleyville Heritage
Creekview v Grapevine

It was 85 degrees during the day and it was a perfect night to salute our seniors. The ceremony was perfect with taped messages from each player to the girls . Hebron nearly upset us when a player was left unmarked but she headed over the bar. Hall turned but her shot was blocked. It was Hebron’s direct play verses Marcus’ controlled build up play.
At 20 mins we went ahead. Singleton crossed to Presley to flick on. Scott ran in to head against the defender but Presley strolled forward and blasted a shot low into the corner from 25 yds out. Jackson was getting around the back of their defence and her cross found Vonstrohe but her shot was blocked by the goalie’s feet. Whitehead’s brilliant diagonal pass put Hall through but the goalie again produced another stop.
It was end to end excitement. Emily Talbot dance around three players but her shot was easily saved. A series of free kicks to Hebron were dangerous. One went through the wall and into the side netting. Others put Carr under pressure but she saved. Three mins from halftime a horrific collision of heads saw Lurvey go down . She got up again but the Hebron player slowly fell to the floor and needed 10 mins attention on the field.
Second half Hall curled a shot but it went just wide. Blincow shot a free kick over the bar. We got a free kick when Hall was brought down Vonstrohe’s free kick was driven low to the far post but Scott misdirected it back into play. Kuhl came out to dive at Blincow’s feet as she went through.
The best chance came 15 mins into the 2nd half. Hall chipped it over the defence to Presley who steered it against the post. It trickled along the line, past the post to Pembroke who crossed it but 3 Marcus forwards could not get the touch and it was cleared. Five mins later Hebron was level. Vonstrohe was harshly called for a foul at the middle. They took a quick free kick and it found their forward who controlled and then volleyed into the roof of the net from 30 yards out. It was a blow to Marcus. We attacked again. Hall tried to head Jackson’s through pass over the goalie but she saved Kuhl came to the rescue with a great one handed push over the bar from Blincow’s fierce shot. She again made a sprawling save from her free kick and we managed to clear it away. The final minutes saw Blincow trying to dribble around 5 Marcus defenders but Thurman cleared. The horn sounded and it was Marcus looking dejected as the walked off the field.
Overall :18wins 5 losses 2 ties
District 10 wins 2 loss 1 tie
Hebron 33 points
Coppell 32
Marcus 31
Creekview 20
Top 4 going to play-offs with one game remaining
Top 3 positions will be made in the final game
Marcus v Coppell and Hebron v Turner

Rain in the past 24 hours had made the grass field slick and wet in areas. It was Senior Night for the Lady Panthers but it was disappointing for them as Marcus rushed into a 3 goal lead within 13 mins. At 33 mins Abbey Talbot’s cross from the left side was strongly headed into the top corner by Allison Uszler. At 28 mins Heather Lurvey crossed into the box for Stacy Vonstrohe to control and bury into the corner. A minute later it was 3-0 as Jackson received Mickle’s pass on the right side and hammered a cross into the far corner over the defence and goalie. Marcus started to take off players due to the wet , muddy conditions . Key, Mound and Mickle came close and Wilbanks long range shot went wide. Wilbanks came close at 9 mins . The goalie saved with her feet on occasions. Julie Manderscheid slipped on a manhole cover. Fannin nearly scored her first Varsity goal. Goalie Barozinsky was spotted on the halfway line making a tackle.
Second half Nicole Mound was becoming aggressive on the left side. Lurvey had a couple of chances but needed to add power. She was yellow carded at 32 mins for infringement. The official made it difficult as play became more aggressive. Stirling fell over, quickly followed by Key. Mound had a couple of chances. Our defence came under some pressure but Smith kicked it away. Smith was caught out but Lurvey dashed back to clear. In the last 15 mins goalie Daryn came on at forward and was joined by Jill Thurman. It worked as Thurman fed Mickle on the left. She cut in and hammered a shot into the far corner under the goalie. We almost scored a fifth. Jordan shot at the goalie, followed up by Stirling who hit the post and the rebound went to Thurman whose shot hit the bar. Stirling and Fannin had confusion with an attempt. Barozinsky did a sliding tackle which annoyed their #4.
Marcus ended the game as winners and now face a good challenge v Hebron and Coppell.
Overall :18wins 5 losses 1 tie
District 10 wins 2 loss

What a crazy week of weather. Started at the weekend with 80 degrees, then rain and snow and back to warm weather then 5 inches of snow Thursday night. The game was in jeopardy but the sun came out to clear the snow except for Coach Albury flattening the snowmen all over the field. It was cold when we started and got colder as the game advanced. Marcus came out hot and played some great soccer. Singleton’s shot was saved but at 32 mins DanI Presley shot from in front of the goal and steered it into the corner of the net. Marcus did most of the attacking. Pembroke came up to send Hall through but her shot was at the goalie. Birthday girl Singleton was causing problems .Hall’s free kick was easily saved and then another shot too. The goalie dealt with our attacks. Marcus got sloppy and passes went astray. Lewisville almost scored from a rare attack. Scott hit the bar at 19 mins . Heather Lurvey was tripped and Vonstrohe almost made it 2-0 from Singleton’s pass but the goalie saved.
Second half Lewisville put us under pressure Carr was called upon to make saves and a reflex action pushed the ball onto the bar from a close range shot. Hall and Presley were working well together with combination play. At 30 mins Tue dribbled down the left side and her cross found Presley who controlled and curled the ball around the goalie and into the far corner. A minute later Hall rounded the goalie but in a scramble the ball was cleared. The two officials were frustrating both teams. Tue went through from Jackson’s pass and collided with the goalie. The ref gave us a penalty kick and Thurman stepped up to coolly slot it home. Barozinsky came into goal and Marcus started to sub players. Daryn made a couple of nice saves and Thurman controlled the defence. Vonstrohe got the ball in the face.
Marcus finished off with the shutout and a win to make the play-offs.
Overall :17wins 5 losses 1 tie
District 9 wins 2 loss

The game was originally set for Monday but 2 inches of snow and frigid conditions meant it was moved to warmer climate . Happy Birthday to DanI Presley . Marcus put them under pressure. Jazmin Hall’s cross almost made it to onrushing Abbey Talbot. Presley’s shot hit Singleton in the head. Flower Mound worked on counterattacks and Kuhl was called upon to save on a couple of occasions.. Hall headed wide from Scott’s cross. Uszler found Hall but the shot went behind the goal. With 10 mins remaining it looked like Marcus was to go ahead but the goalie prevented them Just like last year their goalie had to go off injured. Scott and Hall went so close but the ball either went just wide or was scrambled clear.
Second half saw Marcus on the attack . Scott shot at the corner but the goalie saved. Kuhl kept us in it with 2 saves. Marcus gambled and sent Jackson on to make it 3 forwards. She dribbled at the defence and laid the ball off to Presley to hammer home. Hall came close soon afterwards. The gamble was working with an extra forward keeping them on the back foot. Singleton’s free kick went ten stories high !!!. Scott was yellow carded for sliding into the goalie but Emily Talbot was taken out and nothing happened. Their defenders headed the ball against each other but it rebounded to Hall who could have scored but was called offsides !!!. With 10 mins remaining Abbey Talbot took an excellent corner which caused all sorts of problems and finally rebounded to Vonstrohe to tap
in. Marcus then held on to score an important win to move them into the playoffs
Overall :16wins 5 losses 1 tie
District 8 wins 2 loss

A great evening for some futbol. Warm, 50 degrees and Marcus came out with a new found attitude. Some soul searching and meetings after Tues debacle v Turner against a familiar opponent Creekview at Marcus. DanI P resley collided with the goalie which earned her a stern lecture then took the ball from the defender only to be yellow carded for the “foul”. Jazmin Hall went close a couple of times. She hit the bar and then was called offsides from Stacy Vonstrohe’s pass as she seemed certain to score. Jessie Jackson added pace up front. She outran the defence but did not see Jazmin all alone in the middle and her pass to Singleton resulted in a shot over the bar. A minute later she again crossed it into the box where Hall tried to turn it into the corner with her right foot. At 13 mins we went ahead. Singleton’s throw was turned back by Hall to
Sara whose cross went all over the heads of defenders. Presley controlled and miskicked the ball to freeze the goalie and it trickled into the corner. Three minutes later a corner kick by Hall hit Presley’s shin directly to Vonstrohe to turn and steer home.
Second half Taylor Scott received a yellow card after two quick fouls, the second a sliding tackle. Singleton hit a strong shot from Vonstrohe’s header into the side netting. After 10 mins we went 3 up. Pembroke moved up field. Cruised past a defender and sent Hall on her way to cross into the middle. Presley rose like a salmon to twist in the air head the ball into the top corner. That part of the net is where the fourth goal ended. Vonstrohe tried to control the ball but it fell to Singleton to steer a wonderful shot onto the underside of the bar and into the goal. Marcus subbed liberally as the game got a little aggressive and held on to record the shutout it deserved.
Overall :15wins 5 losses 1 tie
District 7 wins 2 loss

Marcus traveled to Cox Field to play a team they had beaten 7-0 in the first round. We got off to a dream start after 20 seconds when a cross was deflected by the goalie to Jazmin Hall to tap home. For the next 75 minutes it was the most frustrating, inept display by Marcus. The Lady Lions worked so hard to shut down crosses and shots. They packed their defence and worked on counterattacks. Marcus played as individuals, relying on high crosses or long range shots. We did not play as a team. At 33 mins Presley scored but was called offsides. Mickle dribbled in from the outside but her shot was saved. Turner almost scored with a counterattack but Carr deflected the ball and Maberry cleared it away. At half time the birthday coach wanted more energy and tactical adjustments but the pitiful performance continued. Shots went wide or were hastily taken. Jackson broke through but the goalie came out to save. Singleton was getting around the defence. Her cross to Presley was pulled back to Vonstrohe but it went over. The Lions came back in to it and put pressure on our defence. It was an uneasy experience and with 5 mins remaining the 2nd goal arrived. Singleton’s corner was driven low across the box and Vonstrohe was on the end of it to touch home. Hall had another opportunity when she broke through but could not put it away as the goalie pushed it around the post.
Although it was a win and 3 points, it was a pathetic team display by Marcus and serious self-examination needs to be made if they are to become successful this season. The Lady Lions played with heart and terrific team spirit and celebrated a 0-2 loss. They deserved all the applause for their efforts on a cold evening
Overall :14wins 5 losses 1 tie
District 6 wins 2 loss

A lovely evening for some top quality entertainment. Marcus played some delightful soccer early on. They pressured the Cowgirl defence but against the run of play with their first attack Coppell scored. A throw in to a forward who turned unopposed and hammered the ball into the top of the goal. Mickle came close with a shot but our defence came under pressure with Kuhl making some fine saves. But at 24 mins she spilled a long range shot and the forward nipped in to score. At 16 mins it was 3-0 when the curled a free kick into the top corner. Marcus was shocked. We tried to claw our way back into it. Talbot’s long ball found Jackson who just failed to get the final touch past the goalie. Whitehead’s terrific free kick was tipped over by the goalie Our defence and new goalie Cathy Carr held firm until halftime despite giving away free kicks and kicking the ball out under extreme pressure.
Marcus had pride to play for 2nd half. We came out blazing. Singleton had a shot on target. At 32 mins we reduced the deficit. Talbot found Hall whose chip over the defence found Presley who tapped it home. It was all Marcus. We nearly scored another when Hall crossed and Singleton and Presley combined but the goalie made a one handed save on the goal line. Carr at the other end dealt with a few attacks but it was all Marcus. Talbot was carried off with an ankle sprain but bravely returned. Whitehead went close with another free kick and Jackson too was near.We threw players forward but Coppell played for time and the referee frustrated both sides with constant whistle blowing.
Overall :13wins 5 losses 1 tie
District 5 wins 2 loss

A nice evening as we traveled to the Wood Shed to see if we could chop down the Hebron girls dreams yet again. A big problem was that only 2 officials turned up for such an important game. Marcus had to deal with the direct play of their midfield and the speed of their forwards. Several times they turned our defenders around yet the shots were high or comfortably met by DanI Presley. At 27 mins the first real chance fell to Marcus. Taylor Scott was fed a through ball by Singleton and she got her toe to it but the goalie saved and then the rebound went inches wide. A minute later Hebron thought they had scored but the forward who tapped it in was offsides on the goal-line. Our midfield gave away possession and the defence had to deal with waves of attacks. At 23 mins Hebron went ahead. A cross from Blincow on the right sailed over the defenders and goalie and was headed home from 2 yards. This was a great boost for the Hawks as last year they failed to score in any of the 3 games. Kemp went close from Vonstrohe’s cross and then Jackson had a great opportunity but her shot was deflected by the goalie. Tue hit a hard shot form 30 yards out but was comfortably saved. Kuhl came on for Presley who went upfront. She dealt with shots coming in on goal. With less than minute remaining Hebron scored again. A forward came in unopposed from the right and her shot just went under Kuhl’s arms and into the corner.

The 2nd half saw the same activity. We could have got a goal back in 2 mins. Presley tapped the ball into the goalmouth but as Jackson shot the ball was smothered by the goalie and defender. Then Presley’s cross was headed just over by Jackson. Marcus was playing much better but were caught by the counterattack. Jill Thurman had to courageously put her body on the line to save a certain goal. Kuhl kept us in it with strong saves.
We gambled by sending more forwards on but Blincow should have punished us as she rounded Kuhl but hit the ball over the bar at an open goal although the ref said it hit Pembroke (replays clearly show she was nowhere near !!)With 7 mins remaining we got a goal back. Hall fed Whitehead whose cross found Kaitlin Tue to beautifully hit the ball first time into the top corner from 20 yards out. It was too little too late as Hebron held on for the victory. A well deserved victory for them and took Marcus back to the drawing board to sort out a few minor problems
Record
Overall :13wins 4 losses 1 tie
District 5 wins 1 loss

The game was in doubt as the weather deteriorated during the day. A cold wind and temperatures in the 30’s but no rain as forecasted and just a slight mist. Within 2 minutes Marcus was ahead when Presley fed Hall who dribbled in. It was one way traffic. Daryn Barozinsky never touched the ball during her 20 min stint in goal. During that time we were 5-0 up. A long kick by Daryn bounce over the defence and Jackson outran them to dribble around the goalie to score. At 27 mins Presley set up Jackson to tap home and at 23 mins Scott set up Hall . Hall completed her hat trick with a goal straight from the corner when it bent over everyone and she scored a fourth at 20 mins. Marcus started to sub. Key was just wide as was Uszler but with 7 mins remaining Whitehead blasted it home.
Second half was the same tune. Marcus attacked . Their defence did a good job restricting us. At 30 mins Key scored and then 2 mins later Nicole Lurvey steered the ball into the far corner. Singleton went close several times, dribbling through the defence The remaining minutes saw Pembroke try to set up a goal, Barozinsky playing forward , and only 2 players in defence.
Record
Overall :13wins 3 losses 1 tie
District 5 wins

The Varsity traveled to Goldsmith stadium. It was chilly and windy . Before the game Molly Fannin and Krista Maberry on behalf of Marcus players, parents and booster club presented the Sigety Family a check for $500 for their scholarship fund in memory of Jenna Sigety.
At 33 mins Mickle gave Presley a chance but it went high. Jackson shot from the outside but saved. Mickle came to our rescue when she kicked the ball off the line and then Kuhl saved. Jackson went at the goal but their goalie saved and then Scott crossed just in front of the goal. A great pass from Hall gave Presley a chance but her diagonal shot was wide.
Shots rained in on goal but Marcus could not convert until 5 mins from halftime. Pembroke took a free kick on the left. Lewisville tried to pull the trap but 5 players beat it and Emily Talbot chipped over the onrushing goalie. Two mins later it was 2-0 as Whitehead fed Singleton to chip over the goalie.
Second half it was soon 3-0 when Presley intercepted a poor pass to skip around the goalie to tap home. A minute later Hall looked to score but the ball hit the post and then collided with the goalie. Jackson shot but was unlucky.
At 30 mins freshman Astyn Smith came on in goal and was soon picking the ball out of the net when a mix up in midfield resulted in a long curling shot from 30 yards into the top corner. The farmers attacked and looked likely to score but we hit them on the rebound when Presley outran them to score at 18 mins.
Subs came on but Hall dribbled through 5 players and was fouled 30 yards out. Vonstrohe took the kick and it sailed in to the corner. Smith made a good save. Kemp was 1 on 1 but her shot was saved. Amber Key had her shot deflected. Talbot and Ploszaj received yellow cards for aggressive play. Daryn Barozinsky came on in goal and made a nice save At the other end Molly Fannin just missed scoring from a cross from Manderscheid.
Overall :12wins 3 losses 1 tie
District 4 wins

A lovely evening for soccer at Marcus. Marcus hit their stride immediately. After 2 mins Jill Thurman’s long kick found Presley’s head. Her header hit the post, rolled along the line and Madison Whitehead tapped it in. But it was called offside by the linesman. Emily Talbot , Krista Maberry and Madison Whitehead all came close with other headers. Flower Mound counter attacked quickly but Leah Kuhl saved. We went ahead after 27mins with a superb header from Stacy Vonstrohe from Madison’s corner. Heather Lurvey and Maberry came close . Presley’s great cross found no-one in the box to convert. Uszler’s shot was inches wide but at 16 mins Jessie Jackson robbed the sweeper and 1 on 1 with the goalie calmly stroked it home .Marcus came under a little pressure but Jill Thurman cleared her lines and Kuhl comfortably saved.
Second half looked for Marcus to progress but surprisingly Flower Mound came back into the game with pressure. A corner by Whitehead found Talbot’s foot but it tamely went to the goalie. Yellow cards were quickly given to Vonstrohe and Talbot for aggressive play. Kuhl made a terrific save to punch the ball over the bar from free kick. Singleton helped clear the ball under pressure in the box. At 16 mins another corner resulted in another goal. Scott’s cross into the box was headed home by Vonstrohe. Presley’s shot was inches over. The game was marred by a freak injury to Abbey Talbot on the track as she went to get the ball and rolled her ankle.
Overall :11wins 3 losses 1 tie
District 3 wins

The weather was cold and windy as Marcus arrived at small Perry Middle school. The grass was slick but green. The game kicked off late due to the JV game being stopped and shortened due to lightning.We kept warm in the school but were caught cold within 2 mins when their cross from the left was headed in. We had to adjust to the speed of their attacks and Presley had to come up with 2 saves. Marcus started to dominate the middle and put pressure on their back three defenders. Keeper Vicky Alonzo held us at bay with strong saves from Jackson and Hall. We adjusted and brought Presley out of goal and up front with Jazmin. We pounded away at their goal and Madison and DanI went close. With less than 5 mins remaining we equalized. Vonstrohe chipped the ball over the defence and Whitehead wisely passed back across goal for Presley to just beat the advancing goalie. Madison and Allison received yellow cards just before halftime. Our defence handled them superbly
Second half saw more attacks. Presley found Hall but her shot was saved. Presley then went close with a header from Singleton’s cross. We went ahead at 36 mins. A player was adjudged to have handled and Jill Thurman stepped up to hit home the penalty kick. The game became physical. Hall was shown a yellow card as she was pushed down but the ref thought she was diving. At 29 mins we went 3-1 up. The corner found Hall who played the ball into the box for Emily Talbot to hit her first goal of the season. Marcus withstood the onslaught but were fortunate when Creekview appeared to score but it was a free kick for a foul on Kuhl. Our three defenders ,Maberry, Thurman and Pembroke were superb under pressure and Marcus held on for a nice win despite some difficult officiating
Overall :10 wins 3 losses 1 tie
District 2 wins

First game in district and at home on a cold evening Alums Kelli Lunsford, Kyra McDonough and Amy Skeet were on hand to watch the 2008 version. Re-alignment for 2009-10 had been made earlier in the day with the 4 LISD teams (Marcus, Lewisville Hebron and Flower Md) with Coppell and Southlake Carroll revealing strong matches ahead over the next few years. Marcus was against a strong wind against an opponent it beat 13-0 twice last year but this year’s opposition were more organized and made it difficult to penetrate. At 35 mins Jazmin Hall almost scored but the goalie came out to smother the shot. Singleton then whiffed at the ball from Uszler’s pass and then another attack saw her shot from Talbot’s cross deflect off the goalie. At 29 mins we thought Madison had scored. The shot was pushed upwards and behind her by the goalie but she managed to stop it on the line.
At 26 mins we went ahead. Singleton took a quick corner to Taylor Scott to move in and hit an unstoppable shot low at the near post. DanI Presley came on and connected with with her head from Madison’s cross but could not score At 18 mins it was 2-0 when Jazmin Hall scored at the near post. DanI had a beautiful cross but was too high for Caroline Kemp. Kemp received a wonderful through ball from Krista Maberry but her shot just went past the far post. With a minute remaining we went further ahead with an exquisite chip over the defence by Hall to DanI to just nip in , around the goalie and slide it home
Second half we were 4-0 up within a minute. Taylor Scott and Presley worked a give and go for Presley to claim her second. Subs began to come on but with the wind at their backs, Marcus was camped in the Lion’s half. Whitehead went close with a left footer. At 25 mins it was 5-0 . Scott’s long corner was headed back by Presley into the far corner for her to claim her hat trick. A minute later Kayla “Tattoo” Jordan ran through and placed it into the corner. Relief was heard around the bench when Amber Key finally scored her first goal of the season from Fannin’s pass. Goalie Daryn “Tattoo also” Barozinsky had to smartly come off her line to twice save and keep the shutout. The final chance was Abbey Talbot’s “Ronaldo” type free kick which bent up and over the wall but just missed the far post
Only 3 fouls the entire match as Marcus gained 3 points.
Overall :9 wins 3 losses 1 tie
District 1 win
Varsity Results
Marcus 7-0 Turner
F.Md 6-0 Smith
Hebron 2-1 Creekview
Coppell 6-0 Lewisville

The winds had been gusting at 55mph but mercifully they had died down as Marcus faced the “Hockadaisies.” Within 3 mins we were ahead. DanI presley headed the ball on to Jazmin Hall to nip in and chip the ball over the goalie. At 32 mins Hall supplied Taylor Scott whose shot was saved . At 28 mins Hall crossed to Presley to rise and head but it struck the post and was scambled clear. The same combination made it 2-0 with Hall supplying the through ball for DanI to slide past the goalie. Cathy Carr made two strong saves to preserve the lead. At 19 mins Jackson was 1 on 1 with the goalie but shot into her stomach. At 16 mins it was 3-0. Hall sneaked behind the defender to place the ball home. Marcus changed goalies. Daryn Barozinsky came in and within 4 mins almost got her finger tips to push the ball over the bar but it rebounded for their forward Crawford to hit it onto the bar, over the line and out. 3-1 Marcus. The Daisies attacked and Thurman commanded the defence. Daryn made a smart low diving save and then saved from Talbot’s deflected header. With 30 secs left Tamsin Stirling was brought down in the penalty box. As Jill Thurman ran up to take it, Sara Singleton stepped up to hit it. It hit the goalie but trickled over the line 4-1 at the half.
Second half Ashtyn Smith was in goal. Within 5 mins Tamsin Stirling was put through. Her first shot was saved but it rebounded to her to slot home and then for her to do the Tamsin “happy so excited wave “ celebration. Five mins later Hockaday scored when we failed to clear and the ball was scrambled home. Marcus played everyone else for the remaining 30 mins. Amber Key shot from 25 yards , Nicole Mound hit into the side netting and Nicole Lurvey outran them only for her shot to be saved. Our defence held firm for the win.
Record going into district : 8 wins: 3 losses: 1 tie

The fog arrived but the weather was warming up as Marcus returned to
Heritage HS. They were leaders of their bracket and a win would put them
into the finals. We welcomed back those who had the night off and had
others rested or taking the SAT . At 37 mins Amber Key passed to
Caroline Kemp whose shot went high and wide . She claimed that Jill
Thurman had been giving her lessons !!. DanI Presley had to come out
smartly to save . Jessie Jackson was running them ragged and Marcus
should have gone ahead.At 21 mins Amber Key broke through but the goalie
smothered her shot. Jackson’s diagonal shot from the right just missed.
At 17mins Nicole Mound crossed to the back-from-injury Abbey Talbot but
her shot went into the goalie’s hands. Daryn Barozinsky replaced DanI in
goal and made a good clearance under pressure.
It was tied 0-0 at the half . Ashtyn Smith went into goal. She was
called upon to make saves early on. She got support from Krista Maberry
who stopped the breakaway after a player ran past the other defenders.
Jazmin’s shot was saved. Bailey was unfortunate to be called for a foul
on the right side. The ball was crossed into the box where Smith saved
but she could not hold onto it and in the melee an Ursuline forward
tapped it over the line. It got worse a minute later. The player looked
yards offsides as she rounded Smith and crossed it to an unmarked
forward to tap in.
Marcus was fighting an uphill battle. All our shots were long range
efforts easily dealt with by the goalie. A game that we controlled went
the opposite direction. Nothing we tried to do could get an important
goal back and in the last minute Smith came out to tackle the forward
but she steered the ball home. Marcus was 1-1-1 and out of the finals.
It had been a grueling 3 weeks of tournaments with a 7-3-1 record
against top quality opponents. We face Hockaday on Tues as a tune -up
for district on Friday v R.L.Turner

It was a bitterly cold night at Mustang -Panther stadium as Marcus took on top private school F.W.Nolan. We elected to leave some players home so they would not get cold and sick and play with a squad of 20. Within 5 minutes Emily Talbot intercepted a pass, turned and crossed to Madison Whitehead whose powerful shot hit the crossbar. This shocked the stadium as the lights went off. We all moved back to the locker room and after 20 mins resumed play. Stacy Vonstrohe played Jazmin Hall through but a defender knocked it out for a corner. Talbot blasted high over the bar . At 21 mins Hall laid the ball back to Brittany Wilbanks and her shot was tipped over the bar by the goalie. At 17 mins Marcus took the lead. Vonstrohe’s superb diagonal pass found Hall . Her cross was deflected into her own net by the defender under pressure by DanI Presley. Two mins later Leah Kuhl came out to save and was solid as shots rained in on goal. Hall was given a yellow card when the goalie flattened her and could not believe she did not win a penalty kick. Taylor Scott worked the ball with Whitehead but her aim was off. Jessie Jackson came back to help clear the lines and Kuhl ended the half with a good save.

Second half saw Cathy Carr in goal. Whitehead tried a long range shot that great run out of defence by Jill Thurman saw her a yard out as Mickle’s cross came to her but somehow she skied it over the bar and was the comical relief for the rest of the game. Their goalie came under pressure from Whitehead but twice thwarted her. At last Marcus added to their tally in the last 30 secs when Jessie Jackson pressured the goalie. The ball bounced over her and Jackson slid it home

Freezing cold temperatures hit the metroplex and there was a threat of freezing rain later .Marcus decided to play everyone in 3 x 25 min intervals
Ist 25 mins: DanI Presley was up front with Sara Singleton and Taylor Scott. In the first minute she headed the ball straight at the goalie, then a few minutes later dribbled and shot but it was deflected wide. Marcus dominated . Taylor Scott and Emily Talbot had opportunities. Goalie Cathy Carr was solid but had a miskick go for a corner. Marcus was playing attractive soccer and went ahead at 15:40 when Scott played DanI through and she outfoxed the goalie to score.
The second wave immediately came on and goalie Daryn Barozinsky replaced Cathy Carr. Jessie Jackson dribbled through and then Jazmin Hall was stopped just as she was shooting. The players seemed cold and St Agnes came back into the game. Daryn saved a shot from 20 yards and sweeper Bailey Pembroke controlled the defence Second half new goalie Leah Kuhl entered the game. She was forced to save and then when the ball went over her, Heather Lurvey cleared. The 2nd wave got into the groove with Jackson and Madison Whitehead long range shots teasted the goalie. The best chance fell to Jazmin Hall who broke through but the goalie came out to smother her shot. This was the final chance for this group and the final group came on for the last 25 mins along with freshman goalie Ashtyn Smith. Amber Key hit a shot from 15 yards that was deflected and then Kitlin Tue’s was deflected. Tamsin Stirling broke down the right side several times but her crosses were not met by our players. St Agnes threw players forward and with 7 mins they equalized . They broke down the right side and the shot just beat Ashtyn at the near post. This shocked Marcus and they went on the offense but could not get the winner

Freezing cold temperatures hit the metroplex and there was a threat of freezing rain later .Marcus decided to play everyone in 3 x 25 min intervals Ist 25 mins: DanI Presley was up front with Sara Singleton and Taylor Scott. In the first minute she headed the ball straight at the goalie, then a few minutes later dribbled and shot but it was deflected wide. Marcus dominated . Taylor Scott and Emily Talbot had opportunities. Goalie Cathy Carr was solid but had a miskick go for a corner. Marcus was playing attractive soccer and went ahead at 15:40 when Scott played DanI through and she outfoxed the goalie to score. The second wave immediately came on and goalie Daryn Barozinsky replaced Cathy Carr. Jessie Jackson dribbled through and then Jazmin Hall was stopped just as she was shooting. The players seemed cold and St Agnes came back into the game. Daryn saved a shot from 20 yards and sweeper Bailey Pembroke controlled the defence
Second half new goalie Leah Kuhl entered the game. She was forced to save and then when the ball went over her, Heather Lurvey cleared. The 2nd wave got into the groove with Jackson and Madison Whitehead long range shots teasted the goalie. The best chance fell to Jazmin Hall who broke through but the goalie came out to smother her shot. This was the final chance for this group and the final group came on for the last 25 mins along with freshman goalie Ashtyn Smith. Amber Key hit a shot from 15 yards that was deflected and then Kitlin Tue’s was deflected. Tamsin Stirling broke down the right side several times but her crosses were not met by our players. St Agnes threw players forward and with 7 mins they equalized . They broke down the right side and the shot just beat Ashtyn at the near post. This shocked Marcus and they went on the offense but could not get the winner

It was a sunny but crisp afternoon. The game had been moved back to 2pm because of bitterly cold morning weather. We faced surprise opponent Permian who had lost to Northwest first game but had battled back to beat Wylie Fri and Arlington Martin Sat morning. The players were asked in the locker room who now believed they could play at the highest level. A week ago many were not confident in their ability but now everyone had gained the belief that they are worthy to play in the final and all players played at least 20 mins each.
Ashtyn Smith was the first goalie and she quickly saved a shot. Jazmin Hall dribbled into the area but her shot was saved and then minutes later her shot went just over the bar.Hall was terrorizing them on the left. Nicole Lurvey fed her the ball but her shot was headed away. It was one-way traffic and Marcus deservedly went ahead at 26 mins . Molly Fannin supplied the cross to Jazmin to shoot from 6yds into the corner. Marcus started to sub liberally and Permian had their best spell. New goalie Daryn Barozinsky had to deal with a breakaway and came out to narrow the angle , the shot going just wide. Daryn was called upon to make several saves . Jessie Jackson broke through but the goalie just beat her to the ball. With 5 mins remaining one of the few Permian counterattacks led to a goal. Down the other end Bailey Pembroke shot but hit the side netting and Kayla Jordan fell and hurt her ankle as she tried to go through.
It was tied 1-1 at the half. Permian were starting to look tired after the morning game. New goalie Leah Kuhl was in and was called upon to save down on the ground. Marcus pummeled their half. Tamsin Stirling broke through . Her first shot was saved but her next went in only to be called offside. Permian had their last chances on Kuhl at corners but she dealt with the crosses and the ball was cleared. It was all Marcus traffic now. Taylor Scott hit the top of the post . Emily Talbot’s header was just wide. Stirling’s shot rebounded to Mickle but her shot was deflected. Jackson ran them ragged as a very tired Permian defence held on. It was getting frustrating for Marcus with shots deflected , saved or just wide. With 4 mins left we were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Surprisingly Jazmin Hall stepped forward as Jill Thurman was running up to take it. Her left foot shot curled into the top corner. Marcus defended well and came away with a well deserved victory and championship that everyone contributed towards.

It was the clash of the Titans as two of the metroplex’s strong programs met at 5pm Both were undefeated in pool play and winner moved onto the championship on Sat. Marcus took control early. Hall won a tackle and the ball bounced to Taylor Scott who shot wide. At 34 mins Marcus went ahead. Emily Talbot laid the ball off to Jazmin Hall to shoot into the upper left of the goal. She almost put us two up soon after but was inches wide. Presley in goal saved from a corner and Allen started to show their pace. Eventually a through ball at 25 mins was run onto by the forward and just beat onrushing Presley to tie the game. Pembroke bravely ran after it but could not prevent it crossing the line. Singleton dropped back to help against the speed and for the remainder of the half Marcus had to deal with long range free kicks and shots at their defence. Thurman deflected a shot and Hall came back to defence to help preserve the time at the break.

Second half Marcus attacked with 3 forwards. Presley was out of goal and as an attacker. Marcus did not take advantage of free kicks . Tue’s went high and Vonstrohe’s to Talbot was deflected just past the post. Leah Kuhl made amazing saves to thwart them . At 22 mins we went ahead. Hall crossed from the left side and DanI Presley hit a left foot volley into the bottom corner. Jackson dribbled around players but just missed. Taylor Scott had to go off after a collision of heads but bravely came back on. It was Allen bombarding our goal, especially from free kicks. They went just wide, Kuhl acrobatically saved under pressure or the defence kicked it away. Pembroke attacked from the back and Presley’s header was well saved. Marcus played “prevent defence” for the final 7 mins and despite a header that just went over our bar, we held on for a great victory
We now play in the final on Sat at 2pm at Northwest ISD stadium against
an opponent tbd.

Sunshine came out but then crept back in as cold conditions greeted Marcus in a 10am match up with Trinity. We kept with our policy of everyone playing at least 20 mins as 3 different line-ups shuffled in. Daryn Barozinsky took the first half and was quickly into action. We were slow to start but then gradually hit our stride Marcus countered and efforts by Jackson and Talbot went close. At 25 mins we went ahead. From Hall’s cross DanI Presley shot but the goalie saved and it rebounded to Julie Manderscheid to slam home. At 20 mins DanI ran off the field and almost collided with Bailey Pembroke!!! Jackson came close and the Taylor Scott’s excellent corner was tipped over by the goalie.

The 2nd wave entered with 15 mins remaining 1st half. At 6 mins Singleton crossed the ball in the box for Allison Uszler to control and hit into the corner. Second half Marcus had the momentum but #4 upfront was causing us problems. Mickle’s crosses went close to adding another but their goalie saved. Our keeper Ashtyn Smith held firm . When the 3rd wave came on they encounted pressure. #4 shot just inches over the bar .With 7mins remaining they broke through and got a goal back from a free kick when the forward just got to the ball before Smith. Marcus endured a nervous time but held on for the win.

Cold conditions faced us as we made the trip to Justin Northwest stadium for their tournament.. However we soon warmed everyone up with a goal in the first minute. Jazmin Hall fed the ball to Jessie Jackson to send a wicked right footer into the top corner. Singleton almost scored , then Hall as the goalie prevented their shots from going in. Pflugerville were dangerous on the counterattack, especially on the left side. Vonstrohe’e free kick went wide , followed by Uszler’s effort. At 29 mins it was 2-0 with Sara Singleton’s shot into the top corner and 4 mins later Jazmin Hall placed a left footer into the top corner. Pflugerville had a free kick which Presley saved. Subs came on at the 20 min mark. Kuhl saved a cross-shot and then Mickle shot wide twice.

Second half Amber Key went on a wonder dribble at the kick off and shot just wide after beating 3 players. We put them under intense pressure but needed Maberry and Kuhl twice to clear the ball out of the box. A new wave of subs came on the final 25 mins. Tamsin Stirling and DanI Presley put them under considerable pressure and almost scored. Caroline Kemp got physical with opponents and words were said between their player and our bench. Nicole Mound burst through and just missed , and down the other end Ashtyn Smith dealt with crosses into her box. Bailey Pembroke marshaled the defence well and came out on counterattacks. Mound tasted the turf when she went face down with a tackle. And Kemp twice had opportunities. Finally the goal came when Stirling looped the ball over the goalie and celebrated in a unique style that had the bench in stiches. Uszler hit a rocket from 30 yards that screamed just over and Marcus kept the shutout.

At 9am at Nolan Marcus played the #2 team in the nation who had not allowed a goal in 3 games with impressive wins of 3-0 ( Ursuline) 5-0 (St Thomas) and 3-0 (Plano West) With #14 North Carolina signee Courtney Jones up front and strong, physical players all over the field , we knew that this would be a welcomed challenge. We welcomed back Bailey Pembroke, out with flu all week. Goalie Leah Kuhl had to come out smartly to smother attacks and we had to adjust to the high tempo game. Heather Lurvey had to be helped off with a sore foot after a tackle. We brought on DanI Presley up front to add speed to the attack. Our shots were easily dealt with. Midway through the half Jones outran Bailey to slot home. We gained a few corners and were unlucky not to draw level when we hit the post Freshman goalie Smith came on with 12 mins remaining to gain experience and dealt with crosses into the box.
At the half we tried to regroup and went on the attacks. But their counter-attacks were very dangerous. Jill Thurman aggressively dealt with #14 but was harshly adjudged to have fouled just outside the box. Smith’s inexperience showed as only 2 defenders were in the wall and a powerful shot whistled past her. DanI Presley went in goal for the final 25 mins. A goalmouth melee saw us anxiously clear it away. We attacked several time but could not penetrate their defence. Long free kicks into the box were easily dealt with. Kaitlin Tue (ankle roll) and Madison Whitehead (Knee injury) had to be helped off as the game became more physical as the referee lost some control. We glimpsed at a very strong team almost at the end of their season and gave us motivation to build a similar squad. Valuable lessons learned against one of the best we will face this year. A play-off type encounter in our first week will help us as we build towards district

The 7;30pm game against a weakened opponent was again played at TCU .
It was a little crisp. We rested the more experienced players and gave another chance to the young guns. We were on their side most of the first half. Goalie DanI Presley played forward and had a couple of shots go close. Stacy Vonstrohe leant her experience to them and almost scored. Nicole Lurveyon several occasions. She teamed up with her sister Heather on the right side at times. At 6 mins we went ahead. DanI Presley hit a rocket of a shot past the helpless goalie. We had most of the play but only one goal to show.
Second half saw the same action. The defence easily handled their attacks but we were surprised to see #14 Brittney Nash hit our post with 17 mins remaining. It gave them hope and a nervous few minutes were encountered. Abbey Talbot thought she had scored but was called back for offside. Talbot was dazzling us with her skills and penetrating passes. With 5 mins remaining we sealed it with Presley outrunning their defence and prodding the ball home. Cathy Carr had to work hard to stop a couple of desparate attacks but we held on.

Marcus traveled back to TCU for a 12:30pm meeting with in-form Keller.
Marcus opted to rest several players from last night’s victory over St Thomas and allowed the remainder of our players to get their first taste of Varsity competition. However, our inexperience showed within the first 5 mins when we lost possession on the left side and a cross found their tall sophomore forward to loop a header over Cathy Carr.Marcus slowly recovered their composure. Tamsin Stirling almost got the equalizer but the defender cleared it off the line. With 9 mins remaining , Emily Villalba was called for a handball and their player calmly placed it in the corner.Two mins later Uszler dribbled past 3 players but her shot went left of the goal. At 6mins we took a corner and from the melee Kayla Jordan hammered the ball home. Surprisingly the referee awarded a free kick to them for a foul on the goalie that no-one saw. Amber Key had two shots on goal but could not reduce the deficit.
Second half saw other players eturn but we could not seem to raise our level of play. Freshman goalie Ashtyn Smith was called upon to make some smart saves. Defenders Sarah Singleton (winded) and Emily Boring (ankle sprain) had to be helped off the field. Keller played good defence and frustrated us to preserve the victory. After a discussion about how to play at the varsity level, we went to IHOP/Panera Bread and then do what every teen girl likes to do…shop at the Mall.

It was crisp and a tad chilly when Marcus traveled to Ft Worth. St Thomas made a mad dash from the airport as their flight arrived at 6pm. Marcus kicked up field first half and were soon in full flow with waves of attacks. Jazmin Hall’s speed down the left troubled Aquinas. At 34 mins Whitehead’s corner was headed onto the crossbar by Krista Maberry. A minute later we were ahead. Liz Mickle dribbled along the goalline and her cross was met by Hall who steered it home. At 30 mins Hall’s mazy run past 5 defenders resulted in the goalie stopping her shot. Taylor Scott then hit a 40 yarder that the goalie saved.
Aquinas came back into the game and Jill Thurman marshaled the defence well. Goalie DanI Presley came out to smother a breakaway. Emily Talbot was having trouble with her facemask and wiped out her opponent at 20 mins. New subs came on. Amber Key hit a long range shot. Heather Lurvey was yellow carded for slamming into the winger. Sara Singleton went from defence to offence and had a couple of chances. The 2nd half had the starters back on and within 4 mins we were 2 up. Hall sprinted down the left and her cross was nearly met by Liz Mickle to tap home. Marcus bombarded their goal with efforts by Jackson, Scott and Whitehead going close. Jackson danced past several players but failed to get the goal her efforts demanded. It fell to Whitehead to put us up 3-0 when Scott’s corner into the box saw Allison Uszler pressure the defender and the ball bounce down to Mad-Dog to hammer home. Marcus dominated and it was not until 11 mins that Aquinas had a shot on Kuhl. At 8 mins Tue rose to try to head home but flattened the goalie. Emily Boring made a timely tackle in the area but it was Caroline Kemp with a great interception when they looked certain to score that saved the shut out. At 4 mins Stacy Vonstrohe burst through but the goalie made a diving save.
A great start for Marcus as their opponents had been playing for months
and were ranked in the top ten nationally and had state play-offs
upcoming.

We had 2 games v Arlington and Colleyville Heritage at Mansfield in a very pleasant 60-70 degree conditions but with a strong wind downfield. Unfortunately word filtered through that Lewisville ISD athletic director Neal Wilson passed away at 10am
We used a split squad with 16 players on each game

11am Varsity 2-1 Arlington
At the 10 min mark. Allison Uszler put pressure on the defender and the ball fell to Caroline Kemp whose shot from outside the box looped over the goalie. Two mins later Madison Whitehead, who had been sick on the bus down to the game, headed just over from Scott’s corner. At 19 mins Taylor Scott dribbled and scored from 20 yards out.
Second half against the wind goalie Daryn Barozinsky was under some pressure. In the first minute she saved a hard shot and then 4 mins later slid out to save. Jessie Jackson dribbled around the right side and her cross was just missed by Megan Sturton. A minute later JJ dribbled around 3 defenders but the goalie dived to smother the shot. At 14 mins the Lady Colts got a goal back when a long range effort went under Daryn’s body. However our goalie got stronger and made several important saves, especially when a player broke through in the last minute

1:30pm Varsity 1-1 Colleyville Heritage
Marcus was re-united with old friend Heritage . Playing against the wind Amber Key’s cross in the first minute was met by Abbey Talbot but her shot was saved. Stacy Vonstrohe was coming back after a month out with mono and she ran onto Jazmin Hall’s cross but the goalie dashed out to thwart her. At 7 mins freshman goalie Ashtyn Smith was injured when she landed on her back collecting a cross but bravely stayed in. At 8 mins the game changed dramatically when Jazmin Hall was shown the red card for throwing an elbow at a player’s face and Marcus had to play the remaining 42 min with 10 players. Marcus pushed forward and Key set up Tue who shot just wide. At 14 mins we failed to clear a corner kick and they went ahead. Marcus hung on until the half time and then with the wind behind them they attacked more. Vonstrohe’s the box and Key had her shot saved. We gambled and played with only 2 defenders as we sent more players forward. Molly Fannin had to be helped off when she hurt her hand falling down from a tackle. Jesseca Olmstead rescued us when she ran through and steered the ball home with 7 mins remaining.

A new year began with cold wind descending upon Texas. It was the first day of school too and after giving out brand new uniforms the Varsity ventured out to play the alums. They included Kat Bernick, Kayla Chambers, Kelli Lunsford, Kendall Larson, Tiffany Alberts, Joy and Jessica Jarrell, Loren Talbot, Lauren Huffman, Brittany Cleveland, Carey Placke ,Alisha Ortiz and Claire Richardson. Charity Evans and Keegan Marquis supplied the commentary in the press box and Jaime Laughlin , Kristen Berquist, Ashleigh Alcorn, Amy Skeet and Sara Brusco with support from the bench They were well coached by Amy Miller
The Varsity rested several players who had just returned from the Disney Classic in Florida and those injured or ill. The ref did not show up but Coach Albury was at his sparkling best and the brave spectators witnessed a very good game. The Varsity defended against a stiff wind in the first half. Jill Thurman controlled the defence while Cathy Carr pulled off a fantastic save to push the ball around the post. The Alums eventually went ahead thru Ortiz and added a 2nd late in the half. We had a couple of chances first half but Ashtyn Smith, loaned out to them, came up with strong saves. Tamsin Stirling put the ball in the back of the net but was called offside.
Second half we attacked more with the wind and Amber Key had long range shots saved by Dani Presley (another loaner goalie !!). Daryn Barozinsky came out to clear but Jessica Jarrell just beat her to the ball and tapped into the empty net. The final 2 goals were stunning. Carey Placke ripped one from 20 yards top corner with her left foot and then Lauren Huffman chipped the goalie from 40 yards. A fun evening ended with a trip to the cafeteria to start the Kick -Off Party and chili and cookies and drinks…oh my ..those New Year resolutions have to wait another day.