Soccer season is finally over

There are good things and bad things that bring this soccer season to a close this year. The first and probably best thing that happened this year was that we won the Championship this year. During the regular season the girls won 10 games lost 1 and tied 1 which gave them the championship outright. Ashley Pierpoint, who played forward for me, finished the season with 33 goals. Unreal considering that most of the teams both boys and girls together couldn't get 33 goals. Then came the tournament. We were the number 1 seed and had a pretty easy road to the championship game. There was no score after regulation and so we had to play two, five minute, halves as a golden goal. Those who do not understand that, it is sort of like "sudden death" in football. First one to score wins. Didn't like that, hate that, because a fluke can happen and the better team might end up losing. Well those 10 minutes ended in a tie as well and that brings us to one of the most exciting situations in sports, a shoot-out. They pick five of their best and we pick five of our best and they shoot on our goalie and we shoot on theirs. The team making the most out of five wins the game. What a way to finish the season, right? Well We got to shoot second which is a huge bonus. Their first shot was blocked by our goalie. Our first shot was taken by the girl that had 33 goals in the regular season, I figured that it would be a no brainer...I was wrong. She kicked the dirt and the ball trickled to the goalie, easily blocked. their next player drove the ball right past SoYoung, my goalie. Up next for us was Michelle Lane, my only senior, playing in her last game for our school. She drove the ball past their goalie... 1-1 Third round was the same as the last with Jeeyoung scoring for us. 2-2 now. The fourth round had their girl kicking it way left of the goal. Kim Wadsworth kicked it into the upper right corner of the goal, now we were ahead 3-2 going into the fifth and final round. I had Amy Peterson as my fifth kicker so I had the odds in my favor since I knew that Amy had a strong enough leg to kick the ball through their goalie. But it never came to that, as SoYoung blocked the final kick by the other team to win the tournament. At the awards ceremony for the tournament, I had 7 players receive All-conference and 6 receive All-Tournament. They also gave out a "golden boot" (most goals in the tournament) Best goalkeeper (self explanatory), Best defense (same as last), and M.V.P. (Most vicious player) Our school took three of the four. Ashley Pierpoint got M.V.P. , Amy Peterson got Best Defense and SoYoung Wolfe, with her unbelievable play as our goalie got best goalkeeper. Let me also state here that this is a small varsity team and girls from seventh grade to 12th grade can play. SoYoung is an 8th grader and in the shoot-out she beat a 12th grader. What a great tournament. The other award that we got, that I really don't like to mention a whole lot, was Coach-of-the-Year. I really treasure it but it is the girls that deserve all the credit. I love coaching them and going to games and practices with them. I am really going to miss this season. That is where the whole, I'm glad it is over but at the same way happy. It is very stressful. Our school hosted the tournament. Two days of taking people places and arranging the food and the coaches, where are seven teams going to stay while they are here, placing, awards, standing, and the list could go on. But not this blog. I will post some pictures on this blog as soon as I download them to my computer. All the glory goes to God. That was probably the coolest thing of all was our first game of the tournament, I was so brain fried that I had a couple of girls as I was leaving the field tell me "Hey, Mr. Harring, we haven't prayed yet!!" That is always touching and then to also be in the van and listen to them all singing praise songs. I will not be coaching basketball next year, however, I would never give this coaching job up as long as I am here.