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Maddie Hoffman and Jackie Pavlofsky, students at Harman Elementary in Oakwood, recently returned from a 10-day People-to-People Sports Ambassador Program to Holland. I addition to competing in soccer at the Youth Friendship Games, Jackie and Maddie trained with experienced coaches and explored Holland with teammates from throughout the United States. During the regular season, Maddie plays for Kettering Metro FC U-12 and Jackie plays for Oakwood United U-12.
The People-to-People program gives participants a taste of international competition and the chance to get to know athletes from another part of the world. Eight different sports are represented at the Youth Friendship Games. Before competition and during breaks in the action, the girls visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where Anne and her family hid from the Nazi persecution during World War II, cruised the canals in Amsterdam, explored Volendam and Edam by bicycle, and learned the Dutch sport of korfbal during a clinic taught by actual players.
Before departing, the girls attended several orientation meetings with local leaders and coaches to prepare for the journey and learn about the program, destination, and the responsibilities of representing the United States in overseas competition.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded People-to-People during his presidency in 1956. He believed ordinary people of different nations could make a difference where governments could not. The organization is based in Spokane, Washington.
After losing sophomore forward Andrew Morris to varsity, the JV Jacks, anchored by junior Kyle Rieger, did their part, keeping Greenon away from the Lumberjack goal. The first half ended with a 0-0 tie.
Shortly after the start of the second half, the Jacks finally connected with a goal headed in by sophomore Kyle Kissock off a cross by Zach Rodabaugh. Freshman goalie Scott Harman continued making some great saves, letting in the only one shot of the game midway through the second half. Freshman Liam Jackson kept the offensive pressure on, and Oakwood took the lead again with a long shot by midfielder Zach Hood.
Finally with a minute left in the game, the Lumberjacks sealed the deal with a great display of team work when junior Jonny Rudwall crossed the ball perfectly in front of the goal and sophomore Jake Basnett sent it into the net. Final score: Jacks 3, Greenon 1.
The Junior Varsity Lumberjack freshmen turned in a strong offensive performance against Miami Valley, leading the team to a 2-0 victory. Ending the first half with a 0-0 tie, Zach Rodabaugh scored ten minutes into the second half. Oakwood kept the pressure on the MV goal and with seven minutes left to play, Graham Roberts’ consistency up front paid off, scoring the final Oakwood goal.
The Junior Varsity Soccer team lost a toughly fought battle against Valley View, 0-1. Valley View scored 10 minutes into the first half, but the defense, led by sophomore Garrett Luther, managed to hold the rest of the game. The offense was unable to get the ball into the net, however strong performances were turned in by freshmen Tony Weckerling and Marcel Georgin.
On August 22, the Oakwood Jacks traveled to Division II Greenon for their first regular season game. Over the years, Greenon has been very difficult to beat. The Jacks brought junior Kyle Reiger up to varsity for this and subsequent games. After a period of Oakwood domination, Greenon had a fast break, catching the defense unaware to score in the first half.
In the first minute of the second half, Scott Casebere chipped a pass over Greenon’s defensive line to Addison Wille, who scored the short shot. Greenon countered with a cross to Oakwood’s back post where Oakwood had no defenders—Greenon scored on a dink. Two minutes later Wille slipped a pass to Andrew Morris, running onto goal to chip the precision shot, a darting toe poke over the onrushing goalkeeper. Oakwood sealed the victory at 3-2, with fourteen minutes left in the game, with a thirty yard through pass from Tristan Schnader to Wille on the right wing, who blasted the shot from the top of the box.
On Aug. 24, Oakwood traveled to Valley View. The game was an intense physical struggle and midfield battle, which initially the taller and bulkier Spartans muscularly dominated. But as the game progressed, Valley View’s center began to tire and sag and Oakwood’s center began to dominate with precision passing and one-touch ball advancement. The more Oakwood’s fitness dominated, the more the Spartans resorted to physicality, culminating in three yellow cards for dangerous play and, finally, a red card in the final ten minutes.
Nevertheless, Oakwood’s excellent passing in midfield by Josh Curley, John Loftus, Brian Telek, Casebere, Wille and Schnader served to strangle the Spartan attack, likely the reason for their frustration and physicality. Additionally, a strong defensive performance and physical resilience was displayed by John Harman, marking back. Oakwood goalkeeper Colin Pierce managed six saves and also had several non-saving plays which were defensively crucial. Finally, a corner kick by Bob Fecher managed to find Wille’s head in front of the goal in the game’s dying moments for the final 1-0 victory to Oakwood.
 On Saturday, Aug. 26, a hot and extremely humid afternoon, the Jacks went to Miami Valley. From the outset, Oakwood dominated the field, with only the occasional counter attack from the Rams. However, Oakwood’s play in the final third of the field proved ineffective until later stages of the game.
Still, in the first half Oakwood’s midfield continued to dominate possession in Miami’s defensive half. Brian Telek and John Loftus had strong games on the outside of the field, making good runs down the sidelines and playing balls into the box.
Finally, on a throw in by John Harman, Casebere controlled the bouncing ball to his feet at the six yard box and put it past the Ram’s goalie for 1-0 at the half. In the second half, possession equalized, but it was Oakwood who scored again from the top of the 18 yard box where Casebere waited and slammed a “screamer” into the upper 90.
 Minutes later, it was Oakwood again who won a scramble in midfield for an outlet pass to Casebere, who then passed to Wille for a third goal.
Thereafter, the Rams stormed back, using their size and height to score two goals in quick succession, the second of which came off a corner kick where four Miami Valley players, shoulder to shoulder in front of the goal, like a rugby scrum, drove toward goalie Colin Pierce, knocking him over with the ball literallynudged over the line.
But it was not enough on the day, and the final score was 3-2 in favor of Oakwood.
Soccer co-captains Megan Breidenbach, Elissa Mosman and Liz Garner look forward to a winning Jills soccer season.
The 2006 edition of the Oakwood girls varsity soccer team got off to a roaring start last Thursday night, knocking off defending league champion Valley View 3 to 0. In the first minute of action sophomore Molly Breidenbach made a beautiful touch pass to junior Tory Danis, and while Danis’ shot sailed high, the tone had been set quickly for a game the Jills would control.
Aggressive play and crisp passing highlighted the first half for the Jills, but good play by the Valley View goalkeeper, and several shots narrowly missing their mark, kept the game scoreless midway through the first half. Oakwood finally broke into the scoring column with 19:31 to go when senior captain Megan Breidenbach passed to sister Molly, who hung tough, battling several Spartan defenders before the ball popped out to an alert senior captain Elissa (Barbie) Mosman, who calmly buried the shot into the net for a 1 to 0 Oakwood lead. While the Jills continued to control the action, narrowly missing several scoring opportunities, the first half ended at 1 to 0.
Head coach Dawn Gaydosh’s halftime words were heeded, as the Oakwood girls came out smoking in the second half with a flurry of near misses, before, just five minutes into the half, Megan Breidenbach broke free down the right hand side and fired a bullet across the goal. The shot caromed off the far post and a Valley View defender, where hustling senior Jilian Ellis, making her first varsity start, was in the right spot and deposited the ball into the goal. Two to nothing Oakwood.
The game was marked by a number of girls “stepping up big” off Oakwood’s bench, one of whom, freshman Colleen Hallinan, scored the game’s final goal when, after a scramble in front of the Valley View goal, she boomed a shot into the net for a 3 to 0 Oakwood lead.
The defense, led by aggressive junior stopper Haley Ward, senior sweeper and captain Liz Garner, and defenders junior Rachel Warwar and sophomore Liz Dickerson consistently repelled the Spartan attacks. Senior goalkeeper Sarah Finley and sophomore keeper Lauren Luther combined for the shutout. Strong contributions to the victory were received from seniors Jenny Runkle and Nici Emke, juniors Emily Steiner and Macallan Skipton, sophomores Maeve Harper, Taylor Garrity, and Liz Daganhardt, and freshman Alex Miller.
The Jills have a challenging week ahead, hosting Eaton tonight at 7:15, traveling to Brookville Thursday, and hosting Alter Saturday at 3:45.
Pictured are the 2006 Summer Rookie Rower Participants (7th-9th graders) through the Greater Dayton Rowing Association. These kids came to the GDRA Boathouse three times per week all summer long with enthusiasm and excitement as they learned the Olympic sport of rowing.
This summer we had a record number 52 youth in this summer program-of which approximately 35 were from Oakwood. We look forward to Rookie Rowers 2007!
The Greater Dayton Rowing Association offers a unique opportunity for High School youth to participate in a community competitive high school program with youth from across the Miami Valley.
A wonderful benefit is that youth may row whatever season works for their schedules. For more information on rowing for youth or adults, please check Daytonrowing.org or call 299-4769.
Due to unforeseen circumstances the Pee Wee Cheerleader registration was left out of the newspaper last week, so we are extending registration until Friday, Sept. 1 at 9 a.m.
There will also be a practice that day, Friday, at 3:30 p.m. at the OHS Stadium. Cost is $50. Please call Stephanie Murdock at 293-0717.
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