Tonight was probably our best game of the season. When you take into consideration the quality of the opponent we were really happy with the performance and result. Last time we played South forced us into mistakes and they were the more aggressive team. They fully deserved to win that first matchup. We watched film of that game and tried to make some adjustments on both sides of the ball. Tonight we felt like we were the better team and deserved this victory.
We started very confidently and could've scored in the first minute. I think that really set the tone for us. After some half chances for both teams we forced a corner kick that Sammy Judge took, the ball ended up back at her feet after a clearance, and she hit a rocket past the keeper. After that neither team could take advantage of their possession in the first half.
At half time we spoke about matching their intensity in the second half and trying to keep playing the same way. While we couldn't find the finish I thought we had a couple of great chances. You can never count CRS out, they are a really talented group and with Sammy Jones up top it only takes one moment to change the game. To our credit I thought we defended them pretty well, Marlena, Brooke S , Anna & Brooke F looked very assured tonight, and even when it broke down there was a lot of defensive support to cover. Offensively I thought Alyssa Lanigan & Taylor Brennan really linked well together and they were a threat for us.
Although this is a rivalry game and the final game of the season, both teams competed extremely hard but fair. Nick and his staff run a really good program at South and we know each other's players well at this point. There is a lot of talent in this school district from each high school, and it will be pretty cool to see both teams in the playoffs next week.