Disappointment

We lost 3-1 in very disappointing game last night.  This was a team that finished 4th in our league and we have beaten about 9 times.  I think they just wanted it more than we did.

I did make 10 saves in the game and we as team finished in 2nd place in the U14 division.  We should actually be in the U13 division so at least we know that we can play, and beat, girls older than us.

I am sure my team will use this bitter loss to work harder in the winter and be even more ready, more hungry, in the Spring.

Thank you for your support!

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Semi Final Playoff Result

We played in the semi-finals of our league tournament last Wednesday night against a team we know well, Cool Green.  We won 1-0 but definitely didn't win the game we basically survived. I made 5 saves in the game and as my coach says, even though we didn't play to our potential "a win is a win."

Tonight we play for the championship of our league and I hope to make lots of saves that will help my team win our league and help these children I am excited to see in Ghana this December.

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A sunny autumn day for our semi-final game.

Weekend Game Recap

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Starting last Friday night we played three games in less than 24 hours.  Here is my recap:

Frida, 5:30PM. Game against All-Stars. Won 4-3.

This was the last game of our regular season.  This team was in sixth place and we were in second so they wanted to beat us pretty bad.  It was a back and forth game until we came back to go ahead 4-2.  Their offense was aggressive and our defense was not as organized as usual so the game was closer than it should have been.

On one play their striker broke away and came at me.  I do what I do and went to challenge her.  I ended up taking the ball from her before she could shoot but then she had to jump over me.  Well, she didn't jump high enough and her cleat hit my head behind my ear.  The good news is that I didn't get a concussion but I was a little dazed so my coach took me out.  I sat out for about 10 minutes and then was ready to go back in.  So I did.  I didn't let my injury affect me and actually had a few more balls come at me that I went after and took away.

They did score one more goal at the very end of the game but we ended up winning 4-3 and I had 9 saves.  We ended up the season in 2nd place.

Saturday, 10AM. Friendly game against Pocatello United in Pocatello, Idaho. 32 degrees!

Yes!  That is ice coming off the ball, or my foot, or both!

In order to get more challenging matches for us our coach arranged three Saturdays this season when we play against some teams from Pocatello.  This time it was our turn to travel there and it was COLD! The first team we played actually beat us 6-2 one month earlier so we were ready for some revenge.  The game was more like hockey as the grass was icy and the ball was slow.  We were down 1-0 at the half but then came back to tie them and then went ahead 2-1 to win the game!  I had 6 saves and was proud of my team, especially my good friend, Marissa, who made one of the goals and assisted on the other.

"Refreshing" dive into the field of ice.  See the icicles on the crossbar of the goal?  COLD!

We went to lunch, warmed up and rested in the car for an hour or so until our next game.


 Saturday, 2:30PM. Friendly game against Pocatello United in Pocatello, Idaho. Warmer!

So, this was the best team here and the girls were 13 and big.  This was a good team!  But my team rose to the occasion and we played hard.  I made 8 saves and most of them involved contact with the other team.  It was funny but they complained that our team was being too physical even though they were older and bigger.  I think we got to them a bit but they went up 2-0 before we came up with a goal.  We simply ran out of time and lost 2-1.  But we played really well and it was great experience.  We look forward to playing them again in two weeks so hopefully we can beat them.

One of my saves--challenged by the same striker that came at me all day.

One of many bumps she and I had that day.

This was the winning goal that I just barely missed getting to.  Next time!

So, now we play this Wednesday in our season championship play.  If we win then we play against the #1 team next week.  We are excited to play and I am excited to make more saves and do good for these children we will visit in Ghana in just two months!

Thank you for your support!

Catching Up

The season has gone by really fast but we are heading into the championships in 2nd place. We have one game left on Friday and then two games in Pocatello, Idaho that were arranged by the coaches. I have kind of been slacking about Save-a-Thon. But, we are not done. So far, we have raised about $900. That isn't quite enough for the trip that is quickly coming in December. Please keep pledging! Thanks so much for everyone's support. :)