Today we woke up at 10:00am and we went for a team walk. On the walk we stretched and loosened our legs for the big game tomorrow. After the walk we went, as a team, to a movie and dinner. We saw the Bourne Supremecy and dinner at Planet Hollywood was awesome. Soon after dinner we had a team meeting to prepare our strategy and tactics for the game. Lastly, all of us met for a few minutes to share some songs, motivational speeches and tears. This is the end of our long youth soccer journey so we were off to bed to get a good nights rest for the championship game!!!

Today was the third game of our national tournament. We played the New York fury, knowing that we needed a win or a tie to advance to the championship match. After a dramatic and emotional 90 minutes of soccer the game was a tie, 3-3 with goals being scored late in each half. After the game we were relieved to have secured our spot in the final. It was time to recover. All the players found lunch on there own and met up at the pool for a recovery. It was a lighthearted gathering, as we even got to push our coach in the pool. After much needed naps several players went to the outlet mall where we raided the Adidas and Nike outlet. We ate dinner on our own and some of the girls went to Cirque De Soleil. After a long and exciting day we got to bed early to dream of victory on Sunday.

Good Morning! Today is our first attempt at our second National Championship against the GSA Phoenix of Georgia; a past rival from our first national championship. Our day started off with a light training session on the hotel grounds to warm up our anxious legs for our 8pm kickoff. To pass the time away during the rest of the day we had a team movie preview of the hilariously tacky Mean Girls which most of the girls delightfully enjoyed. The next few hours made us all restless and ready to go for our first game. The van ride over to the game felt too long and we couldn't wait to get the game started. What a night! A hot day followed by a beautiful although incredibly humid kickoff. Not only did nice weather accompany us to the game, but the abnormally sized and dense patches of bugs did as well. Poor Hilary was struck between the eyes by a three inch long bug while sprinting on the field. We are happy to report she is okay! Our first half was a struggle, the Georgia goal was scored within the last 10 minutes of the first half. The second half displayed a different and determined Rage team. We dominated and outworked our opponents, but unfortunately to no prevail. The final score GSA Phoenix 1, Pleasanton Rage 0. Still optimistic we headed back to our hotel to dream of our next victory.

By: Cori and Jennifer

We were introduced to the not so sunny side of Florida. The early morning rain shower put a damper on our plans - our scheduled evening training session on the World Wide of Sports field was cancelled. The morning was low key with no mandatory wake up time. On the agenda for the day included the Player Luncheon. All the girls were in formal attire, wearing either a dress or skirt with a nice blouse. The guys were encouraged to wear suits, but a dress shirt and a tie was also acceptable. It was shocking to see everyone dressed up and not in soccer gear. It didn't look like a soccer event. After taking many pictures to capture the memorable event, the afternoon was rounded out with a nap. At 4:30pm, we all met in the hotel lobby; the rain didn't prevent us from getting in a light workout. It was important to get outside and get our legs moving. After we showered, we all met in a room for a team dinner. We watched a movie put together by the captains, Dani and Katie, in which they compiled several clips from various movies such as Rudy, Remember the Titans, and Miracle. It all inspired us and reminded us of this once in a lifetime opportunity. We can not take this week for granted, as it is our last youth soccer event. It will not be an easy task but we must overcome the adversities with the right mentality. All the teams here are great but it takes something special to be the best, which we believe we have. We are all willing to sacrifice and go the extra step for one another. Our team has a unique bond that will help us achieve what brought us together 2 1/2 months ago - to become national champions. Many emotions are running through our bodies, but we are excited to get this show on the road. Our first game is tomorrow at 8:00pm against GSA Phoenix of Georgia. Bring it!

"The strength of the pack is in the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is in the pack."

By: Tina and Caity

Today was the first day of our National Championship trip! A few of us had a problem waking up for our 10:00 training (Not mentioning any names Caity.) Upon arriving at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, the carpet felt fields gave us shivers for the games ahead of us. We are confident that are mad skills and talent will show on these fascinating fields. After training, our team took a fun-filled trip to the Epcot Park. At the park we experienced that the fastest ride in America tends to shut down in the middle of a ride. Lucky for Darby Kroyer and family, the rescue squad was called off after a few moments. For those girls who waited in line to find out their ride was canceled, they began their quest around the world, experiencing the different countries Epcot presented. Tina enjoyed the Buddhist atmosphere in China, while Philippe loved being back home in France. Dani also enjoyed the vanilla crème custard topped with whipped cream and strawberry jam dessert that the French workers were excited to offer. Afterwards, while some stayed to watch the illuminating fireworks, others went off to different restaurants for dinner. Later on in the night, everyone enjoyed the crackle of the thunder that Florida weather had to offer. All in all, a fabulous day it was in Orlando, Florida. And then we slept. GAME ON!!

By: Katie and Dani

Starting out from different airports, we all arrived in Florida at different times in the evening. All went smoothly, except for Kim (who had made a flight reservation for Monday instead of Saturday), who did not arrive until 6:00am Sunday morning! After gathering ourselves after the cross-country flight and dealing with the initial realization that Florida is REALLY humid…we all settled down in our (comfy, fluffy) beds and thus our team began our adventure at nationals.