A beautiful day with blue sky and 20+C/70+F temperatures, we always look forward while bracing ourselves for games with Northeastern because they are so strong and intense. But it is good to play good teams in order to stretch ourselves.
Maria's family was here and Claire's grandmother and other relatives who brought water to the team!
We spoke about expecting them to be intense -- like UVM, UMass A or Penn State. We suggested moving the ball quickly and not holding onto it.
They were intense! After only 6 minutes, after one of their corner kicks that we cleared out they got another and scored in the upper left corner of our net.
Jenna earned us a corner kick that Claire took in the 10th minute, then Northeastern's free kick from 30 yd out hit the cross-bar and bounced back out into the field, luckily!
Jenny had a shot wide and Bri saved a Northeastern shot in the 18th minute. After Meredith G got a free kick, Northeastern earned two more corner kicks.
Claire had her shot blocked and we looked to have scored right after that, but it was disallowed for being offsides. Northeastern sent a shot wide in the 28th minute and another blocked for a corner in the 32nd minute. Five minutes later they got in behind us and sent a shot into the lower right corner to give them two goals.
Sarah J had a shot saved in the 41st minute, then another shot blocked, and Sarah A had her shot saved just before the break.
We spoke about settling down, using the fact that the ball can travel faster than the players, communicating more, forcing them outside, having our defensive back line step up more, using this game to help us improve, take chances, have fun -- the team had so many good ideas at half time!
We took our own advice! Maria in the first minute had a shot saved, then Sarah J slotted the ball to Claire for our first goal in the 42nd minute. We looked to have settled down really well and were much more organized and able to control the game!
Claire almost scored again, in the 44th minute, when she was standing by the right post of the Northeastern goal and tried to touch a cross into their net. But it went just wide.
Meredith G took a free kick and then, after dribbling the whole field from her left defense position and beating several Northeastern defenders had a shot saved in the 48th minute.
Bri saved a solid Northeastern shot right after that, then Sarah A earned a free kick that Meredith G took. Northeastern got a free kick from 30 yd in the 57th minute.
Sarah A earned a free kick that Meredith G took from 40 yd out, crossing the ball from the right side to the left (far post) side, where Claire crossed it to Maria who volleyed it into the Northeastern net to tie the score!
After Claire's corner in the 62nd minute, Bri saved another of Northeastern's shots. Only a minute later, Northeastern's free kick hit our cross-bar then they put the rebound into the upper right corner of our net for their go-ahead goal.
Bri saved another shot before we got another free kick and Jenna had a shot go wide. In the 81st injury-time minute Claire beat a couple defenders and got a clear shot on their goal but it was blocked.
It was a win or sorts to have come from two goals down and then to have so many chances in the second half and to have improved so much in the second half! They were 2nd place in their South Boston/RI division, after Boston College, who we play first next Saturday at the Regional Tournament. They have always been a strong team, so this was great preparation for next weekend!
G: Bri
CD: Mari+Julia F-O'L, Katie
OD: Meredith G+Katie, Julia C+Elise
CM: Namya+Maria, Elise+Meredith G, Jenny
OM: Meredith S+Jenna, Sarah A+Nat
F: Claire+Sarah J, Dani+Jenny
Shots 13:10 Saves 5:7
6 NE corner (2) upper left -->0:1
10 Jenna earned a corner taken by Claire
11 NE free kick from 30 yd hit the cross-bar
17 Jenny shot wide
18 NE shot saved
20 Meredith free kick
21 NE corner (2)
23 Claire shot blocked, goal disallowed - ruled offsides
28 NE shot wide
32 NE shot blocked for a corner
37 NE got in behind our defense, lower right --> 0:2
38 Katie free kick
41 Sarah J shot saved
Sarah J shot blocked
Sarah A shot saved
--------------------------
41 Maria shot saved
42 Sarah J to Claire --> 1:2
44 Claire shot just wide at the post
46 Meredith G free kick
48 Meredith G shot saved
49 NE free kick from 30+ yd saved
56 Sarah A earned a free kick taken by Meredith G
57 NE free kick from 30+ yd
59 Sarah A earned taken by Meredith G
received by Claire who crossed to Maria --> 2:2
62 Claire corner
63 NE shot saved
64 NE free kick
hit our cross-bar, rebound sent upper right --> 2:3
68 NE shot saved
75 Jenna shot wide
81 Claire shot blocked
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