What does Stonehenge and Crushers soccer performance have in common?

By the end of this article, I hope to have answered that question.

In the meantime, there are a few things I need to address:

1.      This past weekend, the Crushers had just one game…originally there were 2 friendly matches lined up, but for various reasons both canceled at the last minute. Through some last minute scrambling and a lot of behind-the-scenes work by our tireless team Manager (Thanks, Kim W!), we were able to secure an 11th hour friendly with the Tolland U13/U14 girls’ team. The players took the field under ideal soccer conditions – which for us means the game was in the afternoon and Goldilocks temperatures (not too hot, not too cold) prevailed. From the first touch it was like a breath of fresh air. After last weekend’s sub-par performance against a much weaker team, the Crushers came roaring out of the gate against a solid Tolland side and dominated them from start to finish. If there is a tonic to wash the bad taste of that poor game vs. Simsbury out of a coach’s mouth, this game was it. Everything that was missing from last weekend’s performance was present on the field this past Sunday. The girls showed poise, crisp passing, made excellent runs, took strong shots, carried the ball into open space and finished when it counted. The final score was 3-1 (Tolland scored on a long-distance shot that landed in the upper corner just under the crossbar), but it was never that close. The Crushers applied constant pressure and maintained about a 70%-30% possession advantage. They played so well in fact, that we were able to switch players into unfamiliar field positions for extended periods of time. At the end of the game I guaranteed them that if they could bottle that performance, play at the same level next weekend at the Colchester wrap up tournament; they would surely walk away as tournament champions.

2.      I mentioned earlier this season that the best defense is a good defense. I should have said a great defense. There are some stats I’d like to share now that the regular season is over. The team finished with a record of 10-6-2 (10 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws). Not as good as we’d hoped but the facts are the facts. Here are a few more facts: 5 of their 6 losses were by a 1-0 score. In 18 games they allowed more than one goal only once, in a 3-1 loss to Cromwell and recorded 10 shut-outs. All told the Crushers scored 38 goals this season and allowed 10 goals in 18 matches. That averages out to 2.1 goals scored and .55 goals allowed over the course of their fall campaign, scoring nearly four times as many goals as they allowed. Not too shabby. But for a few defensive lapses, it could’ve even been better. Despite our disappointment in a few key games, it was a very strong overall effort.

3.      We are very proud of the passion the girls have exhibited throughout the season. They couldn’t improve the way they have, as quickly as they have, if they weren’t passionate about the game. In their successes and failures, passion (and sometimes the lack of it) has made all the difference.

4.      Congratulations go out to several of our players who, along with members of the ESC U12 Dynamite and the ESC U14 Revolution girls’ teams led the JFK girls’ soccer team to an undefeated season. Well done ladies!!

5.      Finally a big thank you goes out to the Crusher families. Their ardent support of the team is a critical component of this team’s success. They have sat in the near-dark waiting for us to wrap up practice, driven all over to get to the games, gotten up early and stayed out late, sacrificed all our part of the last dozen weekends and coordinated rides/lunches/brunches to make this season happen. We couldn’t do it without all of them. Many thanks!!

Okay, so now we head back to Stonehenge. What do Stonehenge and Crushers soccer performance have in common? It’s a mystery. Stonehenge is a mystery…and how the girls can struggle so mightily one week and play so proficiently the next – is a mystery. We have just one last weekend to solve that mystery…