I hope you had the opportunity to read last week’s introductions, which was my way of sharing a bit about myself, but more importantly, introducing you to the Blues FC team. As you’ve heard from not just me, but also from my teammates and coaches, we are a fun, competitive, and tight-knit group, who made it quite easy for me to fit in. Once again I’ll say, it’s encouraging to be brought into a group like this, and I was happy to share my first week’s experience with you.

With that said, as mentioned in the introductions, this story is about our massive game last weekend away at first-place Lionsbridge FC. This game was crucial for our playoff hopes, not only because of our position in the table, but also for the momentum we could have gained from a win. I’ll share my experience watching the game, as well as the perspectives of goal-scorer Josh Yoder and assist provider Parker Sloan in what was, to say the least, a heartbreaker.

The tone for this match was set all week, with all of us aware of the stakes of the occasion. There was preparation, excitement, and as I mentioned in my previous story, nerves even from me. I unfortunately had to watch the match from home because I didn’t make the game roster, though this wasn’t a surprise considering I missed the first half of the season and attended only three training sessions before this. But as I complained to the referee through the TV, jumped out of my seat after each goal, and shielded my eyes at each Lionsbridge attack, you would have thought that I was, in fact, in attendance. I reacted in these ways, simply because this game was an absolute thriller. It was such a thriller that my roommate, who had minimal stake in the match, found himself also loudly reacting to the TV alongside me by the end of it. For the importance of the match, it certainly lived up to the hype.

This game wasn’t a ‘heartbreaker’ because we lost, though, nor because our playoff hopes were shattered—neither of these was the case. Our playoff hopes are still very much intact, and we didn’t lose this game. This game was a ‘heartbreaker’ because of Lionsbridge’s 95th-minute stoppage time equalizer, which tied the match and ended it in a dramatic 3-3 draw. But this result felt more like a loss than a draw for us. To miss out on three points in such an important game against the one-seed, especially in the 95th-minute fashion that we did, was a frustrating outcome. Our much-needed momentum for the rest of the season felt like it was suddenly taken from us in seconds. The word Parker used to describe the team following the equalizer was “deflated”.

He told me, “On paper, a draw against Lionsbridge looks great, especially with the start we have had this season. But in that moment [prior to the equalizing goal] and throughout the game, it felt like we had it.” He added, “Losing at the brink is always devastating… and to give one up in the closing breaths of a game is deflating, no doubt.”

Parker recalling the game as “losing at the brink” just shows how the game truly felt like a loss even though it was actually a draw. What's more, if it weren’t for the stoppage time equalizer, this game would have truly felt like a storybook win for us. With a three-hour bus ride and a two-and-a-half-hour lightning delay, followed by the light drizzle and bright night lights at the 9:30 pm kick-off time, the game was set perfectly for a huge win away. Both Parker and Yoder recalled the bright green pitch and the atmosphere ahead of kick-off as “perfect.” Watching from home, I could even hear the crowd through the TV, as anticipation and excitement had been built-up for hours during the lightning delay. As a spectator, the drama and intensity from start to finish were nearly peak.

Lionsbridge scored immediately, only seven minutes into the game. The guys looked shocked on the pitch, and so was I. I couldn’t believe that with so much build-up and anticipation, we had conceded so early, and seemingly so easily. Though I watched the TV nervously, I was sure we’d get a goal back, which sure enough we did. Right before half, our big man striker, Zsombor Pall, evened the game up at 1-1 off a strong finish from inside the box.

Then came the second half, full of drama and back and forth action. The beginning of the second half had many moments, including big saves from our keeper Ryan Gallagher. By the 60th-minute mark, the game had reached a heightened level of intensity. In the 65th minute, Luke Madden scored off a header, assisted by center back partner Josh Yoder. However, it didn’t take long for Lionsbridge to even it back up in the

70th minute at 2-2. At this point, I was witnessing an action-packed game. Then, only two minutes later, Yoder responded immediately with a massive goal to put us back ahead. I jumped off my couch and hollered in excitement. As I watched the guys celebrate in the corner, I thought Yoder had surely won us the game.

Yoder, as we call him, walked me through his goal-scoring moment, saying, “I wasn’t really expecting it—the ball just kind of fell to me off of a great header by Parker.” Reliving the goal, he continued, “On a night like that, it made it even better. The field was perfect, there was light rain, and the atmosphere is always good at Lionsbridge.”

Yoder recalled the guys celebrating, but what he also vividly remembered were the discussions directly after the goal. According to him, everyone was reminding one other that we must hold onto the lead. He told me that we kept repeating, “Hold onto the lead. 20 more minutes.”

We were able to do this for the next 20 minutes, and the score remained 3-2. We continued to battle, clear balls out from our box, and had breaks of our own. The intense final minutes went by, but the referee let stoppage time go on and on. Finally, in the 95th minute, they were awarded a free kick right outside of our box. On this final play of the game, they scored the equalizer.

“It was just a horrible feeling,” Yoder said. And as both he and Parker expressed , much of the disappointment and frustration came from the sense that we were capable of winning, and maybe should have. But unfortunately, our ‘storybook’ victory at Lionsbridge wasn’t able to hold true, and we were forced to bus back home on a long three-hour ride after the tough result.

But even so, there are always positives to take from these moments, especially with a group like ours. On the field, Parker expressed that we showed a level of grit that hasn’t been seen all season. Going into tackles and playing hard for 90 minutes, like we did against Lionsbridge, is exactly what we’ll need to keep doing each match to reach our full potential. Similarly, Yoder mentioned that our response after going down 1-0 was exceptional, and shows the amount of fight we have as a team.

And off the field, according to Parker and Yoder, the group came away with a memorable experience that brought us closer together. Between the long bus rides, lightning delays, and late-night departure from the field, the team spent much time together that helped strengthen our team bond. Guys played interactive games to pass the time, got to know one another better, and even took long walks throughout campus, as Parker did.

Parker said, “Exploring the campus was just a little adventure, [and] it’s little memories like that you hold onto forever. You’ll forget that one play or pass, but the hours and adventures with your teammates live on for much longer.”

Even though our storybook victory slipped away in the final seconds, it’s refreshing to focus on the positives we took from the match. With our playoff hopes still alive, and our team as close as ever, we’re in a fine position, despite the disappointing result. Now, we look ahead to the remainder of the season to keep growing and improving as a group—and as we do, I’m confident that the wins will follow.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned to hear about this past week’s midweek match—a fun one, especially for me!

- Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey