Class S State Championship Game

For the first time ever, all of the Connecticut high school soccer state championship games were played at Dillon Stadium, which is a brand new soccer stadium that is home to Hartford's USL soccer team. From the locker rooms, to the heated captains chairs that served as the bench, the girls were completely in awe of their surroundings.  NWC faced #2 Holy Cross, the defending state champs. Catholic schools love to call any game against another catholic school a "holy war", but this was the biggest holy war of them all and the student body was completely amped up.

                            They got to use the pros' locker room before and during the game.

Warm ups.

Both starting lineups were led onto the field by the referees, which is how the pros do it.  They were a bit unprepared and not certain what they should do (other than step forward), when their names were announced.

Announced as part of the starting lineup in the biggest game of her life on the biggest stage of her career.  A moment we will never forget.

This picture makes me so happy. Although nervous, the girls are clearly enjoying the moment.

When you get to play soccer with your best friend.

After an early goal by Holy Cross, the girls were down 1-0 at the half, which quickly became 3-0 early in the second half. It was frustrating to watch, because those of us that watched them all year knew that they were the better team but they just were not putting together their best performance. With 17 minutes left in the game, NWC scored; and then they scored again. Although they fought with all they had, they simply ran out of time. A gorgeous shot, which was surely a goal, was blocked at the last instant by the eventual game MVP and that is pretty much how the last five minutes played out, as they lost 3-2.

With less than two minutes left in the game, down 3-2, Emily took a hard hit to get a call. And just in case she didn't get the call, she took the opposing player with her ("I grabbed her leg between mine as I went down").  Apparently, it hurt as much as it looks like it here.

Absolute sadness.  Riley is a senior and has been a strong defensive partner for two years.  I think Emily felt worse for Riley than she did for herself.

The medal ceremony.  I found Emily's runner up medal in the bottom of her soccer bag a few days after the game, exactly where she tossed it after the ceremony. Although she wanted no part of it, I made sure to keep it because I know that after the disappointment fades, she will be happy that she has it.

Emily played every minute of every game in the post season and gave it everything she had. We never doubted how much she wanted to win and how hard she was willing to work to win. And not just for herself, but for her team. This team cared deeply about each other, cheered for each other every step of the way and is the most unselfish team she's ever been on. She learned so much from her teammates and her coaches. She played 19 complete games (out of 21) during the season, transitioned to a new a position for the good of the team, and grew as a player, as a leader and as a person. She knows how lucky she is to have an incredible coach and to be surrounded by incredible players.