After the game I posted that the Ladies played tight & tentatively. Frankly, I was surprised & disappointed, as I thought that they had gotten that tightness out of their system's after doing the same in the BIG Championship Game. Subsequently, after reading & re-reading Coach O'Neil's post game comments, it may be that some of the tentativness may have been due to coaching strategy.
Coach O'Neil indicated that they wanted to play the ball back through our two center backs to take away Rodriguez & Ogle. That helped account for much of the play being in our half. Some of the other strategy he outlined may have had our girls thinking too much. I certainly can't be sure, since Coach & staff know infinitely more about the game than I do. If there is any truth however to my thought, it would help account for our tentative play. If your thinking to much, your not going to play loose, fast & sharp & we certainly didn't. Granted PSU was a teriffic side, but so were we & we didn't show it.
I post this only because I would feel guilty laying their play solely on the girls if there was some over coaching or questionable strategy involved. Sometimes just as players have to learn to play in the Big Moment, Coach's need to experience coaching in it as well. I may be all wet on the Coaching angle, but I may not be, & if the latter is in anyway true, I owe the girls an apology.
All that being said, having gone to most of our home games over the past 2 yrs., I am an enormous fan of Coach O'neil, Coach Ryan & the rest of the staff. They have brought our program to the highest level, & I believe will keep it there. Needless to say these young ladies are the best in every regard.
Coach O'Neil indicated that they wanted to play the ball back through our two center backs to take away Rodriguez & Ogle. That helped account for much of the play being in our half. Some of the other strategy he outlined may have had our girls thinking too much. I certainly can't be sure, since Coach & staff know infinitely more about the game than I do. If there is any truth however to my thought, it would help account for our tentative play. If your thinking to much, your not going to play loose, fast & sharp & we certainly didn't. Granted PSU was a teriffic side, but so were we & we didn't show it.
I post this only because I would feel guilty laying their play solely on the girls if there was some over coaching or questionable strategy involved. Sometimes just as players have to learn to play in the Big Moment, Coach's need to experience coaching in it as well. I may be all wet on the Coaching angle, but I may not be, & if the latter is in anyway true, I owe the girls an apology.
All that being said, having gone to most of our home games over the past 2 yrs., I am an enormous fan of Coach O'neil, Coach Ryan & the rest of the staff. They have brought our program to the highest level, & I believe will keep it there. Needless to say these young ladies are the best in every regard.
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