Our Hawks regular season is well underway, but between coaching and getting so into each game, I forget to take pictures. Our first 3 games ended in shutouts against Temecula United, FC Murrieta and Oceanside Breakers. We sat alone in first place and felt confident going into this weekend. Although we had a cool summer, fall arrived with a heat wave with temperatures reaching 100+ all weekend. We were not looking forward to spending Saturday in Hemet, where temps are often hotter than at home, but we were excited to battle Westfield Lightning! Unfortunately we gave up a 2-0 lead and ended in a 2-2 tie. The girls seemed to beat themselves and struggled to find a rhythm. I'm not sure we can even blame the heat!
We were actually happy to travel to the coast on Sunday, hoping for cooler temps in Encinitas. It was still 92 degrees, but much better than the 108 at home. We had played Encinitas Express before and hoped to get another win and recover from yesterday's poor performance. Although we had plenty of opportunities, we couldn't capitalize on any of them and Encinitas scored on a fluke high ball that went over Bella's head. After a strong halftime pep talk we were still confident we could come back. Charlie even promised the girls ice cream if they could score 4 goals, but it wasn't meant to be. Even though the girls' effort was much improved over yesterday, nothing seemed to go our way...including the referee. He called everything against us including a penalty that led to another score, blew the whistle every time we had momentum and had several talks with our sidelines. It was a strong lesson in sportsmanship for all of us, but we left the coast on the losing end 2-0.
I was proud of Taylor this weekend, though. She is working hard to improve her game play, putting a lot more effort out and is being a good cheerleader and motivator for the team. Even though we had two tough games, she didn't let it get to her and had fun overall. She realizes the challenges of club soccer and really wants to be successful. She loves her teammates and loves making memories with them.
Taylor and Maylie are ready to battle hard against Matrix next weekend!!
