The ref lines me up with the AT girl, the heads of our sticks against one another, ball in between, our feet on the midline. I meet her eyes through the grilles of our goggles. She has the same look of fiery intent as I do. I know Coach mentioned she’d go right earlier, but I don’t know. Something in my chest, something in the way the ref’s placed the ball, tells me she’s going to push to the left this time – where she thinks I won’t go.

The whistle blows and, putting my legs into the push upward, I forgo the intended right and flick my wrist to the left, letting her help me win control of the ball. I bring my stick upward, my eyes on the ball, and sure enough, the pressure from her end only helps the ball to careen upwards and down onto the grass. One correct decision. So many to go.

As I scoop up the ball, looking for an opening, I hear Brianna’s trusty, ‘HERE!’, and I send it right to her. It’s a clean pass, and then Brianna runs it before connecting with Jordan, out into the clear. My best friend has to do some darting to evade defence, and in the end, AT is too unpredictable. Jordan makes for a shot, and in a flash, the ball’s with the goalie – deflected. Just like that, AT’s already in possession, and we’re in the hole.

The end of the half sees us down 2–7.

‘We won’t make it to the end at this rate,’ groans Maddie as we peel ourselves from the locker room after a pep talk from Coach Dillon. It was rousing – one of her best – but it does nothing to help the despondency we feel when we think about getting back out there.

‘We have to.’ My own voice sounds exhausted. ‘Think of how far we’ve come. And Mads – you’re the future of this team. Jordan and I, our chapter comes to a close this season.’

Maddie swallows hard, nodding. A junior, she will be the one who stays on after us and – more likely than not – will take up the mantle of captain.

‘Guys,’ Brianna pipes up, ‘there are thirty minutes left in this game. Thirty. Our story’s not over just yet.’

Jordan, still on the bench, stick discarded in front of her, taping up a stubborn ankle, looks up, and she finds me among the girls, locking eyes with me. It’s all about this moment for us. We’ve played side by side since our very first match. This is full circle. We have thirty minutes to keep that alive.