Saturday Morning Struggle

SATURDAY MORNING 9/29/12

This weekend the Olympia girls’ soccer team had a competition against Greece Arcadia at the Arcadia varsity stadium. Starting offence was number 20 Brianna Vertiz and number 14 Jen Viterise. Leading the team in goal was number 1, Rachel Brightman. Starting player Amber Cowd, number 5, was unable to compete in the game because she has received 3 yellow cards this season. Playing Arcadia is always like a mini war for Olympia, the crosstown rivals.

The first goal was scored by Olympia’s former forward Desire Gonzales, who switched to Arcadia the previous year. Desire, number 20, was fed a through ball on the outside of the field and dribbled past Olympia’s defense and shot, low, hard, and to the corner on Brightman. Even after Rachel’s freakishly triumphant attempt at a save, she was unsuccessful.

With the score board 1-0 at the half Olympia was furious. Coach Danielle Boneberg was not happy with the performance either. You could see it on every person’s face that they were upset, and that they had not been playing to the extent they should have been.  The intensity needed to be picked up, and more shots needed to be taken. Lauren Chester, number 15, can shoot the ball and score from pretty much anywhere in the offensive half of the field, and score.

Anxiously jogging in place at the start of the second half, the ref blows the whistle and instinctively Chester drills the ball to the corner. With her incredible speed, Kayla Sobb, number 4,  runs on to the ball, only to be trampled over  by their very large sweeper, Janella, number 25. The ball flies down the field and ends on the Olympia side, and with no one pressuring the ball, Arcadia scores their second goal.

Angry parents can be heard roaring from the bleachers, yelling at their child to “get it back now girls!” Kel Cary, parent of former player Rebecca Cary and current player Kayla Cary, number 3, was almost removed from the game. With a push from Arcadia, Olympia is rewarded a direct kick, taken by Chester, number 15. As it goes just over the net, leaving the score at 2-0, with only a few minutes remaining in the second half.

With 30 seconds left, coach Maryellen Heocker yells from the side line “Let’s go Olympia, 30 seconds is plenty of time!” As the buzzer goes off Kayla Sobb takes a shot on net and just barley misses. Walking off the field with a final score of 2-0 resulting in a loss for the Olympia Girls Soccer Team.  The record is now 3-7-1.

The girls played their hearts off, leaving everything they had on the field. Playing your best doesn’t always result in a W for the books.