Scholastic Notes

Midwest region

MISSOURI

COR JESU HAS THE HEX ON THE MWAA

Winning three straight Midwest Athletic Association championships has its privileges as well as its intangibles.

The Chargers made their biennial visit across the state line to meet Edwardsville (Ill.) and jumped out to a 2-0 lead before fans had a chance to settle into their seats.

Jenna Compton was particularly perturbed about her team's 5-1 loss, since it was in front of a member of the coaching staff of Missouri State, which had come to see the match.

"I expected them to come out with a lot of force," Compton tells The Madison County Journal. "Cor Jesu routinely puts out a good team each year. We kind of lose a lot of momentum once we get those goals scored on us."

Cor Jesu knocked in four first-half goals in the rout.

"I always tell the kids that the first couple of minutes you play are the most important," Cor Jesu coach Mame Blumeyer tells The Journal. "If we can come out there strong and show them that we’re here to win and set the tone, it makes a difference."

MICHIGAN

THE FA CUP COMES TO MICHIGAN

The Michigan Field Hockey Coaches' Association took a calculated risk when it decided to make the seedings for the 2007 state tournament a blind draw.

There is a certain romance about this kind of random chance, given the history of in-season competitions such as England's FA Cup, the draws of which used to be the stuff of hour-long TV sports talk shows.

But in a tournament which has the finality of a state tournament? Well, perhaps the worst-case scenario came into being when 2006 state finalists Ann Arbor Pioneer (Mich.) meets Ann Arbor Huron (Mich.) in the first round of the state tournament.

"We always tell our kids that they can't worry about the things that are out of their control,'' Pioneer head coach Jane Nixon tells The Ann-Arbor News. "And this is one of those things."

ILLINOIS

LAKE FOREST MATCHES TIGHTENING TOWARDS SEASON'S END

Lake Forest (Ill.) heads into the season finale with Winnetka New Trier (Ill.) neesing to beat the Trevians to take the No. 1 seed in the Illinois Field Hockey Association tournament.

And judging by the Scouts' defensive excellence in the week leading up to the match, Lake Forest could very well be the favorite to nail down that top spot.

Lake took a 1-0 lead over Deerfield (Ill.), then held on for dear life at the end for the win.

"They put some pressure on us, and they were all over the cage in the last two minutes," Scouts coach Tammy McHaney tells The Lake Forester. "(Deerfield) has improved a great deal."

The next match, crosstown rival Lake Forest (Ill.) Academy held the Scouts scoreless in regulation, but Lake Forest's Ashley Romano and Megan Bourne scored goals in extra time.

For last year's notes, click here.