MRL Day 2 Weekend #2 September 20-21

Game #3 vs Eclipse Select

Final Score: 4-4

 Key Points

• We started off this game really well.  The first 15 minutes we really controlled the game, moved the ball side to side very well.
• Our wingers put in too many early crosses instead of taking their 1v1's and we didn't have enough people looking to score to take full advantage of our good play.
• The story of the rest of the game was a continous loop of 
  • We play well and score
  • Then we allow Eclipse to stage the play in our half after we scored and they score.
  • We play well and score.
  • We allow them to be in our end and they tie it up.
  • Repeat until score is 4-4
• We hopefullly have learned the lesson, against good teams, that after we score we need to get them to face their own goal as quickly as possible so we can maintain our possession in their half.
• As frustrating as it was to give up the lead four times, it was a pretty fun U13 game with both teams really working on moving the ball and dealing with momentum swings.
• Their true danger just came from their two speedy forwards.  We need to make sure they play short into their forwards and do a better job of making it predictable when we are defending.
• Offensively we need to shoot a lot more on them.

Game #4 vs Mequon

Final Score 7-0

Key Points

• I figured this game could be pretty tough for a few reasons: 
  • The morning game was frustrating to end up with a draw.  
  • We were playing our fourth game and had to be up at 5:30am both days with a long break between games.
  • We were not playing to clinch the league title.
  • Mequon had played everyone really tough.  They hadn't scored many goals, but every game was close so I figured that, if we didn't score early, it could become very frustrating to spend most of the game in their half and not be able to finish.
  • It was becoming pretty windy.
• We challenged the girls to play their best game of the MRL Season and put everything that we had seen throughout the season, together into this game.  Possess, Press, Create Chances, and Finish.
• The girls were awesome!  By far our best game of the fall.  We destroyed them from the beginning of the game.  
• They played a high line and we broke through them very easily as this was the 3rd or 4th team that has done this so we were very comfortable.
• We created chances and scored in a variety of ways.
• It was very fun to watch and a great way to end the MRL Season.