That's right folks... They pull me back in! (Michael Corleone gives his best). I tried going legit, but proper, law-abiding sentence structure isn't my thang (ewwwww, you didn't realize this edition of the 91st Minute was going to be so edgy did you?...that's right, I'm a Grammar Mafioso.... oh this is an awful start, I must hit reset...).
I digress, we watched all 583 minutes of Mario Puzo's The Godfather trilogy on our recent road trip to William & Mary and suddenly I think I am the head of the Cosa Nostra...a ginger-boy from Long Island, not quite!
So a great run of recent for the Drexel Dragons since I last wrote and not just us, Women's Soccer and Fieldhockey (is that one word or two, I think it's two but it's fun to make it one MEGAWORD! Oh boy, I gotta ease off the coffee..oh, and I know Field Hockey is two words) are crushin' it - props given...I'm assuming props are still being given out these days or is that dated? (well, since I last wrote it was pre-season and everything was grand...we had the crash and burn at LaSalle opening night to our season - roughest loss in my time here at Drexel...and we haven't looked back since, nor have I written - coincidence? I think not! I don't like to write when we lose, I'm 38 and still a sore loser I think, I'm a work in progress...well to an extent...like when I lost to Tal in ping-pong out at Kenny's place in Colorado, the guy is like flipping Forest Gump when it comes to ping-pong - it's a sight to see folks really, and he's so nice when he beats you "Yes, good try..." Seriously, he's good people...not like my assistants. We have a little pong ritual going on for home game days up in the North Side Gym of the D.A.C. - it goes something like this...they try their hardest, I laugh, and they never take a game off me... but not Tal, I must train harder...I lie awake at night, one eye open, in anticipation, of that day...the day that I take down my Israeli friend and then will never play him again, but don't tell him that... oh and I love to win, mmm, I love it! Like when I crushed a certain someone on Ryder Cup Friday in a little skins game in the hotel arcade--yeah you read that right, there was an arcade in our hotel in Williamsburg and it had Golden Tee '99!!!--sorry about that Rhino, but I'm just too good when it comes to the Golden Tee...not to worry though my English friend, we caved on Sunday or did we just get out-played by the Europeans...hmm, we'll save that for another time).
Wow, I just took a step back and realized after three paragraphs (most of which are run-ons) I have managed to say absolutely nothing about nothing - that there is impressive folks, it's a skill...a gift if you may. Here we are at the half-way point in our season and sitting 6-2-1 overall with a 2-0 start in the CAA. Not bad, but not a time to rest.
After the big win over ODU the other week (which I think losing down at UVA earlier in the week was the biggest confidence boost we could get strangely enough - we dominated much of the stats and it showed us that we could play with anyone), it was all about preventing the Big Win Hangover. While Penn is having a rough go this fall, they are no slouch (and our history against them isn't the best). The funny thing about college soccer is the moment you think you have "arrived" well, that's the day you get turned over by your opponent. A little bit of sleep, a little bit of slumber, a little folding of the hands and poverty will come on you like a thief... time to keep working!
So we billed the 8 day test after UVA (ODU, Penn, W&M) as a week of changing history... 1-8-2 all-time v. ODU, 8-28-2 all-time v. Penn, and 1-11 all-time v. W&M...tough numbers to swallow, but they are our numbers and we have to embrace them. While we know changing those numbers will take time, we thought why not get started on it now...after all, there's no time like the present.
What a solid run of games it was! 3-0 stretch, 9 goals for, 2 goals against, and 7 different goal-scorers. I think the last one is what I love the most...I love the excitement of showing up and not knowing which guy is going to undo our opponent, it's kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure story (remember those, they were great...moment to reflect.......one more sec....and...ok, I'm back). We have won six games and had 5 different players provide game-winners...we've scored 18 goals thus far and had 9 different goal scorers...that's exciting and a pleasure to coach.
We survived the tight game mid-week against a formidable opponent in Penn, 2-1, and then did the quick turn-around for a game down at Williamsburg, VA two days later. That was a great mid-season challenge - to play at home, wake-up, train and travel the next day on a long bus trip only to play the following evening. The even bigger task? Rain delay for an hour and twenty-five minutes! It was awesome...the guys stayed loose, I got out the Jambox and hopped on the 1's & 2's with a nice mix, they threw some tape down on the floor and got a game of good ol' fashioned Four Square going...only it was soccer-style, they played with a tennis ball and had to use their feet. The favorite king of the court had to be Tim "when my socks get dirty I..." Washam. He was a benevolent king, revered by his people, cheered by the masses, and sporting a smile for one and all - chants of "Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim" could be heard echoing through the cockles of Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field every time he secured his place atop the Four Square...who knows, perhaps this is what lead to Tim's shutting out of the Tribe on that very night...a fairy-tale ending to the young king's evening.
A new week, new challenges...two opponents that we haven't taken points off of in a while... another opportunity to keep making little steps forward ... and both are at home. A truly awesome week lies ahead, Northeastern on Wednesday night followed by a little Alumni Reunion (Never go against the Family Dragons, never go against the family...sorry I couldn't resist) Saturday afternoon as we take on UNC Wilmington, both games at Vidas Complex (hey, when you're here you're family... um, that is Olive Garden, not Godfather...sorry 'bout that, barabing!). No time to rest, there is work to be done!
Speak to you soon...
Regards,
Doug
I Am A Dragon!
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