Story Behind the Cup: Kiko Lake

Kiko Lake's newly signed free agent Meela Kitah proved to be one of the worst deals of last season, posting the worst numbers of her career. Kitah replied, "Last season was a nightmare. I hope to recover to my former glory in the Altador Cup." Kitah had a lot to prove, though. Her contract wasn't worth her playing and it will be a miracle to see her return next season.

The team also lost top scorer Helmo Timm to an injury, and had to put a cast on her right foreleg. This was a costly injury to Kiko Lake, but replacement Holbie Pinnock was fired up for the Cup. Now the team was made up of 4 Kikos and 1 Jetsam. But during practices before the Altador Cup began, Pinnock received a concussion in the back of the head. Helmo Timm convinced her doctors that she was well enough to play for her team.

Goalie Ditan Colb was painted Disco right before the season started. "I thought it might confuse my opponents, and might create an advantage for this squad," he said. His goalkeeping was fantastic this year, but did not do well during the Altador Cup.

"Poke" Sellers, Right Defender for the squad, has helped Kiko Lake improve defense and provide quick scoring opportunities. "Poke" earned her name for her "poke 'n' pass" move, where she quickly steals the Yooyuball and passes it to one of her forwards. She says of the move, "It has helped us become a great team, and I hope to teach it to some of my teammates."

The last player, a Jetsam, has been the real star for Kiko Lake. Relle Felson had to step up after Helmo Timm's injury, and also had to teach Holbie Pinnock the team's strategy. "Holbie is a fantastic player," says Felson, "It's a great thing that some of the younger players can play for our team."

On the 7th Day of Relaxing, Kiko Lake found out they were going to play against Brightvale, the roughest team in the league. Helmo Timm was confident in her team and said, "Let's show them what we've been practicing and hopefully come out the winners." Holbie Pinnock was watching from the crowds, although he still had numerous headaches and mild nausea.

Then, it was time for kickoff. Three minutes were on the clock. Both teams were playing in a 2-2 format. The first Yooyuball rose from the middle of a field, and it was a fire Yooyuball. Brightvale won possession and ran down the field. Timm tried hard to steal the ball from Brightvale's Kayn Hireck, but he kept the ball steady in possession. Hireck passed the ball to Reb Weemelott right in front of the goal post, shot the ball, and scored on the right side of the goal, making the score 1-0 with 2:17 on the clock. The players were in position for the next ball to appear, which was a mutant Yooyuball. Brightvale once again won possession and Weemelott took it down the field. The Nimmo rushed past Felson and ran straight into Poke Sellers. Sellers "poked" the ball out of Weemelott's hands and quickly passed it to Felson, who was wide open down field. Felson ran into defender Montecito, one of the toughest players in the league. Felson passed it to Timm, who was heavily guarded by "Squeaky" Tressif, but Timm managed to get the ball. Felson whizzed past Montecito and was wide open in front of the goal. Helmo Timm made the pass to Felson and he shot, and scored! The Yooyuball made a sharp left turn into the goal! The game was now tied at 1 with 0:37 on the clock. The next Yooyuball to appear was another fire Yooyuball, and Kiko Lake gained possession with 30 seconds left. Timm tried to pass it to Felson but the ball was stolen by Weemelott, and he sprinted to the goal. He made a nice fake left to the right to get past Meela Kitah, and was face to face with goalie Ditan Kolb. Weemelott faked the shot to the right so Kolb jumped to the right side of the goal, but Weemelott shot to the left and it was a goal for Brightvale as time expired. The final score was Brightvale 2, Kiko Lake 1. The Brightvale team was jumping around with joy, and then shook hands with the Kiko Lake team. Very depressed, the Kiko Lake team made a very long walk back to the locker room, but as they made that walk, their fans were cheering for them. The team looked to the crowd with delight. The crowd was chanting "Kiko Lake! Kiko Lake!" and the team made its way back to the locker room with pleasure.

The team decided to watch the rest of the Altador Cup before heading home to Kiko Lake. They saw their opponents get beat to the fearsome Haunted Woods squad, and saw Haunted Woods and Darigan Citadel face each other in the Finals. The whole experience was a blast to Kiko Lake.

When they returned home, fans were crowding the small town cheering for the team. Each player said a few words about the Altador Cup. Ditan Kolb said, "It was incredibly foolish of me to let that last goal zoom right past me, but I had a great time."

Relle Felson said, "I think we played our best out there on that field, but we came up one goal short of winning that match."

Helmo Timm said, "I'm just glad I didn't get more hurt than I already was; I hope I'll be back to play next year."

"Poke" Cellers said, "The better team won. They proved that they were better than us and this match convinced me to play harder next time."

Meela Kitah said, "I'm depressed that we lost, and I hope that I can stay here next year after my performance on that last match."

And finally, Holbie Pinnock had to say, "I'm proud of my team, proud of my town, and proud that I took a shot to the head even if it was practice."