August 25th, 2013              

    After suffering two tough defeats, the La Forza girls were determined to end the tournament on a good note. They managed to do that in the nightcap against the Grand Ledge Comets. Once again Samantha was able to play in the field thanks to some goal keeping help from Lauren in the first half of tonight's game (and some of her other teammates, who rotated in net in the second half). Sam was so determined and impressive with her footwork in the field that her coach moved her up to forward from her usual midfield spot in today's game. Sam wasn't (and isn't) so sure about the move, but I think that she did a great job at it, including making some nice moves that resulted in scoring chances. Unfortunately for her she just missed the net on a couple of occasions (and the keeper stopped at least one other shot), but thankfully her scoring wasn't needed in this game. Her teammates played well, and managed to secure the victory that they sorely needed by shutting out the opposition by a score of 3-0.

    We did receive some news that we weren't too excited about after the game, and we are going to have to confirm that it is true. After tryouts were completed in June, Sam was the only goal keeper assigned to the U13 White team. We were told that the coaches would be bringing Lauren down from the U13 Blue team to help out as often as possible. It seems as though a decision was made to roster her on the Blue team (which is a higher level team), which means that she cannot play down with the White team. This leaves Sam as the only "full time" goalie. She isn't happy about this, as she wants to continue playing in the field as well. Hopefully someone will step up and help out, or they will find an alternative to Sam in goal at some point in the season. Tara & I pay too much for her to be pigeonholed into a position already, preventing her from the possibility of blossoming elsewhere.

Game 4 - vs. Grand Ledge Comets
	Samantha chasing the ball down into the corner.
	Sam trying to block a kick from an opposing player.
	Sam knocking the ball down with her legs...
	...and turning to gain control.
	Sam blocking another kick...
	...and turning it into an offensive possession for her team.
	Sam fighting off a forearm from an opposing player...
	...and passing the ball to a teammate.
	Sam and her teammates watching the action across the field.
	Sam fighting for position against an opposing player...
	...and gaining control of the ball.
	Sam dribbling the ball in the corner, looking for an open teammate to pass to.