Friendly vs. Pink Panthers
Multiple weeks of "Biblical level" rains caused the FSA to postpone the first 2 games of the season. Hungry for an opponent the coaches networked with the Pink Panthers and rented an indoor field for a Saturday morning "Friendly." It was an impressive performance for the team which looked great playing off the boards while posting a 7-1 win. Taylor scored twice and Jordan dished 2 Assists including one to her sister and the other to our All Pro Goalie for her first ever score!
Team photos usually mean milestones - this not so well executed shot commemorates our first indoor win and the debut of our new sponsored uniforms compliments of Royalty Insurance!
Game 1 vs. Storm
The 2 week delayed season opener brought bright sun and low 80s temps - a far cry from the cold and difficult preseason practice experience. The last time we played this team was the Semi-Finals of the Fall Qualifier Playoff - this would be a true measuring stick of team progression. We were out of the gates strong grabbing a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the contest. The rest of the 1st half would be a grind and after conceding a "tough-bounce" goal on a Free Kick, the Dolphins had the slimmest of leads heading to halftime. That would all change quickly when the offense would explode for 4 goals in a 8 minute span with Jordan opening the floodgates with a score & an Assist. Also during the melee Taylor would notch her 2nd Assist of the game. The 2nd half dominance was credited to the preseason commitment to conditioning instituted at practice. The Dolphins would cruise to a statement making 7-1 win.
Hanging out before the game - it was "picture day" where the team now boasts a gaudy 8-0 record
Jordan calls her shot as the Captains head out for the coin toss
Just before Kickoffs - Taylor sneaks a glance at the sideline, Jordan & Addison confer
Taylor races to the goal
More Taylor - passing to Addison,
dribbling outside,
centering to Jordan,
playing defense "on her toes" & delivering menacing glare while sporting an un-tucked jersey
The ever dapper Jordan keeps her jersey neatly tucked in whether she's setting up for a Goal Kick or drawing double coverage on a Throw-In
Game 2 vs. Pink Panthers
The second week of games brought a high noon kickoff against an increasingly familiar foe. Just 3 short weeks ago we defeated the Panthers in a "friendly" and we carried the confidence of a 5 game winning streak against our opponents. High 70's temperatures & bright sun brought a Spring like feel to the game. The Dolphins kept the action on the opponents side of the field for most of the first half but it was to little avail as we missed on easily half a dozen scoring chances before eventually falling behind for the first time this season. The team bounced back, quickly tying the game and later carried that tie into the half. For the second consecutive week we burst out of the half with a quick goal. We slowly wore down down our opponent's as the half continued until Jordan delivered back-to-back scores when she jumped a Goal Kick and later scored off a center pass - with the game no longer in doubt the Dolphins celebrated a solid 4-1 victory.
The Panthers played a hard & physical style - Taylor can be scene swapping elbows & pushes...
...while taking possession of Lucky Stars & Stripes ball
Jordan leads a wave of Dolphins down the field
...and later pushes a pass to our All Pro Left Wing
Game 3 vs. Eagles
This game was postponed several weeks ago due to rain and moved to Easter weekend - a decision that would have the Dolphins reaching to the bench to replace starters on offense & defense. No rain on this game day as high 70's temps, full sun & strong winds dominated the day. The thin line-up would once again test the team's conditioning as > half the team would clock all 60 minutes of the game. All was not lost - we had some tremendous trends heading in to the contest including a 4-0 record against the Eagles, outscoring them 21-0 in the past 3 contests. The team embraced the "next girl up" philosophy and we jumped out to lead just minutes after kickoff - a lead that extended to 2 as we headed into the half. The second half was a defensive battle as neither team could get significant shots on goal. After suffering a tough handball call late in the game our lead would be cut in half when we conceded a Penalty Kick. Just minutes later, one of our "next up" players delivered a picture perfect long, high and hard shot on goal that found it's mark - the Dolphins closed out a gritty win 3-1.
Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's....
Taylor looks to stop the Eagles in transition while the Coaches look on
Game 4 vs. Diamonds
April wrought carnage on the FSA schedule, with 3 consecutive Saturdays rained out. Our first match-up landed on a reschedule Sunday with a game that historically has gone against the Dolphins. We had confidence & the opponents game plan but despite all that we fell behind by multiple goals in the 1st half. Our play improved in the 2nd half where we had several near miss scores heading wide of the goal. Our opponents attacking style and tough defense was too much to overcome and we suffered our 1st shut out in over a year 0-2.
Jordan is met by multiple defenders
Taylor looks to field a strong Goalie throw...
...and later cuts to the goal
Both girls find brief moments of calm during a frustrating game
Game 5 vs. Sweet Tarts
After licking our wounds from our 1st loss since November, the team had a great week of practice with a focus on bouncing back. Unfortunately we faced a 3rd consecutive Saturday rain out and waited 2 more days for a Monday night match-up against our Purefoy rivals. We rode a wave of favorable trends into the game, including being undefeated under the lights (4-0-1), playing with lucky starts & stripes ball (11-0-2), and having never lost a game after a loss (7-0-1). We had beautiful weather and the bright lights were shining. Our opponents came out of the gates strong and controlled the action early - the move did not payoff and their energy faded. Despite multiple shots on goal we went to the sidelines at half in a scoreless tie. The tie would not hold as Taylor took the opening 2nd half kickoff down the sideline, out-foxing 4 defenders along the way and centered the ball to her sister for a score! We would add a 2nd goal a few minutes later. We would score 3 more times as the half progressed but each score was erased by ambitious offsides calls against us, including 2 scores from Taylor. The Dolphins won the "Battle for Purefoy" 2-0.
After licking our wounds from our 1st loss since November, the team had a great week of practice with a focus on bouncing back. Unfortunately we faced a 3rd consecutive Saturday rain out and waited 2 more days for a Monday night match-up against our Purefoy rivals. We rode a wave of favorable trends into the game, including being undefeated under the lights (4-0-1), playing with lucky starts & stripes ball (11-0-2), and having never lost a game after a loss (7-0-1). We had beautiful weather and the bright lights were shining. Our opponents came out of the gates strong and controlled the action early - the move did not payoff and their energy faded. Despite multiple shots on goal we went to the sidelines at half in a scoreless tie. The tie would not hold as Taylor took the opening 2nd half kickoff down the sideline, out-foxing 4 defenders along the way and centered the ball to her sister for a score! We would add a 2nd goal a few minutes later. We would score 3 more times as the half progressed but each score was erased by ambitious offsides calls against us, including 2 scores from Taylor. The Dolphins won the "Battle for Purefoy" 2-0.
Jordan scrambles on a Throw-In with the Referee looming in the background - the Coaching staff pride's themselves on good sportsmanship but we had a few weak moments & negative interactions with this official who clearly held a grudge as the game progressed making questionable call after call against the Dolphins, including reversing 3 goals for close offsides plays
The local Middle School Girls Soccer Coach and Purefoy Elementary Gym Teacher poses with all the Purefoy girls after the game - we are now 2-0 when Coach Rodriguez attends a game - both wins over the Sweet Tarts
Game 6 vs. Storm
Our 1st Saturday game in a month brought a 8:30am kickoff and a rematch vs the Storm. We enjoyed great conditions minus the heavy dew which left the field surface slick. We would make 2 bad plays on defense, including a handball in the box play by our rookie player, which would lead to a 1 goal deficit at halftime. We would continue to trail until we tied the game with 10 minutes left after blocking a Goal Kick and delivering it back into the goal. The Dolphins would control the final stretch of the game and ironically forced our opponents into a handball in the box. In the "Fed Ex Moment of the Game" we would tap Jordan for the Penalty Kick and with all eyes on her she confidently "delivered" the winning score!
Jordan manages the big moments well and has a great history against this team, scoring 5 goals the past 3 games. With great confidence the Coaches assigned her the task of winning the game and she rewarded that decision with a high & hard shot just out of the Goalies reach. The play would silence what had been an incredibly loud & ignorant group of opposing fans who got put in line by Dolphins parents & players in the 3-2 comeback win!
Game 7 vs. Eagles
Our next 2 opponents forfeited their respective games when in a twist of fate bad weather once again laid waste to both contests and to the FSA's credit they were quickly rescheduled. The Eagles came calling in a second Monday Night match-up. Weather was perfect as were the Dolphins who after a brief stalemate started scoring in bunches and built up a 4 goal halftime lead- Jordan had a score and an Assist off a Corner Kick. The Dolphins continued to dominate throughout wrapping up a 6-0 win.
Jordan lines up for a Free Kick at dusk with the World's Best Goalie in the background
Game 8 vs. Sweet Tarts
Twice delayed this Purefoy rivalry would finally happen 2 weeks after the season was supposed to end. Now in early May even an 830am kickoff would bring big heat and bright sunlight. The Dolphins were down 2 players and a Coach but despite that got off to a great start when Jordan sent a rocket Corner Kick off an opposing player & in for a score. We would double our lead minutes later - a lead that would unfortunately erode into a halftime tie after 2 bad defensive plays. Jordan would give us a lead again after a great "call for the ball" and score but one last defensive collapse late in the game would lead to a disappointing 3-3 tie. As luck would have it, there are no photos of this game.
McKinney Soccer Association Spring Classic
After securing a 4th consecutive Silver Medallion, the Dolphins took their talents on the road to neighboring McKinney to play against some of the best recreational teams North Texas has to offer. We were out of our element, and as it turns out, playing against teams that had guest players and wider age-range teams (i.e. older kids). Despite all that we came in confident and ready to give our rival town everything we could. First up was "The Force" with a Friday 6pm evening game. Long gone was the cold Spring as this game brought record heat in the form of a 97 degree kickoff temperature - making this officially the hottest game in franchise history. The Dolphins shook off the heat with a score just 3 minutes into the game. These teams would battle to a stalemate deep into the 2nd half where the Dolphins would surrender an "own goal". Things looked bleak and the game destined for a tie when with just a few minutes left Jordan battled through several defenders and used everything she had to launch a pass to a wide open Taylor on the right side - she found the back of the goal on a massive shot thus securing the best win in franchise history, a great memory & story for years to come. Dolphins win 2-1.
The team meets in the shade just minutes before kickoff pondering the age of the clearly older players on the opposing team
Taylor & teammates catch their breath as the brutal heat takes a toll on everyone - hats off to "The Force" who would survive this loss to eventually win our Pod and make it all the way to the tournament championship game
Saturday morning brought an early game vs. the Thundercats. Completely different weather then the previous night as clouds and 25+mph winds gave the game a completely different feel. Our opponents would start with the wind at their back and made the most of it - dropping multiple punts deep into our territory eventually hurting our defense and conceding two bad 1st half scores. With the wind at our back we would end the shutout but fall short of tying the game 1-2. The coaches will always look at this game as "the one that got away" and cost us a chance to get to the elimination round.
Jordan got to showcase her big leg by taking Goal Kicks...
...and Corner's
Coach Dad fights an uphill battle motivating the team at halftime
The team came together one more time for our traditional gathering at Braum's for Ice Cream, Certificates & Silver Medallions
Players worked extremely hard this year and it showed on the field - looking forward to the Fall! Way to go Dolphins!!!
Jordan manages the big moments well and has a great history against this team, scoring 5 goals the past 3 games. With great confidence the Coaches assigned her the task of winning the game and she rewarded that decision with a high & hard shot just out of the Goalies reach. The play would silence what had been an incredibly loud & ignorant group of opposing fans who got put in line by Dolphins parents & players in the 3-2 comeback win!
The opposing Goalie hits the ground after missing Jordan's winning kick
Our next 2 opponents forfeited their respective games when in a twist of fate bad weather once again laid waste to both contests and to the FSA's credit they were quickly rescheduled. The Eagles came calling in a second Monday Night match-up. Weather was perfect as were the Dolphins who after a brief stalemate started scoring in bunches and built up a 4 goal halftime lead- Jordan had a score and an Assist off a Corner Kick. The Dolphins continued to dominate throughout wrapping up a 6-0 win.
Jordan lines up for a Free Kick at dusk with the World's Best Goalie in the background
Twice delayed this Purefoy rivalry would finally happen 2 weeks after the season was supposed to end. Now in early May even an 830am kickoff would bring big heat and bright sunlight. The Dolphins were down 2 players and a Coach but despite that got off to a great start when Jordan sent a rocket Corner Kick off an opposing player & in for a score. We would double our lead minutes later - a lead that would unfortunately erode into a halftime tie after 2 bad defensive plays. Jordan would give us a lead again after a great "call for the ball" and score but one last defensive collapse late in the game would lead to a disappointing 3-3 tie. As luck would have it, there are no photos of this game.
McKinney Soccer Association Spring Classic
The team meets in the shade just minutes before kickoff pondering the age of the clearly older players on the opposing team
Jordan got to showcase her big leg by taking Goal Kicks...
Our final Pod game came late Saturday afternoon vs. the Lady Cardinals. The Dolphins looked out of sorts early in the game - conceding a bad goal in the first 10 minutes. The 1 goal deficit would hold until the 2nd half where the team just let the game get away. A Penalty Kick & score on a rough Goalie play led to a quick 3 goal deficit. To the teams credit they never gave up and managed a score eventually conceding the game 1-4.
Jordan & Taylor head up field
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