I was okay with the loss. I mean, I wanted Josh's team to continue on, but I felt that the refereeing was very fair and the boys weren't outplayed in the sense that they were not the better team. They were the better team, but their opponents had 1 shot that deserved to go into the net and one shot that was just a lucky shot that shouldn't have gone in, but did for one reason or another.
After the game all of the families went their separate ways and headed back to Las Cruces. Josh was upset about the loss, but he was more upset about not playing with this group of boys again. (There IS a possibility that he will be able to play with some of the kids again as there is another tournament coming up that I am going to do my best for Josh to be able to participate in.) This team has meant the world to Josh. And if I am being honest it has meant the world to me too. I love this group of parents and their boys. I love the chemistry that almost all of us have. Josh loves that he plays with a talented group of boys who he has shared most of his time here in Cruces with. These boys grown together. They have shared ups and downs. Weathered good times and bad. Most importantly, because of what these boys have gone through they are loyal to each other to the end. Loyalty is very important to Josh. He does not invest in a lot of things, but when he does he does it 150%. This team of boys was something he invested heavily in.
I asked Josh on the way home from Albuquerque this weekend if he was sad to leave Las Cruces. He told me that he was ready to leave this town to seek out other places this country has to offer, but that he was not ready to leave his team. Just as he did with his Cuyahoga Falls teammates he will carry his Rio Rapids teammates in his heart forever.
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| Josh, if you can't tell, is #23. |
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| Taking a PK |
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