Reflecting on a Unique Experience

– By Sara Belsole

We spent the summer completing workouts and preparing for the season. We returned to school three weeks early to begin practicing. We ran 300-yard shuttles in the scorching 100-degree heat. We sacrificed a few hours each day to practice and our weekends to travel to away games. We missed multiple classes, social events, and family gatherings.

It was all worth it.

We are National Champions.

As I journeyed on the long bus ride home from Orange Beach, Ala., I looked back on the season that has just ended in the sweetest way possible. I remember reporting to preseason, scared out of my mind and eager to enter this new world of college soccer. I remember our first game—the 4-0 victory over Columbus State University—knowing that we had many more memorable matches to come. I remember the not so good times: all the sacrifices, the injuries, problems within the team. And I remember all the great times: the team bonding, fun practices, road trips.

Nothing this season was just handed to us. Each game we stepped on the field and had to prove ourselves. We had to prove to our school that we are one of the top teams representing the students. We had to prove to other soccer programs around the country that we deserve to be held in very high esteem. And we had to prove to ourselves that we could come together and take home a National Championship.

For the seniors, this is the best way to end their soccer career. They walk off the field perfect, the ultimate compliment for their dedication and talent that they have demonstrated throughout the season. Now, we will have to work around the gaps that they leave, hoping that we can work out the kinks to fill their shoes.

For the juniors, this is just a starting off point. One National Championship down, one more to go. I know that when we step back on the field next season, the juniors will be the hardest working girls on the field. They will do whatever they can to leave their legacy with back-to-back National Championships.

For the sophomores, this is a look at the things to come. They have seen what this team is capable of and are ready to lend their hands (and feet) in the coming years in helping to establish this as the best soccer program in the nation.

For the freshman, this is surreal. Who would have ever thought we would win a ring our first year here. It hasn’t even sunk in yet—as a rookie, as a first semester college student, we are National Champions. It is an honor to be apart of something so big at such a young age and we are grateful for all the hard work the upperclassmen have put towards this program.

And for the incoming players next season, my advice is to be ready. You are going to be playing for the top women’s soccer program in the nation. After this huge accomplishment, we expect nothing less. Be ready to come into preseason mentally and physically fit. Be ready to work so hard in practices that it feels like your legs are going to fall off the next day. Be ready to sacrifice as much as possible to make it all the way.

Everyone here at the University of Tampa, be ready. Be ready to be amazed by this special group of girls. There are many years ahead of us and plenty more time to bring home as many National Championships as possible.

Come See The Conference Tournament

By Sara Belsole

This past weekend, conference play wrapped up. All the teams in the Sunshine State Conference found themselves in all different types of situations. One team needed a win to clinch a spot in postseason play, while other teams had already secured a spot in the conference tournament; and the conference title was up for grabs.

Going into our game versus Florida Tech, we knew that we wanted a win to claim the conference title. Along with us, St. Leo and Nova Southeastern were trying to get a piece of the title. It all came down to three games.
We played to a 1-1 tie, while St. Leo lost and Nova tied. After everything was tallied up, we were named conference champions for the third consecutive year, as Nova took second and St. Leo took third. We get to enter the conference tournament with a first round bye and claim home field advantage for our Friday game.
The past does not matter. It does not matter who beat whom before and which teams were picked to win. We all step on the field Friday with a clean slate. Anything can happen.
We planned to train hard this week in practice, brushing up on our weak areas to make sure we come out and play our very best in postseason. But there is one thing I believe that is missing: a good fan base. We have worked so hard to gain the advantage of playing at our home field, so why not take advantage of it?
We go to a school that has 5,500 students, and sometimes it is disappointing to look up at the stands and only see our parents and a few of our friends at the game. It is exciting to play while fans are cheering you on. It is conference tournament time. Each game teams will be fighting for their lives. Soccer is a contact sport—we will be sliding and tackling and making some brilliant plays. I dare you to tell me that is not exciting.
So fans, I ask you to come out on Friday and Sunday and support our team. I know for a fact that our intensity will rise when we know that we have fans behind us. Some of you see us around campus—you know us as your chemistry lab partner, girl who lives down the hall, or even that crazy group of girls you always see eating together at the cafe. So now come out and get to know us as soccer players, in our own element.
Sara can be contacted at sbelsole@ut.edu

Bring on Barry

By Sara Belsole

Nothing hurts more than losing to an unworthy opponent. That is exactly what happened on Oct. 16, 2006, as the lower-ranked Barry Buccaneers defeated the Spartans 1-0. The first, and only, conference loss of the year. Mistakes led to a late first half goal, and even though the Spartans fought hard, they just fell short.

“It was really disappointing,” Senior Katie Callahan said.

“It really opened our eyes because we were undefeated until that point,” Senior Alison Penland added.

We have always had a rivalry with the Buccaneers. A few years ago, they were ranked first in the conference and were the team to beat, as Tampa continued to build their program. But in 2005, the Spartans showed things were changing with a 7-2 demolition of Barry.

“When we beat Barry two years ago, it was one of the best games of our lives,” Callahan said.

But last year, the tables turned yet again. We allowed Barry to believe they were once again superior.

“Why wouldn’t they step up to show that they deserve to be number one?” Penland said.

This year, Barry (ranked seventh in the conference) will face us once again. It is the Homecoming game. It is our time for revenge. We will not lose at home, and we will show the Buccaneers that their win last year was a fluke.

“As a senior, I really want to show Barry what’s what,” Callahan said. “I think we are ready. They are a different team this year, but we know what we need to do.”

For us newcomers, it is our first time facing the Buccaneers. We are well aware of the long history with the Buccaneers and are ready to contribute this year.

“I know this game means a lot to the upper classmen,” Freshman Lauren Hammond said. “I will play my best for the seniors.”

A few things will be different this year. We will be playing a different formation and filling in some spots due to injuries. Our starting center back, Alicia Wyman, will not be playing, which is a huge disadvantage. However, we have many players ready to step up and make a difference. Everyone is ready to bring their A-game and show Barry that we belong at the top.

A Struggling Team

By Shelby Kuni

With an overall record of 12-1-1 and a 42 home game unbeaten streak, you would never know the University of Tampa women’s soccer team was struggling this year.

We have won nine out of fourteen games by only one goal. We have gone into overtime twice. We have lost and tied to teams that weren’t even ranked. We have scored 33 goals and let in 11.

Last year we ended the season 18-3-1. Two of the three games we lost were to ranked teams. We averaged 3.2 goals per game, scored 72 times and only gave up 14 goals.

So what’s different this year from last year? I thought the best answers for this question would come straight from the mouth of some of our returning players:

“It’s obvious we’re struggling offensively and defensively. We are giving up goals we shouldn’t and not scoring nearly as many as we did last year. We haven’t been playing to our potential, but we are still winning games which is our ultimate goal,” Sophomore midfielder Ashley Flateland said.

“I feel like we are lacking the heart and pride we used to have. Every class, with the exception of the seniors, has walked into a program that was previously successful. We haven’t really experienced failure like they have, and we’ve lost the pride that the upperclassmen once brought to the team,” Junior Courtney Evans said.

“I feel like we think there is so much pressure on us to do as well (and better) than last year because of how successful we were. But the truth is we are a completely different team this season. We lost four-time SSC Defender of the Year Malana Winskas, All-Region midfielder Kara Rasmussen, SSC Freshman of the Year Jocelyn Charette and All-American forward Sam Robinson. We have a new coach and we are playing in different formations. I think we have adjusted very well given the circumstances, and we need to keep our heads up and focused on winning one game at a time,” Senior captain Shannon Aitken said.

“A sign of a strong team is when they still find ways to win when things aren’t going as well as they would like on the field. We have a lot of room for growth but I certainly have a lot of faith in the team; we’re still beating some of the best teams in the conference and nation. When the team does start clicking and we start playing to our potential we are going to be great,” Head coach Gerry Lucey said.

So, whether it is lack of pride, poor communication on the field or the fact that we are having to adjust to a new coach, new teammates and new formations, things are clearly not going as well as we planned this season.

But to the people who don’t believe we can make it back to the NCAA Final Four again this year, to the people who don’t have faith in our team anymore, to the fans that continuously leave at halftime, and to the teams that think we are now beatable, this is what we have to say: we are still winning, and we will continue to win, because champions find ways to win, even when all the odds are against them.

We are members of the University of Tampa women’s soccer team. We rely on each other, make sacrifices for each other, stand by each other, and have faith in each other, because without each other we would be nothing. Each individual’s strength is the team and our team’s strength is each individual. We share common goals and desires that bond each of us together tighter than closest friends; we are a family, and we will fight to the end together.

Adjusting to a New Coach

By Sara Belsole 

In order to have a successful team, coaches spend months, or sometimes even years, recruiting players from all over the country to play for their teams. A coach sees a player perform, contacts that player, and before you know it, the player is flying into town to spend a 48-hour recruiting trip on campus. Seems pretty easy, right?

Not exactly. For a player, recruiting can sometimes be a very stressful situation. She is already trying to focus on her senior year papers, tests, service hours, college decisions, and adding soccer recruitment into the mix does not make life much easier. The decision of where to commit to play soccer can never be taken lightly. All aspects must be perfect; you have to like the location of the school, the academic program, the school size, the scholarships being offered, and of course, the coach.

After long deliberation, I decided to be a part of the University of Tampa’s women’s soccer 2007 recruiting class, under the head coaching of Bobby Johnston. I had found my perfect match, and now all I had to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy my decision. That is, until I found out that Johnston had resigned and taken another coaching job at his alma mater, James Madison University.

The recruiting process, which I had thought I had completed, became hectic once again. Where does this leave me? Every coach has his own style of play and type of players he likes, and there was no guarantee that I would be what the new coach was looking for.

Tampa’s coaching selection process seemed to take forever. I waited while the qualified applicants underwent interviews, resumes, and team meetings. Finally, three months before the start of preseason, Gerry Lucey was named head coach of the Spartans. Lucey was an assistant to Johnston from 2004-06 and head coach of West Chester University in 2006, leading the Golden Rams to the NCAA Division II Final Four.

Being from Tampa, I had the opportunity to meet with coach Lucey prior to reporting to preseason. I was nervous going in. I was the recruit that was about to play for a coach who didn’t recruit me; he had never even seen me play.

Meeting with coach Lucey put me at ease. We cracked a few jokes and talked about the team and where I would fit. He seemed like an easygoing guy who knew a lot about coaching a successful team. I felt confident that I could find my place with the Spartans and be successful in Lucey’s playing style.

Now, three months since I first got here, I couldn’t imagine playing under Bobby Johnston. The University of Tampa’s women’s soccer program is under the direction of Gerry Lucey. He is the one who we learn from everyday. He is the one who makes us better soccer players. And he will be the one to guide us through the NCAA Tournament, aiming to take the team one step further than last year: to the National Championship.

Keep Up The Home Winning Streak

By Sara Belsole  

There is nothing a soccer player loves more than stepping out on the field to play a game at her own stadium. You know the field like the back of your hand and the crowd is always on your side.

So far, the Spartans have been successful on the road, but we are now ready to bring it back home—back to the field that is home to old memories and brilliant games. Back to the field where respect and a legacy of winning was born.

Here, at the University of Tampa’s Pepin Stadium, the Spartans have not lost once in their last 38 home games. The team will host Lynn on Saturday night, the first home game since Aug. 26 and first home conference match.

This season, 11 new freshman and transfers join the squad, and we are all excited to continue the impressive home record. We are already striving to help maintain our high ranking and national respect, so why not add the home wins record into the mix? We have all heard the stories of the past wins at home, and now it is our turn to experience it. But I know you can’t help but wonder, are you guys nervous?

“I am nervous and excited,” Freshman Amy Triano said. “After so many weeks on the road, it is finally time to play at home and work to keep the record going.”

Sophomore Nicole Davis is a transfer from Coastal Carolina University. She played plenty of home games there, but playing on a field that has not seen a loss in what seems like forever is a whole new experience for her.

“I think we will keep the tradition of winning at home going,” Davis said. “We need to just keep doing what we are doing. It doesn’t matter if we are playing at home or away, we need to play hard.”

Joining the 11 new players in their first home conference game is junior Martha Bromfield. Bromfield, who suffered an injury that kept her out for the season last year, is also anxious to get the first game underway.

“I am proud to say that I play on a team that holds such a record,” Bromfield said.

So fans, on Saturday at 5 p.m. we will once again take the field ready to play. We will once again perform the same warm up, and we will once again complete our pre-game rituals. But I know this is not just any game; this is another opportunity to show the school and other soccer programs around the country that the Spartans don’t mess around, especially at home. We are proud to wear the University of Tampa on our jerseys, and if the other teams think they can come into our house and defeat us, they better think twice.

She scored how many?

By Sara Belsole

Ranked third in the nation, the Tampa soccer team takes their responsibilities and reputations very seriously.

As an incoming freshman this season, I was scared out of my mind. I was going to play for one of the most prestigious Division II soccer teams. College soccer is an entirely different world. This isn’t high school anymore. Coaches are tougher, the opponents are stronger, and the competition for playing time is greater.

On Aug. 5, 2007, the preseason began. I was immediately thrown into fast-paced practices, competing with strong, athletic and experienced players. Looking around at the 28 girls next to me—my teammates—I realized there were many potential role models. Our team is comprised of talented players from all around the country and all of us are given the opportunity to learn from each other everyday.

This past weekend, as we took the Harding University Lady Bison, one of my teammates laid her footsteps for us “rookies” to follow in. Scoring four goals in our 6-0 demolition of the Lady Bison, Shelby Kuni tied the Tampa record for most goals scored in a single game.

The record was set by Tai Kirklin in 1999 and tied by Samantha Robinson in 2005. Now, Kuni’s name will be added to this distinguished list.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without my teammates and coaching staff,” said Kuni. “Everyday in practice they push me to become a better player. We push each other. I owe everything to my teammates. They do all the hard work: they win balls and dribble them down the sideline, beating multiple defenders then making perfect passes to my feet or head. All I have to do is tap it in. I like to think I thank them by scoring.”

Playing alongside Kuni provides me with new knowledge for the game. We both have different playing styles, therefore watching her play helps to add a new dimension to my own game. Her impressive statistics drive me to improve at each practice. As she continues to break school records, she motivates the rest of the team to strive to reach their individual goals.

As the season pushes on, I believe Kuni will continue to be a leading offensive force. I am very excited to have the opportunity to play with such a gifted athlete, and I know that I can use all the skills she has taught me to become a better goal scorer and maybe one day break some of her records.

UT Women’s Soccer Learns From Mistakes

By Shelby Kuni

                The University of Tampa women’s soccer team took the field against Texas A&M Commerce last Friday morning expecting to add another win to their previously flawless record. 

              Nothing changed. The warm-up was completed the same as it is done every week; we weren’t wearing new uniforms; we prayed together as a team just like we do every time before we take the field. But something was different. We had to confront something we’d avoided all season: we were down a goal at halftime.

                  Although we dominated most of the first half, outshooting the Lions 12-2, we were unable to put the ball in the back of the net, and late in the first half Texas A&M Commerce effectively took advantage of sloppy play and was up 1-0. 

                 “I really wasn’t too concerned (at the half). I thought we were creating a lot of opportunities, and thought we would get ourselves back in the game…I just wanted us to keep playing our game and stay composed on the ball.” said head coach Gerry Lucey.  

              During the 15 minute break we didn’t talk about ‘what went wrong’ or ‘what we should have done differently.’ Although we were behind, there wasn’t one person who was worried that would be the case at the end of the game. We were told to stay calm and take advantage of our opportunities. With 20 minutes left in the game, the Lions were awarded a corner kick. Through miscommunication by our defense, Texas A&M Commerce found themselves up two goals, and we found ourselves slipping away from the game. 10 minutes later we got a lucky break when a ball came loose in the Lions six yard box to reduce the score to 2-1. 

                Our adrenaline was pumping and we had a good feeling about the rest of the game. That is, until a pass from our defense was turned over right outside our 18 yard box and resulted in yet another goal for the Lions. Although we scored again a minute later, it wasn’t enough as the Lions held us off for the remainder of the game.

                 We hadn’t been beaten since the Final Four last year, and losing again brought back all the heartbreaking memories and feelings we had tried so hard to erase.

                “The loss taught us not to play for ourselves, but to play for team. We need to continue to work hard at practice this week and use this loss as a learning experience,” stated senior captain Alicia Wyman. 

                Even though spirits were low, we were due to face rival St. Edwards, the sixth ranked team in the nation, Sunday morning. Last season, we suffered one of our three losses to the Hilltoppers in Texas, and with the Friday loss on our shoulders, we were determined to win. It was a game that would test our strength, teamwork and desire. We fought hard against the resilient Hilltoppers, never letting up and pushing on to win 3-2.

                  We never wanted nor expected to lose the game against Texas A&M Commerce, but maybe a loss this early in the season is a good thing, as it gives us even more motivation to fight harder and keep in mind what our ultimate goal is: a National Championship.