| Terriers Defeated in Overtime in State Championship Game February 16, 2008 Brent St. Germain Sports Editor-The Courier LAFAYETTE -- Vandebilt Catholic and Teurlings Catholic boasted two of the best boys’ soccer programs in Division II throughout the season. The Terriers and Rebels were ranked in the top two the entire season and played to a scoreless tie earlier in the season. So, it only seemed natural that Saturday’s Division II soccer championship would be a classic battle. Vandebilt and Teurlings battled to a 1-1 tie in 80 minutes of regulation, and the match would remain tied after two 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute golden goal periods. Unfortunately for the Terriers, the Rebels had the upper hand in the penalty kick shootout session. Teurlings outscored Vandebilt 4-2 in the shootout to win the Division II state title at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette soccer complex. The loss denied the Terriers (19-7-4 overall) from winning their fourth straight Division II title and eighth overall. "When it came down to penalty kicks, it could go either way," Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. "I thought Teurlings played outstanding. We haven’t seen that much pressure in quite a while. I thought that was the difference in the match." Vandebilt scored first in the shootout on T.J. Freeman’s goal, but Teurlings’ Michael Hollier quickly answered. The Rebels (23-2-4) took the advantage when goalie Robert Thibodeaux stopped Vandebilt’s Alex LeJeune’s shot. After the teams traded goal, Teurlings moved one step closer to the title when Vandebilt’s Jeff Deblieux’s shot bounced off the goalpost. Chris Bordelon sealed the state title with Teurlings’ fourth goal in the shootout. "Making that shot was just amazing. I just started looking for my teammates to start running after me," Bordelon said. "As tired as we all were, they were sprinting. I don't really remember much after that." Saturday’s win was the first boys’ state championship for Teurlings. In 2006 and 2007, the Rebels lost in the Division III finals to St. Louis Catholic. "Winning a state championship is what we set as our goal at the beginning of the year," Teurlings coach Lance Peltier said. "We fell short the last two years. We knew we were playing probably the best team in Division II in the state." In the first half, Vandebilt appeared to have the upper hand and outshot the Rebels 11-2. After coming close on a pair of earlier goals, the Terriers got on the scoreboard in the 34th minute when Bruno Doria knocked a deflected pass into the goal. Hamilton said he thought that goal could hold up for the remainder of the match. "I thought when we had the 1-0 lead and we kept playing, I thought it might be our night," he said. "But the bottom line is that you have to give a lot of credit to Teurlings on the counter attack. Our focus was to try to attack them because we thought their back line was a little suspect, but they played well. "We tried to attack what we thought was their weakness, but their goalie made up for it. He was the difference." In the 51st minute, Teurlings tied the match at 1 when Freeman scored on a breakaway goal. It was the Rebels first goal in the finals in three tries. Each team had opportunities to take the lead in regulation, but Thibodeaux and Vandebilt goalie Mason Smith made key stops. Those stops set the stage for the overtime periods and shootout. Thibodeaux appeared to step up his play in the overtime periods, stopping the Terriers on several occasions. The biggest stop came on Ethan Himel’s shot from 20 yards outside the box at the end of the second overtime. Thibodeaux lunged high in the air to tip the ball over the goal to send the match to the golden goal periods. "Their goalkeeper probably deserves most of that gold trophy," Hamilton said. "He made two incredible saves … two of the best I’ve seen all season to keep them in the game." Although it’s a tough loss, Hamilton said the Terriers should hold their heads up and know that they played like champions on Saturday. "I don’t think we played our very best match, but I’m very proud that we played all 110 minutes," he said. "I’m real proud of the guys. Even though it hard for this particular group of seniors, they’ve been in seven championships in a row and this one hurts, but they will go out as champions. That’s how they will be remembered." ____________________________________________ Terriers Advance to Championship Game February 15, 2008 Kelly McElroy Staff Writer-The Courier HOUMA – It’s the Division II boys soccer championship those familiar with the sport around the state have been waiting for all season. Vandebilt Catholic will be vying for its fourth-straight Division II title today when it faces the Teurlings Catholic Rebels at 4 p.m. on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “The two best teams in our division are in the finals,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “Teurlings has been ranked No. 1 by La. Prep soccer (Vandebilt has been second), but at this point, it doesn’t matter.” The Terriers (19-6-4) are making their seventh straight appearance in the Division II finals, have won five of the last six crowns and have won seven state championships in school history. Vandebilt, which beat Beau Chene 3-0 in the semifinals, played Teurlings (22-3-4) to a scoreless draw earlier this season. Teurlings, which defeated Tara in a penalty kick shootout to advance, made the jump to Division II this season after playing in the Division III finals but losing the last two years. “They are going to be highly motivated,” Hamilton said. “They are the best Division II team that we have faced all year. The have a good center midfielder, a good center defender and are well coached and well trained, and they are going to be at home. We are going to have to bring our best game. We know Teurlings wants it because they have never won one. We are going to have to match that intensity.” Playing away from Buddy Marcello Stadium for the state title hasn’t bothered the Terriers in recent years. “We have won the last (state titles) two on the road, so we are not at all worried about being on the road,” Hamilton said. “It’s still the same game. I expect a good, close match. We have played better since the season has gone on, and I feel our schedule is a little bit tougher than theirs as far as preparation goes. I think that may pay off for us in the end.” Hamilton said if the Terriers can find the back of the net a couple of times, the result should be a favorable one. “We have to score goals,” Hamilton said. “As far as I am concerned we have the best goal keeper in Division II and one of the best in the state in Mason Smith. Our defense hasn’t conceded a goal since the St. Paul’s tournament (in late December). It will come down to execution and the attacking third. If you don’t execute there, you don’t win. Teurlings does set plays very well, but so do we. It’ll be somewhat of a chess match. We don’t have a real weakness. Right now we have to finish. We feel we are as prepared as we can possible be.” ___________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 3, BEAU CHENE 0 February 13, 2008 T.J. Freeman with the hat-trick in the Terrier victory. Kelly McElroy Staff Writer-The Courier HOUMA – Beau Chene goalie Miles Thibodeaux did his best to keep the Vandebilt Catholic soccer team out of its seventh consecutive Division II state championship match on Wednesday night, but the offensive barrage the Terriers sent at him was just too much. In a 3-0 Division II semifinal victory over the Gators, Vandebilt outshot Beau Chene 33- 2 at Buddy Marcello Stadium and won the right to play for its fourth-straight Division II title and eighth boys soccer championship in school history. Vandebilt (19-6-4) faces Teurlings Catholic on Saturday in Lafayette for the Division II crown. Thibodeaux had 19 saves in Wednesday’s match and was the main reason the score stayed somewhat close. “I thought we played to the best of our ability,” Thibodeaux said. “We did all we could have done. It wasn’t just me. It was my defense too. It was an incredible experience to make it this far in just our second season back.” Beau Chene, in its second season back after discontinuing the program for a year, finished the season 9-10-4. “They just took it to us in the first half,” Beau Chene coach Chad Vidrine said. “We have never been here before. Vandebilt is an unbelievable team. They just pounded us in that first half, but we went down fighting. The effort was there, and I am proud we made it this far.” Vandebilt sophomore forward T.J. Freeman recorded a hat trick, scoring all three goals for the Terriers, who seemed to have chance after chance after chance in the first half. Freeman scored first off a deflected shot off the foot of Zack Blum, 18 minutes into the match, for a 1-0 Vandebilt lead. “It was fitting T.J. scored all of our goals because he has been our leading goal scorer,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “We were frustrating ourselves (early) but once we got those first couple of goals, we relaxed.” Freeman later scored on a penalty kick in the 30th minute, and the Terriers, who have won five of the last six Division II titles, led 2-0 at halftime. Chris Watson drew the penalty kick after he was tackled inside the box, and Freeman’ s shot went to the bottom left corner of the goal for the score. “Chris Watson deserves all the credit for that second goal after the run he made,” Hamilton said. “That was a great run.” Freeman, who received a yellow card for a dangerous play against the goalie with five minutes left and was taken from the match, scored the lone goal of the second half. It came in the 72nd minute, when he made a move on defender, cut hard to his left and delivered a left-footed shot 22 yards away into the upper-right corner of the goal. “That last goal was the shot of the match,” Hamilton said. “It could have been eight nothing or 10 nothing but it doesn’t matter. We did what we had to do to win, and that’ s what champions do.” The match was played mostly on the Beau Chene side of the field. “We played with intensity the entire game. Give Beau Chene credit, they played hard, but I think they were a little overmatched,” Hamilton said. “Their goalie played well enough to keep some goals from going in, but we had a lot of problems shooting on target. At no time did our team feel that the game was outside of our hands.” Mason Smith had two saves for the Terriers and got the victory in goal. Hamilton credited midfielder Jeff DeBlieux, Watson, a defender, and Alex Lejeune’s stellar play throughout the match. __________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 3, ZACHARY 0 February 7, 2008 Terriers to face Beau Chene in Semi-Finals at Vandebilt on Tuesday Fenruary 12th, at 6PM. At Zachary, the Terriers advanced to the Division II semifinals with the quarterfinal victory on Thursday night. Vandebilt (18-6-4) got first half goals from Alex Lejeune and Braden Eschete for a 2-0 lead at intermission. T.J. Freeman added the final goal for the Terriers in the second half. Mason Smith (four saves) picked up the victory in goal for Vandebilt. The Terriers will host Beau Chene, a 1-0 winner over Neville in the quarterfinals, in a match for the right to play for the Division II state title. ____________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 7, LEESVILLE 0 February 02. 2008 At Houma, the Terriers began their quest for a fourth straight Division II state title Friday with as win over Leesville. “Our passing game was excellent,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “In the first half, we had a great amount of difficulty executing. I give Leesville a lot of credit in the first half. I’m really proud of the way we stepped up in the second half.” Senior Blake Burchak scored the only goal of the first half to give the Terriers (18-6-4) a 1-0 lead. Vandebilt came racing out of the gates in the second half scoring six goals. Alex Lejeune scored in the 42nd minute to extend the Terriers’ lead to 2-0. In the 44th minute, Braden Eschete scored for a 3-0 lead. Sophomore T.J. Freeman scored two goals in a five-minute span to extend Vandebilt’ s lead to 5-0. He scored his second goal on a penalty kick. “T.J. Freeman was all over the field,” Hamilton said. “In the first half, he was putting excellent shots across the face of the goal. He got one early in the second half. Braden got a left-footed goal. Overall, we attacked well in the second half.” Eschete scored his second goal of the match in the 61st minute, and Ramerio Gamino scored the final goal of the match. “We played really well in the first half,” Leesville coach Joe Savperio said. “In the second half, Vandebilt came out strong. They must have gotten a nice talk at halftime. We had a couple brake downs and they took advantage of it. They’re obviously a good team by the amount of championships that they’ve won.” In the second half, Vandebilt outshot the Wampus Cats (8-11), 22-1. The Terriers will face the winner of the Pearl River/Zachary match in the Division II quarterfinals. _________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 8, ELLENDER MEMORIAL 0 January 25, 2008 The Terriers improved to 15-6-4 on the season and 8-0 in district. The Patriots (2-10-5, 2-5) started the game with only seven players. T.J. Freeman (two goals), Braden Eschete (two goals), Chris Watson and Butch Reeves were among the Vandebilt goal scorers. "I am real proud of the boys," Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. "It’s no small thing to say you’ve won 20 (district titles) in a row, it’s something for us to be proud of. Our team has come together the chemistry, leadership. The seniors stepped up, and they don’t want to be the first team not to make the title. "We’ve made the title six years in a row hope to make it seven. We’ve had some growing pains, but this last part of the season is what we play for." The Terriers will find out their opponent for the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday. _______________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 8 HELEN COX 0 January 22, 2008 At Hoss Memstas Stadium in Harvey, the Terriers moved to 14-6-4 overall and 7-0 in District 6-II with the victory. Michael Blanchard led the Terriers with two goals, and Butch Reeves picked up the victory in goal. Terrier Clinch District Championship for the 20th Year In a Row!!!!!! _______________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 8, MORGAN CITY 1 January 15, 2008 Terriers clinch at least a tie for District Championship with solid win over Morgan City. At Houma, the Vandebilt boys soccer team (12-6-4 overall, 6-0 district) moved a step closer to its 20th consecutive district championship with a win over Morgan City. Senior Braden Eschete scored four goals, including the Terriers’ first of the night on a penalty kick. Bruno Doria, Blake Burchak, Jeff Deblieux and Alex Lejeune each added a goal apiece for Vandebilt. The Terriers can clinch the District 6-II championship Tuesday with a victory over Helen Cox in Harvey. “We’re in a very good position now,” Terriers coach Doug Hamilton says. “This (win) guarantees us at least a share of a district championship.” ____________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 11, BELLE CHASSE 0 January 11, 2008 At Belle Chasse, the Terriers had nine different players score goals in their District 6- II victory over the Cardinals. Belle Chasse had two own goals in the match. After Friday’s win, the Terriers (11-6-4 overall, 5-0 district) can win their 20th consecutive district title with a win over Morgan City at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. ______________________________________________ Vandebilt Defeats Ellender Derek Breaux Sports Correspondent-The Courier January 9, 2008 BOURG -- The Vandebilt Catholic Terriers came into Tuesday’s match looking for a key district win, and got one in a decisive10-0 win over the Ellender Memorial Patriots. It didn’t take long for the Terriers (10-6-4 overall, 4-0 District 6-II) to score their first goal of the game. T.J. Freeman booted in a penalty kicked within the opening minutes of the match. Blake Burcheck scored another Terrier goal five minutes after Freeman’s to put the Terriers up 2-0. Burcheck assisted Freeman on his second of four goals for the match giving the Terriers a 3-0 lead. Matt Robichaux later put the Terriers up 4-0 when he scored with the help of a Patriots defender. Freeman kicked a knuckle ball that Patriots goalie Carl Verdin was unable to stop to give Freeman his third goal of the game and putting the Vandebilt 5-0. Braden Eschete scored a goal in the closing minutes of the first half that gave the Terriers a 6-0 lead heading into halftime. “To be honest with you it was one of our better games moving the ball, and it’s something we’ve been working on all season,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “Moving without the ball makes the games a lot easier. We’re coming off a stretch of games where we think we could’ve played a lot better. We’re going for our 20th straight district title. Ellender tried till the end and I give them a lot of credit for that.” After such a one sided first half, the Terriers still came out and played hard in the second half scoring four more goals. The Terriers converted on another penalty kick, this time scored by Alex Lejeune for a 7-0 score. Eschete scored his second goal, which was assisted by Freeman, and only minutes later, Freeman fired in a rocket shot for his fourth goal, which put Vandebilt up 9-0. Butch Reeves scored the final goal late in the second half. 'Vandebilt on the other hand took 36 shots and Ellender goalie Carl Verdin had 14 saves. ___________________________________________________ E.D. White slips past Vandebilt Kyle Carrier Sports Correspondent-The Courier January 05. 2008 HOUMA -- For local sports fans, one thing is certain: Anytime the E.D. White Catholic Cardinals and the Vandebilt Catholic Terriers meet, regardless of the sport, it is sure to be an intense battle. That proved to be the case again during Saturday afternoon’s boys’ soccer match between the schools, as the Cardinals edged the Terriers 1-0 in a match which had three yellow cards and numerous aggressive plays. All of the yellow cards came in the first half with the Terriers getting two and the Cardinals (6-5-4) getting one. “That’s a rivalry,” E.D. White coach Roger Bimah said. “It brings out the best in people and it can bring out the worst in people. I give credit to Vandebilt. They came out and played hard as usual, but our kids wanted it more. “Anytime you can beat Vandebilt your happy because they are one of the best teams in the state.” The game started off on the right note for the Cardinals. A header by Raleigh Prejeant sailed over the head and out of reach of Terrier goalie Mason Smith three minutes into the game for the only score of the game as the Cardinals went ahead 1-0. The Terriers had numerous scoring opportunities, finishing the night with 11 shots on goal, but it was the play of Daniel Phar in goal that stole the night. “He was phenomenal,” Bimah said. “He is definitely the MVP of this game. Without his play today there is no way we win.” The Cardinals finished the night with six shots on goal but spent the majority of the time on the Terriers side of the field. __________________________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 10, HELEN COX 0 January 4, 2008 At Vandebilt, eight different players scored goals for the Terriers (9-5-4, 3-0 District 6- II) Friday night. Blake Burchak and Butch Reeves each scored two goals apiece for Vandebilt. Also scoring goals were T.J. Freeman, Michael Blanchard, William Ellender, Ethan Himel, Matt Robichaux and Jeff DeBlieux. __________________________________________________________ Terriers defeat Northshore 6 - 3 at St. Pauls Tournament December 30, 2007 At the St. Paul’s Invitational in Covington, the Terriers started fast, taking a 3-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the game and coasted to the victory. T.J. Freeman had a hat trick. Zack Bloom, Alex Lejeune and Jeff Deblieux added a goal each. It was the last game of bracket play, in which Vandebilt (8-5-4) won two games and tied one, but didn’t advance out of bracket play because of the fourth tiebreaker – goals allowed. The Terriers allowed two more goals than Acadiana. VANDEBILT WINS, TIES ON FIRST DAY OF ST. PAULS TOURNAMENT December 29. 2007 At the St. Pauls Invitational in Covington, the Terriers beat Newman 3-2 and tied Acadiana 1-1 on the first day of bracket play. In the day’s first game, Alex Lejeune scored a goal and T.J. Freeman had two goals to lead Vandebilt to the win over Newman. Later in the day, Vandebilt led 1-0 but gave up a late goal to tie Acadiana. Ethan Himel scored the lone goal for Vandebilt. The Terriers wrap up bracket play against Northshore at 10 a.m. today. ___________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 4, MORGAN CITY 0 December 18, 2007 At Morgan City, T.J. Freeman scored two goals to help the Terries to the District 6-II victory. Vandebilt (7-4-3) led 1-0 at halftime and got a goal each from Alex LeJeune and Zack Blum. Mason Smith was the winning goalie. ________________________________________ VANDEBILT SOCCER TEAMS DROP GAMES IN SECOND DAY OF TOURNAMENT December 15, 2007 At Freedom Ridge Park, Miss., the boys and girls Vandebilt soccer teams both lost to Tupelo (Miss.) in games at the Ridgeland High School Showcase. Both teams lost 1-0 in their second games of the tournament. After the first games, Saturday morning, the tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather. ______________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 3, PEARL (MISS.) 1 At Freedom Ridge Park, Miss., the Terriers defeated the defending Class 4A champions in the opening game of the Ridgeland High School Showcase. The Terriers got the win with strong play in the goal by keeper Mason Smith, who stopped multiple strong scoring opportunities from Pearl. Vandebilt’s Ethan Himel scored the Terriers first two goals, and Matt Robichaux added the Terriers’ third goal. Vandebilt resume play today with two games, facing Mississippi’s defending Class 5A and Class 3A state champions. __________________________________________ VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 8, BELLE CHASE 0 Justin Neil-The Courier December 12, 2007 Vandebilt Catholic stormed right out of the gate, scoring three goals in the match’s first five minutes. T.J. Freeman scored the Terriers first two goals of the match. "We’re coming off a heartbreaking loss against St. Thomas More," Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. "It was good to get some goals. We worked on a few different things." After a comfortable 3-0 lead for the Terriers, Bruno Doria score to make the match 4-0. Late in the first half Ramerio Gamino scored from a deflection off of Cardinals goalie Trey Gooey. William Ellender added another goal for Vandebilt. The Terriers led at halftime 6-0. The Terriers (5-3-3) came out at halftime and scored their final two goals early in the second half. Ethan Himel and Jeff Deblieux were the two Terriers that scored, both scoring on headers. Vandebilt out shot Belle Chase 29-1. Belle Chase’s only shot came in the first half. Gooey had 10 saves for the Cardinals (4-4). ___________________________________________________ ST. THOMAS MORE 1, VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 0 The Courier December 9, 2007 Vandebilt (4-4-3) used an aggressive attack to manufacture 16 shots (nine on goal), six corner kicks, and four penalty kicks. The Cougars’ defense however, led by goalie Dylan Robideaux (nine saves), answered every assault with a clear or save. "We needed to finish in the final third of our game," Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. "We played well in all of the other phases, but we need to finish our attack." Vandebilt’s initial opportunity came early as Ian Ellender attempted a head in a corner kick. The effort was inches high of the net. This scenario repeated itself throughout the match. "We had our chances to score," Hamilton said. "We just didn’t capitalize." After each team battled to a draw in the opening half, the Cougars would take advantage of a Terriers’ miscue. An errant throw in from near the Terriers’ net was intercepted by St. Thomas More’s Christopher Peyton. Before Vandebilt’s defense was able to react, he found Cougars forward Brett Dooley down field for the chip in. "We have been doing well in transition and on capitalizing on mistakes of our opponents," STM coach Stephen Jones said. "Vandebilt played well, but we were able to do that today too." The Cougars (6-2-1) attempted eight shots on goal with one other coming close. Terriers’ goalie Mason Smith (six saves) deflected a strong Caleb Speyrer shot in the 15th minute of the second half that made its way past him despite the effort. The goalie would recover in time to keep the ball from breaking the plane. _________________________________________________ BROTHER MARTIN 5, VANDEBILT CATHOLIC 1 At New Orleans, the Terriers fell to Brother Martin 5-1. T.J. Freeman scored Vandebilt’s lone goal. The teams had four shots on goal. "It was a down day for us," Terriers coach Doug Hamilton said. "Brother Martin definitely played with more intensity than we did. (Assistant coach) Matt Kelso said we have one of these games a year. We hope this that one game." The Terriers fell to 4-3-3 on the year. __________________________________________________ Vandebilt, Jesuit play to 1-1 tie Matt LeBlanc Staff Writer-The Courier November 29, 2007 HOUMA -- Vandebilt Catholic controlled the first 15 minutes of its match against Jesuit. The remainder of the first half was more evenly played, with the Blue Jays taking near complete control throughout the second half in the teams’ 1-1 tie at Bayou Black Recreation Center, Wednesday night. And despite tying defending Division I state champion Jesuit (6-0-2), Terriers coach Doug Hamilton couldn’t help but look at miss opportunities in the game’s opening 15 minutes. "The game boiled down to us in the first 15 minutes, when we had four excellent chances," Hamilton said. Of those chances, the Terriers (4-2-3) T.J. Freeman scored in the eighth minute, for an early 1-0 lead. That would be the only goal of the night for Vandebilt. "It could have easily been three or four to nothing in the first 15 minutes," Hamilton added. "That’s happened to us a couple times this year against really good teams. "When you get your opportunities, you’ve got to take them. The best opportunities clearly came in the first 20 minutes. Against a great team like Jesuit, you’ve got to capitalize." Vandebilt’s fast start didn’t last. The majority of the Terriers five first-half shots came in the early minutes, while the Blue Jays finished the half with 13 shots -- most coming in the latter portions of play. Jesuit continued its effective attack in the second half, taking 16 shots (seven on goal) in the half. The Blue Jays found the back of the net in the 61st minute on Patrick Mullins’ goal. Mullins received a pass near the top of the penalty box, and pushed a shot past goalie Mason Smith and off the right post for a 1-1 tie. Jesuit coach Hubie Collins was pleased with his team’s response to a slow start, but felt his attackers could have finished their shots more accurately. "I think we came out, and probably didn’t have our focus quite at 100 percent," Collins said. "We gave up an early goal, and probably could have given up a second or third goal, because (Vandebilt) missed a couple of opportunities early on. "We found our rhythm in the middle of the field, but in the (attacking) third of the field … our finishing boots had a little bit of dust on them." The Terriers first scoring opportunity came in the third minute, when Freeman’s header found a teammate. However, the shot was saved by Jesuit goalie Evan Keller. The Terriers had another opportunity in the fifth minute, before Freeman scored in the eight minute. Freeman’s shot from the top of penalty box went under the outstretched arms of Keller and into the right corner for a 1-0 Vandy lead. Freeman had another opportunity in the 13th minute, but his shot went wide of the goal. "Overall, I’m pleased with the game," Hamilton said. "This is a preparation game for us. Ultimately, we keep Jesuit on the schedule, because I feel like Jesuit is the best program in the Louisiana. While we’re disappointed that we didn’t get the win … we know that the ultimate goal is preparation." ____________________________________________________________ St. Paul beats Vandebilt in Sacred Heart Tournament Final Clyde Verdin Jr. Sports Correspondent-The Courier THIBODAUX -- The last time Vandebilt Catholic faced the St. Paul Wolves on the soccer field, St Paul defeated the Terriers 3-2 in an overtime session. Saturday night in the championship game of the Brothers of Sacred Heart E.D. White soccer tournament, with a mostly favorable Vandebilt crowd cheering in the stands, the Terriers pushed St. Paul’s to another extra period. With about a minute remaining in the first overtime, Vandebilt committed a foul on Wolves forward Michael Pellisier in the goalie box, giving Pellisier a penalty kick, which he would use to put the Wolves up 2-1 for the championship victory. "We had a very good tournament as a team this year and I couldn’t be happier for the players," Wolves coach Trevor Watkins said. "We played a lot of good teams in this tournament, and this is a good stepping stone for where we want to be at the end of the season." The Terriers (3-2-1), who had played in their third overtime game of the day, fought in the last few seconds to catch the Wolves (6-1-1) sleeping, but the game ended giving Vandebilt its first and only loss of the tournament. "We had a lot of players step up in different roles today, and the team chemistry was there, but St. Paul’s just played a much better game than us," Terriers coach Doug Hamilton said. "We knew coming in that they were a good team, and we played them much better today so I’m pleased with our effort." T.J. Fremin scored the only goal for the Terriers on a penalty kick to give Vandebilt an edge, but Guy Guinot notched the game at 1-1 where the score would remain until the overtime period. This was the first time in two years that Vandebilt made a tournament final and Hamilton credits his team’s play in the second half for a reason to be optimistic for future contests. "We tried to change up a few things after halftime, and the players seemed to respond well to it and picked up the intensity," he said. Playing in Class 4A, Vandebilt is known for playing mostly 5A schools to get prepared for the district schedule and with Jesuit up next for the Terriers, Hamilton believes these games will get them to their eventual goal of another state championship. "It’s nothing new for us to play 5A schools for most of our schedule because playing these schools makes us better in the long run," he said. "People respect the team we have at Vandebilt and we hope to continue the trend of putting very good teams out on the field every week." ________________________________________________________________ Terriers Blank Cardinals Kyle Carrier Sports Correspondent-The Courier THIBODAUX -- Due to the success of the E.D. White Catholic football team, the school’ s boys soccer team was without both a field to play on and several key players to put on that field entering Friday’s opening day of the Brothers of Sacred Heart Soccer Tournament. With the football team needing the field for practices, the tournament had to be relocated to Thibodaux High and Nicholls State to accommodate the eight teams participating. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they were unable to accommodate the missing players as they dropped the opening game of the tournament, 4-0, to Vandebilt Catholic. "We had to play a lot of inexperienced guys," E.D. White coach Roger Bimah said. "The speed of the game gave us a problem. When we got the ball, there was not much we could do. Before we knew it, they were gone." The Terriers dominated the attack, finishing the game with 15 goal attempts and holding the Cardinals to only seven. Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said his goalkeeper, Mason Smith, has the potential to be one of the best in Division II. "They (E.D. White) probably had two really good chances, but he stopped both of them," Hamilton said. "In (Division II), he’s probably one of the two best goalkeepers in the state. We rely on good goal keeping from him, but I am really happy with our attack. We worked a few things out. We attacked down the flank, got some nice crosses, [and] some good goal scoring." After battling for most of the first half in a 0-0 tie, it was Ethan Himel’s header that put the Terriers up 1-0 at the end of the first half. Hamilton said it was important for his team to keep the momentum going in the second half. "The second half was definitely one of our better halves of the season so far," he said. "We had to battle through injuries, but we are beginning to gel as a team." In the second half, the Terriers secured the win by adding goals from T.J. Freeman, Jeff Deblieux and Diego Armendariz. The Terriers finished the game with 15 attempts on goal while the Cardinals were held to seven. "Once we went up 2-0, we felt we had control of the game," Hamilton said. Despite the loss, Bimah said that until football season ends, the experience is always good for his younger players. "We were missing four solid starters (and) we were forced to play guys out of position," Bimah said. "The inexperience is not a good thing right now, but the only way to get experience is to play the position. That works in our favor in the long run." ____________________________________________________________ Terriers, Rebels Play to Scoreless Tie Derek Breaux Sports Correspondent-The Courier November 21, 2007 HOUMA- After ending last year’s match ended in a 1-1 draw, Tuesday’s match between Vandebilt Catholic and Teurlings Catholic ended the same way, but neither team scored in a 0-0 tie. The two teams were on a very level playing field, with Vandebilt being the state champions in Division II, and Teurlings Catholic being a state finalist in Division III. “It was a early season match, and both teams were trying to feel each other out,” Vandebilt coach Doug Hamilton said. “Overall in the defensive third we played well tonight. We stayed compact and didn’t give them too many chances.” Terriers goalkeeper Butch Reeves had two big saves that stopped the Rebels from scoring. The Terriers had 10 shots on the goal. While inside Teurlings’ territory the Terriers came close to scoring, but an accidental hand ball that ended their best scoring chance midway in the second half. “We just couldn’t find the right combinations of passes to score,” Hamilton said. “But at the same time I thought defensively we played real solid.” The Rebels had 12 shots on the goal. Teurlings goalie Robert Thibodeaux also had two big saves that stopped the Terriers from scoring. “We played a very good team, and it was a very even match,” Teurlings coach Lance Peltier said. |
| Vandebilt Catholic High School Terrier SOCCER |
| Jesuit's Daniel Moise (17) attempts a shot on the goal while Vandebilt's Bruno Doria (right) defends . (Matt Stamey/The Courier) |
| 2007-2008 Season Record 18 Wins - 7 Losses - 4 Ties District 6-II Record 8 Wins - 0 Losses Congratulations Terrier Soccer - District Champions for the 20th Year in a Row!!! |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s Robert Perez (right) dribbles the ball as E.D. White Catholic’s Raleigh Prejeant defends. (Emily Schwarze/The Courier) |
| Photo compliments of The Courier |
| Photo compliments of The Courier |
| Photo compliments of The Courier |
| Photos by The Courier |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s Braden Eschete (1) kicks between Ellender defenders Clarence Francis (right) and Brock Curley (back) to score. (Jim Cenac/The Courier) |
| Vandebilt Catholic’s T.J. Freeman (7) scored three goals against Beau Chene to lead the Terriers to their seventh straight Division II final. Matt Stamey/The Courier |