Finshing up the season's last two games with one win and one loss, the Eagles head confidently into Playoffs

After defeating Bayard Rustin 4-1 in a great "Senior Game" and falling to Baruch College 4-0 to end the Eagles' best season in 4 years with a record of 9-5, the Eagles head confidently into their first Playoff game today against New Utrecht. Ranked 12th in the Playoff bracket seeds, the Eagles face up pretty evenly to their Playoff opponent in the amount of goals that they have scored throughout the season. The Eagles have scored 34 goals in the Fall 2010 season, with 8 by Karla Kirsch, 8 by Destini Torres, and 6 by Yesenia Cornejo leading the way. New Utrecht has scored 37 goals this season, with 15 by one player, Jennifer Paulino. The Eagles are preparing to man-mark Jennifer Paulino today in an attempt to isolate her from the game.

The week of practices leading up to the Playoffs has been a good balance of hard work and fun. Starting off with a Photo Scavenger Hunt (selected photos shown here!) and ending with lots of scrimmages and sprints, the Eagles are certainly ready for the big game. Best of luck to The Eagles as they face New Utrecht today at 3:30 pm in Brooklyn!

Eagles’ Tough Battle Against Julia Richman

Written by: Nina Luksanapol

The Eagles fought to the last second when they played their second game against Julia Richman Educational Center in Central Park on Thursday. Although they lost 4-0, the Lady Eagles put up an amazing fight against them. The Offsides Trap, also known as “Kit Kat”, was successfully pulled off in the first half, a strategy that the team has recently learned. Green was first to almost every ball, putting pressure on the opposing team. Players Karla Kirsch, Yesenia Cornejo, Kenia Cohetero, Karla Ramirez, Flore Costume and Destini Torres made great shots at the goal as well. The team kept their heads up through both halves. The defensive end was lead by Destini Torres in the first half and Michelle Guerrero in the second half, who both knew when to push up and distribute the ball to the side and up the line. The positive mentality of the team definitely shined through in the relentless efforts to gain possession of the ball and to defend our goal. Camille Fernandez played as right defense and right midfield, winning the ball every time it was near her.

The score was kept at 2-0 at half time with great saves by goalie Ewa Pruszkowska, who did an excellent job of coming out and claiming the ball; she even shouted out “IT’S MY BALL!” during the second half. Ewa has improved tremendously since the beginning of the season, and today’s game displayed how her confidence and skills have progressed.

There is no the Player of the Game, since everyone fought a tough battle and we hope to see Julia Richman again in the playoffs!

The Eagles' 2-1 Revenge

Written By: Diana Eng

Today, the Eagles once again faced George Washington who were victorious in the previous game they had together. The Eagles' previous loss of 2-1 pushed the lady eagles to strive for a win. In the beginning of the first half, the Eagles were down 0-1. The Eagles made a comeback and the first goal was scored by Karla Kirsch from the left side of the field. The ball grazed a defending player and then went into the goal. Tied 1-1, the Eagles fought hard to shoot their winning goal. During the second half of the game, Yesenia Cornejo sprinted up the field past two defenders and beautifully shot the ball right past the goalie. Goalie Ewa Pruszkowska also played a great game defending the goal. She was neither shy to sweep the ball off of the ground nor from one's foot. The Eagles came home victorious after their tough fight against an evenly matched team.
This win was the eighth of the season, which clinched the Eagles acceptance into the 2010 Bronx-Manhattan Playoffs and also led to the Eagles' fourth win in the South Bronx and being undefeated on the South Bronx High School soccer field.

It was decided that there would be two players of the game, one of which is Gennesis Alava (pictured left). She played great defense and won every ball. The Eagles' side of the field was well-defended and balls were in general absent of dangerous shots. The other player of the game was Catherine Alvarado (pictured right) who stepped up her game today as a forward. She had sprinted repeatedly past the defenders, dribbled the ball towards the goal and made close shots on goal.

The Eagles regained their pride as they defeated the very adversaries they had previously lost to. Good luck to the Eagles in their next game on Thursday, October 14th in Central Park against Julia Richman.

Eagles downed by Baruch High School in 5-0 loss

Written By: Ewa Pruszkowska

The Eagles fell 5-0 on Tuesday to first-ranked Baruch College High School in a rescheduled match. The East Riverside Park battle was getting aggressive as the Eagles would not give up this match without a fight. We knew that this was not going to be an easy fight as Baruch College High School girls were fast and quick to defend, putting the Eagles in a more rushed game than they had ever been in before.

The HSES team played until the last whistle and refused to go down without a fight. Tough games were played by Karla Kirsch, Kenia Cohetero, Nina Luksanapol, Niky Falques and Jenna Aboulafia. Kenia played a perfect game as a designated man-marker and really showed her skill and tenacity.

The Eagles have some things to work on, including mental and physical speed as well as their game mentality. It is important to remember that being down doesn't automatically mean that you have lost the game. Always keep fighting. The team has a tough practice planned for Wednesday before they face Harlem Choir Academy at Harlem River Park on Thursday at 4 pm.
The Player of the Game was Michelle Guerrero (pictured left), who was a good organizer and a tough defender, especially saving that one goal that helped goalie Ewa Pruszkowska. Michelle has gotten much better at running the defense from the back and shown much leadership in her role as center defender.

As a team and as individuals, we learn from every game and apply it to the next games to come. Good Luck on Thursday!

Eagles learn about character in physical 4-0 victory against the South Bronx

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved."
-Helen Keller

In the first cold game of the season, the Eagles faced South Bronx High School for the second and last time. Despite some significant battles, physical and otherwise, the HSES Eagles came out with a 4-0 victory. Karla Kirsch, the newest Eagles Team Captain, again stormed the South Bronx Phoenix net only 10 minutes into the first half to score the first goal of the game for the third time this season. Karla now has 6 goals this season, ranking her in third place for total goals scored in the Bronx/Manhattan B-1 division. Her aggressive play and relentless attacking mentality served her well on Sunday. Just ten minutes later on a free kick, Eagles defender Camille Fernandez lined up to run a set-play that went just over the goal, hit the crossbar, and bounced back into play. Speedy forward Jenna Aboulafia followed up with a rebound to tally the second goal of the game. Later in the second half, team captain Yesenia Cornejo received a beautiful cross, opened up with a touch to her left side, and scored a beautiful third goal across the keeper into the right side of the net.

The Eagles went into the second half confident but not comfortable, and the defense ran a much more organized defensive game guided by the leadership of Michelle Guerrero and Camille Fernandez. On the defensive end, the ball was kept in play, cleared to the outside, and taken up the sidelines, which is exactly what the Eagle defense has been practicing all season. On a corner kick midway through the second half, freshman Karla Ramirez sent a long ball across to Jenna Aboulafia who crashed the box to net her second goal of the game (her 5th of the season), making her the 5th-ranked goal-scorer currently in the division.

The Player of the Game was awarded to Camille Fernandez (right), with one assist and over a dozen plays on the back line that were handled with composure, intelligence, and skill. Camille will be looking forward to some drop-passes in future games to send back into the opponents' 18-yard box. Her game has greatly improved since last year and the coaches are excited to see her stepping into more of a leadership role on the team.

At the end of the day, despite high intensity and emotions from both teams as a result of aggressive play on the field, the Eagles walked away not only with a win, but with a greater understanding of their responsibility as players to respect the game, their opponents, the referees, their teammates, and most importantly, themselves. Playing with respect against any type of team is what determines your character, and the development of character is a continuous process. This is not to say that it is encouraged to forget hard times and lapses of character on the field, but rather, to remember them and challenge yourself to grow from them. As the Eagles coaches and captains often say at practice, "Everyday we can choose to get better or we can choose to remain the same. Today we choose to get better."

The Eagles face Harlem Choir Academy on Thursday, October 7th at Harlem River Park A. Good Luck, Eagles!

Eagles sink their talons into the Titans Sunday, 5-1!

Written By: Michelle Guerrero

Our Lady Eagles had a victory last Sunday afternoon against Bayard Rustin High School Titans with an astounding score of 5-1. Throughout the game, our Lady Eagles were very aggressive and had great teamwork. Passes were completed up and down the field throughout the entire game, creating exciting moments for players, coaches, and fans alike. Within the first half, the first goal was made by our great midfielder, Nina Luksanapol from an amazing 30-yards out! It went just over the goalkeeper. Our second goal was made by Karla Kirsch, recently elected as a new Team Captain in addition to Yesenia Cornejo and Destini Torres, off of a shot from Yesenia Cornejo that flew off of the post, bouncing back into play. As time went on, the 3rd goal was made by Kenia Cohetero after Jenna Aboulafia shot it right off the keeper. By the end of the first half, Karla Kirsch made the 4th goal.

Halftime was dedicated to discussing communication as a team and it showed during the second half of play. During the second half, our last goal was made by Destini Torres after she dribbled the ball through 3 people all by herself and then shot & scored. The Eagles briefly celebrated, and then went into three days of practice to prepare for their game against Baruch High School.

The Player of the Game was rewarded to senior goalkeeper Ewa Pruskowska (pictured above and left), who had the one of the best games that she's had all season! New to goalkeeping this year, she saved 18 goals and only allowed one! She played with passion, confidence, and a new sense of toughness that everyone knew she had in her. Our next game is on Thursday vs. Baruch High School, the #1 ranked team in our league. We got this Lady Eagle Yeahhh

Eagles dominate Adlai Stevenson 5-0!

Written By: Niky Falques

Today our H.S.E.S. Lady Eagles soccer team played against Adlai Stevenson High School, and I can honestly say that our Lady Eagles dominated the field with the final score being 5-0! We had some major teamwork going on out on the field with 1 goal in the second half from freshman Jenna Aboulafia (#16) with an assist from Senior and one of our captains Yesenia Cornejo (#5)! Another very beautiful goal was scored in the first half by our other captain, sophomore Destini Torres (#15)! Junior Catherine Alvarado (#9) scored her first goal late in the second half, again with an assist from Yesenia Cornejo (#5)!

The final 2 goals that I've yet to mention were made by the Player of the Game Karla Kirsch (#6). Karla (pictured at left and above) definitely earned the title of Player of the Game with her amazing performance on and off the field! Karla has now scored the first goals for the Eagles in two, starting the Eagles off on the right foot against both South Bronx and Adlai Stevenson.

In total, our Lady Eagles had 31 shots, 5 of which were goals! Our H.S.E.S. Girl's Soccer team is having a wonderful season and I am positive that their hard work and determination will pay off at the end of our season! <3

Eagles face 4-2 loss to Julia Richman Tuesday

The Eagles faced their second loss on Tuesday against Julia Richman High School at Randall's Island. Despite matching the team in skill and surpassing them in speed, the Eagles fell prey in the first half to 4 quick goals. They really picked up their game in the end of the first half and throughout the second half, spurred by two quick and focused goals by the Player of the Game, sophomore Destini Torres.

Destini has the special skill of finding energy when the Eagles need it most and seizing opportunities to score as they arise. Her dedication the team and unwillingness to lose gave her and the rest of the team an extra surge of motivation throughout the second half of the game and reminded the Eagles that they should never settle for a loss until the last whistle blows. The Eagles held Julia Richman scoreless in the second half and dominated the half, with 12 shots on goal and 6 corner kicks.

Great games were also played by Karla Kirsch, who played aggressively at center forward, Marjete Vucinaj, who stepped in as goalie for the Eagles, and Jenna Aboulafia, who moved mid-game to a defensive position despite never playing it before.

The Eagles face Adlai Stevenson today at their home field in the Bronx. Good Luck, Eagles!

Eagles face tough 2-1 loss against George Washington, but learn from the experience

Written By: Yangtsel Sherap

Leo Tolstoy once said that “We lost because we told ourselves we lost”.

Today the HSES’ very own Lady Eagles had a tough battle against George Washington High School’s Girl's Varsity soccer team at the opponent’s home field located on 192nd St. and Audubon Ave. Although the Eagles lost 2-1, this game is just going to be a reminder of the subject of wins and losses that is ingrained in the identity of this sport.

During the first half of the match, the opposing team led the game by 1 goal which was evened out when the player of the game, senior Yesenia Cornejo, pictured above left, scored a wonderful goal from a cross made possible by Destini Torres and then a touch from Karla Kirsch. The team’s goalie, Ewa Pruszkowska, pictued below, saved a total of nine shots- one of them by diving on the ground and altering the route of the ball by the slight touch of her fingertips.Despite the “loss”, the Eagles stand to gain a lot from this experience. The unity of this team was emphasized today when Freshman Jenna Aboulafia, sophmores Destini Torres and Kenia Cohetero, juniors Diana Eng, Nina Luksanapol, and Camille Fernandez, and seniors Michelle Guerrero and Gennesis Alava shined as they executed great passes, crosses, headers, and even showed their skills at dribbling the ball and being much more aggressive.

Today’s match is just a bump on the road, for the Lady Eagles still have eleven more games before this soccer season comes to an end. They will face Julia Richman HS at Randall’s Island this Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Mark Twain

The Girl's Soccer Team worked on a few things this week after Tuesday's game, but Wednesday's practice was dedicated mostly to building our own mentality of "toughness." As a contact sport, soccer sometimes involves plays in which the toughness of the player will determine who wins the ball. The Eagles really dug deep on Wednesday, challenging themselves as well as their teammates to be fearless & strong during aggression drills. They hope to carry their new sense of personal strength to the field today as they face George Washington High School at 4pm in Washington Heights. Good luck, Eagles! May the "stronger" team win! (Pictured: Above left-Kenia Cohetero & Gennesis Alava. Above right- Karla Kirsch & Yesenia Cornejo. Above center- Diana Eng & Flore Costume)

A Promising Season

Written By: Flore Costume

This seems like the start of a promising season. The Lady Eagle soccer team soared through the challenges presented to them today. It was a tough fight, but the Lady Eagles won 3 to 1 vs. Harlem Choir Academy at Randall's Island.

The new goalie, Ewa Pruszkowska, made ten impressive saves throughout the game. Destini Torres had six shots on goal and scored the final goal for the Eagles by dribbling past three defenders and then sending a bullet of a shot into the net.

The player of the game, freshman forward Jenna Aboulafia (#16, pictured right), made 2 back-to-back goals in the first half. The first one was assisted by Kenia Cohetero and the second one was assisted by Destini Torres. Unfortunately, Jenna was hurt in the second half by a collision with the Choir Academy goalie.

Hopefully everyone, including Jenna, will be ready for the game on Friday against George Washington High School at the George Washington High School Field on 192nd Street & Audubon Avenue. The game will begin at 4 pm.

GO LADY EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eagles defeat South Bronx 5-0 in Season Opener!

The Eagles Soccer Team had a great Season Opener on Sunday, beating South Bronx High School 5-0. After almost three weeks of pre-season practices, the team was definitely ready for their first game. Karla Kirsch (6) scored the first goal of the season and her first personal goal for the Eagles only 8 minutes into the game. The coaches are excited to see Karla playing more at forward this year. Kenia Cohetero (11) notched the second goal close to the end of the second half by punching it just over the goal line.

In the second half, the Eagles moved to a 3-man defense, with Michelle Guerrero (13), Gennesis Alava (17), and Camille Fernandez (14) holding up a tough defensive line. Destini Torres (15) moved to forward and swiftly scored 2 goals, one soaring across the goal into the far-side net. Yesenia Cornejo (5) then moved to forward and finished off the last of the five Eagle goals despite a tough collision with the South Bronx goalkeeper.

The player of the game was Kenia Cohetero (left), who played as center midfielder for the first time and after a summer of training and hard work, has shown much improvement. "The team did a great job of passing the ball," said Cohetero, "I love our team. That's it."

The Eagles head enthusiastically into a tough game Tuesday vs. Choir Academy of Harlem High School. The game will be played in Central Park at 4 pm.

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PSAL SCHEDULE ONLINE

Here is a quick link to the PSAL Schedule online: http://psal.org/psalsports/school/psal_schoolschedule.asp?sportid=021

First Practice: August 24th, 10am!

Welcome to HSES Girl's Soccer! We are glad that you're interested in joining the team. This site will serve as a place to receive updates throughout the season. See you Tuesday!

A few Quick Reminders:
1. YOU MUST HAVE A PARENT CONSENT FORM AND MEDICAL FORM IN ORDER TO TOUCH A SOCCER BALL AT A PRACTICE SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THESE WITH YOU ON THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE - IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COPY OF THESE FORMS YOU CAN PICK THEM UP FROM MR. ARONSON AT HSES ANY TIME BEFORE 1:00 UNTIL AUGUST 20 (THIS IS THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER SCHOOL). WHEN HAVING THE FORMS FILLED OUT, PLEASE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED ESPECIALLY THE DOCTOR STAMP AND REGISTRY #.

2. FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR UPCOMING SEASON, PLEASE VISIT PSAL.ORG, FIND HSES IN THE PULL DOWN MENU, CLICK ON GIRLS SOCCER AND CLICK ON THE 2011 SEASON - IF YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH US BEFORE YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE MORE TEAMS IN OUR DIVISION AND THAT WE ARE PLAYING MORE GAMES THAN LAST YEAR AND IN VERY DIVERSE LOCATIONS. MAKE NOTE NOW OF GAME DAYS, ESPECIALLY SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAY WEEKENDS SO YOU CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

3. THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS SEPTEMBER 8 AND THEN WE HAVE TWO DAYS OFF AND A GAME THAT SUNDAY...YOU MUST HAVE 10 PRACTICES WITH THE TEAM IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN THE FIRST GAME. IF WE DO NOT HAVE 11 GIRLS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY ON THAT DAY, WE WILL HAVE TO FORFEIT THAT GAME SO PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE MISSING PRACTICES.