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Courage take 2nd at Nicole Cup, fall to Herndon Elite

Aug 13, 2007
This year's Nicole Cup provided much stiffer competition for defending champions FC Virginia Courage. Facing teams all from the top three divisions in WAGS, and sporting a team with three new players, the Courage put in a memorable performance in group play, only to hit a wall in the finals on Sunday.

The opening game against Ashburn Xtreme started slow for the Courage, going down 2-nil quickly, then surrendering another  just before half time for a 3:1 halftime score. That would be all the scoring done by the Xtreme in this one though, as the new Courage team got their first motivational half-time speech and shed the summer cob webs in the 2nd half, scoring 5 unanswered for the 6:3 final.

The 2nd game promised to be the toughest opponent the Courage may face all year in the Herndon Elite. Expecting to be a high scoring affair, the girls were ready to go and determined to keep the game close. The Elite were not equally prepared, and came under a barrage of shots and were clearly surprised by the level of activity and ability of the Courage players. They made 2 of their few shots count though, both finished with precision, while the Courage went nearly the entire match seeing shots deflected at the last moment, or posts hit, or clear break away’s go agonizingly wide. Final score, Elite 2, Courage 1. Final impression - Courage kicked butt.

Sunday morning brought fellow WAGS division 3 opponent RFC into the path of a team on a mission to get another shot at the Elite in the finals later in the day. A win would guarantee that date, while a draw or a loss would require help from the other teams in bracket. In the end the Courage didn't need any help, and after scoring in the first minute, marched on with confidence and style for the 7:3 win.

The 11:20 AM Final was a rematch against the same Herndon Elite, this time on the championship field, with dozens of spectators and even the famous Tony Quinn sports photographer in action on the sidelines. The Elite were clearly more prepared for an opponent they perhaps had underestimated the day before, and turned in an impressive display of composure and accurate finishing. the game looked an exact opposite of the previous encounter, with the Elite dominating this time, and firing well over a dozen shots at goal. Their goal radar was sharp on this day, and their defense even sharper as the Courage created several chances, but got off few shots. The match would end 7:0, a just goal total for the Elite, but unrepresentative of the Courage effort on offense.

In the end, the tournament was a great experience, and provided a wonderful opportunity for our new players to become more comfortable with Coach Chris, and some of their new teammates. Great thanks also goes out to the rest of the Courage team, and our alumni players who came out to support us in the finals. We were proud to participate in the Nicole Cup and help contribute to a good cause.