My soccer team travelled to Epping, NH this afternoon to compete for the OTHSL, Over-56. Division 1 Championship against arch rival Medfield. The conditions could not have been more miserable. Air temperature in the 30s, sustained winds of 10-15 mph gusting to 20mph, relentless and heavy driving rain, skies so dark they had to turn on the field lights for the second half. The battle on the pitch had as much to do with resistance to hypothermia as it did soccer skills. Indeed, one of our opponent’s best players had to leave the game at half time because he could not tolerate the cold and one of ours missed 30 minutes of the game so he could warm up in his car. It was bad enough when you were on the field playing but even worse when you were on the sidelines waiting for your shift to start, soaked to the bone and shivering uncontrollably. For 80 minutes the match was dead even with neither team able to find the net or any sensations in their toes. Persistence and grit paid off and we finally scored. Doing so broke Medfield’s spirit and we scored two more goals in the remaining 15 minutes. This match concluded a perfect season for my team with 10 wins in regulation and 2 more for the championship. In the last four seasons we have amassed 172 goals, given up only 14 and have not lost a single match.