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The last tournament for this season and the Jaws fought hard, they hung in there tough, they dug down deep inside, they shined, they recovered...and they also laughed, developed their own team superstitions, hung out and enjoyed a weekend together.

First game was against Stanford Lightning:

My girls caught onto my tactic of counting backwards in order to best organize our days, especially soccer days - game at 9:30am, be on the field at 8:30, leave home at 7:30am, wake up at 6:30am which means bedtime is 8:30-9:00pm! Initially they resisted the early bedtime on a friday night but once they got into bed their bodies succumbed to it, albeit slowly but eventually.

The first half of the game they were at 0-0. Unfortunately the game ended at 0-4.
The team went to lunch and the girls hung out. Feet were rested, spirits were lifted and gear was dried out by the warm sun.

The second game was against the Gryphons. The team played like a well-oiled machine and they won 1-0. It was tough though, bodies crashed against each other, mud was kicked and the girls fought hard for possession of the ball - but that ball met the back of the net and the game was won.

The next day at 10:30am the team played against Revolution Red in a tough fight, they girls came into this game knowing they had to win. They've been there before, twice - at the SC Classic & the Tiburon Tournament. Glory was made by 2 players who tasted sweetness for the first time - scoring a goal does that to you, it makes you want to come back for more, it makes you hungry.At 2-0 it placed the girls in a position to be in the Consolation Round the rest was based on two games that were being played at 12:00. One team needed to lose and another team couldn't win their game with more than 1-0. With that, by 1 point, the Jaws advanced to the Consolation Round at 3:00pm.

At the first half the girls were holding at 1-0 but with the switching of the field, the sun setting with a bright glow towards their faces and the game ball being white, it added an element of difficultness to the game. No excuses though - game ended at 1-2.

Glory was still to be had though - the Jaws team with 2 subs that whole weekend, placed 4th out of 12 teams. That's something to be hugely proud of.

The drive home was beautiful, the orange vibrant sunset and the promise of a home-cooked meal at Mia & Bill's house. We spent the entire weekend together, Dan on one side of the field, me on the other and the girls in between us - as Dan would say, "As usual" :) and that's said with love...and pride.