When utilizing an online dictionary, the following definition is given when searching the words Dust Bowl: “an area of land where vegetation has been lost and soil reduced to dust and eroded, especially as a consequence of drought…”  If there is something to say about today’s playing conditions we can say that they were fair… both teams were running on the same layers funky landscape surface made of some combination of dirt, dust, sand and … yes there was some grass. These conditions really leveled the playing field, as it changed how the women ran on it…. When the teams weren’t digging through turf trying to find the the ball, they were watching closely for small openings while running. Quite honestly this match-up resembled more of a medieval joust than a women’s lacrosse game. Multiple players from both teams were affected by the conditions… knees blew out, ankles twisted, sand scoured eyeballs and players generally slowed down .. an honest break away became nearly impossible.

This however, did make for a challenging game… and in the end only the better team would walk away with the highest number of goals. In fact, that statement might just prove to be worthy of discussion… because in the end… what we found … in that split second before the official time ticked down to zero… was something amazing. We found a new chapter in the rule book. OVERTIME!

No one who was at that game had ever been involved in an OVERTIME game while performing in their current positions. Neither coach had ever coached an OVERTIME game… and judging by how honest the Referees were about boldly thumbing through the rule book… they were telling the truth when they had admitted to needing it. Praise the Refs for standing up and knowing what to do. The Refs came together with the coaches and the score table and organized what would become the most exciting 9:49 of Women’s Lacrosse that I have seen this season.

SUDDEN DEATH… Next Score Wins… and Riverview had never held the lead in today’s game! …  Their confidence was there… sure enough… “We got this!” I don’t know who shared that thought, but it may have been the most important statement made.

All of a sudden our women won the draw and took the ball downfield to try and score with the idea of ending the game on the spot.. More shots were made in those first 3 minutes of OVERTIME than in either 25 minute half…. Ground Balls were WON… Penalties were ABSORBED… Free Positions shots were ATTEMPTED … (Why wasn’t this ball finding a way to reach net?)

Then the whistle blew and the playing field was reversed… This called for a new draw and that resulted in the Rams playing some defense…

Wait… What was this?? A Save… A Save…and  Another SAVE… Lindsay Kaighan was on FIRE! She basically told her team that they were going to WIN…She was not about to let anything get past her. It was just up to the rest of the team to put the little round yellow ball into the big square orange net … (on the other side of the field)!!!  At one point, Lindsay was forced to come out of the net and make things happen…  and on any other day she may have made an move downfield, but this day was not any other day… she had a job to do… and she was going to do it! She found a long pass down field … which allowed her to re-enter her goalie circle… just waiting for ANYONE to come near her again.

The whistle BLEW.

Really?…

DOUBLE OVERTIME?…

No WAY… We aren’t switching side AGAIN?   ….Wait Yes. Yes we were… but this was the last time… Apparently Marisa Souchak had had enough… she found Annalise McDonnell who held the little round yellow ball for about as long a 5 year old holds onto a “Hot Potato”… and with 2 minutes and 11 seconds left in DOUBLE OVERTIME, the 2 ladies entered the record books for Riverview Rams with McDonnell’s shot into that big square orange net… thus ending The Rams FIRST.. EVER.. OVERTIME.. GAME!

BOOM!!!!

(Mic Drop)….

Recap contributor: C. Kulak