Sadly, Corwin’s team got crushed 0-5 today. I have to be honest and say that the team just didn’t seem to be playing their best game. It seemed like there was a definite lack of hustle. 3 of the other team’s goals were a single kid running the ball downfield and scoring against a lone goalie. Unlike previous years, the kids are now old and coordinated enough that the better players can make a good goal shot on the run if unopposed. On the flip side, the other team had a good defense. Only once or twice did Corwin’s team get a good run at it and I don’t think there was ever just a goalie for defense. Still, Corwin’s team did have a few close shots at the goal, but didn’t manage to convert.
Corwin played reasonably, although he seemed to be suffering from the general lack of hustle as well. He did better in the second half, with some good defensive plays and a good run at the other goal. He had a tough score against him as goalie. He blocked a couple of shots but on the third he didn’t quite hold on to the ball and the other side popped it in for the score.
I hope the kids don’t end up blaming me for getting the coaches to switch around the teams. There was some mixup in the schedule where Corwin’s team would have played the same team twice. With the switch, every pairing is now distinct. The switch also meant a change from yellow to blue jerseys, which was a problem for some of the girls who weren’t wearing undershirts. The parents had to hold coats around them. I had to use my coat to shield Corwin from exposure as well.
Unfortunately, Corwin will have to miss practice on Monday as he has a baseball game. It may be that Corwin is getting to the age where he will have to concentrate on one sport or the other.
You there! Yeah you with the camera! That loss was all your fault!
After they went down 0-3 in the second quarter, the team already decided the game was lost. Several of the kids had mailed it in, hence the overall lack of hustle. It was obvious they had lost their adrenalin because they were getting winded a lot quicker than usual. The two previous losses were close games, but this one got away from them. We knew before the season a loss would do this team good. This was the loss they will learn the most from because now they know what it’s like to play from behind.
I thought this picture was emblematic of the game:
MaraDolan actually noticed this during the game, when some one else complained about the goalie not stopping the shot. The kids are at an age now where they can kick reasonably accurately on the run, which means if a player gets a clean shot like this, the goalie is in a heap of trouble.
But, I am sure I am way over-analyzing here, as it’s just game, after all. The only real problem is that if the kids get bummed, they don’t enjoy playing.