Weekend Rivalries

We knew going into this weekend, Mercer and Kennesaw were seeking revenge on their overtime losses against us last year, and that we were intent on proving our right to be on top! We all forgot to pack something when we left for Georgia, though…football pads. This weekend was a dogfight!

Firstly, one of the reasons I like playing for Belmont is the fact that not only do we as players become family members ourselves, but each player’s family welcomes us as new members. It seemed like we were at home in GA this weekend; Laura Harris, Alex Mindel, Alex Morgado, and Mad-dog Porter are all GA natives and they all brought their fan clubs. We ate at both Laura and Alex Mindel’s houses this weekend and both families welcomed us with open arms and DELICIOUS food! It is always a treat to look at baby pictures and ALWAYS nice to get a home feel when away at college. So thanks to both families for hosting us and for all the fan support…especially, Mr. Trocino (Jayme’s dad), for starting chants at the Mercer game! Mercer’s crows didn’t know how to handle you guys!

Mercer was a brutal battle and bodies were flying everywhere, but we withstood the storm and once again made our halftime adjustments. We adjusted and put the Bears under a lot more pressure, but failed to find the back of the net. After once again not playing very skillful in the first half, escaping with a 0-0 draw and a full injury-free travel roster, was something we could live with for the night.

Saturday we mostly spent watching college football and doing homework at Alex’s house. And a few of us spent the whole day itching the um-teen bug bites all over us from Mercer’s field. (If you see a soccer player walking around, they aren’t diseased; they were just attacked by about 1,000 mosquitoes). But the most exciting part of the day was when we arrived at the sweetest hotel EVER! It was the one we stayed at last year where the beds are better-named as “clouds.” We spent a week here last year at conference and LOVED every second. As far as the game goes, the last 3 times we played on Kennesaw St.’s field, we won. So we were STOKED to play there again. However, we were quickly deflated minutes into the game. Our connection just wasn’t there in the first half and NOT that we’re making excuses, but we were fighting some “official” elements, as well. When a team feels those two pressures, it’s very hard to overcome a 3-0 deficit. The second half was a battle for sure. I’m proud of how we didn’t roll over to adversity, even though our effort fell short. Coming away from a game like that with a 4-2 result, leaves A TON of hope for us, the next time we play them. Besides scoring 2 comeback goals, we also hit a post and a crossbar. The game could’ve easily been 4-4. We know they don’t exceed our skill-level; they just out-played us at the right times today and finished their chances.

We respect both of these rivalries and games like these are the reason we play. They are a challenge in every respect. Any one’s mistake can be the other team’s opportunity and next time we play, we hope to reverse those roles more in our favor. We stand now 2 points from 1st place under Kennesaw and the next 4 games are not going to be a walk in the park, by any means. Make sure you come out to Belmont to see (potentially) our last 2 HOME games! We promise to put on a good show when FCGU and Stetson come to town!

LET’S GO B.U.!
-R.P. #0