Stepping Up.

After the first match of 2008 against Magna Vista was cancelled due to weather on Tuesday, April 22. And all Carlisle encounters finally over with following a match at their home field on Wednesday, the 23. Tunstall found themselves facing up with the Bassett Bengals once again in the season on Tunstall's solemn soil on Friday, April 25, 2008.

That morning, however, one of the Trojan Ladies' senior captains, #21 Melanie, was involved in a car accident. She thankfully only sustained minor bruising and cuts, but was unable to play in the match Friday and had to simply watch from the sidelines. Tunstall is a strong group of young ladies and were able to pull together to fight for a win against the Bengals.
It was an excellent match to be sure and the game was nill all until there was about 10 minutes left in the second half. That's when a Bassett goal was scored from the right side of Tunstall's goal line. Tunstall's work was able to pay off, however, when a Bengal player made the mistake of committing a hand ball offense inside their own 18-yard box. Trojan junior and midfielder, Katie, finally rid her season of missing penalty kicks and shot the soccer ball into the lower left corner of Bassett's goal!!

The game went into extra time, but no more goals were scored and the game ended at 1-1. This puts Tunstall's district record at 0-3-1. The girls will face Patrick County on Tuesday, April 29. The Ladies of Troy are stepping into their roles on the field, as well as their roles off the pitch as teammates and friends, and it's showing in their game. When each player has a common state of mind and everyone is working together the beautiful game retains its beauty.

THANK YOU FOR THE GAME GIRLS!

Meaningful Mountain Leads Martinsville

Now that Patrick County has gotten out of Tunstall's system, we can all move onto bigger and better things happening throughout the rest of the Lady Trojan's season in 2008. The Cougars were somehow able to pull off a 4-0 win against the girls in scarlet and silver Friday night in the County of Patrick. Although Tunstall had several opportunities to score against the Cougars, the Trojans were still unable to capitalize, a condition that seems to plague the team quite frequently throughout their seasons. The 2008 Ladies of Troy, however, are not going to let this small set back have any negative impact on their game.

With that typed, tomorrow at 5:30, April 15, the Trojans will be back in Tunstall's soccer coliseum to face the Martinsville Bulldogs, one of the most notorious teams to ever play in the Piedmont District. In 2008, however, talk is running wild that the Bulldogs have lost their bite and can not seem to find a new one!! This is VERY exciting news for the young Trojan team who is anxiously awaiting Martinsville's arrival tomorrow afternoon. Tunstall has been wanting to defeat their red-wearing rivals every year and can smell the victory. A victory that, of course, will only come through sweat, tears, probably blood, and surely some spoken words. It will be a fair fight on the Trojan pitch, but dirt will be flying, visible or not!

GO FOR THE PRIZE TUNSTALL!

MOST COVETED, MOST DESERVED!

Desirous Attitude

Sunshine or rain, sorrow or pain, Patrick County is still a very long bus ride away from Tunstall. This will, however, give the Ladies of Troy plenty of time to concentrate and focus on their upcoming match against the Cougars this afternoon.

Patrick County's Girls Soccer team has been in action since 1999, but in those 8 seasons has never won a match against Martinsville's Lady Bulldogs. This past Monday night, April 7, the Cougars had an historic win against Martinsville, a soccer team that is typically the top in the Piedmont District. This is a huge boost for Patrick County to acquire for tonight's match against Tunstall. The Trojans are going to have play very strong in the match and have their mind completely in the game. The Ladies of Troy are setting forth a new action plan, beginning tonight, as well. Tunstall will not only be considering all their soccer skills and strategies, but the girls are developing their hearts and souls also. The team will be thinking more about what drives them to play, why is there a desire for each lady to play soccer? The girls will be focusing on their attitudes on the field, making sure each one is strong and passionate.

Tunstall can overcome any odds, as long as the team sticks together and pushes through!

GOOD LUCK IN THE MOUNTAINS!

Baffling.

Tunstall, oh Tunstall. The Ladies of Troy have still got much work to do on the field, as well as in their hearts and minds. The Bassett Bengals were able to, in some strange way, defeat Tunstall Tuesday with a score of 2-0. The Trojan gals were suffering from a lack of focus and presence of mind during the match, especially the first half, in which both Bassett goals were scored.

The Trojan Ladies did have a good, step-up performance from senior, captain Amber in the midfield. Goalkeeper, Lauren, was able to make some fine saves in the net for Tunstall also. The girls have several realizations to seriously consider: the fact that Tunstall is a young team, with potential and talent, and also that the entire district this season is young and rather inexperienced!! The Trojans are going to have to simply step their mental and emotional games, beginning with more ferocity on the pitch during the entire match and playing their beautiful game for all the right reasons, such as: love of sport, competition, and their fellow teammates!

Build for your team a feeling of oneness,

of dependence on one another and

of strength to be derived by unity.

----Vince Lombardi

Besetting Bassett.

The arrival of Virginia's Piedmont District 2008 Soccer Season is nearly upon us! Tunstall's Ladies of Troy will face off against the Bengals of Bassett tomorrow evening at 5:30 pm on a Bengal protected pitch. The Bassett security will have their hands full tomorrow, however, as Tunstall is ready to WORK! The girls are going to work to play their best, work to win the match, and work to build a solid season record for '08.

The Trojans have been playing since mid-March, but only against non-district teams. The games have proven to help the ladies acclimate to varsity soccer and the new Tunstall team.

Much, much, much EXCITEMENT is surrounding tomorrow's game!!!

The full Trojan squad will be at Bassett High School tomorrow and the team is ready to begin the District with a 1-0 record!!

TROY WILL BE BASHING BENGALS!

Final Elusion.

The Comets of Halifax are quite speedy and keep the ball under control very well. Last Friday night, April 4, the Trojan Ladies simply had too many odds against them and were unable to match the quickness and versatility Halifax had to offer.

The game started out very fast and by the end of the first half the Comets had lit up the scoreboard with 5 goals to Tunstall's zero. The game, however, was not completely a loss for Tunstall, as all of the Ladies of Troy were able to participate that night in the match and it proved as a valid learning experience. Tunstall has now experienced the thrill of a win, and also the let down of a loss directly after; it is a hard fact to face and not an enjoyable one. But it is good for the girls to fell this pain early in the year and before the District Season begins, so that they will all work hard to never have to feel its heartache again!! The game ended with a Halifax win of 7-o.

It was a muddy night for the Ladies and also an injurious night, as one of Tunstall's freshmen and goal keepers, Danielle, incurred a wrist break. She is a tough young Lady Trojan who will not allow this injury to damper her spirits!!

TUNSTALL STARTS DISTRICT PLAY ON THE 8th, AGAINST BASSETT!!!!

The Boys' Team won their match against the Comets, 3-1!

Colorful Lighting.

It has always been a tough match up when Tunstall plays a AAA team, but the Trojans always continue to put up a great fight. Tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 will mark the Ladies' last game of the season versus a AAA team, but certainly the girls will be extremely excited after their win over arch rivals Dan River! Halifax is fast and has good control over the soccer ball, but the team's have met before and Tunstall has a good advantage of knowing what Halifax will throw at them tomorrow night. The Comets, however, are unaware of the changes Tunstall has undergone in the past couple of weeks. The Ladies of Troy have a different lineup of players, a new found intensity (that SHALL continue), and they are coming off a huge win.

Halifax will have their work cut out for them in somehow stopping Tunstall from taking complete control of the pitch Friday night. Hopefully they will have some better defense that can handle this Trojan attack......but probably not!!!



!See ya tomorrow in Comet Country!

First Season Win!

Last night, Wednesday, April 2, the Tunstall Ladies tore Dan River to pieces! The game started wonderfully for the Ladies of Troy as their whole team was clicking together well and running on ALL cylinders. The Trojans made their mark in the first half and kept it through out the rest of the match. Tunstall's birthday girl yesterday, Lauren "Daffy", scored the first Trojan goal of the evening with an excellent gliding ball struck perfectly from the right side and across into the left side of the Wildcat's net. The next notch on the scoreboard for Tunstall came from one of the team's forwards, Maggie, as she ran half way down the field into Dan River's territory and ended the race with a slicing goal over the Wildcat keeper. As play continued to advance during the first half, Tunstall's defense was playing well with the Trojan Lady in goal, Lauren, saving everything in her path. The last goal scored by the girls in red was an excellent team effort of moving the ball through the field, from the back in defense to the midfield and up to Tunstall's other forward, LP, to send a blistering kick in for the third and final goal of the afternoon.

Tunstall was fired up for this match and continued to play its own game throughout the second 40 minutes, with many runs up the pitch and several corner kicks. The overall match was a great up lifter for Trojan spirits! The team is up for anything and finally realizing their amazing amount of potential.

GREAT GAME TUNSTALL!!

The boys' squad also had a win against Dan River, with a score of 8-0!

River Run.

Ahhh, the great month of April has finally arisen in 2008. This is a great month for playing soccer, the weather is usually nice and the majority of Tunstall's season is played during April!

Tomorrow night will be the first match the Trojan Ladies will be playing in the great month and it will also be the team's first match away from home, which will be a nice break from the steel wool wounds sustained from the Tunstall soccer pitch. The Women of Troy will be traveling to Dan River. Oh! Yes, the Trojans finally have their chance at a rematch with their most heated rivals and the only opponents from Pittsylvania County, the Wildcats from Dan River High School.

Tunstall is going to be bringing their game to the fullest extent! The Trojans are VERY ready to regain their title of County champs in the sport of soccer, a position held by Tunstall for the past two seasons. No matter how the game ends, of course, the girls from Tunstall will be enjoying the game and the competition and playing their hearts out! It is an exciting moment to be a Trojan soccer athlete or fan!!

PLAY THE GAME YOU LOVE & ALWAYS LOVE PLAYING

The Comet's Continued Flight.

The Tunstall Trojans were able to smell but only one rose Friday afternoon during their match against the Comets of Halifax, while the majority of game was spent working through the brier patch.

Halifax moved into a quick lead, by scoring within the first six minutes of the game following a scorching race into Tunstall's back field. The Comets would then score a second time, before the Trojans launched their first goal of the match, and the 2008 season, into the Halifax net to place the score at 2-1. Sadly, however, this would be the Ladies' only goal of the night. Although, Halifax continued to increase their winning margin and ended the first half with a blistering scoreboard view of 5-1. Tunstall was being ousted out of almost every possession opportunity and could not seem to gain enough control of the ball.

After halftime and some much needed advisement from the Trojan coaching staff, the Ladies were able to play with enhanced technique in the second 40 minutes. The game finished, however, with the scoreboard reading 8-1. Soccer is a sport that is so very easy to learn, yet so very hard to master. That is the reason why Tunstall has always continued to learn from its weaknesses and work hard to improve upon them. Which is exactly what the team will be doing this upcoming week, as the Ladies do not have any games scheduled and will instead be enjoying their annual spring break from school, as well as practicing for the soccer pitch.
The Trojan Boys Team defeated Halifax by a score of 5-1. This was the first time for Tunstall to win a match up against Halifax, CONGRATULATIONS Boys!

Only two more matches to play in the post season and it will be time for District Soccer to begin!! One can merely wait for the encroachment of cougars and bengals and bulldogs upon the Trojan stadium this spring! And of course the harsh taming of these beasts that will be sure to follow!

Only Triple.

On March 21, 2008 the Ladies of Troy located in the greater Dry Fork area of Virginia will be facing the Halifax Comets from Halifax County out on the soccer pitch. The Comets will be the Trojans' only AAA match up for the 2008 season and will be sure to put up a good fight.

Tunstall has, so far, had a slow start to their preseason games with two losses currently under their belt. The Trojans, however, are beginning to learn one another well on the playing field, this will certainly help the team to have better chemistry during games. The Ladies have been working rather feverishly after last Friday's loss to Dan River, a game that will in no way be soon forgotten, if ever! The Comets will have to undergo the long bus ride from far away Halifax High School and this will be an advantage for the Trojans, who have only but to relax until approximately 4:30 pm, as the game will be played on Tunstall soil.

It will, undoubtedly, be an interesting match up for both teams, Halifax is always a fun team to play. The Comets offer a challenge to the Trojans, but also provide a chance for the girls to warm up to the playing field before the District Season really heats up!

Good Luck to all the Trojans tomorrow night!! And also for the Slaughter family tomorrow, We Send Everyone our Deepest Sympathy for your loss and Will Keep You in Our Thoughts and Prayers!

"Something Wicked This Way Comes".

Ray Bradbury told it all when he used this Shakespearean phrase as the title to one of his own novels. Friday night the winds blew a strong, evil gale over the Tunstall plains as for the first time in five match ups the Dan River Wildcats were able to cause the Trojan Ladies to suffer a 3-0 loss, conquering the game. Dan River's forward Erica, number 18, earned herself a hat trick, scoring all three goals. Even though the defense had a good night on the field and Tunstall saw several opportunities to score on the Wildcat's goal, the Trojans were simply never able to capitalize and left the stadium without scoring.

It was certainly hard for the Ladies of Troy to suffer this loss, as Dan River is the only cross-county rival that the team has and the two schools have battled each other with extreme emotion and tenacity in all events for decades. Friday night the Wildcats outplayed the Trojans, but this is a loss that Tunstall will not take lightly; instead the Ladies will allow this game to ignite a fire in the team that shall enable everyone to work extremely hard over the next two weeks, so that when Tunstall travels to Dan River on the 2nd of April, the winds will have changed. For the Trojan women will not be seeking any kind of revenge, but justice. Tunstall is the deserved soccer champions of Pittsylvania County and April 2, 2008 will be the night that the team reclaims their rightful title!

The Tunstall Boys Soccer Team beat Dan River's Boys by a devastating score of 14-0. Great Job Guys!

Intergalactic Planetary.

Tomorrow evening, beginning at approximately 5:30 pm the Soccer Ladies of Troy will be competing against their only cross-county rivals, the Wildcats of Dan River High School. This match up of eternal rivals has always and will continue to provide extremely exciting rounds of soccer magnificence and extreme motivation from each team to win, sometimes at any cost necessary. The Tunstall Trojans have won the past four consecutive matches versus the Wildcats, a record that the Ladies certainly want to keep intact and make it five consecutive wins!!

Each year the games get more interesting as both programs continue to improve each year. Tunstall, however, has the skill, talent, and drive necessary to compete at a higher level of soccer play. The Trojans are out to make it known to everyone that they are not to be underestimated and instead of a "re-building" season, 2008 is a year of "remodeling", meaning that the Ladies are simply making additions and improving upon past structures of their unit. This team of Trojans is just itching to unleash all their potential!

And Dan River always seems to offer the perfect amount of motivation to stir up this cauldron of passion and intensity!! Come out tomorrow to watch and support the Trojan effort!

BEAT DANRIVER!

Progress, Progress, Progress.

This will continue to always be a major theme to the Tunstall Ladies Soccer Program. Every year the team makes new strides toward a more positive existence, and this year is no exception. Yes, the team has several new players, however, Tunstall's Ladies are also blessed with untold amounts of potential, some reserves not even yet to be tapped into. Therefore, the team will continue to progressively work through this post season and gain more experience and keep on acclimating to their field positions and comfort level of playing with each team member.

With all that said....the Carlisle Chiefs slipped by with a win last night against the Lady Trojans, with a score of 4-0. Tunstall played rather well for its first game of the year, but certainly has a few areas in need of improvement. The game yielded Carlisle with 2 goals in the first half, both made from runs up the field. Also in the first half, however, Lauren made a great save in goal off of a Carlisle penalty kick to keep the score at 2-0.
In the second half the Chiefs got away with 2 more goals, again by runs up the field. The Ladies are considering this whole experience as one to learn from, as all games are, and will be improving each day afterward!! Everyone is extremely ready to play again and really get their minds and bodies into the next game!

So good luck to Carlisle on the rest of your season, but watch out for the Trojan rematch, as the Ladies of Troy will have made untold amounts of positive progress and will give it their all to successfully achieve a win!

Crash Course.

Tomorrow afternoon the Trojan men will face off against the Chatham Cavaliers at 5:30 pm. After Tunstall defeats Chatham in that soccer match, the Ladies of Troy will have their first game of the 2008 season, facing off against the Carlisle Chiefs at 7:00 pm.

The Tunstall Ladies have had only 2 weeks worth of practice on the pitch and several of the Trojan's players will be experiencing their first ever soccer match tomorrow night. This will certainly be a challenge to the Ladies to learn quickly and make fast progress, the Trojans will have to pay close attention and put forth tons of effort physically and mentally, throughout the entire match. It is with great enthusiasm, however, that the 2008 season begins! Tunstall is ready and roaring to go tomorrow night! The returning veterans will be offering lots of help and encouragement to younger players, both on and off the field. March 12, marks the beginning of a VERY exciting new spring season and an important one for the entire girls soccer program at Tunstall.

Be sure to stop by Tunstall's colossal coliseum tomorrow night to watch the Carlisle Chiefs collapse under the Trojan bombardment!

Week Numero Uno.

The first week of practice/conditioning is now over and we are happy to announce that Tunstall's administration has granted the team the opportunity to keep all 19 girls on the team this year. This will surely mean that the Trojan Boys team and the Ladies of Troy will each be traveling to matches on their own school provided buses, which will help both teams to better prepare for the game.

It has been a tough week of work, but one that is always necessary to condition the team to outdoor weather and terrain. This coming week the Ladies will be focusing on their soccer skills and training hard for their first match versus the Carlisle Chiefs, a team that Tunstall has never faced in soccer and is virtually unknown amongst the Trojans. Make no mistake, however, that these proud citizens of Troy will not underestimate Carlisle, nor fear them. But that time will come...

Welcome Outdoors.

Finally after almost 8 weeks of conditioning the Ladies of Troy will finally be starting full soccer practices out on the field. Tomorrow afternoon at approximately 3:30 the first tryout/practice date for the 2008 season is scheduled to unfold, and the girls will all be working on skills and strategies until about 6 o'clock pm.

The team will be officially solidifying this week, so stay tuned for upcoming info on team news and the new roster. Good luck to all girls coming out to the pitch this week, remember to have fun and always try your hardest, even at practice!

In the Beginning.

My senior season has finally arrived. 2008 will mark the last year I will ever walk onto Tunstall's soccer pitch adorned in the silver and scarlet uniform. And so it is a time of sadness and to reflect on many old, fond memories, but there is still this one last season to play. One last chance to make a mark on the Tunstall Soccer Program and I intend to create a great one! The Tunstall Ladies lost seven seniors last season to graduation, but will be gaining new comers that are ready to learn and work on the field! This is an exciting time to be a part of a growing team! I am positive that the 2008 spring season will prove to be one of the team's best!


Conditioning for this soccer season is beginning tomorrow, after school and will end at approximately 5:00pm every Tuesday and Thursday. It is my hope that everyone interested in playing soccer will be able to attend these sessions.