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For one mere night Pacific had its opportunity to mimic its best Ohio State impersonation, but as easily as the dream was born it dwindled to: “could have been, should have been, and almost was.” There is a cliché that compares the difference between ‘coming close’ and winning, to the difference between horseshoes and hand grenades. Pacific fans were forced to double-fist the second analogy of emotions on a bitter chilly Thursday night. It is not often that the Pacific community could celebrate success this early in the year, but Thursday the 14th is one night that will pulsate like a cold dagger brought forth by Brutus in Caesar’s back.
The Tiger soccer team was turning heads nationally, and their match-up with BYU had a number of important attributes to go with records. There was the unbeaten streak, as the Tigers had not encountered a loss this season. There was a streak within a streak: the Tigers had not given up a single goal all year, and for 85 minutes, BYU had a frontrow seat in understanding the Tiger D’s love affair with goose eggs. The defense led by goalie Jaime Souza and defender Kelsey Nagel had flabbergasted the Cougar offensive all night, and the Pacifi c counter attack added to the frustrations of Joseph Smith’s girls. BYU came into the game nationally ranked, but throughout the game it was difficult to pick out which team was ranked. The Tigers at times dominated the second half with their quick counter attack and midfield work. No one on the field could contain the speed of Mandi Van Dorn, or the hustle of Jennifer Smiley whose nose for the ball helped her to be at the right place at the right time to start the counter attack. Bunny Dickson’s valiant effort, practically breaking ankles with her razzle-dazzle footwork and pinpoint accuracy, helped the Tigers outshoot the Cougars 14-11. The Tiger strikers had their chances, but the BYU defense relied heavily on its speed, closing in and disturbing any real chance Pacific had.
Still, the Tigers had most of the control all night, and the game was looking to end in a tie. Tiger fans as well as students came out and their ruckus was surely appreciated, most notably by the refs (and a few of their horrific calls). It was a good scene and a few opportunities in the second half by the Tiger offensive gave hope for rushing the field and carrying out the goal posts. In mere seconds, with a cough and a sneeze, the lungs sunk into the heart and the heart into the stomach. With only five minutes left in the tie, a surreal cloud rained its painful tears—Joseph Smith must have had a huge smile on his face. A breakdown, a great pass, and a brilliant fi nish gave the Tigers the worse case scenario. It was a game the Tigers should have and could have won. Pacific showed heart, guts, and pushed back when shoved by the sinful Cougars. Not to take anything away from BYU, as their ranking is much deserved, but Pacific was the better team. Too bad the score was blind and could not make the same argument. With anger, rage, and sorrow boiling in the heart, it was off for another kind of warmth.
The gymnasium was the ideal place to take a timeout from the Delta breeze before the walk back to campus. The body turned from cold to shock, doubletaking the scoreboard. Surely the scoreboard had to be wrong! Pacific was going for the sweep over 10th ranked Cal. Mesmerized by the scoreboard and a chance to see Pacific turn its season around, I took a seat. Bad idea: as I got comfortable in my orange chair, Cal went on a run and took the third set. I should have not sat down as the jinx was on. From the third set on, Pacific just crumbled. With each minute that passed, more and more of the Pacific community started filling the gym. The energy of the crowd, the hope of the 6th man, the clinging of seeing my beloved university pull off an upset kept me glued to the seat.
Hope turned to resentment. Pacific did not come close to the success of the first two sets. Cal stayed undefeated, and as for Pacific volleyball, to be so close and yet so far just added to a miserable opening of the season. One game away, just win one out of three. 5 minutes away, just 5 minutes from keeping records. Man, how can this campus not have a bar after a night like the infamous night of Thursday the 14th. A night of “could haves and should haves,” and no riots.
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