Excellent NHM Side Defeats Earnest 'Cats

The Northfield Mount Herman JV Girls' soccer team put on a clinic today, routing an extremely earnest and hard-working KUA side, 6-1. While the score indicates a lopsided contest, what perhaps is lost in translation are the extraordinary moments of individual and team success that filled the 70 minutes of competition. To begin with, while hearty and athletic, this group of wonderful players is relatively young and inexperienced. Add to their youth the fact that they are learning a style of play that demands a certain amount of poise and intention, and today's effort is indeed worthy of high praise. The JV girls are learning how to possess the ball, and this can be a quite nuanced and challenging process. And today the girls struggled mightily against a tremendous NMH squad: however, for one sublime 60 second period, the Wildcat Women reminded those of us in attendance more of an advanced club side than of a young JV team. With extraordinary calm and clarity, the girls knocked the ball around, playing to supporting players and switching the point of attack in a manner more reminiscent of a their varsity sisters. What a moment it was!! If moments like these serve as little victories within the context of the larger match, the Wildcats won the game in this very instant. It was indeed a moment that will be remembered for seasons to come. Other notables today include: Senior back and midfielder Aly Young played her best 25 minutes of soccer of the season, competing for every 50/50 ball and playing with guts and determination; sophomore Erin Gregory-Davis was a force up top, converting an absolutely perfect penalty in the 53rd minute; and relative newcomer to the field game Tina Nguyen played with the sense of desperation and heart that define the competitive arena. So, summing up: the better team won. Well, the conglomeration of better players scored more goals than did their opponents...but no one can take anything away from the KUA team on this day. While outmatched in soccer, their collective hearts made the final score of little relevance.