Playoff Soccer - a recap

I had this all ready to go...and then...life.

So here goes a second chnace to recap the playoffs.

It snowed fifteen inches at my house May 9, which meant that it must be girls soccer playoff season! 

This is such a crazy time of year. Graduation for seniors. AP tests and final exams. Mercurial weather. End of year celebrations, concerts and events. Amidst all that, our players and team have to train to improve, stay focused, play intense, disciplined and with purpose. 

In our first game we had to come back from a difficult regular season ending home loss against Air Academy, and play a familiar playoff foe, Ponderosa, and we played middle of the day, down at Trailblazer due to the SNOW DAY! Fortunately we played fantastic. We pressured them, spread the field, found players in dangerous positions and they finished early and often. 

Saturday we played Pueblo County In the round of 16, and it was a frustrating game. Saturdays are always tough, and this one proved to be so.  But we emerged and got to the Quarterfinals.

Prior to the Quarters, we had what, in retrospect, might be considered the most important meeting/practice of the year - in which we discussed our goals for the rest of the year - to have fun, enjoy the ride, and to be accountable. We also started planning for what was definitely the strangest game I have ever been a part of.

Riverdale Ridge is a unique opponent. Very physical, disruptive, and in my opinion, exhibiting some unsporting behavior from some players that must be intended to get you off your game. They also play very hard and are a talented, good team that gets the most out of the talent they have. We got up but they kept coming back, but thankfully we had timely finishes and saw the game out. I am not sure I have ever celebrated so hard as I did at the end of that game.

Our semifinal was against Rampart, and I think that was the best team we played all year - lots of offensive talent, relentless, fast, and skilled. We played amazing, our most complete game, getting timely clinical finishes to go up 3-0, and then got to halftime at 3-1, and played SO HARD that second half, only finally giving up the second goal with seven seconds to play. What a 3-2 win to get to the Finals! 

As for the Finals, it was "kinda nice" to score in the first minute. I thought we were the better team, but we had to get the game right and defend Corner Kicks and set pieces all game (lots of them) to get our shutout and coast in the end to that scoreline of 3-0. 

There were so many Cougars of the Day over the Playoff run! So poud of you all. Congrats!