Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
It was enough, but just barely. They ended the game in a six-up tie, and championships didn't allow for overtime. Draws were settled by shootouts. Nevada had seven strikers to cycle through whereas Neil and Kevin would have to keep alternating. Neil's heart was thunder in his ears as he followed Kevin to far-fourth. He inhaled as deep as he could and let it out slowly, willing his nerves to wait until later.
"It isn't the game we should have played, but this is an acceptable outcome," Kevin said when he saw the tight look on Neil's face. Neil shook his head, not understanding. "We are ending tonight with nearly the same number of points and Nevada plays again before we do. We will know before we face Binghamton how many points we must score to proceed."
"I guess," Neil said, unconvinced.
The Tornadoes took the first shot and scored. Kevin scored on his first attempt, and the next Tornado striker scored as well. Neil landed his ball home against the goal and looked to Andrew. Andrew slammed the next striker's shot all the way down the court, and Neil could breathe again. He looked at Kevin, who smiled in vicious triumph as he stepped up to the line. His next shot landed in the bottom corner of the goal, and the Foxes won the game by one point.
-
Thursday night's practice was canceled on account of the night's line-up. The odds bracket had their last games tonight, with Edgar Allan against Maryland and Penn State against USC. Only two teams from each bracket would proceed to the fourth round, which meant one of the Big Three was getting eliminated tonight. It was the first time in six years one of them was going home before semifinals, and Kevin needed to see it happen. Somehow the entire team got roped into it, and they all stayed at the stadium after Wymack dismissed them for the day.
Some clever scheduler made sure the Ravens and Trojans were the hosting schools. The time zone difference meant the Foxes could watch both games back-to-back. Wymack ordered them pizzas but didn't stick around for the matches. He'd nailed down which six players he wanted to recruit and was busy figuring out travel arrangements. He was hoping to have all of them signed by the time the Foxes got back from spring break. Neil was glad his player had made the cut, but he felt quietly guilty for not pushing Wymack into getting a third striker.
Dan kicked Wymack off his computer long enough to use his printer. She came back with four signs and a roll of tape, and she hung the papers above the TV. They were each team's cumulative points going into tonight's matches. Kevin barely glanced at them while the Raven match was on, but as soon as the USC-Penn State game started he kept darting quick looks up at them. Neil knew Kevin was a Trojans fan, but he hadn't realized how diehard Kevin was about it. Kevin watched the game like a poor result would be the death of him. Neil almost wished Penn State would win just so he could see Kevin throw a temper tantrum.
By the time the Trojans and Lions hit halftime Neil had forgotten all about Kevin. He'd been so wrapped up in the Foxes' season and the Ravens he'd forgotten how spectacular the rest of the Big Three were. These teams played like they were professionals. They didn't have the Ravens' spotless record but they were only a half-step behind Edgar Allan. Kevin had warned them weeks ago the Foxes weren't ready to face these schools. For once his callous dismissal felt like a gentle understatement.
He wasn't the only one who found it a sobering sight. Dan muted the commercials, tapped the remote against her thigh in a nervous rhythm, and said, "So we definitely need to step it up, guys."
Kevin frowned at her. "Even if you'd stepped it up when I told you to a year ago, you would have no chance of beating them. There is nothing at all you can do this late in the year. They are better than we are and they always will be."
"Do you get off on being such a Debbie Downer?" Nicky asked.
"Denial does none of us any good," Kevin said. "We struggled against Nevada. How do you honestly expect us to make it past the Big Three?"
"California's overdue for a big earthquake," Nicky pointed out. "That'd take care of USC, at least."
"That's a little extreme, don't you think?" Renee asked.
"We need something extreme at this point," Allison said.
Renee's expression was calm and her tone steady, but Renee didn't need to look disappointed in them for them to get the message. "The Trojans had our backs when we needed them most. Do you really want them to suffer just so we can profit?"
"It's just not fair," Nicky said, shying away from her gaze. "Us getting this far and putting up with so much and then losing here, I mean."
"We haven't lost yet," Dan said, "but we will lose if you give up right out of the gate."
Kevin started to say something Neil knew would be negative and dismissing. Neil reached behind Andrew and popped Kevin in the back of the head to shut him up. Matt choked on a laugh and tried unsuccessfully to pass it off as a cough. Kevin froze for a startled second, then sent Neil a scathing look.
"No one wants to hear that right now," Neil said.
"If you hit me again," Kevin started.
Andrew cut in with a casual, "You'll what?"
Kevin shut up but didn't look happy about it. Allison gestured to Dan. Neil saw it only in his peripheral vision, not enough to tell what she did, but when he glanced over there Dan was making a face at her friend. Matt slung an arm around Dan's shoulder and gave her a short squeeze. It could have been unrelated, but the smile Matt couldn't quite fight off was more smug than sympathetic. Neil looked to Renee to see if she understood, but he couldn't get any hints from her serene expression.