at Springfield 7Oct2023

Being Bid Night, we were hoping for an earlier start than 4pm so that more of our players could come and then be back on campus for their evening events, but Springfield said their men’s teams had the field until then. We requested shorter halves but they denied that, too. In over 30 years coaching I can’t remember a hosting team denying a visiting team’s request for game length. Hurricane winds and rain were forecast, so we braced ourselves for a difficult day.

There was some rain on the way south, but it subsided for us. ~70F/20C and overcast, we got there in time for a good warmup. We asked again at 3:45 whether we could start early, because the officials and trainer were ready, but Springfield denied again.

Although grass is deemed better than turf, their turf field looked good. We spoke about making good passes to feet and moving the ball quickly.

We did exactly that - we were able to connect a great many of our passes, and our strong defense was expert at building our attack out of the back.

After Eliza earned and took a corner kick, Molly took a free kick from our third before Springfield got off a shot that went wide. Hattie had a shot shot saved before 

placing a perfect shot into the upper left corner of their goal in the 16th minute.

Caitlin earned a corner taken by Hattie before Springfield got a free kick from their third. Then Rachel earned a free kick in our third taken by Molly and Abby R had a shot go over. 

Addie saved a shot before Lana had one go wide. Nicole earned and took a corner before Molly had a shot go high.

Lana slotted a perfect pass to Nicole, whose shot was placed beautifully into the lower left corner of their goal in the 34th minute. Springfield took a free kick in our third before Julia earned a free kick in their third taken by Hattie.

Just before the break, Hattie lofted an amazing shot from perhaps 25m from the right side of the field into the upper left corner of their goal. Their keeper had been difficult to beat, so those three goals were impressive!

During the break, we suggested keeping our intensity and good passing.

Caitlin got off the first shot in the second half - saved - before Springfield’s shot hit our cross-bar (lucky for us!). 

Hattie had shots wide and high before Addie came up with a other save. Eliza had a shot saved before Caitlin earned a free kick in their third taken by Lana, whose shot was saved. We kept their goalkeeper busy!

Maddie had a shot saved in the 58th minute before Caitlin earned a corner kick taken by Abby R. Then Maddie had another shot saved.

Nicole had shots saved and go wide in the 62nd minute just before the hurricane winds came in with some rain. Wind blew over the covered bench where our two subs had been sitting! Luckily no one was hurt! We helped the trainers tilt it over on its front so that couldn’t happen again.

After Abby R’s corner, Lana had a shot saved in the last minute of the game. We hustled off to avoid getting too wet and had a rainy, very windy drive back to campus. 

This was a very memorable game - (only) 13 players who were expert at getting the ball and keeping it by making high-quality passes. No one even seemed tired - they managed the ball so well. The goals were stunning!

G: Addie Winship

CD: Rachel Horne+Molly Knox

OD: Chloe Gern+Liv Deeley

CM: Hattie Hatton+Lana Kanno+Julia Åkerlind Kermoury, Maddie Kim+Abby Reiner

OM: Eliza Durbin+Nicole Bogdanos

F: Caitlin Evers

Shots 18:5 Saves 3:9

2 Eliza earned and took a corner kick

3 Molly took a free kick from our third

6 Springfield shot wide

11 Hattie shot saved

16 Hattie shot upper left corner of their goal -> 1:0

19 Caitlin earned a corner taken by Hattie

20 Springfield free kick from their third 

22 Rachel earned a free kick in our third taken by Molly

24 Abby R shot over

25 Springfield shot saved by Addie

26 Lana shot wide 

31 Nicole earned and took a corner

     Molly shot over

34 Lana to Nicole shot lower left -> 2:0

35 Springfield free kick in our third 

39 Julia earned a free kick in their third taken by Hattie

40 Hattie from right to upper left -> 3:0

—————

44 Caitlin shot saved 

45 Springfield shot hit our cross-bar

47 Hattie shot wide

48 Hattie shot over

49 Springfield shot saved by Addie

51 Eliza shot saved

52 Caitlin earned a free kick in their third taken by Lana, shot saved

58 Maddie shot saved

59 Caitlin earned a corner kick taken by Abby R

     Maddie shot saved

62 Nicole shot saved

63 Nicole shot wide 

76 Abby R corner

37 Lana shot saved

39 Springfield shot saved by Addie for a corner