Sodium Sweeps Weekend League Play

Sodium is firing on cylinders as the lady warriors roll through the 4th weekend of league play with a pair of wins.

vs ESUFC Arsenal
When it's working, it's working. Sodium is playing very well and when the lady warriors took to the turf at Gresham H.S. Saturday, you could just feel it was all business. Arsenal has always been a team that, if taken for granted, will bite you in the rear end. Not so today. In the first half, as in so many games, Sodium dominated. The play was confined to the Arsenal side of the field. And to prove she's a player, Katherine Kramer wanted her first goal of the season to be spectacular, and she didn't disappoint anyone! From Emmy Owens came a perfect lead pass that Katherine one touched just inside the 18-yard box. She took aim and blasted a perfect shot just out of reach of the Arsenal keeper that stung the upper left corner of the net! The crowd went nuts as the girls swarmed Katherine to show their appreciation! That proved to be all there was in the first half as Sodium took a 1-0 lead into the break. Midway into the second half Lexi Frey wasn't to be outdone. On a patented left footed corner kick Lexi 'Bent it like Beckham' just under the cross bar for a 2-0 lead! The corner kicks from Lexi and Laura Camp have proved that Sodium can score any time, from anywhere on the field. ESUFC made a late run and scored but it proved too little, too late as the final whistle blew giving Sodium a 2-1 victory!

vs FC Portland Platinum
The forward package dubbed The 180's [because their combined weight almost reaches 180 lbs] comprised of Marisa Reid, Elianna Beard and MAC Kearney caught fire against FC Portland this morning. These three warriors were responsible for all three goals scored in the match. The first goal against the big, physical Platinum team came in the midway point of the first half. Marisa Reid took a long lead pass deep down the right side, stopped, cut back and left the FC defender holding her shorts! Marisa took the ball cleanly to the goal where she rocketed a shot pasted the diving keeper! The crowd was totally awestruck by the move and filled the field with cheers!
The score remained 1-0 as the half concluded.
The second half started wild and woolly as Sodium controlled the ball, the tempo and the field position. Laura Nguyen chipped a ball into the 6-yard box where a driving Elianna Beard, after the first bounce, headed the ball over the outstretched arms of the FC keeper for a 2-0 Sodium lead! The crowd went nuts! But were The 180's finished? NO WAY! In the closing minutes the lady warriors had yet again penetrated the Platinum defense. An alert Elianna Beard found a crashing MAC Kearney who, after hurdling at least one defender, ripped the net with a close range missile! The crowd roared! Game, set, match as the final whistle blew and Sodium handed FC Portland a 3-0 beating on their home turf.

The girls are coming together and confidence is building as the team forges ahead in league play. You never know who the 'Hero' is going to be but with the talent spread amongst the entire team, it could be anyone of them as this weekend showed us. Tom has taken a team that, very easily, could have folded under the loss of so many players and, with the addition of equally talented superstars, turned them into a well oiled machine. The new players are playing awesome, the veterans have stepped up and never lost a step as Sodium continues to dominate and elevate their game. It is evident that these lady warriors are giving 100% every time they take the field. This team has crushed any rumors that weren't going to be just as tough, just as physical and just as emotionally charged as last year. They are definitely playing Sodium Style ball right now and have proved they are BACK IN BLACK!
I find myself barely able to sleep Friday nights in anticipation of the next game and to find out who will emerge to take charge.

Next up:
10/4/08 vs EMFC 95 Magic @ PCC - 1:30pm kick off
10/5/08 vs LOSC Extreme @ Lakeridge H.S. - 12:30 kick off [possibly for first place]

As The Stones 'Paint it Black' plays in the background we yell: GO SODIUM!