A Fitting End – Part II

Last week’s blog ended with the following quote:

‘“It is hard to beat a person who never gives up.” ― Babe Ruth …these girls never give up.’

Over Father’s Day weekend at the Newington Wrap-Up Tournament the Crushers proved the truth in this quote more than at any other time this spring. They had to play in 4 games over 2 days in the sun and heat and due to injuries and other obligations, they had to play with just 2 substitutes….and without their starting goal-keeper.

In their first game vs. Guilford they struck early on a long-distance strike and seemed to be off to a roaring start. That strong start was deceiving. In the early going, they played well but seemed to get disjointed as the game wore on. The second half was a jumble of missed opportunities and poor organization. Fortunately their defense held fast and made the early tally stand up. They got a grinding 1-0 win….it was ugly, but it was a win.

Next up was Berlin, a team that was undefeated in their league (outscoring opponents 21-3 over 5 games) and a Connecticut Cup semi-finalist. The Crushers put together an outstanding performance on all fronts and won 2-0 against a stunned Berlin squad. They out-shot Berlin 20-1 over the course of the game, leaving no doubt as to the outcome.

On Sunday morning they had a game at 8:30 AM vs. the Newington Panthers. Historically early morning games have proved tough for the Crushers and this one wasn’t much different. Against an opponent that packed 8 players into the penalty box, it was slow going from beginning to end. The Crushers outshot the Panthers 13-4 and tallied a first half goal but couldn’t find the back of the net again. They had to settle for a 1-0 win in a frustrating game with an opponent that seemed content to stall the entire game. No matter, the Crushers secured win #3 and a place at the Championship game.

There was some confusion just prior to the Championship game as to who the Crushers would play in that game. In the end it was confirmed that they would play the Newington Jaguars – who had gone undefeated in the other U13 girls’ bracket. As a result of all the confusion, the Crushers had to take the field with almost no time to warm up. In a tough, competitive game the girls continued their stellar play outshooting the Jags 11-10 and tallying 2 goals while Newington could not solve the Crushers defense for a goal. In the end the Crushers secured a well earned a 2-0 victory and the Championship of the Newington Wrap-up Tournament. In 4 games (with just 2 subs), they outscored their opponents 6-0 … 4 shut-outs!!! Going back to the end of the regular season they had logged 6 straight shutouts… an impressive defensive achievement by any measure! A great Father’s Day gift for all the Crusher soccer Dads to be sure. As the great Pelé once said, “If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.” The Crushers were undeniably first.

The Crushers season for the spring of 2014 is officially over. Over the course of the season they allowed just 11 goals in 18 games, while scoring 36. They logged 10 shut-outs in those 18 matches. They were undefeated in league and tournament play, their only loss coming in the Connecticut Cup quarterfinal. Most importantly their effort and intensity remained strong from their first game to their last.

The success of the Crushers this year was no accident, it was years in the making. It started with Dave Price and the core of the team some 4 years ago and continued with Dreyfuss Colin and new players added and lost over the ensuing few years. I stepped into the head coaching role this past winter as we added one more player to the Crusher family this spring. The teams’ adherence and belief in our particular system of play and the execution of that system was one component of their success. Their willingness to accept and assimilate new players and deal with the loss of others was another factor. A consistent methodology taught by a 3 different coaches helped establish and maintain a foundation that was another variable in the equation. Finally and most importantly the girls themselves, with their belief in the system and faith in each other was the final piece. They simply did all that they could to support each other and the team goals overall. In the case of the Crushers, the whole was vastly superior to the sum of its parts.

It has been an honor for me to be a part of this team, first as a parent, then as an assistant coach and finally as their coach. They are such a special group of kids. The parents and families should be incredibly proud of them all and know that their guidance and support played a key role in making them the thoughtful, hard working and talented group that they are. I have been blessed to have a front row seat as they’ve grown and developed as individuals and players over the past few years. They will go on and play for different teams and coaches but they will always be Crushers. They started every game this season with the same rallying cry, “It’s great to be an Enfield Crusher! It’s great to be an Enfield Crusher! It’s great to be an Enfield Crusher! Go Crushers!!”

It truly is great to be an Enfield Crusher.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”― Phil Jackson