The first game of the season was here, and it had been a defensive struggle. Neither team had many scoring chances and both teams' defenses were working hard. When someone was able to get off a shot, both goaltenders were like brick walls. Nothing seemed as if it was going to be able to get through. Katie had spent more time helping back in the defensive end and was not able to mount anything on the offensive end.
With over ninety minutes gone and the teams playing in stoppage time, Katie finally caught a break. A quick switchback with the ball suddenly found her with enough room to get off a long kick toward the left side flag.
As soon as Melanie had seen Katie create the space with the switchback, she had taken off. The defender, realizing the ball was going behind her turned and took off after it. Melanie was by her in a flash and got to the ball in space. She immediately crashed in toward the goal. She continued to move toward the center, her eyes on the goalie, not the ball. After all these hours of practice she knew exactly where the ball was. She just needed the goalie to move toward the center.
Bearing in on the goalie, it seemed as if she wasn't going to move. Melanie was getting ready to see if she could put the ball to the far post. It was not a high percentage shot, and it was not the shot she wanted. However, she finally saw what she needed to see. The goalie began to lean a little and started shuffling her feet to move over to cut off that far post shot. Melanie immediately drove the ball low and to the near post. Caught with her momentum moving toward the far post, the goalie could not recover, and the ball nestled into the left corner of the goal.
Melanie's teammates mobbed her. The goalie retrieved the ball and threw it out to midfield so play could be restarted. Her frustration at allowing the goal that close to the end of the game very evident in her actions and on her face. As soon as the ball was put back in play, the whistle sounded, and the game was over.
Both teams went to their respective benches and got final words from their coaches. As everyone was walking back to the field house for showers people went at different paces. Some people were already inside when Jo heard the scream. It sounded like an angry scream and when she looked back at first all she saw was Melanie standing by herself at midfield. The field being on a slight elevation, Melanie was there standing her lone watch.
Then Jo followed in the direction of where Melanie was looking. To her horror, she saw the other team's goaltender. Jo now realized where the scream had come. It had been the other team's goaltender and she was charging toward Melanie. Jo saw Katie about halfway between her and Melanie and she called out to her and pointed toward Melanie as she began sprinting back to the field.
Katie turned and took in the scene and began walking toward Melanie. Jo was incensed that Katie was not reacting quickly to Melanie being in danger. This deranged goaltender, obviously so angry at Melanie for scoring that late goal was about to attack her.
As she was sprinting Jo yelled out "
KATIE!"
Katie turned and saw Jo sprinting with a quizzical look on her face as Jo went pelting past her. Jo was desperate as she realized that the goaltender was going to get to Melanie first. Jo couldn't understand why Melanie didn't use that amazing speed to flee this oncoming maniac.
Although exhausted from the game Jo was moving as fast as she could since the goalie was almost right on top of Melanie. However, at that moment the goalie slowed down and opened up her arms. And Melanie jumped into them.
When Jo finally got up to the two of them, Melanie noticed her and said "Oh Liz, this is Jo. Josephine Napoli, but everyone calls her Jo. She used to play in some of the same tournaments we did. We even played against her in at least one game."
"Nice to meet you, Jo."
Melanie realized her social faux pau and said "Sorry Jo, this is Elizabeth Stanz, although everyone calls her Liz. She was the goalie for our Blue Lightning team."
Jo now was realizing what had all just happened and as the adrenaline rush ebbed from her, she now just tried to catch her breath as she said "Nice to meet you, Liz."
Liz turned to Melanie and said "I can't believe I let you get me off the near post. As soon as I saw that ball going to the corner, I knew what was happening and I knew you loved to go near post."
"Well you did an excellent job staying on it. Any other goalie would have started moving to cover the far post much sooner. I was actually thinking I was going to have to try for the far post. Even though we won you and your team played an excellent game."
"Thanks Melanie. I...
GO-GO!"
Katie had finally gotten to the group when her friend and former teammate saw her. Katie stepped up and gave Liz a big hug. "Hi Liz."
Liz suddenly looked between Katie and Melanie as if she just remembered something. "Oh hey. Congratulations on the future nuptials. You know when I saw the post, I almost wasn't surprised. You two always had this sort of jedi mind-meld kind of thing going since that very first practice."
Melanie smiled and said "Yeah well, it took her almost two years before she realized that she couldn't live without me."
"Well I know it now." Katie pulled Melanie into her and leaned down and gave her a big kiss on the lips.
Liz said "Oh. You two are just too cute. Okay, look I have to get back in and unfortunately since we're traveling, I can't just hang out. But are you guys going to be home for Christmas?"
"Yeah sure. We'll definitely be putting in an appearance at our parents' houses." said Katie.
"Okay great. Call me once you're in town. Great to see you guys again. And nice to me you Jo. Take care Go-Go; Melanie." And with that Liz Stanz turned and ran into the fieldhouse.
Katie, Melanie and Jo watched until she was inside and then they started walking that way themselves. Katie asked Jo "So what were you yelling about?"
"I thought that Liz was actually going to attack Melanie for scoring the goal on her. I had no idea you knew each other."
Melanie said "I didn't think she was going to do that, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure myself until she slowed down and opened her arms."
The three girls laughed and then walked a bit more in silence until Jo said "So...Go-Go?"
Katie stopped and looked right at Jo. "Okay first off you can never tell anyone else about that nickname or I swear I will never have sex with you again."
Jo knew this was an idle threat, but it was Katie's way of making her point that she was very serious about Jo not telling anyone else about her old nickname. And so she wouldn't do it solely because Katie did not want her to. "And second...?"
"Second is I will tell you the whole story about it if you come to our room tonight."
"Oh I see, you're just trying to get me into bed."
"Yep."
"Well, it worked."
Although Jo was a transfer student, she was a Junior at the school and so she got one of the single rooms at the dorm. And while she was fine with not having a roommate, she spent many nights over at Katie and Melanie's room if she was in the dorm. Some nights Jo would not come back to the dorm until very late or even the next morning. And sometimes she had company over her room. But if she was there and unaccompanied, she usually spent most of her time with Katie and Melanie.
The night wound down and Katie, Melanie and Jo were all sitting on the bed talking about the game and the upcoming season. Jo said "So your goalie friend knew you liked to put that shot in near post. I know she has seen a lot more of you playing, but you might want to start shooting for the far post sooner if they are going to be favoring the near post on you."
Melanie said "I've never really looked; we should make sure we have our forwards crashing the far post from now on. I'm wondering if they've gotten used to seeing me go near post and quit on the play figuring I will either score or the rebound will come back to me."
Katie added "I know I tend to watch once I see you've got the ball. I'll start making a point of moving toward the far post after I put it over to you."
It was quiet for a minute and then Jo said "Okay, enough soccer. I was promised the "Go-Go" story.
Katie looked exasperated and didn't seem to want to tell the story. Melanie said "Hey, you had that when I got there. So you have to tell the story."
Katie relented. "Okay, but again, this was when I was a little kid and while I put up with it with the Blue Lightning, I don't want it following me."
Jo sat up and smiled, excited to hear this but she did promise not to tell the rest of the team.
Katie told the story of how when she was little, she would be dragged to all of her older sisters' games. And she would usually be sitting on the ground so basically at field level at the feet of the parents. And whenever someone on her sisters' teams got the ball, the parents would yell "Go! Go!" Well somehow she must have connected the two because one day she was with her family at a sporting goods store that had a whole wall display of soccer balls. And Katie pointed to the wall and said "Go-Go."
"Oh that's adorable." cut in Jo.
Katie continued "Well my mom thought so because at the next practice she told all the parents about it. And they all thought it was adorable too. And so my nickname was Go-Go after that."
