Islander

The game was a 1-1 tie with PNG winning the shoot-out. The score was not 2-1 as the title reports.

Seth Arteaga scored four goals to lead the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team to a 6-0 romp over the Ozen Panthers Tuesday night at South Park Stadium. Mitchell Heil and Scott Karasik added one goal each for the Bears. And, the Bears’ defense earned a shutout while limiting the Panthers to only three shots on goal. “This was Seth’s coming out party†stated Bears Coach Matt Wedel. Arteaga’s skill and determination produced four impressive scores against a physical Panther defense. Seth Arteaga’s offensive explosion was exactly what the Bears needed. The game was scoreless until the 21st minute when Arteaga scored his first goal. T.C. Scalfano earned an assist when he sent a solid through-ball between Arteaga and a charging Panther goalie. Arteaga won the race to the ball, maneuvered around the goalie, and sent the ball into an open net. “T.C. set it upâ€, said Arteaga. “I was persistent and kept at it.†The Bears picked up their pace in the second half. In the first minute of the second half, Mitchell Heil blasted a 25- yard goal from the center of the field. Heil’s strong shot occurred while the Panther defense was packed in front of their goal. Four minutes later, Seth Arteaga scored his second goal when a Panther defender misplayed the ball. Arteaga corralled the mistake at the 40-yard line and raced to another encounter with the Panther goalie. Arteaga drew the goalie away from the goal and then kicked the ball into the left side of the goal for a 3-0 lead. The Bears were awarded a free kick at the 49-minute mark. Colt Arteaga’s kick from the 30-yard line bounced off the Panther goalie. Scott Karasik took the rebound for a score and a 4-0 lead. The Bears scored again ten minutes later. Howard Griffith sent a near-perfect crossing shot to Seth Arteaga, who then headed the ball past the goalie. Once again, Arteaga credited his teammate by stating that, “Howard did a good job of keeping the ball in playâ€. With two minutes remaining in the game, Seth Arteaga put an exclamation point on his night when he booted a 30 yard half-volley for his fourth goal. After the game, Arteaga’s thoughts were on the Bears’ upcoming games. “We need to build momentum for our game against PN-Gâ€. The Bears will celebrate senior night on Friday when they host PN-G. Wedel coached his team with a heavy heart on Tuesday. A solemn Wedel stated that “my thoughts and prayers were with Destin Lairseyâ€, the seventeen-year old Deweyville native who tragically died in an automobile accident last Saturday. “Destin was a member of my youth group at church. His funeral was today and my mind was on him. As much as I love these kids on the team, my heart was elsewhere tonight. It was a long day.â€

LC-M 6 Ozen 0 Seth Arteaga was on fire !!!! 4 goals and he earned every one of them. Way to go, Bears !

Entering Friday night’s game, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team looked up to only one team in the district standings: the undefeated Nederland Bulldogs. Although the Bears played well, the Bulldogs played better and earned a hard fought 2-0 victory over the scrappy Bears. The highly competitive game was a scoreless defensive struggle until the 27th minute of the first half. At that time, the Bulldogs earned a corner kick from the left corner. The kick ricocheted high into the air off a Bears’ player. The ball then bounced into the net for a 1-0 Bulldog lead. The game’s next score occurred in the 68th minute when the Bulldogs were awarded a free kick near at the Bears’ 30 yard line. Bulldog defender Hector Garcia blasted the free kick against the crossbar. Sophomore Jack Wilson converted the rebound into a short goal for the Bulldogs’ second goal. Nursing a 2-0 lead, the Bulldogs defense played well enough to withstand a flurry of offensive runs by the Bears to preserve the shutout. Although disappointed with the loss, Bears Coach Matt Wedel was pleased with his team’s performance. “We played greatâ€, said Wedel. “The entire team played well. We took several quality shots and we made some good runs at the goal.†Wedel noted the strong game by defender Colt Arteaga. “Colt had a really strong gameâ€, said Wedel. “He was all over the field on defense.†“Nederland is a great teamâ€, explained Wedel. “Tonight, we just didn’t get the breaks.†The Bears solid performance demonstrated that they are able to play with any team in the district. “We are in an all out dog fight for second place,†said Wedel. The Bears are currently competing against PN-G and Central for the district’s second place. The Bears travel to face Ozen on Tuesday, and then host PN-G next Friday.

Wow, Nederland has a strong team. Athletic and they play well as a team. Good win, Bulldogs. Congrats on clinching a playoff spot. And, Bears, you guys played great, too.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears boys’ soccer team roared to a dominating 3-0 home victory over the Central Jaguars Friday night. The Bears’ win was highlighted by goals from T.C. Scalfano, Vance Foster, and Garhett Bonneaux. And, the Bears’ stingy defensive line of Brett Heil, Colt Arteaga, Darrell Lawrence, Ben O’Fiel, and goalie Max Perkins was critical in shutting out the second place Jaguars. The Bears’ strong performance impressed Bears Coach Matt Wedel. “We were on our game tonightâ€, noted Wedel. “The whole team played great. And, each goal was a great shot.†Captain T.C. Scalfano delivered the Bears’ first score at the four minute mark. After obtaining the ball on the left side of the field near the fifty yard line, Scalfano began racing towards the goal. “It was a breakaway. I ran over one Jaguar defender. He got in front of me and I got by himâ€, described Scalfano. “When the goalie came out to defend the goal, I shot for the back corner.†The smartly placed shot, from 10 yards away, was angled on the scoring side of the back post for a 1-0 lead. Vance Foster scored the Bears’ second goal at the thirteen minute mark. Foster took possession of the ball fifteen yards away from the Jaguars’ goal. Although surrounded by Jaguar defenders, Foster coolly powered the ball past the goalie for a 2-0 lead. Shortly after halftime, Garhett Bonneaux scored the Bears’ final goal. Bonneaux’s goal was set-up by Foster’s strong dribbling abilities. After driving around several defenders, Foster earned an assist when passed the ball to Bonneaux , who was waiting at the center of the field on the thirty yard-line. Bonneaux trapped the ball and quickly drilled the ball through two defenders and into the back of the net. Wedel declared, “How about that shot by Bonneaux? Vance and Garhett just owned the midfield tonightâ€. With a comfortable 3-0 lead, the Bears’ defense continued to clamp down on the Jaguars. “We were very aggressive on defenseâ€, Wedel observed. Brett Heil had another solid all-around game that included a goal-saving stop near the game’s end. “We proved that when we want to play well, we canâ€, said a confident Scalfano. The Bears hope to duplicate their strong performance this Friday when they host the district leading Nederland Bulldogs.

The Little Cypress Bears boys soccer team defended their home turf Friday night at Battlin’ Bear Stadium by cruising to a 4-0 district win over the Ozen Panthers. Seth Arteaga paced the Bears with two goals. Garhett Bonneaux added a goal and an assist, while Vance Foster scored the game’s first goal. “We took care of business tonight,†said Bears Coach Matt Wedel of his team’s victory over an improving Panther squad. The Bears, who outshot their opponent by a 26 to 4 margin, “played well,†according to Wedel. The Bears ability to control the game allowed Wedel to play the entire team. “It’s good to play the whole team and get lots of shots from multiple players. We were able to mix up the roster and get some different looks from our guys. This was a team effort.†Ozen attempted to keep the game close by packing several defenders in front of their goal. The game’s first goal occurred at the thirteen minute mark when Foster converted a rebound into a close-range goal. Eight minutes later, Seth Arteaga received a long-through ball from Bonneaux. Arteaga dribbled past a charging goalie and then kicked a shot into another Panther defender. The shot had enough momentum to drift into the goal for a 2-0 Bears lead. Arteaga was on the attack again less than two minutes later. Tommy Jones earned an assist when he delivered a nice pass to Arteaga near the twenty yard line. Arteaga then drilled the ball into the back of the net. The Bears led 3-0 at the end of the first half. Bonneaux’s goal occurred at the 45 minute after the Bears placed heavy pressure on the Ozen goalie. When the goalie moved away from the goal, Bonneaux slipped behind him for an open goal and a 4-0 final score. Although Wedel was pleased with the game’s outcome, “there are some areas that we need to improve. We have the potential to be a good team, but we are going to have to keep working at it.†Looking ahead to next week’s games, the Bears continue their district schedule. “Next week is huge. We travel to PNG on Tuesday and host Central on Friday.†To stay in the hunt for the district championship, the Bears will need to keep on “taking care of businessâ€.

District play began in a disappointing way for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears boys soccer team as they lost 3-1 to the Nederland Bulldogs on Tuesday night in Nederland. The highly anticipated game matched two of the district’s top teams in a contest that was much closer than the 3-1 score indicated. Bears Coach Matt Wedel commented that “the Bulldogs are a good team, but the score was not representative of how close the game was.†Both teams played well in a game that was marred by a strong wind that hampered each team’s ability to launch their offensive attack. Eventually, the game was decided by a few pivotal plays that went in the Bulldogs’ favor. The Bulldogs played with the wind in the first half. Controlling the action, the Bulldogs kept the ball on their offensive side of the field while out shooting the Bears 10-3. The Bears defense was up to the challenge and did a solid job of keeping the game scoreless until the final three minutes of the half. At that time, the Bulldogs earned a free kick from thirty-yard out. Junior Hector Garcia kicked the ball to the right side of the goal. Jordan Landry corralled the rebound and scored a goal for the Bulldogs. The half ended with the Bulldogs leading 1-0. Playing with the wind in the second half allowed the Bears to assert their offensive game. Six minutes into the second half, T.C. Scalfano took possession of the ball in front of the goal against a swarming Bulldog defense. Scalfano tied the score at 1-1 when he patiently powered his way to a close-range shot that ended up in the back of the net. “T.C.’s shot was prettyâ€, observed Wedel. “I thought that we had the momentum at that pointâ€, said Wedel. The Bears attempted 15 shots in the second half to only 3 by the Bulldogs. But, the Bulldogs’ strong defense shut down the Bears for the remainder of the game. At the fifty-seven minute mark, the wind blew at the right time for the Bulldogs. As the Bears defense attempted to clear the ball in front of their goal, a gust of wind changed the direction of the ball and back into the Bears goal. “The ball was headed for the sidelines when the wind blew the ball back into our goal†said Wedel. The own goal gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Four minutes later, Jake Kemp made an impressive drive past a defender to score the Bulldog’s final score. Wedel was pleased with his team’s play. “We had good ball movement. The whole team played well. We made two mistakes on the back line, but overall the defense held strongâ€, noted Wedel. The Bears’ backline was led by Colt Arteaga along with Brett Heil and Darrell Lawrence. Wedel believed that midfielders Vance Foster and Garhett Bonneaux turned in particularly strong performances. “Those guys in the middle really played wellâ€, Wedel said of Foster and Bonneaux. Bulldogs Coach Rob Bledsoe concurred with Wedel’s assessment. “The Bears controlled the center of the field. LCM was the aggressor. They caused us to play tentatively and prevented us from passing like we normally do.†The Bears’ loss was particularly frustrating when one considers the several near misses throughout the game. Tommy Jones kicked a lengthy thirty-yard goal attempt that bounced off the upper crossbar. Bonneaux also kicked another long shot attempt that barely curved outside the goal. And, Scalfano had another near miss. The Bears will attempt to even their district record on Friday at 7:00 when they host Ozen at Battlin’ Bear Stadium.

Harley had an awesome game. Hard to believe he is only a sophomore. the Bears are a very young team. Harley, Gonzalez, and Armstrong is a great nucleus. I expect big things from the Bears next season.

Lumberton earned a hard fought victory. They are a good team. But, several LCM starters were sick or injured. Several LCM subs were on the field when Lumberton earned their penalty kick late in the game. I wish the teams could play again. It was a good game.

The center ref??? Man, I am not allowed to comment freely. But geez, somebody could have gotten hurt.

Sophomore Vance Foster’s two assists and strong overall game led the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears soccer team to a 2-1 victory over the Vidor Pirates at Battlin’ Bears Stadium on Friday night. Sophomore Garhett Bonneaux scored the game-winning goal and Captain Seth Arteaga converted a header for a Bears’ score. Alec Johnson was credited for the Pirates’ goal. In spite of the cold weather, fans for both sides were treated to a highly competitive soccer contest. Bears Coach Matt Wedel stated that “it was a good game. We respect each other and both teams played hard.†Pirates Coach Rui Correia was also happy with the night’s play. “Both teams played well. The action was toe-to-toe. It just went LC-M’s way.†Correia noted that “sometimes, soccer is just like that.†The Bears started off “like storm troopersâ€, according to Wedel, by scoring in the game’s first minute. Foster dribbled the ball deep into the Pirates’ right corner of the field. Then, Foster placed a solid crossing shot five yards in front of the Pirates’ goal. Seth Arteaga perfectly timed his header that resulted in the Bears’ first goal and a 1-0 lead. The Pirates took only eight minutes to respond with a goal of their own. Johnson booted a free kick from near midfield. The ball traveled approximately thirty yards and bounced off the back of a defender and into the Bears’ goal for a 1-1 tie. The Bears’ strong teamwork was critical in scoring the game’s winning goal late in the first half. Senior Darrell Lawrence eluded a couple of Pirate defenders while dribbling down the sideline and then passed the ball to Foster. Foster earned his second assist when he passed the ball to Bonneaux in the center of the field. Bonneaux punched the ball from twenty-five yards out for a 2-1 Bears’ lead. “Garhett had nice placement on his shot. He picked his target and there it was,†said Wedel. The second half was a defensive struggle. Both teams fiercely attacked the opposition’s goal, but were unable to score. Correia was particularly impressed with Bears’ goalie, Max Perkins. “He was the man and the Bears’ defense looked good,†remarked Correia. Clearly, the Bears’ best performance was turned in by Foster. “Vance played at another level tonight. He was the star of the gameâ€, said Wedel. Throughout the entire game, Foster dribbled around several Pirate defenders, played hard on defense, and made smart passes. Wedel stated that “it was the best all around game that I have ever seen him play.†Correia was happy with the performances of several Pirate players. Travis Greenway, Victor Ortega and freshmen Tyler Reynolds and Brandon Clayton had strong games for the Pirates. The enjoyment of the game was enhanced by the newly-formed Bear Bucket Brigade. The Bear Bucket Brigade consists of several young fans using drumsticks to beat on plastic buckets and drums during the entire game. What the young drum line lacks in rhythm is made up by the youngsters’ enthusiasm. The sounds from the Brigade “put a good soccer environment on the gameâ€, said Wedel. The Bears’ next game is on Tuesday when the team travels to Lumberton to face a strong Raider team.

Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears 2 Vidor Pirates 1 Good game, guys

Coop is one cool dude !

The Bears are ready to roar. They will win 4-1.

The game was a pleasure to watch. Both teams played hard and the action was back and forth. What I really enjoyed was the drum line that played constantly throughout the game. The drum line consisted of several young fans hitting on buckets with drum sticks. It was great! I hope they come back to the next home game. We need to get the kids involved with soccer at an early age. This was a great way to do it.

Livingston looked good. They have good overall team speed. Two guys who can really fly. On defense, they always seemed to be in position. Livingston will be an interesting team to watch this year.

Bullet, If you wait until the Bears to lose to "come in here and rub it in", then you won't be saying too much this year about the Bears. They are tough. But a little smack is always fun! Go Bears

I agree, Bullet. My son went to a soccer combine two weeks ago. The ETBU coach gave a little speech about his school. I sure hope he coaches better than he answeres s a simple question. Bizzaire.

There's no bad coaches to complain about in soccer, unlike football. Nothing generates the post count like a community fed up with the football coach. I would name names, but you know who he is.

Silsbee soccer is definitely improved over last season. They played hard and never gave up after being behind 4-1. I love their stadium. It is junior college caliber. The Bears will improve as the season progress. They weren't operating at their best, but showed flashes of putting it together. I am so glad that the soccer season has started. Let the games begin !!!

The Bears defense is STOUT. The back-line defense is smart, fast, and experienced. I know that Kelly is good, but don't under estimate the Bears. I predict a 1-0 game, Bears on top.

The people who preach blind devotion to all teachers are wrong. Like any profession, there are some teachers who are not fit to instruct others. I give teachers the benefit of the doubt until shown otherwise. I have taught my children to respect authority, but some people in leadership positions have issues. My children, who are young adults, need to be able to recognize the existance of the peter principle and deal with it. Thats how it is in the real world. That said, I believe that LCM is trying to correct some major problems with some bad hirings. True, they did hire the wrong person in the first place, but at least they are trying to get rid of the problems. Sometimes, it takes longer than it should. I must admit that I am very pleased with the support staff at LCM. I also respect a majority of the teachers at LCM. But those last two "reassignments" were LONG OVERDUE with plenty of solid evidence to support the demotion. They obviously didn't know how to run the show. Lets hope for better days in the future.

Surely, a change will be made sooner rather than later. The players put forth the effort. But, this season was tough. There is no reason to wait. The powers that be need to step up and make the move now. Another season like this one will put the program back for years to come.

how much time is left? who scored for lcm?