PinkOut 2019

11 April: Thunder at STA for Pinkout (1-2 OT)

Game 8, Midseason

BWhite and his parent group worked so hard decorating the field, finding prizes for the raffles, getting us uniforms (and I just loved the idea of all of us putting someone's name on our back involved in the battle with cancer), and creating that famous walkout (Here is the walk-in!)—all the things that make this night so special, and honestly, we laid an egg. 

I, however, loved the enthusiasm and energy we started the game with.  We almost scored on the kickoff as Grace found Assa who took a couple of touches before putting one on the back post. It looked as if we, perhaps, should have scored as it came back out as well.

We pretty much controlled that first half against a strong wind.  With about 12 left, we cashed our lone corner of the half on a great service, header, and a frame. We should have been going into the second half with a 1-0 lead, about to get the wind.  But as BWhite says "we are our own worst enemy." With little time left in the half, we fouled them in the box, giving them a PK with nine seconds left, nine. So the half ended 1-1.

I expected us to create quite a few chances with the wind in the second half.  Granted the wind went sideways—always a possibility in Kansas, but still, we were in better shape with the conditions in the second half than we were in the first. But I would say St. James won the middle of the field and Thornhill ate us up on the outside of the field as she fed the box with her crosses. And we didn't create much of anything.

So there we were in overtime again, once again gassed.  We gave up a tired goal. Thornhill had put another ball into the box, but we miscleared it to set up the finish, a clean header.  

St. James outplayed us all second half, and throughout the overtime.

Kate Goza was the BWhite Player of the Match. It would be hard to find any of our players who scored out at 10 out of 10 for the match, but Kate was the closest, and she played the entire match once again.  Grace was pretty good as well.

We have had a couple of tough results these last two matches.  We need to take BWhite's advice not to be our own worst enemy. 

But St. James arrived for this one to give us a great match.  They will take home the PinkOut cup for the first time, I believe.  But they certainly deserve it.

We might see them again in playoffs, but the way playoffs have been working lately, we may not. We certainly did not help ourselves at all for postseason tonight.

We need to revisit the chemistry lab, as we thought we had found something there during the second half of the Kapaun game, but we still don't have the right mix to create enough chances offensively.

We stand 4-3-1 at the halfway point.  We will have a tough game in BV North next.

Addendum: the KSHSAA has ruled that we forfeit the Divine Savior game as it stands as a violation of the “500” mile rule. 

So we now stand 4-4-0 at midseason. 

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 3 (2) Corners (Nielsen)

11:45 Jackson (Grace bends in the corner for a Ram header to Kyli's feet)

Thunder: Shots: 3 (3) Corners: 1

0:09 Thornhill (PK) 

Second Half and OT:

Saints: Shots: Shots: 4 (2) Corners: 3 (Cox 2, Kante)

Thunder: Shots: 2 (1) Overtime 3 (3)  Corners: 2

5:45 OT Zndarsic (we misclear the ball setting up the header)