Mia and Cricket have endured intense grief in the year since their mother died. They’ve read books about bereavement that suggest it should hurt less after one year. The sisters decide to honor Liz by holding their traditional New Year’s party and polar plunge on November 9, the anniversary of her death.

Mia runs into Coach Oliver again in late December at the post office. They chat while waiting in line and Oliver shares that he has Type 1 diabetes and a strained relationship with his parents. Mia realizes she’s attracted to Oliver, which bothers her. It evokes the inappropriate relationship between Liz and Q since he’s Cricket’s coach, so Mia decides Oliver is off limits.

Sloane Jackson, a high school junior like Cricket, is considered the best goalkeeper in the country. In a match against Sloane’s team, Cricket is completely distracted, consumed by the idea of Sloane’s superiority. The Stallions lose and self-doubt nags at Cricket.

Mia is driving Cricket home when they skid on black ice and narrowly avoid a bad accident. Shaken, Cricket calls Coach and asks him to check the car before they drive it again. Seeing Oliver, Mia hears her mother’s voice encouraging her to surrender, so she invites him to dinner. When he declines her invitation, Mia, feeling rejected and lonely, decides she’ll go with Cricket to UCLA.

Two days later, Oliver calls to apologize to Mia; he explains that, with the current scrutiny resulting from rampant abuse in women’s soccer, the idea of dating Mia worries him. He admits he’s attracted to her, but Cricket being his player complicates things. Given that Mia plans to go to California with Cricket soon after he’s done coaching her, a romance just isn’t plausible.

In her senior year of high school, Cricket is invited to the US Women’s National Team Training Camp. Sloane attends the camp too. She’s gorgeous and outgoing and she and Cricket become instant friends. They’re both ambitious goalkeepers, so competing with each other becomes a central part of their friendship. This makes Cricket play her best, and Head Coach Teague is impressed.

On the way to Cricket’s interview for admission to the University of Southern Maine—a backup in case UCLA doesn’t accept her—Mia runs into Oliver. She’s avoided him since their phone call four months ago. He reiterates that they shouldn’t date, despite a mutual attraction, but Mia kisses him anyway. They spend the next five days together while Cricket is at camp, and Mia is intensely happy.

Cricket and Sloane agree that although they need to compete against each other, they’ll still remain friends. They get along so well, they decide, because they’re both ruthlessly ambitious. The new friends make a plan to talk weekly so they can review each other’s recent performance and hold each other accountable.

A rain storm leads to Cricket coming home early from practice, where she finds Mia and Oliver together. Realizing they’re a couple, she feels betrayed and later tells Mia she can’t date her coach. Mia reveals she didn’t even apply to UCLA. She plans to stay in Maine because she’s in love. In the ensuing argument, Mia recognizes that Cricket is afraid of going off to college alone. She’s also afraid that Mia is repeating their mother’s mistake and settling for less than her potential.

In November of her senior year, Cricket signs an official letter of intent to attend UCLA on a full scholarship. Coach, who’s just started his new job as associate director of athletics and head coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern Maine, marks the occasion by sending Cricket an enormous box of UCLA merchandise and a touching personal note. National Signing Day happens to be on November 9, the three-year anniversary of Liz’s death. Cricket and Mia celebrate Signing Day and Liz with a polar plunge.

Neither Cricket nor Sloane is invited to the National Team’s January training camp in their senior year. Soon after, Cricket learns Sloane has opted to skip college and entered the draft for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). This potentially gives her a four-year advantage over Cricket, which feels like a betrayal. Mia and Coach help Cricket put things in perspective and refocus on her goals rather than spiraling.

When Cricket graduates high school, Mia surprises her by inviting Sloane to visit. Though a bit wary, Cricket is no longer mad at Sloane, who was drafted in January by the Washington Spirit. Her jealousy returns when she learns Coach Teague invited Sloane to train with Anders, another coach for the National Team, the coming weekend. As a graduation gift, Mia gives Cricket the poster of Steve Prefontaine so she can take it to UCLA with her.

Despite the hardship of living without her sister and the grueling intensity of UCLA soccer training, Cricket feels that she is where she’s meant to be. Her new teammates are a wonderful source of support and community. Sloane no longer feels like a threat to Cricket’s dream, so they’re close again. Cricket still sees and talks to Liz whenever she’s on the soccer field.

Mia talks to Cricket on the phone regularly. She appreciates her sister’s newfound interest in academics, especially the subject of sports psychology. At home, Mia is living in bliss with Oliver, who has basically moved in.

On campus, Cricket sees a woman giving a guided tour, walking backward as she addresses the tour group. Cricket has an intense reaction that she soon realizes is not merely attraction but the feeling of falling suddenly and hopelessly in love.