Last weekend the Crushers had just one game – a quarter final match vs. Cromwell in the Connecticut Cup. When you get to the point where just 8 teams remain in the tournament, every team is good and every team is hungry! Before I get to the game itself, I need to give the game a bit of context:
The Crushers had most recently played Cromwell last spring. Both teams were in the same division and they played the last week of the spring season. Up until that meeting, Cromwell was undefeated and averaging over 5 goals/game. The Crushers had a strong season as well, but had a loss and couple of ties taking them out of contention for the league title. On a blistering hot day the Crushers headed to Cromwell to face the league leaders on their home turf. The game was a classic battle but the heat and limited subs were wearing down the Crushers. Enfield got a long-distance strike for a goal and went up 1-0 early in the second half. Over the balance of the game, both teams running on fumes, the battle raged on – crossbars and posts were hit – and neither team could find the back of the net again. When the dust (and there was a lot of it) settled, the Crushers had handed Cromwell their only defeat of the season and shut out the league leading scorers on their home field. A great finish to their 2013 spring season.
In the fall of 2013 the two teams were in different leagues and never played. The Crushers were knocked out in the second round of Cup play and Cromwell went to the Cup final where they were defeated by Suffield.
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When the whistle blew to start things on Saturday, there was some real history between the two teams and scores to be settled. From the outset both teams worked very hard to get that critical first goal. After some missed opportunities on both sides, Cromwell drew first blood on a well placed strike on a direct kick from outside of the penalty box. Cromwell was now up 1-0. The Crushers were pressing for an equalizer before the half and got caught too far up-field. Some quick transition and another strong shot from distance found space just under the crossbar, giving Cromwell a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. The girls were frustrated to be down 2-0, in 11 previous games that had only allowed a team to score 2 goals twice – holding opponents to 1 goal or scoreless in the other 9 games. Giving up 2 goals in a half was unfamiliar territory to be sure. They jumped back out determined to get those 2 goals (at least) back in the second half and win this game. A strong effort created some excellent opportunities early in the half but once again, no goals. The team never quit and pushed until the final whistle but couldn’t solve the Cromwell defense for a goal. The final score: Cromwell 2 Enfield 0. The quest for the Cup was over. In 2013, the Crushers spoiled Cromwell’s undefeated season on their home field and in 2014 Cromwell had their revenge, returning the favor on the Crushers’ home field.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, very cold.
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It’s always hard to lose a game like this…especially when your goal is within sight. Cromwell has had a strong team for some time now and their performance on Saturday was testament to their balance. They were quick through mid-field, had a strong defense and did an outstanding job disrupting the Crushers offensive flow when they were working the ball into the offensive third. The Crushers played well, but not well enough. Shots were 9 to 9. The Enfield girls had their opportunities, several of them, but were unable to convert any into a goal.
The team was understandably upset after the game. They wanted that Cup very badly. The coaches reminded them that they had set 2 goals at the beginning of the season:
1. Win the Cup … that one had just been taken away.
2. Win the league title … that one is still within their grasp.
They have 2 league games left and need to focus 100% of their energy on winning those games to have a chance to win the league. It is time to get back to work.
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”― Michelangelo
