VIRAGO

criticaster

[ Sorry I haven't updated in a bit! Got a little busy with work and car hunting, but I should be good now! ]

criticaster (n.) - a minor or inferior critic

The whistle blew for their third and final game of the day to start, and it was against Traverse City Central, who already had a bad reputation of being dirty and scrappy. Two could play at that game, but the Pirates did their best to play a fair game. The referee had lost control of the game, and the second team of Trojans they were up against that day were taking advantage of it, fouling every chance they felt was right. However, they still could not get past their defense, for they had been solid all day with little mishap. She could tell their legs were getting tired by the end of the half though, for Coach Wallace could not spare to sub her backline out with how good they had been playing.

"Alright guys I know they're coming at us pretty hard, but we've to stay together and compact. One mistake and they're in against Sam, and even though she's bailed us out a couple times already, there might be a time where she doesn't and we're down a goal. Shift as a team, keep with your man." Nash told them as they all sat in the corner and drank water, resting their tired legs. Their coach did not add much more, for his captain had pretty much said most of what he wanted to touch on. A few minutes they were back out on the field and getting geared up for the second half, which they started with the ball. As the game went on, it was extremely fifty-fifty possession and anyone's game. She could tell that the Pirates were getting frustrated, for they were starting to cause more fouls than at the beginning of the half. Nash jockied the forward coming at him but accidentally took him down about twenty-five yards out. He tried to plead his case to the referee, but she was not having any of it and gave him a yellow card. He sighed and walked away, getting into the wall she ordered for them to make. She had them go to the near right post and she stood off centered to the left side, waiting for the midfielder to come up and take the kick. She watched him set up and the referee blew the whistle, the midfielder going up and driving a curling ball towards the upper right side. She side-ran and jumped, reaching her left arm up and getting her fingertips on it, which was enough to put it into the crossbar and deflect off in front of her. She knew the other team would be crashing the ball, so she quickly smothered the ball underneath her. Once the coast was clear and the Trojans were beginning to flee, she made a punt up to Peter, who was onside then one on one with the keeper. The opposing keeper was caught off his line from being pushed up on the free kick, so Peter made an easy chip over him to get the first goal of the game, which happened to be the lone goal of the game.

After the referee blew the whistle, both teams went to the sidelines to shake hands, Samantha being put in front for being their goalkeeper. She had not taken her gloves off, so she fisted her hand, but not a single one of the players, not even the coach, bumped fists with her. She turned around in time to see all of them, in one way or another, shake hands with the rest of her teammates. Ted must have seen the look on her face when he finished going through the line and turned to face where she was looking.

"Sam, you good?" He asked her as they went back to their bags.

"Yeah, just a regular day of none of them shaking my hand." She scoffed as she took her gloves off and slid her shin guards out of her socks.

"What the hell? None of them did?" George asked, and she chuckled, sitting down to take her cleats off and slide her Birkenstocks on.

"Not a single one." She sighed as she packed her bag.

"Probably because you saved that should've-been-in shot they had after Nash fouled that little ankle biter." Hunter commented, Nash rolling his eyes and throwing an empty water bottle at him.