Bays Indoor Tournament

Three frenetic games over three days should prove a good tune-up for our full-field game Tuesday versus Lakehill. And the early start times we endured will likely prove beneficial come Monday morning when everyone has to get up early once again for school!

Our first game on Friday was a treat to watch. We set-out to keep possession of the ball with a pass and move style and we largely succeeded. One of our strengths in this game was the ability to get our keeper involved in the build-up and the result was an emphatic 5-1 victory over a Lakehill team still finding their feet. Lily (with 2), Brooke, Emma and Olivia were the goalscorers and there could have/should have been more.

Saturday's game was one of those where we might have played for hours and still not scored. Sometimes that's the way the ball bounces. You can have all the possession and all the shots in the world but often good goalkeeping + no luck = no goals. I thought we had 90% of the possession and our approach play was quite good but in the end we couldn't squeeze one in.

Sunday's game was definitely a case of one too many early morning games. We attempted to play the style and tempo we want - ball to feet, the way we're facing, and movement off the ball in support of our team mate - but our execution wasn't quite there and our energy levels weren't either. We didn't play a s a unit anywhere near as well as the first two games, and our defensive zone marking was - well, how should I say this? - not up to our standards? Still, we managed four goals against a big and talented Bays team that was the strongest team we faced over the three games. Brooke lead the way with a brace, Leah and Lily adding singles in a 4-4 draw.

Over all we should view the tournament as a success. Although we didn't make the final, we got some good touches of the ball, scored some very pretty goals and worked hard to learn a different format (4 v 4) on a different sized field. Two things we need to work on are our composure on the ball and our communication. Meanwhile, the coach will ensure he takes his medication so that he's not quite so grumpy.

Next up is Lakehill at UVic turf. I'll talk a little bit about this game tomorrow.