How do we even define the desire we have to be? Why do we get up each day and choose to sacrifice time, sleep, complacency, self-motives, muscles and bones to compete for 90 minutes? It lives in the tangible urgency surrounding our pre-game huddle, lies permanently embedded in our laundry pile of battle-worn uniforms and it burns hotter than the fire in our aching muscles.
Each one of us has a different way of putting this desire to compete into words. For senior Tori Danielson, it means "Making the most of every opportunity. I play with desire because soccer is my life. I play like I might not ever be able to play again." For sophomore Ali Waters, it is simply "For the love of the game." Junior Carrie Settle combines all of our answers into their essential meaning: "We can't explain the reason we want to win, it's just in us … that burning desire to win."
This past week, the Anderson University women's soccer team experiences both sides of this desire, what it feels like to be fully given over to it; to thrive off of it, and to dig deep. For eighty-nine minutes and fifty seconds of Monday's opening home game against USC Aiken, we compete to win and are ahead 2-0 with hard-earned goals scored by Jessica Kleinburg and Kathryn Witcher.
Both a win and a shutout on our home field is almost within our reach, but as announcer counts down the last ten seconds, a glimpse of complacency rears its ugly head. The game winds down, 10, 9, 8… and we put down our guard, which validates our human need to be comfortable. USC Aiken take advantage of our lack of focus and send a long range chip into the goal, earning them a point on the scoreboard and stripping us of our shutout.
We still have our 2-1 win, and we walk off our home field proud of the eighty-nine minutes and fifty seconds where we competed as a unit, but the sting of those last ten seconds teaches us to never mentally leave the field before a game is over.
The away game Wednesday against Limestone tests us in a way this program has yet experienced, since this is now our fourth game of the week! Almost every other day is a 90 minute game, for our very young and small team. Between games our recovery time is limited, our practice time is limited and our study time is limited and therefore we are sent into the fire against a very hungry Limestone side. Our desire to compete and win sputters in moments from our offense and our defense try and hold off their very direct forwards. Kaitlyn Neipp makes an incredible diving save off of a penalty kick, but our level of competition is overshadowed early on by our fatigue.
We make the mistake of not adjusting to play smart. Like our freshman Catherine Funk says, "We're a family and we're in this together." If that means we adjust from sending long balls to a series of simple passes so our teammate doesn't have to summon another fifty-yard sprint on dead legs, then that's what we should've done. Eventually, a very attacking minded Limestone sneaks a through ball behind our defense to score the one and only goal of the game. Though the 1-0 loss is hard to swallow after our three-game winning streak, we know for the next time we face competition when our bodies are saying "No," that is not an excuse to turn over our desire to win or our ability to execute, we do whatever it takes and we do it together. We recognize the importance of adjusting our style of play to fit our level of fatigue, so that we can at least give ourselves a chance to compete. Each game, win or loss, is teaching us so much about ourselves….and we are growing.
At our first conference game Saturday against Lenoir-Rhyne, the desire to compete and win re-emerges full throttle in the perfect weather and crowd of cheering fans on our home field. Our forward Krystal Goss best describes it as "feeling a fire around you that other people can see." As a team, we have never performed better. When we play the game of soccer as it is meant to be played, there is truly nothing that compares. Coach Samar tells us "It becomes so much fun to watch us play as a unit, when each individual gives 100% of their effort for ninety minutes."
Amidst a number of battles in a very physical game, a few breakaways for us, a ricochet off the post and some long distance shots from them, Lenoir-Rhyne manages to score the game-winning goal in the 57th minute from about 25 yards out. Not for a second does our desire to win waver, and we battle hard all the way through, every second of the match … we are even still attempting a throw in to get us back in the game, from 90 yards away, as the clock winds down, 3, 2, 1. There is no question of our desire to win; to compete, the entire game.
Once again, it hurts to lose, but this loss is not one we walk away from wondering what could have happened if we pushed ourselves just a bit harder. There is nothing of us left as we shake hands after the game, and we feel immense pride in our collective effort of 100%. For the start of our conference matches, our effort was exactly where it needed to be. Coach reminds us after the game, that the one thing we can always control is our effort and passion. We realize that we are continuing to grow and develop technically and tactically as a team. However, the fact that we are coming so far with our unified passion and competition makes us feel so positive about the direction of our program!
We are already mentally preparing for the next conference match Wednesday against Newberry, when the same unconquerable desire to compete and win will drive every tackle, cross, header and finish. Why do we live to compete together and claim the win we know we are capable of? Just ask our solid wall in the defense and resident Canadian, Adrienne Lough and she will inform you: "'Cause it is my absolute passion … you can copyright me."
*The Anderson women's soccer Team would like to personally thank the parents who spent so much time, money, and effort to provide meals for us on Saturday. Thank you to Shelby Tye, for providing a delicious tailgate at The Corner Bagel and to the group of parents who put together a wonderful lunch at the stadium after the game!
You make us feel so loved and your support means so much!
