Game 12

Jayden and her Riverview Lady Sharks teammates took to their home field (for what would later turn out to be the final time, as their recently added 13th game would end up in a forfeit as the opposition wouldn't have enough players to compete) to take on the Gryphons from Sickles High School. Unfortunately, this is not how the Lady Sharks wanted their regular season to come to a close, as the Gryphons poured it on early and often. It took almost nine minutes before either team managed a shot on net, but it came off of a Sickles forwards foot, as she outran the Riverview defense through the middle of the field, and once the goalkeeper attempted to come out of her net to play the ball (which was a mistake that is made way too often in my humble opinion), it was an easy kick to claim a 1-0 lead. Less than four minutes later the Gryphons found a streaking player running through the middle of the defense once again, leading to another easy score and a 2-0 lead. Thankfully the first half water break came to give the girls a chance to catch their breath. Around five minutes after returning to action, the Sickles team executed a virtual repeat of their second goal, finding a streaking forward for their third goal of the game. A short while later the lead was stretched even further, as a Sickles player raced to the net with a Riverview defender draped all over her, only to get the shot off with next to zero effort from the Sharks keeper to stop the shot. Frustrating to say the least. At long last, the Lady Sharks finally found some offense, as they managed back to back shots on net for the first time tonight. The first of these shots clanged off the crossbar, while the two teams fought for the rebound the Sharks finally corralled it and managed to knock it into the back of the net for their lone goal of the game, making it a 4-1 score. It was only a short while later that it appeared that Sickles answered back, but the goal was disallowed after it was determined that the Gryphons player kicked the ball out of the Sharks goalkeepers hands (though to my eyes it appeared that the ball was just bobbled away). What would have been a 5-1 score was now back to 4-1. That only lasted about three minutes, however, as the Sharks goalkeeper played the ball out of the box directly to a Gyphons player, then made little to no effort to stop the ensuing shot. That one stood, and the 5-1 score would stand heading into halftime.

The second half was all Sickles, and it took less than half of the remaining game time to invoke the mercy rule. The remaining goals all followed a similar patter - defense was outworked to the ball and outran, goalkeeping effort was lacking, and some questionable non-calls on potential offside's by the offense of the Gryphons. Regardless, the game came to an end early with the Sharks suffering a 9-1 loss.

Riverview Lady Sharks Game #12 - vs. Sickles Gryphons
		Jayden running through the lineup during pregame introductions...
		...before reaching her fellow starters for the high-five line.
		Jay watching the action in front of her.
		Jay gaining possession of the ball...
		...and sending a pass to a teammate through two Sickles players.
		Jay and a teammate in a battle for the ball...
		...and going up to knock it away.
		Jay driving down the sideline with the ball.
		Jay trying to knock the ball down in the middle of the field.
		Jayden using her body to gain position on the Sickles player.
		Jay stepping up to challenge for the ball.
		Jay trying to block a Gryphons pass.
		Jay keeping an eye on the ball of the attacking Sickles player.
		Jay lining up a pass...
		...and making contact with the ball...
		...to send it ahead to a teammate...
		...before getting trucked by the Gryphons player (and of course, no foul).
		Jay using her knee to deflect the ball...
		...and send it into the air.
		Jayden once again using her leg to control the ball...
		...and sending it down the field.
		Jay sending a pass ahead to a teammate.
		Jay closing in on the ball...
		...and using her legs to settle it down.
		Jay and a Gryphons player about to sandwich the ball between them.

Riverview Lady Sharks Game #12 - vs. Sickles Gryphons

Jayden running through the lineup during pregame introductions...

...before reaching her fellow starters for the high-five line.

Jay watching the action in front of her.

Jay gaining possession of the ball...

...and sending a pass to a teammate through two Sickles players.

Jay and a teammate in a battle for the ball...

...and going up to knock it away.

Jay driving down the sideline with the ball.

Jay trying to knock the ball down in the middle of the field.

Jayden using her body to gain position on the Sickles player.

Jay stepping up to challenge for the ball.

Jay trying to block a Gryphons pass.

Jay keeping an eye on the ball of the attacking Sickles player.

Jay lining up a pass...

...and making contact with the ball...

...to send it ahead to a teammate...

...before getting trucked by the Gryphons player (and of course, no foul).

Jay using her knee to deflect the ball...

...and send it into the air.

Jayden once again using her leg to control the ball...

...and sending it down the field.

Jay sending a pass ahead to a teammate.

Jay closing in on the ball...

...and using her legs to settle it down.

Jay and a Gryphons player about to sandwich the ball between them.