Weekend Filled With Soccer

Indeed this was a weekend full of soccer...brought back memories of class during the week and lots of travel for club games on the weekends...I told mom and dad that I really don't miss those days anymore.

We kicked off our season under the lights against defending national champion Ohio Wesleyan on Friday night.  Mom, Dad, and Nelson arrived for kickoff in front of a record breaking crowd of about 1800 fans...the place was rockin.  I played about 25 minutes between both halves - made good passes and won a lot of 50/50 plays...it was very scrappy and fast out there...always fun to have fans screaming "cmon Zimm!"  We went into the half tied 1-1 and after 2 overtime periods we ended in a 2-2 tie.  We weren't disappointed but certainly felt like we could've won the game.

On Saturday we all jumped in the car and headed up to D.C. to watch Tyler and the CUA men's team open their season against Dickinson. Tyler played great and was one of only a few subs to rotate in the game...he created some great scoring opportunities from the outside mid position and is certainly well-prepared to play at the college level.  I like the way Catholic played and I see a lot of potential for the team and their program...a tough 3-2 loss for them in OT but a promising season lies ahead...who knows, we may meet in the NCAA tourney ;)

Back at CNU this afternoon we played against York in front of a more modest (but still very enthusiastic/supportive) crowd.  A lot of our guys looked tired...it was extremely hot and humid...I came in the first half with about 20 min. to go but nothing started clicking with the guys...we went into half down 2-0 - a position we aren't used to being in.  We started the second half slow again and I was pumped just to get back into the game...came in flying and helped set up a goal to get us on the board.  Coach pulled me out after about 10-15 min. and I was a bit frustrated because I felt that I'd really helped turn our momentum around.  I came back in with about 10 to go but we came short of tying the game...overall I'm pleased with my individual effort but discouraged by our result.  Here's a link to the game article.

Overall I'm disappointed that our style of play is limited to a long ball, kick and run strategy.  It doesn't work against athletic, well-coached teams.  Click here for good article about how a possessive style of play leads to quality scoring opportunities.  Hopefully we'll find ways to possess the ball more because that's how our best scoring opportunities came this weekend.

Very thankful for all the support and encouragement from my family and friends this weekend...this last go around of soccer wouldn't be possible for me if it wasn't for them.  I had a blast seeing everyone this weekend and it was fun having Nelson visit in the locker room with the team and stay for a sleep over in the apartment last night...already looking forward to another visit next weekend. Staying positive and moving forward.

Over and Out

Well Phase 3 didn't last long...lost a tough one to Randolph at home 2-1 in regulation.  We had a record crowd with over 2000 fans and it was a great atmosphere to play in.  I played really well for the last part of the first half and nearly scored to tie the game up 1-1.  Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.  We went down 2-0 at the start of the second half and it was an uphill battle from there where we managed to get one goal but no more than that.  It was very frustrating to watch the second half unfold from the bench...however I can't change coach's decisions - they are simply out of my hands.  Hats off to Randolph for winning their first ever NCAA game in their first ever tournament appearance (in any sport, for men or women).  Now that they're in the Sweet 16 (after winning their second game last night) with powerhouses Messiah, Trinity, and Salisbury knocked out, who knows how this year's tournament will end.

A word of thanks to all who have supported me this entire year.  To those who came to the games, sent me emails, texts, words of encouragement and said prayers- you know who you are and I can't thank you enough.  It was definitely a challenging season and although it's sad for it to end the way it did, I can't say that I'm not excited to start moving on to some different things.

Conference Time

Now that the regular season is over we head into USA South Conference Championships this weekend.  This afternoon and tomorrow morning we will practice (on the turf too because the neutral location in Martinsville is turf) and then hit the road Thursday afternoon.  Hoping for the best this weekend and honored that coach nominated me to the USA South All-Sportsmanship team again this year.  Will be glad to have some friends and family there this weekend and hoping for the best.

Pushing

Been pushing hard the last two days at practice and hoping for the best this weekend.  For some reason Coach placed me on the 4th (yes you read it right, the fourth) team for training.  Needless to say I was upset. Glad we worked our tails off and went 6-1 in each of our games over the last two days.  Enough said- tired and need to finish up homework before we hit the road tomorrow.

Taking Some Time Off

After meeting with Brian this weekend we decided it would be best to take some time off on my hamstring. Waited until I officially told coach to post this but glad I am doing it. The leg was bruising and there would be no way I could finish the season if I kept pushing it like I was. I will take this week and this weekend of games off from hard running and playing. I've joined in the morning jogs and light drills at practice. It is looking and feeling much better already from the extended rest we had with the long weekend so I am remaining patient and optimistic. I will continue rehab and wait to ramp back into full activity next week.

48 Hours

The last 48 hours have been non-stop activity....not what I need when weekends should be fully devoted to rest.

Woke up early Friday morning and hit the gym at 6:20 for a solid lift:

Incline BB bench for 5 sets of 5

4 sets of WG pull ups combined with decline abs

Med ball split jumps with L-raises

Side lunge/drop back lunge complex w/plate over head combined with shoulder raises on BOSU ball along with squatting "TBR" DB curls

Afterwards did some good quickness and plyo work with Tyler and the rest of the team. Tyler currently holds the 20 yd cutback record with a time of 6.40 seconds. I ran multiple sprints at 6.42 but just couldn't break the barrier...more on this to come soon.

Hit the office for a full day and ate dinner at my desk. Jumped in the car and headed up to CNU where I met Andrew at his place...he was very kind to let me spend the night and we had a good early breakfast this morning. Then I worked the rest of the morning and afternoon at the CNU men's soccer 7v7 fundraiser tournament. Good to catch up with coach and the rest of the team. Then jumped back in the car and made it home around 7pm. Very tired and looking forward to some rest.

Day 1 Back- Big/New Decision

Had a nice first day back after spring break today. The ride up yesterday was terrible...lots of rain and a new nick in the windshield from a rock...great. Today's work:

Ab routine

Bench press- 4 sets working up to 155 lbs w/out counting the chains added.

Hanging cleans- 3 sets of 6 working up to 135 lbs

BB row- 3 sets of 8 at 95 lbs

Hanging body pulls- 1st set of 8, last two sets at 6 reps with 45 lbs added

Chinups- 3 sets to failure

Two sets of 10 spiderman pushups

Three sets of 6 cable lat. pull downs.

Coach asked us to begin running this week in prep for outdoor training next week. So after the lift Colin and I got on the practice field for 8 laps which works out to about 2 miles. Quick shower then evening practice with Coach's youth team.

Made a big decision on Sunday and plan to stick to it. For lent (the 40 day season of fasting and prep for Easter) I will be abstaining from Twitter usage. I've realized that it takes up too much of my time...it's now time for me to re-focus on priorities. If I want to communicate with the world, I can text or call anyone I please. Only on Sunday's will I briefly glance at the Twitter feed and post one tweet to confirm my progress. I will also be giving up sweets/desserts since those have become weaknesses for me (also coincides with my goal to greatly reduce my body fat percentage) On Wednesday this will begin, and until Easter this fast will remain.

Fully Active

That best sums up this busy Friday!

Had a great afternoon lift (disappointed over half the team was missing today....some guys for good reasons, others not so much...hope that's a trend that's not going to continue)

Ab routine warm up.

Incline BB Bench: 8 reps at 95 lbs, 2 sets of 6 at 115 lbs, 1 set of 3 reps at 125 lbs, and then a last set to failure (9 reps) back at 95 lbs.

Standing Irish BB Press- 3 sets of 6 at 65 lbs.

DB Arnold Press- 1 set of 8 with 25 lbs, 2 sets of 6 with 30 lbs.

Dips- Body weight 12 reps, 40 lbs vest added for 8 reps, and back to body weight for 12 reps

Hanging side to side leg raises- 3 sets of 15

French Curls- 3 sets of 6-8 reps with 45 lbs.

One set of 7,7,7 shoulder series

Then ran out of the weight room to hit the road for a 2+ mile run with Kalee. Today was her active rest day in preparation for conference indoor championships this weekend. Was a good chance to get out and get the legs loose after lifting. Then another quick round of abs followed by dinner. Jumped in the car and helped Coach Shaw's youth team with their practice tonight. Also had absolutely gorgeous weather here which I hope lasts for a long time! Worked on setting up my Twitter account today, looking forward to getting that up and going. Now back in the apartment and fully exhausted, looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

Under the Weather

I've managed to catch some bug that's going around earlier this week. I was fine on Monday and Tuesday but then Wednesday and Thursday it's gotten worse.... so today I decided to not work out. Is probably best to let the body recover so I can hit the ground running next week with lots of academic tasks coming up. May help Coach Shaw with his youth teams tonight...haven't decided yet. Also was nice to talk to Brian on the phone this afternoon...hope he gets to feeling 100% again soon.

Week Kickoff

Usual afternoon team lifting session:

Ab routine

Hanging cleans- 3 sets of 6 working up to 135 lbs

BB Squats- 3 sets of 8 working up to 225 lbs

BB RDLs- 3 sets of 8 at 105 lbs

Hanging leg raises- 3 sets of 15

Pushups- 3 sets of 15

Dynamax wall throws- 3 sets of 10 each side

Ended with 2 sets of 7-8 reps of BB curls at 65 lbs

Ate a good recovery dinner and then headed out to help Coach Shaw with his VA Legacy youth team. Was a good chance to see all the young guys again and kick around with them for thier session. In all a good day of activty to kick off the week.

Week Done

My work week is now over...time for a little vacation.

Will hit the road and head back to NC this afternoon. Looking forward to visiting family this Thanksgiving and getting a little training done with the BD as well.

Had my post-season meeting with coach yesterday. Overall he is pleased with my efforts, there are a few things I need to work on to refine my game, but in all I think next year will bring good things. For now, I'm going to enjoy the time away from it.

Conclusions

We had our final team meeting this afternoon. Definitely a sense of disappointment but no regrets among team mates and coaches. Coach made a number of points reminding us of the good things we've accomplished this year: our first 20-win season (more wins than any other team left in the NCAA tournament right now) and a #1 national ranking for almost one month. We produced our second USA South Conference title and dominated the all-conference team selections. Nothing to hang our heads about. Coach emphasized the importance of our off-season efforts and we are already looking forward to spring training. I'm not saying that I'm tired of my athletic endeavors right now, but I do need a change of pace and the time has finally come. Time to refocus and channel my efforts toward a number of new goals both on and off the field.

Monday November 1st

Can't believe its November already.

Back to afternoon rehab and practice this week.

Before practice coach had a good talk with the team about keeping a positive attitude and remaining committed to the team goals. He told us if we weren't on the same page, then we won't accomplish much. Good words heading into the conference tournament- now we'll have to see how we can do.

Good practice of passing drills, scrimmages, and PK shooting.

Weather getting colder up here as post season play quickly approaches.

Every Second Counts

Our second game this weekend last night against rival VA Wesleyan would be considered good prep for NCAA action: game on the road after a hard road game the previous day, in front of a hostile crowd, with our backs against the wall.

We began the game in full force domination of their defense and immediately went up 1-0 with Cliff scoring his first goal of the season. I came in with 15 minutes left in the 1st and played really well. It has been frustrating for me my entire college career to play well here in VA but never very much or very well with games near home with lots of family and friends present. Unfortunately VA Wesleyan scored off a corner to shift momentum and tie it up right before half time. Immediately at the start of the 2nd half they got a through ball to a man (who was offsides) that we had to foul in order to prevent a goal. He barely made the PK and we spent the rest of the half clawing our way back. Coach made hardly any subs- in his mind it was up to the starters to pull us back. With 1 minute left the Wesleyan fans began chanting, "over rated." We pushed our whole team forward and our sweeper David Haas literally tapped in a goal when the ten second count down hit 1. It was a last second play that rivaled all last second shots I have ever seen. We then played the overtime scoreless.

Disappointed with my playing time still, but the leg feels stronger every day. We have a nice off day today and no classes today or tomorrow, then back to the grind on Wednesday.

Back to work

Back to business of school and training after a disappointing day yesterday.

Still a hard day today nonetheless, disappointed to hear coach seems to lack confidence in me. Not my place to talk badly about coaching or other players, but I am frustrated and disappointed to say the least about a number of things with the team.

To top it off, I didn't have a good showing during practice scrimmages this afternoon. Need some time to get my head right, looking forward to fall break next week and a little down time. Good news is the leg is feeling better, trying to keep getting stronger.

Was nice to talk some with Brian for a while on the phone today, he always has good words of advice. He told me Taylor's brother Chris had been wounded in Afghanistan so Chris and the entire Ray family remain in my thoughts and prayers. Hope to hear positive updates on his condition soon...

A Day of Unfortunate "Firsts"

Today we drove down to NC Wesleyan to face one of our toughest conference opponents.

First game we lost and first game I didn't play.

I think coach was slightly concerned about my leg being sore again and didn't find a need to put me in the match. Very disappointing, however two positives remain:

1) It was a good chance to let the leg rest and catch up some and 2) this was a good wake up call for the team. I think coach is going to understand that we may need to make some changes to our system moving forward.

It was great to see Nana and Pops at the game, I'm really glad they made the drive and that we had a chance to visit for a little while. Looking forward to seeing them and the rest of the family again this weekend.

Saturday Game

Nice to have the family come in and visit some yesterday on Family Weekend here at CNU.

Then evening game against USA South Conference opponent Ferrum.

We destroyed them 7-0, enough said. I played my usual rotation, with the exception of extra substitutions coming in for me at the end of the game. Disappointed the leg is still sore, I did not play the game at 100% speed, but went more with possession tactics for this game. Coach was still pleased, glad to keep our win streak and #1 National Ranking alive.

I did extra rehab today and am looking forward to getting the leg better.

Hard week ahead with a number of road games and lots of exams. Gotta keep diggin!

Looking Up...

After a rough day yesterday, things seemed to click a little better today-

Afternoon rehab on sore hamstring went well, just need to give it time at this point.

Then afternoon practice, small sided scrimmage for a half, then sat out the second half to rest and ice. Need not push it when having a light practice as coach would say. Thankful for the nice weather and a little rest.

Caught up on most of my work today and had a nice chance to catch up with the legendary BD for awhile on the phone after practice. Glad to hear his training is going well. Trying to remember the good things in life and keeping all in perspective, really looking forward to seeing the family this weekend when they come up for the game and enjoying Kalee's company as I sit here and write...as BD says, remember the Boxer...although wounded and weathered, the fighter still remains.

Monday Practice, Tuesday Early Morning

Monday:

Afternoon rehab followed by practice:

Warmed up well, circuit, 7v7 games, 1v1 shooting drills, breakaway finishing drill, shortened field full 11v11 game with emphasis on goal kicks. Ended with abs.

Instructed at practice to run the Noland Trail on our own time on Tuesday.

Tuesday:

Decided to do the run at 6:45 am because of a busy schedule. Ran with TJ who is in impressive shape as always. He started very very fast, and of course I hate extremely fast starts and early attacks. He put almost a minute between us over the 2 mile clip, he came in at 12:24, with me dying behind at 13:12. It was a tough mental battle but good nonetheless. Unable to get rehab in because of some meetings and exams this morning, will have to hit it extra hard tomorrow.

Afternoon practice included shooting/defending drills, the circuit, small sided games, and crossing 7v7 game. Ended with abs. Good two days of work.

Another Two Games and Two Wins

CNU soccer continues to roll to a 7-0 record with two good wins this weekend.

Coach told us it was imperative to make a solid statement this weekend as we looked to hold on to our #2 national ranking.

First game on Friday night against Marietta, came in with 16 min. to go in the first half, with us up 2-0. Played very well and very hard against a team that was not very technical but very physical. Half ended at 2-0. We eventually won 4-0, adding two goals in the 2nd half. Played another 20 quality minutes or so during the 2nd half. Coach was happy with my performance.

Second game on Saturday night against Penn State-Altoona. We had a slow start not getting many chances in the first 10 minutes or so. Then the scoring opened up in a matter of moments as our All-American ,Winston, finally found the net for the first time this year scoring our first two goals and adding an assist so that we were up 3-0. It was a matter of breaking the team in order for the flood gates to open. I subbed in with 13 to go in the 1st on a corner kick stoppage. Jogged across the field, took the corner, and we scored. Up 4-0 going into the half. Played another 15 minutes or so in the 2nd half, took some good set pieces, attempted nothing dramatic as it got to the point where Penn-State became so tired and frustrated that they started hacking. Glad to come off the field with 15 left in the 2nd to give some other guys some minutes. Despite giving up a PK off a terrible call in the second half, we were able to pull off a 6-1 win. Solid CNU soccer statement achieved. Happier with my play and my leg this weekend. Practice to be continued next week.