Our game last night was delayed by a bad accident on Route 78 that made travel time to the game hefty. It was well after the scheduled kickoff time when the Hawks finally had 7 players and we had 13. Hawks never made it to a full side of 11, but they played anyway and it was a sportsmanlike and easy match (for us...) on a lovely night.
Although the warning had gone out that we were also short players, many responded to the call. Jen and I drove direct from an episode of Househunters- DC to make the game. Shannon and Heather were sporting injuries, EJ and Claudia played on a Wednesday, a rarity for them because of work, and Cheryl was recovering from vertigo, but we were all there.
The first half ended 4-0 and we changed up our lineup to give some of our defenders a chance to get further forward on the field. People who had already tallied a goal were not allowed to score any more. Krissy took about 1 minute to score with a great header, then she trotted back to her sweeper spot. Harvey played very well at right midfield and up top. Many people contributed to the scoreline- Linda had 3 goals, Shannon scored before leaving the game early to rest her knee injury, and Kelly, EJ, Krissy and Cheryl all put the ball in the net. The rest of us had assists and set ups and we played a nice passing game. Jen played in goal and had a quiet match except for one sliding save which left her with a sore quad.
Player of the game was Hopatcong's goalkeeper, who made several really tough saves, especially when the sun was in her eyes. It's hard to be a struggling team in this league, and the veterans on our team remember the days, (not long ago at all,) when Hopatcong routinely beat us 9-1. They were in the ascension and we were rebuilding. Now the tables have turned. Hopefully they will get some new players and survive to play, because when a team folds, the whole league suffers.
After the game, we had beers with our fans, kids, and Amy and DJ, who came out to watch, or at least to imbibe! We stayed past sunset and had a great time before heading out into the night.
Squad- Jen, Kerry, Krissy, Heather, Maryanne, Harvey, EJ, Kelly, Shannon,
Cheryl, Linda, Laura, Claudia
No game this Sunday. We have a BYE on Wednesday the 6th. Our next game is Sunday the 10th in Sparta. Count to follow. Enjoy your holiday weekend, gang!
Addendum By: Cheryl McKinney
Kerry, once again being the optimist and always trying to find the good in every human, failed to mention the highlight of the game.With about ten minutes left in the first half, a hopatcong player who, no doubt was stuck in traffic on 78, rolled into the lot. Her team was desperate for her to get on the field. So much so that they actually let her play in her dry clean only work slacks. They were black and flowy and put me in mind of clam diggers or culottes or gauchos. They had a zipper and a button and even had belt loops. It was a sight to see. With the soccer socks underneath I could hardly contain my laughter as I watched her gallop around the field like somebody's mom who came to watch but was thrown on the field out of desperation. It was friggin hilarious.
At halftime she changed into shorts, and before long we all remembered who she was from last season. She rolled up her shirt, tucked it into her sports bra and played with a little 1985 seaside heights style half shirt going on. You all know who I mean, now, right? Remember her??
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