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Spring 2009 - Game 7 Champions Once More
Well, not only did they earn the victory--on a brilliant second half goal manufactured by Kaitlyn and finished by  Steph--they clinched the division title and earned promotion to Division 1 for the Fall 2009 campaign.Roll back to the opening game of the season as our girls trudged off the field smarting from their first ever  ODSL loss. Would you have thought that with one game remaining they would have the title sewn up? I sure had confidence that they would never quit, but I figured it would come down to the last minute of the last game.But on the season's second weekend, the team got on a good roll and never really got off it. Two wins that weekend, another one the next, a tie, and then two more wins. Well, that is how we do that! A championship run to remember. Today's match brought some considerable challenges that the casual fan would not notice. Two key players--Holly and Taylor--were absent. And late in the game Sammy, our absolute stalwart central midfielder, reinjured her tailbone and was unable to play the last fifteen minutes of the game. And that's right where the season was fully defined. Three dependable players out forced the team to shift several others into unfamiliar roles and they each excelled. Allyson, for one, had stints at three different positions, and Tyla, for another, played all three of the midfield roles at different times--an incredibly demanding task. Others had to play longer shifts like JPeg, who ran most of the game at outside midfield. It was a grueling day for her and for Anna and Ashley, who were pushed to their limits once again and never let their team down. For a second straight season both central defenders have played virtually every minute of every game.Still others had to change the very nature of their game by playing faster and tougher than they had up to now. Alyssa inspired the team with her hustle and aggressive play against larger, heavier opponents and Goose took on one of the fastest wings we've seen so far this season. Neither won every challenge, and neither ever gave up.
And so the championship moment in time came down to a hustle play by Kaitlyn and a beautiful shot slotted neatly into the lower left corner by Steph. That was followed by fifteen minutes of sheer tension as both teams looked to score. The Avalanche wanted icing on the cake, and the Freedom hoped to curtail any celebration. But the tired light blue defense hung in there with Nicole and Dana playing tough and doing just enough to keep the fighting Freedom forwards at bay. And when that last ball was lofted far downfield and the final whistle was blown, the Avalanche were titlists again. Sixteen girls. One team. Two championships. Think snow! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
