Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 20

"Sorry I'm late Ri, Ali wouldn't stop asking how her hair was." Ash says as she walks into the lobby before the finals versus Sweden.

"It's all good. It gave me some more time to think." 

"Don't over think yourself there pal" I laugh.

"Ash I'm fine don't worry."

"Alright favorite memory time." She replies with a smile. "You go first since you've had all the time to think."

"Sooooooo it my junior year after the Olympics and I was out injured with Spencer." Ashlyn laughs knowing exactly where I'm going. "One practice we came late from PT so we didn't hear Anson tell the team that the field was muddy in some places. So when we got to the field we decided to race each other on crutches to where Anson and the other coaches were standing. It was going pretty good until I hit a mud puddle and wiped out. My crutches came out from under me and I landed right on my back. Spencer didn't have time to stop herself so she fell right on top of me, face first into the mud."

By this part of the story I can't stop laughing at how stupid we were.

"Anson and the rest of the team was dying laughing at us. It was pretty great."

"I remember him telling me about that a few weeks later when I visited." Ash tells me. "He was cracking up. 

I shake my head knowing that's something Anson would do. 

"Okay my turn!" Ash says rubbing her hands together. "It was my first week of senior year at Carolina, Tobin and I thought we were going to be the big shots that season. Where the underclassmen would be scared of us. Tobin didn't really think this through because you guys were like sophomores. So we wanted to drop the water balloons on people as they were walking into practice like we did that one time. But instead of getting a freshmen we actually got a senior, Kate. She was pissed and told Anson on us. But she didn't get us in trouble, she got herself in trouble. So the next day she threw water balloons off the roof but ended up hitting all the coaches when she thought we were walking in. Again she got herself in trouble. We knew she was doing something so we were nice enough to let them go in front of us."

"Oh my god" I say in between my laughter. The team has trickled into the lobby waiting for the bus and is really confused as to why we're laughing. We just shake our heads at their stares. 

"It was a fun time. But now it game time Taylor Jacobs. Let's do this." Ashlyn tells me getting serious. We do our handshake and head to join the rest of our team waiting for the bus.

The locker room is prepped with all of our gear as we walk in. I walk to my seat that's diagonally across from the white board with the starting lineup. I sit down, fix my Beats on my ears and get my gear out to get ready. I take a quick glance at the white board and smile. 

Hope Solo- 1

Meghan Klingenberg- 7 Julie Johnston- 16 Beck Saurebrunn- 4 Ali Krieger- 11

 Lindsey Horan- 15 Carli Lloyd- 10 Morgan Brian- 14

Mallory Pugh- 2, Alex Morgan- 13 Riley Taylor- 5

I thought Mal would start but I'm glad to finally see it in writing. She's been killing it during practice and definitely deserves it. 

I finish up my getting ready, putting on my cleats last; right then left, tying left then right. I pause my music and follow the team out for warm ups. 

Ali, Alex, Mal, and I surprisingly walk out of the tunnel as the same time as Pia. She gives a us a slight nod and smile and we do the same separating when we go to our side of the field. We hop into dynamics and get into game mood.