What The Heart Wants

Our Prepared Response

As Tuesday's practice was wrapping up at the Hearts' training complex, Steph Labbe asked Emily and Lindsey if they would like to help her with a response to the comments Jenn Hildreth made about Sammy Jo and EJ on the Season Preview show. The two of them agreed, then went upstairs to Lauren's office to cajole her into assisting them with the retort for Lifetime's lead play-by-play announcer, who would be calling their game on Saturday against the Pride. Always willing to take it to the professional journos around her, she went back down to the field with the pair, bringing a video camera with her.

While waiting for the others to join them, Steph explained her plan for this extra session of goalkeeper training to Sammy Jo, EJ, and Kristin. Lindsey corralled Morgan Andrews and Kristie to participate with her in peppering their trio of netminders. Emily and Lauren took up positions on the sideline parallel to the top of the penalty area, with the former providing commentary and the latter filming the happenings.

Emily: It seems that a certain national soccer journalist has publicly said that our team has no chance of a post-season berth if our #1 goalkeeper gets injured. We are here to show that that is JUST. NOT. TRUE.

The camera pointed toward the net, where Sammy Jo was taking shots from the team's sharpshooters as well as placed balls from Kristin and Steph. After a few circuits, EJ replaced her and faced the music. Steph then jumped into the net to square off with her teammates in one-on-one battles, with Sammy Jo and EJ also getting the opportunity to be tested on breakaways. Kristin ran Steph's backups through a series of drills before having Morgan and Kristie whip in crosses for Lindsey and Frannie. Steph came over to the sideline and engaged in some repartee with Emily.

Steph: Have you given our beloved viewers any needling yet?

Emily: Just that they were going to be proven wrong about Sammy Jo and EJ's reliability in net.

The two of them shouted encouragement to those on the field, with Lauren taking the camera behind the goal to provide a closer vantage point of the goalkeepers' positioning and responses. At the conclusion of the drill, she went back to where Emily and Steph were seated, being joined by Lindsey, Sammy Jo, and EJ a minute or so later.

Emily: Ladies, do you have any words for the Lifetime crew coming to town for Saturday's game?

Sammy Jo: We were slightly offended at the insinuation that neither EJ nor myself can be counted upon to provide a similar level of skill and defending prowess to that of Steph.

EJ: I think they forgot that Sammy Jo and I were the starting goalkeepers for the last two NCAA national champions, thereby thinking we aren't up to snuff. Just wait and prepare to eat your words.

Lauren turned off the camera and returned to her office to edit the video, which she planned to deliver to the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown prior to the television crew's arrival on Friday.

***

Becca and EJ were lounging on the couch watching a replay of the first leg of the Liverpool/Barcelona Champions League semifinal.

Becca: We talked a bit about the wedding on the trip down to North Carolina, but left a sizable portion of it up in the air. Any new ideas come to mind in the past three weeks?

EJ: My mom I'm sure will be a big help, and I'm also guessing that she'll drag Cheryl into it since Morgan is part of the party. How big do you want to go?

Becca: I'm fairly flexible on the number of attendants we have. Right now, it's just Morgan, Jillian, and Dawson. Adding only one more seems to be too few, and I don't really want to have it get up into the 12-14 range that would happen if I have Lauren and Erin in it as well as friends.