What The Heart Wants

Save The Date

After training on Friday, Kristie, Diana, and Morgan talked about getting together for dinner that night to work out some things for their collective wedding on Valentine's Day. Ali invited Becca and EJ to join her and Steph at their place, thus allowing Morgan to host the other two couples in their house. Diana picked up Rhian at the airport and they went from there to Morgan and Sammy Jo's.

Rhian: Morgan, this lasagna is awesome!

Morgan: Thanks, Rhian. Thought that I should break out the cooking skills a little. Kristie, Steph?

Kristie: Much better than some of the stuff Sammy tries to concoct back home. Too many leaves and twigs and odd things in her dishes.

Sammy Jo and Steph laughed at Kristie's description of her sister's dietary choices.

Kristie: Since I was the one that suggested we get together to talk shop about the wedding, I'll lead off. First things first, this might get bigger than just us three couples. Sam and Abby got engaged on Tuesday, well sort of, and I'm working on them to join us. Have either of you done anything yet as to planning?

Diana: I think that is something that we'll be discussing over the next couple of days with Rhian here, since a number of our potential attendants are in Philly.

Morgan: We've bounced around some ideas, but nothing really firm.

Kristie: Since I know Steph is the type that will be very much "point me in the right direction and tell me when to show up", the bulk of the work will rest on my shoulders.

Diana: With Rhian up in Vancouver most of the time, I'll be on my own for a good portion of the decision-making even though we'll have talked through everything.

Morgan: Sammy Jo is so chill with this, I think, that I can pretty much do what I want and she'll be OK with it, right hon?

Sammy Jo: Pretty much. Don't try to get me into lavender taffeta or puce or dare I say a tux.

Morgan: I promise to let you choose your own attire for the day.

Rhian: Steph, Sammy Jo, I suggest we let our more interested future spouses handle this stuff since they'll spend a lot of time together normally due to where they play and where you two play and where I'm located.

Steph: Fine by me.

***

Ali, Steph, Becca, and EJ sat around the kitchen table at the older pair's house chowing down on pizza and critiquing their proteges' first two days with the club.

Ali: Becca, I saw yesterday that you were a bit nervous trying to lead the back line and left it to Carm to do.

Becca: Yes, and I replayed that with EJ and my former Duke teammates when we chatted last night, that I should have been more outspoken and taken control in the back in case I end up there some during the season. Get the outside backs used to my voice, my desired positioning in the center, and the connection I have with the goalkeeper.

EJ: I also had a bit of jitters going in and facing shooters that I knew could take advantage of my lack of height and my propensity to perhaps be too cute with the ball at my feet. As I get more reps and shots at me, the overthinking portion of the job will hopefully go away and I can just react.

Steph: Trust me, EJ, overthinking the position never goes away. It's one of the things that makes us goalkeepers our own worst enemies at times. When we go to camp for friendlies, one of the biggest things we do is try to spend time with the opposition's goalkeepers. For instance, when us and the US played our pair against each other in November, Alyssa Naeher and I spent time together comparing notes about our past year and the things that seemed to bite us in certain matches, like her performance against Brazil in the Tournament of Nations and mine against the Reign where I gave up six goals. It's actually a great thing that you and Sammy Jo are under one roof with Morgan and Becca, because you get to have those kvetching sessions on a more regular basis. It was one of those things that I didn't get with the Spirit last year due to Kelsey being injured during her time in Australia the previous winter. It affected my ability to remain focused on what I could control since I had no real pressure coming behind me at the club.