The joy of a win.

It is no secret that the Red Stars have been on a dismal win-less streak over the last two-plus months. To say the least, the morale of the team had gotten pretty low, with chance-after-chance being picked off the goal line or connecting with one of what seemed like 10 goal posts in any of the last nine games. It has felt like we were cursed to never score a game-winner again.

Enter tonight’s game against the Freedom.

The game started out rather well in our offensive favor. Our first four shots were on frame, and seven of our nine in the first half would be as well…yet no goal. After Cristiane hit the post with a beautiful strike, Emma cried out in communal frustration, "AHHHH, just GO IN!!" Everyone on the bench was in comedic disbelief at the amount of chances we had, yet nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. We conceded an uncontested rebound goal, and entered the locker room in a familiar position, down one-nill.

The mood at the break was not one of retreat; in fact it was the opposite. Everyone was buzzing with energy; they just knew that there was no way we couldn’t score tonight, we were creating way too many opportunities. Emma gave a tearful address to the team as they stood, arm-in-arm in a huddle, something we have been doing much more of lately as we draw closer to each other as a family in this time of struggle. I could see it on their faces, our goals WILL COME! This CAN’T LAST! Emma has been saying for a month now, "When you score that first goal, celebrate the "crap" out of it. Come to the bench to celebrate with your friends who are dying for you to score." We left the locker room with hopes high, and were facing an opportunity that no team in the league had accomplished, a come-from-behind victory.

Minutes into the second half it happens. Cristiane back-heels a deflected shot into the back of the net. The team celebrates wildly! Our first goal in over 400 minutes! The pressure of scoring had been lifted. The team resounds with the humorous notion that, "Maybe we should have been shooting with our heels this whole time!"

A couple stray shots later, Tarpley finds herself even with their center back, a ball coming in over the top. She does what she has been doing for years, settles the pass on the turn and has a quick go at the goal just above the shoulder of the keeper. Just like that, we are in the lead! The celebration runs wild again!

At the moments of celebration during that half and on into the post-game celebrations of a streak broken, I was taken back to my time as a preseason intern with the Red Stars. I remembered what life was like for the coaching staff, and the organization as a whole during the months leading up to the arrival of players, and the beginning of our journey as a team. Every day was filled with tedious, stressful planning. The white boards in the coaches’ office were filled with charts of logistical planning, where players would live, transportation issues, contract completions, etc. The part that would always entertain me, and really help put life into perspective were the quotes that Emma and Denise (and maybe Marcia) would write on the boards, in the midst of all the critical information. One particular quote that I will carry with me for the rest of my career in this beautiful game was simply this, "It’s just a game that kids play." That quote was shown on the faces of our players tonight. The way they celebrated those goals and the victory, showing that winning tonight was the funnest thing they could have been doing. Smiles, joy and relief replaced the looks of stress that had grown on their faces over the past months. There seemed to be a loss of worry over contracts, time and money, if only for those moments; it was enough, and exactly what they needed. They were just kids again, playing the game they loved, and having a blast doing it. Go on you Stars!

-BB (the kit man)