Bad result for our strikers.

http://www.appstatesports.com/ViewArtic ... =209288062

Inconsistency has been an issue this year, likely due to youth, with just eight upper classmen on the roster and 17 underclassmen. The Apps have set a school record for ties this year, some of which have been good ties (Furman and Elon) and others not so good. No real wins to hang on hat on, other than nice wins over ETSU and Wofford.

On a positive note, our goal production appears to be up this year. Goal production is on track to reach a three year high, with 1.46 goals per game through 13 games in 2013 vs. .89 goals per game in 2012 and 1.16 per game in 2011. Unfortunately, we seemed to be challenged defensively and we have not been able to put games away. The Apps are conceding goals at a higher rate in 2013 compared to recent years, which may account for the number of draws (which luckily aren't losses). We are conceding 1.38 goals per game, which is up considerably from 2012 and 2011. We only gave up 1.0 goals per game in 2012 and just .63 goals per game in 2011. Of course, defense is a team effort, and is not the sole responsibility of the keeper and backline. Possession advantage can play a key role in an effective defense. Looking at prior seasons, it is interesting to note that we had a large advantage in total shot attempts in 2011, when we took a total of 263 vs. 197 for the opponents. This would point towards an overall advantage in possession, and combined with a stingy defense, led to a cumulative goal advantage of 22 for and just 12 against, and a nice record of 10-5-4. The numbers slipped a bit in 2012, but we still managed an advantage in total shots taken, (234 for and 206 against) and an overall winning record of 8-7-4. If I recall correctly, we may have had some injuries to key players in 2012, which might account for the slippage somewhat. 2013 appears to be a different story from a shots taken/conceded standpoint, with opponents enjoying an advantage in shots taken (162 for us compared to 172 for our opponents, through 13 games). This would point to possession advantage for opponents, which appears to have been the case in many of our games. Hopefully experience and maturity gained in 2013 will lead us back on the right track for 2014 and onward.