Tag Dragons

By itself the final scoreline of this matchup gives the impression that this was a comfortable victory for Gretna. In reality, this was a wonderful night of soccer from both sides as they put their skills on display. There was as much talent on this field as you will find in the state of Nebraska.

Overall, there were a total of seven known Division I prospects sharing the field. Most of these players are in their junior or senior season. However, that number will surely increase in the coming years as the talented underclassmen begin the recruitment process.

This game was competitive for seventy-eight minutes until the Dragons closed with two late goals. Both teams moved the ball efficiently and looked very organized. Highlight reel worthy free kicks from both squads provided clear high points of the night. Our observations confirmed that Gretna and Papillion-La Vista are legitimate title contenders in 2021. 

Game Result – Gretna 5     Papillion-La Vista  2

Women of the Match – Madelyn White & Allison Marshall

NEST Quick Hits 

• Sarah Weber is a general for her team from start to finish. Her positioning on the field, as well as her communication, set her apart from many. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is getting a very talented player. Her goal off of a free kick opportunity was wonderful to watch. 
• Gretna is closing the gap on Lincoln East for that #1 ranking. Lincoln East is an excellent team, and they have done nothing but win. However, the Dragons have performed to the highest of standards during the first portion of the season. 
• Gretna has an excellent group of youngsters that are ready to keep the program in title contention for years to come. Madelyn White is an ultra speedy attacker that is only in her sophomore season. Her attitude and work rate provide a great foundation. Allison Marshall is a name to know for the next three years. Although she was not featured in the starting lineup, the dynamic of the game changed once she entered at forward. 
• Lauryn Anglim was the standout performer for the Monarch side in this match. She was dangerous with the ball at her feet. The future Husker put on a show with her highlight worthy free kick. It was a textbook approach and a fabulous moment of soccer. 
• An interesting discovery that should be noted was the absence of Ella Guyott. Guyott was expected by many to be a key contributor for the Monarchs. However, she is listed as a student manager and did not see the field.  

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast.

Chace Hutchison

Previewing an upcoming season is never an easy task. To do so properly takes countless hours of emails, observations, statistical research, conversation, and reflection. Adding onto that difficulty are challenges, such as a cancelled 2020 season and lingering COVID restrictions, making our preview preparation feel almost impossible.

Despite these obstacles, the approaching 2021 season and its participants – whether that be players, coaches, fans, or families – deserve some semblance of normalcy. Soccer in Nebraska and all those who participate deserve to be promoted. Over the course of the next several weeks, NEST will overview EVERY high school soccer program in our state. This was done to the best of our ability using all of the information we could collect.

Nebraska Soccer Talk is here to support many fantastic teams, coaches, players, fans, and referees that make our game possible. One mission of this venture is to discover and centralize newsworthy information. This can only be done in collaboration with individual programs. As a whole, our sport must better promote itself in order to grow the player and supporter pool. We encourage every team to proudly and consistently advertise itself to us and the general public. The more information available, the more our game will grow. Soccer is a game historically left behind to linger in the background in the United States. That circumstance is changing, but that change will not happen automatically. Growing and covering all aspects of our sport will take effort from all of those who love it.

Disclaimer – To prepare for these articles, a questionnaire was sent to every school’s head coach and athletic director. Many of these questionnaires were returned in a timely fashion, others were not. Nebraska Soccer Talk prides itself on equal and in-depth coverage, but cooperation is needed to meet that goal. Please consider this to be our reasoning when it comes to article length and accuracy.

Gretna 

Head Coach Info – Tyler Ortlieb

Previous Records

State Status – Front Runner, Contender, Dark Horse, Up-And-Coming, Building, Too Early To Tell

Previous Season Accomplishments – 2019 Class A State Semi-Finalists

NEST Analysis – Gretna is always a competitive program that has transitioned beautifully from Class B to Class A. The 2019 season saw the Dragons fall just short of the championship contest. Nevertheless, it was a terrific season, which has become business as usual for Coach Ortlieb’s team. Gretna finds itself ranked #3 at the Class A level in our pre-season poll. A solid crop of returners, supplemented by talented newcomers such as Colin McClung and Maguire Perkins, justify these lofty expectations. In addition to on-field play, the Dragons have newly updated facilities that are extremely impressive. Training and game-days should be elevated by these resources. 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

Chace Hutchison