With seven (7!) players in new positions, we ignored the cold and played our best first half of the season in the tourney opener vs BCS. Three unanswered goals, dominant possession, and zero(!) shots allowed. Last time we played BCS, we narrowly escaped with a 2-1 win. This time we utterly outclassed them, led by Player Of The Game #1 Alina (a hat trick!) and Player Of The Game #2 Ella (a constant threat on left wing in her best game as a Spartan).

 

This virtuoso performance also featured two of the prettiest goals of the season: 1) Ella dancing up the sideline, beating two defenders, then firing a low lefty cross to the top of the 6 that Alina coolly converted, and 2) Emma gaining the baseline on the right side and sending an absolutely perfect cutback pass to the penalty spot that Alina one-timed into the top of the net. We’d worked a lot in practice recently on finishing crosses – seeing our hard work pay off was SO SWEET.

 

I admit, I was as surprised as the players were with how St John’s Ravencourt came out flying in our second game. They were skilled and they were fast, especially their #3. Before we really knew what hit us, we were down 2-0 and rocked back on our heels. The good news? Julia/Val//Addy in the midfield and Charlotte/Allie/Annabel on defence, they all keyed on #3 in the second half, severely limiting her forays up the middle. This helped us play them even (1-1) in the second half, proving to ourselves that if we did happen to meet them again later in the tourney, we could indeed hang with them and make it a game.

 

A 1-1 record after Day 1. So I did some math that night. As it turned out, for us to advance to the semi-finals, we had to not only beat Rothesay-Netherwood on Friday morning in our last round-robin game, but we had to win by two goals. In soccer, scoring is tough. Winning by two is a big ask.

 

And in one of the highlights of the season, your Spartans answered the bell! Despite a lackadaisical first half – we were SO late to every ball – the soccer gods granted us an undeserved 1-0 lead when Maya poked home a scramble goal against the flow of play. But we needed to be much better in the second half if we wanted to advance. And better we were. The Red & White came flying out of halftime, playing with purpose, winning 50/50s, being first, and it was only a matter of time before our pressure earned us a penalty shot that Addy converted for the 2-0 lead and ultimate victory. The clutch-est win of the year!

 

On to the semi-final vs ECS, where I liked our chances. We were gelling. We were playing together. We were figuring it out. We were steady on defence, dangerous on offence, and tough in the midfield. But the soccer gods that helped us vs RNS decided to abandon us, cuz in a 90-minute span, we got so ravaged by injuries it felt like we’d been cursed by a gypsy. 1) Dally ruled out pre-game (concussion protocol). 2) Ella ruled out pre-game (foot). 3) Addy knocked out of the game in the first half (knee). 4) Alina out second half (knee) 5). Gabby (playing her best game of the season) knocked out during overtime (concussion protocol). 6) Val out with 5 minutes left in overtime (dizziness). We started the game with 18 players. We finished with 12.

 

Yet, shorthanded and exhausted, we managed to make it through regulation and 20(!) minutes of overtime tied 1-1, thanks to Maya and Emma setting up Nya for the first goal of the game, and Player Of The Game Emma going full-on beast-mode – man, was she everywhere! So it came down to a shootout… where the soccer gods ultimately had one more slap in the face for us, as we came out on the losing end in The Tragic Coin Flip that is penalty shots.

 

But I am nothing but proud of this team. You were sooo tired. You’d played four games in two days. Your teammates were dropping like flies. And you somehow still made it to penalties, arms linked at the center circle, embroiled in the most pressure-packed situation in soccer. Together.

 

This heartbreaking result meant that Saturday morning’s game would be a friendly vs Sacred Heart School of Halifax, and friendly it was, as the two teams even took a checkerboard photo together before the game. With a premium on avoiding further injury, we shortened the game to 50 min (instead of 70) and ended up losing 2-0, despite the efforts of Isabelle (tireless work rate all game), Annie (active in goal), and Sofia (her best game of the year).

 

All in all, a memorable, worthy of the history of this event. With less terrible injury luck, I am confident we could have found ourselves in the Division 2 final on Saturday, where who knows what would have happened in a rematch with SJR. But maybe the soccer gods are saving their good news for the last, and biggest, game of the season –Monday’s ETIAC Semifinal vs Alexander Galt. At Bishop’s University. On the turf.

 

We just need some health, soccer gods. We’ll do our best to take care of the rest.