Brett Martin - Goal of the Month for September

Brett won the goal of the month for September 2009 (11 votes) for his goal against the Kickers.

Brett's goal from distance was the runaway winner for the month with well over double the votes of any other goal.
Other players receiving votes were:

Brett - 1st Goal State Cup (4 votes)
Brett - 2nd Goal State Cup (4 votes)
Kerby - goal Bethesda (4 votes)
Wes - goal SOCA (4 votes)
Ben - goal SOCA (4 votes)
Wes - game winner State Cup (2 votes)
Wes - free kick goal Strikers (1 vote)

Congratulations to all the goal scorers. Look back soon for the Goals of the Month for October. (Goals for August will also be posted soon)

Rush Nike - 1 Williamsburg Legacy - 0

On a windy but warm and sunny morning, the Nike Boys took to the pitch for their last VCCL home game of the Fall 2009 season. The opponent was the Williamsburg Legacy. The wind was a definite factor today for the team going into the teeth of it. The Legacy had the wind in the first half and made the most of it by sending two shots on goal that bounced off of the crossbar. The Nike Boys tried to mount an attack but the wind battering the ball in the air. The first half ended 0-0.
The Nike Boys had the wind in the second half but it was not a factor in the game winning goal. In the 48th minute, the ball fell to Brett who settled it and sent a strike low and hard into the left corner of the Legacy goal.

Nike Boys 1 - Legacy 0. Some good defense by the Nike Boys the rest of the way sealed an important win. One game to go in the VCCL 2009 Fall season. A make up game against Roanoke.

MIKE - THE BALL BOY!

This video is to honor the unsung hero. Those individuals that toil in the shadows without notice but without whom things would not get done. Sure the goal scorer gets the cheers, the keeper hears the roar of the crowd when he makes a great save and we all hear the collective appreciation for a great run or hard tackle. But where would they be without the ball...and the Ball Boy!

A tribute to the guy who makes things go...Mike - The Ball Boy!

U-15 VA Rush Nike - Fall 2009

Mike Hess needed a team photo for the CAP program so I took a quick photo following today's game against FC Richmond. Here is the Fall 2009 VA Rush Nike Boys

VA RUSH NIKE v FC Richmond

VA Rush Nike - 1
FC Richmond - 0

After two weeks off due to weather conditions, the Nike Boys took to the pitch on a windy and overcast day to take on the FC Richmond side. The wind was a real factor against the Nike Boys in the first half. With the wind blowing stiffly in their faces the Nike Boys pressed on and created a few good chances that came up a bit short. A great save by Lally, who returned from injury this week, keep the score 0-0 at the half.

In the second half the wind began to calm and the two teams continued to push for the first goal of the game. Early in the second half Brian played a ball that Wes ran onto. A hard shot by Wes sent the ball past the keeper and into the far corner of the net. 1-0, Nike Boys.

FC Richmond continued to push forward looking for the equalizer but to no avail. The Nike Boys held on and got back into the winning column with a 1-0 victory.
The Nike Boys return to action next weekend with a double header make up weekend. The Legacy come to the Hampton Roads Complex and the Nike Boys travel to Richmond to finish the season against Roanoke.

2009 Columbus Day Tournament - Game 2

VA RUSH NIKE - 2
HERNDON - 4


In the second game of the tournament the Nike Boys met highly ranked Herndon. The Nike Boys got off to a blistering start when Cal took a goal kick, Brett headed it on and found Ethan running at pace towards the Herndon goal. A nice shot by Ethan put the ball past the Herndon keeper and into the net. Nike boys 1 - Herndon 0.
In the 19th minute the Center Referee awarded Herndon a penalty on a very questionable handling call. This would turn out to be just one of many errors on the part of this officiating crew. Justice was served when the Herndon player hit the goal and the rebound goal was called off for an offsides penalty. Herndon equalized in the 26th minute and it was level, 1-1, at the half.
In the second half the Nike boys got off to what is becoming their customary slow start. Herndon put intense pressure on the Nike goal and scored in the 42nd and 45th minutes. Nike boys 1 - Herndon 3.
The Nike boys refused to quit and kept fighting back. In the 50th minute a Herndon player threw an elbow into Colby's face. The center referee showed a red card but was overruled by the Assistant Referee who was on the opposite side of the field an could not possibly have seen the elbow thrown. Herndon was allowed to keep 11 players on the field and the red card was rescinded. The Nike boys responded to the injustice by storming back with Nick putting the ball into the Herndon goal in the 54th minute.
The Nike boys were pushing forward for the equalizer when a Herndon player broke free to the right of the Nike goal and put the ball past Cal. Herndon 4 - Nike boys 2.
In the final minutes the Nike Boys threw everything they had at the Herndon goal and only some exceptional play from the Herndon keeper kept the Nike boys from getting the equalizer. The game ended Nike boys 2 - Herndon 4.
The officiating was abysmal at the very, very best. The Nike boys should hold their head high though. In spite of it all they pushed one of the best teams around to the limit and came within two great saves and some terrible officiating of winning this game. On to day two.

2009 Columbus Day Tournament - Game 1

VA RUSH NIKE - 2
SOCA - 1


On an overcast and windy day at Lake Taylor High School the VA RUSH NIKE boys and SOCA met for the second time in just a few weeks. SOCA had won the earlier VCCL match and it was time for the rematch. The early going of the match was back and forth with the Nike boys making a few opportunities. In the 26th minute Josh passes to Conner who shoots from far out, past the goal keeper and into the back of the net. Nike boys 1, SOCA 0. In the 31st minute a SOCA defender loses the ball in front of his own goal. Kerby pounces on the error and the ball is in the SOCA net again. Nike boys 2, SOCA 0 at the half.
In the second half the Nike boys take their foot off the pedal and concede a SOCA goal in the 65th minute. Nike boys 2 - SOCA 1. And that is the way it ended. The Nike boys avenge the loss in Charllotesville and win the match.

NCAA Division II Soccer

The latest national rankings for NCAA Division II Men's Soccer:

#1 Lynn University Fighting Knights
#2 Cal State LA Golden Eagles

For those of you who don't know, Lynn University is the Alma Mater of our boy's coach, Darren Warham. Congratulations to the Fighting Knights on their 10-0-0 start to the season.
I personally would like to wish the Fighting Knights good luck with the rest of the season and into the NCAA tournament...I would like to but since my Alma Mater is Cal State LA, the #2 men's soccer team in the country, I just don't see that happening! The Cal State LA Golden Eagles are 9-0-1 and one point behind Lynn University.

Yeah, this is the VA Rush Nike Boys blog but don't be surprised to see an update here on the NCAA Division II race from time to time.

(Darren - I did not put these new posts in Golden Eagle gold by accident!)

VCCL 2009 - Beach FC

VA Rush Nike - 0
Beach FC - 1

We stopped...they didn't!

That was essentially the story of this game. In the latest installment of the rivalry between Beach FC and VA Rush, the Nike Boys played a hard fought contest...for 89 minutes. In the 60th minute of the game Tristan went to the ground injured as Beach FC was attacking our goal. The Referee went to see if he was hurt, but never blew his whistle. Our boys stopped for a second and Beach FC pounced on the opportunity to put the ball in the net. Beach FC 1 Nike Boys 0...game over.
The final score did nothing to detract from a wonderful game in goal by Kerby. Filling in for the injured Lally, Kerby had a great game stopping everything that Beach FC could send his way. He had a little help in the first half from the post and cross bar but in the second half he stood alone on the goal line as Beach FC stepped up to take a penalty kick. The Beach FC player sent the ball to the left and a diving Kerby knocked the ball away. A great save and at that time preserved the 0-0 scoreline.




One more shot at Beach FC next week in the Columbus Day Tournament. We are due...don't you think?

State Cup 2009

Virgina Rush Nike - 2
Reston Knights - 4

The Nike Boys went on the road to Northern Virginia for the second round of the Virginia State Cup. Their opponent was the Reston Knights. The Nike Boys came out hard and aggressive putting the Knights on their heels right from the start. A foul in the early minutes of the game by Reston gave the Nike Boys a free kick off to the left of the Knights goal. Josh took the kick and sent a bending ball over the outstretched hands of the Reston keeper and into the back of the net. Nike Boys 1 Reston Knights 0.

A short time later in the 12th minute, Wes makes a run at the Reston Keeper. His shot at the far post is blocked by the keeper but Colby runs down the rebound and fires it back at the Reston goal, past the keeper and into the back of the net. 2-0, Nike Boys with only 12 minutes gone.




The lead was short lived as the Reston Knights pulled back two goals to level the score 2-2 at the half. In the second half the Knights pulled away from the Nike Boys with 2 more goals. Final Score Nike Boys 2 Reston Knights 4.

The Nike Boys State Cup push is over for the Fall of 2009. The Knights were ranked far above our Nike Boys and most people probably assumed this would be a breather for the Knights. The Nike Boys gave them all that they could handle and even though the long drive back home was not a happy one, they gave it their all.