I just can't bring myself to feel bad about that game. I can bring myself to feel bad about my performance. There is a quality of lacklustre to how I am moving out there. But my team really put it on the line tonight. We threw our hearts and our souls into that game. If you wanted to base winning and losing on effort, then we win that game in a walk.

The effort was definitely there. Sometimes we sleep-walk through a game. I won't say we mail in a performance, but there have been games where our output has not matched that which was required. But that couldn't be said tonight. It was a playoff game and to a man, everyone came out to play. Our bench was a little short, but everyone played as much of a shift as they could manage. Don't get me wrong. At points guys were tired. They were walking the floor and the bodies were hurting. But when the ball came into their area, they hustled for it. When they had a chance to make a play, they tried to make a play. Not every attempt turned into a great play, but everyone tried. Every chance was chased down. Every ball was swung at. It was great to see.

We just didn't get a break. The other team, which didn't appear to resemble the team we've played four times before, was faster and stronger and more precise than us. But for all their apparent greater skill, we out hustled them. The benches on both sides were short, but when the players got tired, we still out ran them to the ball. When plays broke down in the middle, we were stealing the ball and making breaks out of it. They would get shots by setting up and cycling it around us in our end. Using precision to out-maneuver us. But when it came down to one-on-one effort, we out-shone them every time. It was pretty impressive to see.

The disappointing thing is we had to lose. I think it disheartened my team mates. We tried so hard and in the end our lack of cohesion as a team got the better of us. We were tired, and we were out manned, and we made a few rookie mistakes, that a group of guys that were used to playing with one another wouldn't make. But we're a pick-up team, and not used to playing together, and from time to time we make goofy mistakes. I made one myself tonight that cost us a goal. I ran back on defense when they had a break and got caught up defending a guy in front of our goal. Well I'm actually a winger tonight and my responsibility is to cover the point. So when I stick to the guy I shadow running back on the breakaway, I end up out of position when they set up in our end. Pass back to the point, goal for them. That's my fault.

The goal that ultimately cost us the game was the same sort of thing. We had it behind the net. Our guy is blocked to the left. He's blocked to the right. He wants to flip it high down the middle but doesn't get under it. Ends up on the stick of the opposition, right in the slot. Bang its in the net, and there's only 3 minutes of game to go. He feels awful but its just a rookie mistake that we make every game. It feels awful because we've been giving our hearts all game long.

We have another game tomorrow and this is the sudden death match. We have to win or our season is over. So if you read this, and its not 6 o'clock on August 4, 2009, come out to the Henk Ruys soccer centre in Saskatoon. We could use your support.

Go Shockers!!