Day Eight - Final Day of Pool Play

I'm just going to cut to the chase on this one - yesterday (Monday) we won against South Korea 19-2 and felt really good going 4-0 into our final game of pool play, against Japan.  We talked about their playing style, we practiced how we would play against them, and we got mentally ready and psyched for what we knew would be our toughest game yet. We knew they were quick, we knew they were skilled, but we knew that we were just as quick and just as skilled , but that we wanted it more. 

When all was said and done, the game did not turn out how we wanted.  Losing by one goal in sudden death overtime left a bitter taste in our mouths and a sinking feeling of disappointment.  It was a tough loss, but at the end of the day, this game taught a good lesson, and we will only grow from it. 

Tomorrow we enter the first round of playoffs with the memories of mistakes we will not repeat from games past, and  a focus on the future successes we will leave on the field the rest of the week.  We're excited to play for a spot in the top 8 and make a name for Israel in the World Cup!