The Crushers had another excellent performance over the weekend. They scored 11 goals and allowed 0 in two matches. On Saturday they played the second round of the CT State Cup tournament against Colchester. The final result was never in doubt on the way to a 5-0 victory. On Sunday, the Crushers had a league game vs. Wethersfield. Once again they executed very well and finished with a 6-0 victory.
Two of the things that we are most proud of with these girls are the balance we’ve seen on offense and their commitment to team defense. Through this weekend (including tournament games) the girls have scored 29 goals and allowed just two. [Sadly those two goals resulted in two 1-0 losses, one vs. CFC and the other in their first league game vs. Burlington, but I’ll get back to that.] Those 29 goals have come courtesy of 10 different players. Not too shabby. As impressive as the scoring has been, a stifling defense has been a hallmark of this team for some time. Over 9 games this season, 12 different players have played either in goal or as “full-backs” on defense. Considering there are just 17 total players on the Crusher’s roster, having this type of balance and flexibility is crucial to the long term success of the team and a credit to the girls’ hard work and fitness.
That brings me to my final point this week. For a long time we had a smaller team. The crushers had 13 or 14 players on the roster for over a year and when you’re playing 11 v 11, that made it tough on the team many times. We were required to play the girls at various positions to cover for a short bench. What was seen as a burden at the time has become a blessing. Each of our girls can now play several positions with confidence and skill. They also understand the system we’ve been teaching much better, because they’ve seen how it should work from several perspectives. Our newer players also have the opportunity to work on their strengths and weaknesses by playing in multiple positions.
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Dreyfuss and I feel obligated to prepare our girls to play at the next level, which for many of them will be next year, on a local high school soccer field. The ability to play multiple positions, their strong fitness habits and a full understanding of what’s expected of them regardless of what position they play will go a long way to preparing them for the best (and worst) of what lay ahead.
Oh yeah, what lay ahead...remember that Burlington team that handed the Crushers their only league loss this year (1-0)? They are the girls’ next opponent in the CT State Cup. Once again the Crushers team balance and great defense will be tested. They will need to perform at their very best to win … a task they’ve grown accustomed to.
