It's over. Four years of excitement, entertainment, highs, lows and everything in between closed yesterday, one game and two wins short of the ultimate goal. It's sad, very sad. It has been said that the ISL is the most competitive high school soccer league in the country. I don't know if it's true, but if it isn't the most competitive, then it has to rank up there in the top two or three. The championship game today will feature two ISL teams. Rivers and Roxbury Latin. RL helped us out last week by beating Rivers. Hopefully they will repeat the feat and old friend Andrew will take the title Zach so coveted. Zach thanked Andrew last week, and I know he will congratulate him later today. At least I hope Andrew and RL will deserve congratulations!!
As for yesterday's game; well, it sure was a good one in some respects and not a good one in others. The field still bothers me. But it's a field that Rivers has played on for years and will continue to play on. It's a field that dictates which side a teams offense is directed to (away from the second base intrusion on one of the sidelines). At least the infield was raked nicely for the game!! But the edge/bump where the infield and grass meet... In a New England Tournament semi final game? Rivers should be embarrassed by it when they have a beautiful, full size field the girls play on the other side of campus. It's a field they use to their advantage and it paid off for them this year. Rumor had it Dusty tried to do something to get the field switched but it didn't work.
As for the game, Brooks broke the ice and scored first. Zach, took the ball from center, drew defenders and slipped a great pass through legs to Bruno, who deposited it for a 1-0 lead. Almost the identical play the two combined for at St. Paul's last week. The Brooks fans were wild!! Students started chanting and I thought, far to early for that. Unfortunately, Rivers began to take some control and pressured Brooks. Repeated free and corner kicks. Ultimately, one of the corners turned into a Rivers goal. Great header off the corner. Missed mark by Brooks and the score was 1-1. Now the Rivers fans started to chant.
In the last 2 minutes of the half, Rivers again had some pressure. With the time winding down, a Rivers player was left alone to the left side of the net. The ball found him and he found the net. 2-1 Rivers. Lots of noise about how the player ended up alone and Michael ended up face down in the grass a few feet away, but the referees never saw what happened. The ball kicked off from center and the half whistle blew.
The second half began with fairly even play. Rivers pressured, Brooks countered. Brooks had some opportunities, but the went high or wide or the goalie made the stop. Greg had some of the best chances but just couldn't find the net. 10 minutes gone, 20 minutes gone. Still plenty of time. Somewhere around 15 minutes to go. Brooks has a free kick. The keeper goes up high and grabs the ball instead of punching it out. As he comes down, the ball hits a shoulder and pops loose. Seve pounces on it and it's tied 2-2. The Brooks fans finally have something to cheer about. The final time continued in a back and forth flow. Matty made a great save with seconds to go. End of regulation.
Two dreaded 5 minute overtime periods. Kind of useless in a way but that's the rule. The stop at 5 minutes disrupts anything that a team can even begin to put together in 5 minutes. Seve, took a shot that just missed the top corner at the tail end of the second 5 minutes. The final whistle. On to PK's for the second game in a row. Over the years I've come to understand why soccer is called "The Beautiful Game". But to me a PK ending makes the beautiful game pretty ugly.
Shooting order is picked. As with Wednesday, Zach is having problems in PK practice so he elects to go late in the sequence. Odd, but he's shooting PK's high in practice. Sam takes on the keeper shirt and gloves again. Matty's small frame is the only reason. More of Sam to possibly get hit with the ball than there is of Matty. Jory has the first shot. Beats the keeper but rings the post. Bad omen. Rivers shoots and scores. Dillon up next. Shoots right down the middle and the keeper grabs it. Rivers steps up and scores. Not looking good at all. Sam Pruit steps up. Another save. What is going on here??? Sam gets a hand on the next Rivers shot. There's still hope. Patrick steps up to shoot and the Rivers keeper stops the ball. Rivers wins. Brooks loses. Beautiful turned UGLY!
Rivers fans storm the field. Brooks players drop to the field. Tears flowing on both sides. I watch Zach as he walks alone to the far end of the field hugs himself and I know he's crying. Matt Gerimiah and Captain Nick are there today, both seniors when Zach was a freshman. Matt sees Zach and goes to him. Consoles him and walks him back to the handshake line. A special moment. The line completes and breaks. Captain Nick goes to him and hugs him. A big smile from Zach through the tears. The seniors all find each other. Zach drops to the field and just lies on his back. Teammates come to him, kneel down and hug him. Parents on the field, all with tears in their eyes. Zach comes over to me and just leans his head on me as I give him a big hug. He does the same with mom. Cheryl's eyes full of tears too. Rivers leaves the field with their fans. Brooks team, coaches, patents, alums and fans all linger, not wanting to leave. Not wanting this to end. Matt, Nick, Cam, Porter, George all there. All in tears.
It's really over. The final chapter is closed. There will be a few afterthoughts to post. Some pictures, the year end video, some final articles. We know Zach, Sam, Greg, Jory and Pat have been selected to the All ISL team. Zach, Sam and I believe Greg are All State. I also think Sam was selected All New England. When the official word is released it will be posted to the blog for history.
It's over...
A footnote, again for history. On Friday afternoon, Zach calls and asks what mom and I are doing right now? He needs to go to the emergency room. During practice, he was kicked in the face and might need stitches over his eye. It's a small cut, but the trainer wants it stitched just so it doesn't bleed during the game on Saturday. He ends up with a nice egg over his eye and 2 stitches. He played with the eye half closed with swelling. I think there was slight impact to his play, but he will say otherwise. Not that it really matters. This footnote, is just that. A footnote to note the ER visit for future reading.
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