Wellesley College Soccer

Shut Outs

2010-10-22T09:55:00.001-04:00

It's the 6th lap of the timed two mile. You can't imagine being finished. You have over two laps to go and you feel like you may just collapse at any point. You're a little dizzy and worried that you won't be able to keep the pace. You're about to set a personal record, but can you keep the pace up? You look at your watch. Your sixth lap is too slow. You started off great, then got a little shaky because you let your head get the best of you. You convinced yourself you couldn't do it and slowed down. You didn't stick with your teammates because you didn't believe you could keep up. It's a mental test more than a physical test at this point. You finish the sixth lap. Shoot, six seconds too slow. That's a lot. You let yourself down a bit. This means you have to push twice as hard in the next two laps. You're catching up to your running partner now. The pace is fast. Your teammate says it's too fast but you encourage her and you continue together...

The Blue have improved to an overall record of 7-6-2 and 4-1-2 in the conference. A 3-0 win over Smith College and a double overtime tie against number one MIT. More impressive than the three goals against Smith are the shut outs in both games. Defensively, as a team, the Blue have improved their organization from the backline all the way to the forward line. This past Tuesday's match against MIT was arguably the most complete game of soccer the Blue have played all season. The Blue are in a good spot now as they head to WPI this Saturday for their second to last conference game.

500

2010-10-13T10:52:00.000-04:00

The Blue were defeated last night by Fitchburg State 1-0 at home. This brings Wellesley to a 6-6-1 record. Despite outshooting our opponents 19-9 we couldn't finish our chances. Fitchburg's goal was off an unfortunate penalty kick rewarded in the 32nd minute after a trip in the box.

Next up...away game at Smith College(conference game!) this Saturday.

Ups and Downs

2010-10-12T13:43:00.000-04:00

The blog write ups have taken a several week break, but rest assure that the Blue have continued to work hard and fight tough competition.

Let's start where we left off after beating Mt. Holyoke 3-0...

After a Wellesley Soccer dramatic over time win last year over Brandeis, the Judges came back ready to rally squeezing out a 1-0 win. Despite the loss, the Blue was proud of their performance against the then 15th nationally ranked team. Next up was a HUGE double over time win against conference rival, Springfield. Gaining two points out of this game was a necessity as Springfield currently sits with 8 points in the NEWMAC (unbeaten by all, except the Blue). Unfortunately, the glory didn't remain for the Blue as Wheaton College won 5-1 with three goals in the span of eight minutes... Let's look past this game and consider it a fluke! Lastly, over the weekend we gained two more conference points beating USCG 2-1. Of course we had to do it in Wellesley fashion with a Megan Turchi rip 20 yards out in double over time. For those keeping stats, that would be our FIFTH DOUBLE OVER TIME (we have yet to be defeated in over time....knock on wood!).

Up next... Fitchburg State at 4 pm today at Wellesley!

Wellesley College Down Under

2010-09-29T14:28:00.000-04:00

It's official...the Blue will be taking a 12 day trip to Australia in 2012! After much debate the team has decided to begin their fundraising efforts to travel to Sydney, Cairns, and the Great Barrier Reef. Here's a quick description of our tentative itinerary:

Day 1:
Depart from Logan Airport

Day 2:
IN TRANSIT

Day 3:
Arrive in Sydney and meet tour manager
Intro tour of Sydney, stop at beach, brunch, Darling Harbour, team dinner, shopping!

Day 4:
Breakfast at hotel, Circular Quay, ferry to Manly, lunch in Manly, team surf lesson, return to hotel by Ferry and Train, free evening and dinner

Day 5:
Breakfast at hotel, morning intro to Cricket Clinic, Roosters vs. Sharks Rugby

Day 6:
Breakfast at hotel, youth clinic with NSW juniors, game vs. New South Wales, meal with New South Wales, evening free and dinner on own or optional activity to attend concert at Operahouse

Day 7:
Breakfast at hotel, game vs. local club, meal at club, bridgewalk in Sydney, dinner at Meat and Wine and enjoy final evening in Sydney

Day 8:
Breakfast, fly to Cairns, check into hotel, dinner

Day 9:
Complimentary morning tea/coffee on cruise, Outer Barrier Reef (marine biologist presentation is show on the vessel monitors 30 min. after departure), snorkelling demonstration, swimming, fish feeding, tropical buffet for lunch, Port Douglas, dinner

Day 10:
Breakfast and free morning, rafting on Baron River, walk to Dundees (experience eating crocodile, emu, kangaroo), evening free

Day 11:
Breakfast at hotel, visit Aboriginal School for a socer exhibition and sharing of Aboriginal culture, meal, Koala park and village visit (holding of a koala!), game vs. local club, meal with opposing team, enjoy last even free in Australia!

Day 12:
Depart for USA

Bouncing Back as a Team

2010-09-27T15:12:00.001-04:00

After a hard loss against Bates College last week the Blue bounced back just in time for Mt. Holyoke. The Blue dominated the game scoring three goals and earning a second shut out for the season. Although Wellesley has an unbeaten streak against Mt. Holyoke for several years now, the win was an impressive overall team effort.

Goals were scored by Chelsea Patry, Jen Marble, and Ariel Chao (goal #7 for the season). Chelsea also earned her second assist for the season.

Overall, the team looked more organized and it was clear they wanted to fix the mistakes from previous matches. Defensively we played as a unit which contributed to things coming together on the offensive side of things.

The win places the Blue at second place in the conference with 1 win and 1 tie for a total of 4 points and 4-3-1 for the season. Check out the NEWMAC website for scores/updates on our competitors: http://www.newmacsports.com/sports/wsoc/index

Next up: Wednesday @ home against Brandeis!

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Wellesley's "quote of the season"...

"There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
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One Point for the Weekend

2010-09-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

After 110 minutes of play the Blue tied their first game of the conference against Babson College. Despite the lack of goals scored in the game there were many chances from both ends.

The Blue came out a bit flat to start the game but improved tremendously in the last 20 minutes of the second half and into overtime. Consistent crosses from Chelsea Patry provided the Blue with several opportunities but finishing on goal was an issue all game. On the defensive end the Blue came out with strong performances by the entire back line and looked more organized than in previous games.

Last year Wellesley beat Babson 1-0 in overtime but this year only managed to squeeze out one point for the day.

Tomorrow the Blue head to Maine to play Bates College of the NESCAC. Last year Wellesley lost 1-0 to Bates and hope to have revenge this year! Check out twitter and/or facebook for game updates.

1-1 for the Weekend

2010-09-14T13:23:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend we hosted our fourth annual Wellesley Invitational Tournament which we finished 1-1. Unfortunately, this was the first time since the tournament's inception that the Blue did not come out on top.

Saturday's game was a double over time win against UMass Boston in which Megan Turchi scored another one of her free kicks just outside the box. Although we were happy to pull off the win, at the end of the day we played nearly 110 min. of soccer and had to play less than 24 hours later against a fresh St. Lawrence team. Also scoring against UMass Boston was Ariel Chao, her fifth goal of the season!

Sunday's game was a much a faster pace that took a little getting used to but the Blue held their own for the most part. A few mental lapses and sore muscles caused the two goals to be scored. The first goal was scored in the first half and the game held at 1-0 for 86 minutes of play, until the Saints got their second goal of the match. Erin Simons, a junior defender and captain, controlled the back line all game and had a strong weekend overall.

Next up, Babson at home. First conference game of the year!

Back in Action

2010-09-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year again! We’re back on the pitch and two weeks into our season off to a strong start at 2-1 against three good teams. Our first weekend included two games in upstate, NY where we stayed overnight at a local hotel. We played Union and RPI, two teams from a tough conference and finished 1-1 for the weekend. Union, a top 30 team in all of division three women’s soccer, snuck past us in a 1-0 win. Fortunately, we bounced back on Sunday to beat RPI 3-1. Ariel Chao , a first year from California, was awarded with her first career goal…and second….and third! In other words, a HATRICK!!!

The following week we drove to the Northshore to play Endicott College. It was a hard fought battle that concluded in a double overtime win, massive amounts of pizza, and a bumpy bus ride. Lena Cardoso, a first year forward/outside midfielder scored the first goal of the game, while Ariel Chao scored her fourth goal in three games for the game winner.

Up next: The Wellesley College Invitational: September 11th-September 12th. Game 1 vs. UMASS Boston.

All Good Things Come to an End...

2009-12-01T13:07:00.003-05:00

The Wellesley Blue were defeated in the NEWMAC semi-finals by Springfield College 1-0 on November 7. The loss was a devastating one as the Blue previously beat Springfield in the regular season. Both teams came out strong and Springfield managed to squeak one through in the 52nd minute. Despite the loss, it was clear the Wellesley Soccer team fought a tough battle and left everything out on the field.

The Blue look ahead to training hard in the offseason and coming out next year stronger than ever.

Let's give a big thanks to the seniors this year and their parents: Katie Martore, Kathleen Keating, Catherine Caruso, and Lo White. These seniors were a special class who consistently lead their team day in and day out. Thanks for giving it your all!

NEWMAC Regular Season Champions

2009-11-03T13:33:00.004-05:00

By the numbers since the last blog (and last loss)...

13 Goals
5 Wins
4 Shut-Outs
4 OT Periods
2 NEWMAC Players of the Week
#1 Seed in NEWMAC

The Wellesley College soccer team has held an undefeated record since our last loss against MIT in early October. Rehearsed set-plays, outstanding finishes, perfect crosses, game winners in overtime, and very solid team defense have lead to the best regular season finish in 10 years. After a rocky start in September the Blue finished up NEWMAC regular season play with a record of 6-1-2 and a first seed position for playoffs.

As a #1 seed the Blue played #8 Mt. Holyoke this past weekend and came out on top with a 3-1 win. Meredith Roy and Chelsea Patry each were awarded with a goal and assist. The third goal was scored by Jen Marble, widely known as Dozer, as she scored her first career goal.

We would also like to recognize Chelsea Patry and Megan Turchi as each First-Year received NEWMAC Player of the Week Awards on two separate occassions for their outstanding offensive play. Chelsea leads the team in goals and assists with 22 points and Megan in second with 12 points contributing to 4 game winners.

Although much of our success can be contributed to our offensive threat, our team defense has played just as an important role in our one month undefeated streak. Goalkeeper Katie Martore has made key saves time and time again, including an incredible save against Wheaton in a 0-0 tie to clinch first place. That being said, the entire defensive line and team shape all over the field has improved tremendously throughout the season.

This weekend we host NEWMAC semi-finals against Springfield College at 1 pm. Stay updated at the Wellesley Athletics website with live stats.

Ups and Downs

2009-10-12T10:35:00.004-04:00

The week began with a big result against conference opponent Coast Guard. The Blue came out a little slow but after 17 minutes of play Catherine Caruso scored her first goal of the season, and well deserved it was! Caruso was awarded the "Heart/Blood-On-Her-Sleeve" team award as she acquired multiple stitches to the mouth, some broken fingers, and a banged up knee (all that in a game that we won 4-1!). Caruso's goal came from a solid thru ball by Nikki Fermanis.

The next goal of the half was scored by Chelsea Patry as she knocked in her fifth goal of the season. The last goal of the half was scored by First Year, Alicia Imada of an Erin Simons assist. Alicia's goal marked her first career point.

The second half was just as dominant as the first, as the Blue scored a fourth goal as Catherina Caruso played a nice ball to Meredith Roy who hit the back of the net.

A few days later the Blue traveled to MIT for another conference game. Unfortunately, MIT came out on top with a 2-1 lead. The Blue came out a bit flat first half, as we closed the half down 2-0. The second half was much improved, but as the saying goes..."too little, too late."

The Blue look ahead to their next conference game this Tuesday against WPI who is currently 8th in the conference in points.

Big Results

2009-10-06T13:33:00.005-04:00

Over the past week the Wellesley soccer team has taken a huge leap forward. With two more wins under our belt, one being a conference game, the team is turning it around at the perfect point.

Our first big win of the week was just a few towns over at Brandeis University. The game started off a bit shaky with Brandeis scoring just 2:23 into the contest, but Wellesley quickly picked it up. We finally broke through about 15 minutes into the second half off a Chelsea Patry corner who found Five Head (Erin Simons) in the box. The goal was enough to take us into over time...

And in just 15 seconds of over time play Megan Turchi lofted a ball from about 30 yards, scoring the golden goal game winner!

The next game against Mt. Holyoke was held during Homecoming weekend at Wellesley. Despite the rainy weather, fans gathered and cheered on the Blue to a 4-0 victory. The first goal was scored by Amanda Young, off a through ball from Dozer (Jen Marble). The next three goals were scored in the second half by another Chelsea Patry corner, as well as a cross by Dozer to Patry. The last goal "sealed the deal" as Megan Turchi scored a penalty kick after Jennie Krasker was taken down in the box. The win marked the third shut out for the Blue and two more conference points.

Staying Positive

2009-09-29T13:07:00.008-04:00

The past few weeks haven't gone as we originally planned but we are keeping our heads up!

Despite a few tough losses and a tie, the results don't tell the whole story. Overall, we have outshot all but two opponents nearly 2:1.

Our first game after the Wellesley Invitational was against currently Nationally ranked Skidmore College. Although we started off the game with a quick goal and a lead within the first ten minutes, Skidmore answered with two goals in the first half and one in the second. First Year, Chelsea Patry, scored the lone goal.

Our next game was against Bates who had an early goal, which was all they needed to secure the win. Despite 15 second half shots by the Blue to Bates' 9, Bates held on to the victory.

Lastly, our most recent game marked the beginning of NEWMAC conference play at Smith College. The game was extremely aggressive on both ends and was a tough battle, leading to a tough result as we tied 1-1 after 120 minutes of play. The tying goal by the Blue came five minutes after Smith's goal in the second half, scored by Nikki Fermanis.

Up next...Brandeis!

Fall 2009...And We're Off!

2009-09-15T10:42:00.014-04:00

The Wellesley College Soccer Program is coming off a fantastic weekend as we won our third Wellesley Invitational in a row! Before we get into the dramatic win through penalty kicks let's look back at how we got here...

Thursday, August 27 the team arrived for the first day of preseason happy to be reunited and start a fresh season of Wellesley soccer. With nine First Year's, the atmosphere of the team was slightly nervous but very excited. Over the next few days preseason entailed a variety of fitness tests, tactical training, technical training, scrimmages (with a 7-0 win over Emmanuel), an intense water polo match, and an interesting yoga session... As the grueling week ended and the soreness slowly disappeared, we found ourselves to no longer be a team full of First Year's but one cohesive unit both on and off the field.

Our first game showed normal first game jitters as we dropped a 2-0 decision to Roger Williams. Despite the loss, we held off a 2008 second round NCAA team to a scoreless first half. After the game we took a short vacation to Cape Cod where we ate a big dinner and stayed at Katie Martore's beautiful home.

Our next game against Endicott, a 2008 third round NCAA team, looked much better as we moved the ball around quicker, played to feet, and overall began playing Wellesley soccer. Unfortunately, we picked it up a little too late and lost 3-2. The first goal was scored by Nikki Fermanis, off a picture perfect cross from Catherine (Scrappy) Caruso. The next goal came from Meredith Roy as she finished a nice ball from First Year, Kara Lungmus.

This past weekend we hosted the Wellesley Invitational dominating Simmons on Saturday and pulling out a win in pk's against SUNY New Paltz for the championship. Despite only a one goal win against Simmons (goal by First Year Chelsea Patry), we had over 90% of the possession and keepers Katie Martore and Sarah Gray claimed a shut out. It was an overall team win as we out shot our opponent 25-12 and earned five corners.

The first win of the tournament brought us to the championship game against SUNY New Paltz where we ended in a double overtime tie. Both defenses held strong as 37 shots were taken between the two teams, the Blue with 22 shots. Due to the game being a tournament game, after 110 minutes of play it was time for penalty kicks. Katie Martore stepped in goal for the Blue stopping one shot and watching one sail over the crossbar, ultimately leading to a Wellesley victory. Pk's were scored by Amanda Young, Catherine Caruso, Megan Turchi, and Tristen Chin. Tristen Chin, a First Year defender was awarded the Wellesley Invitational MVP for her strong play in the back and game-changing overlapping runs up the line.

Up next Wellesley soccer faces Skidmore College for their first away game of the season.

The Beat Goes On!

2008-10-15T23:40:00.001-04:00

Wellesley College Soccer put in another week of solid team performances to increase their NEWMAC record to 4-0. On Tuesday October 7^th The Blue came out with purpose against US Coast Guard Academy and were first to strike just two minutes into the first half. It took the USGA 65 minutes to answer but a cool finish by Catherine Caruso in the 83^rd minute was enough to secure the win. This game was the debut of our new 4-5-1, while there were a few unsteady moments overall we were pleased with how we played. Some more attacking presence allowed us to produce more dangerous chances and took some of the pressure off our back line.

Saturday October 11^th WSC matched up against MIT in another NEWMAC contest. In 2007 the Blue were upset by a score of 4-1 so we had something to prove. Both our goals were a result of some great combination play. While MIT has their fair share of chances we managed to keep a clean sheet and got a much-needed result. As a group we are continuing to develop our understanding of how best to work with each other in the new system of play but looked stronger as the game progressed.

While we are pleased to be sitting at the top of the NEWMAC table the meat of our schedule still ahead so we are focused on maintaining our momentum and not resting on our performances. It’s an exciting time for the Blue and, as always, the team thanks you for all your kind words and support!

Joca Bonito,

WSC

Soctober!!!

2008-10-06T14:38:00.001-04:00

It’s hard to believe it's October and NEWMAC Conference play has finally arrived! Currently undefeated with a 2-0-0 record, we opened up 2008 with a 1-0 win at home against Smith College. Despite difficult weather conditions we were able to control the majority of the game out shooting them with 16-8 edge. The game’s lone goal came just under 16 minutes into the contest when Haley Gellar drove a ball past Smith’s goalkeeper from 18 yards out.

After a disappointing outcome against Brandeis on Wednesday October 1^st we were committed to learning from the experience and regrouping before our next competition. Our second consecutive conference win came by way of Mount Holyoke College with a 1-0 margin. Because it was Friends and Family Weekend at Wellesley, we had more parents than normal which was great to see. The added support proved to be especially useful as Mount Holyoke was tremendously hardworking and riding on emotion. Despite their unrelenting efforts, we were able to take the lead with only three minutes left in the first half when Catherine (Scrappy Doo) Caruso played a great pass through to Ashley Farnswoth. Ash’s sliding effort and big toe were enough to nudge it past Mount Holyoke’s keeper for the winner.

As is often the case with any competitive team, we have been battling a fair share of injuries and illness the past few weeks but by and large we seem to be on the mend. In fact Saturday’s game against Mount Holyoke was the first time we had our full roster dressed to play! With two well-fought NEWMAC Conference games behind us, and a bit of adversity overcome, we are confident to that the remainder of the 2008 season will continue to be an exciting challenge.

As always, we appreciate your continued support and hope that we will see you at a game soon!!

All the best,

WSC

The Return of the Wellesley College Soccer Blog...

2008-09-22T14:41:00.009-04:00

Dear Friends of Wellesley Soccer,

The Wellesley College Soccer Blog is back in action! In an effort to maintain a link between Wellesley College Soccer and all our supporters including program fans, alumnae, families, friends, and prospects, we have created this Blog as your resource for information about our program. Besides mundane scores and redundant schedules here you’ll to get an informed, informal, intimate and interactive prospective on what's been happening inside our locker room and on the field. So please enjoy and be sure to check back, or subscribe for weekly updates straight to your inbox! Of course if you have any news or comments you would like to share just let us know and we’ll gladly pass them along.

Season Update: The fall season is off with a bang. We are currently running with a 2-1-1 record after our first four matches. An early highlight was an exciting 1-1 tie with Endicott College in double over-time. They are the defending ECAC champions so we were pleased with the result. Our strong level of fitness, as well as our unrelenting work ethic, proved to be valuable in this game. With sheer determination we were able to steal a goal with one second left in regulation to send it to overtime. With heavy legs both teams pressed hard in the two overtime periods to follow, each with chances kept out by the woodwork, but neither team could undo the knot.

We are also proud to share that we won the Wellesley Invitational for the second time in as many years. The weekend was particularly exciting for many of our players as so many families and friends were able to bring their voice and energy to the sidelines to cheer us on. On Saturday September 13^th we enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Simmons College in the first round of the Invitational and our home opener. On Sunday September 14^th we beat Skidmore College, the 4th ranked team in the country, 2-0 in the final of the invitational to top off a great weekend. While we can't take credit for the first goal (since their fullback lashed one past the GK from about 50 yards out for an OG) our second goal was class and demonstrated Wellesley Soccer at it's best, we wish we had it on video!

Although we suffered a brief setback at Bates last week we still believe this year can be one of the best in recent history. This week we travel south to face off against the UMASS Dartmouth Corsairs. Apparently a 'Coarsair' was a french privateer who attacked enemy shipping in the Mediterranean, translation- they are pirates. No matter, the team will tell you this is the most important game of the season…because it’s the next game. UMD played us tough at our place last year so we’ll be going in with something to prove.

2009 Brazil Tour Update: Fundraising for our tour of Brazil continues to move forward. This once in a lifetime opportunity has been an exciting undertaking and will truly enhance our program and our student-athlete’s experience. Our ‘Finals Survival Kits’ and skills clinics were a huge success last spring and a few very generous donations have really helped energize our efforts. We are significantly closer to our goal but still have some work to do. We have some fun and creative projects underway so please keep an eye out for opportunities to get in on the action!

In closing, thanks for all your support and messages from near and far, the team appreciates all that you do, and we look forward to sharing our successes as the 2008 campaign kicks on.

Remember 'Go Blue or Go Home!'

All the best,

WSC

the deutsche saga continues...full of FUSSBALL!!

2008-05-14T14:07:00.004-04:00

hallo!!

I just got back from my wednesday soccer match and finished a mean tuna melt--let me tell you guys, i've developed some SKILLS in the tuna salad department. Anyhow, I'm playing on Mondays and Wednesdays with ALL BOYS (its amazing). It's funny though because I showed up to the first Monday game and the Trainer (coach/teacher who oversees things) asked to see my student i.d. and then asked me if I realized that there weren't many "Frauen" here. I said I realized that and I liked it because it would make me better and tried to explain to him that "Ich spiele fuer meine Uni in den USA" (I play for my university in the US) and his eyes got really big and he said "well I can see that you've certainly played before, I just wanted to make sure you knew." And then the conversation continued with me explaining that women's soccer is huge in the US and I can't understand why it's not here because the German women are so good!! Today I talked to my teammates about this and they were like "well yea, its like saying you play football in america!" aka the boys football. No worries, they're super nice to me and respect that I play!!

Anyhow I also told these guys about how I went to see Hertha BSC play on Saturday--that's the professional team here in Berlin--and told them how it was the craziest thing I'd ever seen and I just loved it and they said that Hertha was nothing special and that at the real games people are much more wild!!! I'm going to try and upload my photos so that you guys can see it, which, unfortunately, brings me to the next topic of my CRASHED COMPUTER>>>

My computer crashed about three weeks ago and my roommate studies what I think is the equivalent of German Computer Science or something so he brought it back to life but I lost everything and he rebooted it in German...My parents sent the wrong windows discs so I could choose whether I wanted my computer in French or German. Obviously I chose German but seriously some of the messages that pop up are uncomprehendable!! I meant to post on here a while before but FirstClass on the web is absolutely no fun and hopping around between my German or French roommates' computers was quite the task. In case you're not familiar, the y's and the z's on the german keyboards are mixed up, the @ sign is extremely hard to come by, as is capslock, etc. On the French keyboard you have to hold down shift to get any kind of number and then there's all these other combos and they would try to explain it to me and it was so frustrating!!!

In happier news--I went to Hamburg three weeks ago, Ireland/Dublin two weeks ago and then this past weekend my friend from home who's studying in Dublin came here. It's been hectic and exhausting but it was so much fun!! The weather here is absolutely incredible. I don't understand Celcius but I know that it's at least 70 F and sunny everyday and I've spent SO much time in the PARK! We've had a couple cookouts which have been amazing but there's a really cool park (parks are the thing here in Berlin) right by my house and I've been sunbathing some there...caution, large topless women also like to lurk there!! Just in case you all were worried, my sweating is in full force and I don't think there's anyway I'm going to make it until the end of July without buying a fan for my room...it's preparing me beautifully for preseason!! Also! there's no word in german for "dehydration!" They just say they didn't drink enough water, etc. I tried to explain that it's way more complicated then that and failed. You guys understand!! I feel like I could go on and on with fabulous things but I'll keep it to this: 1. FREE CONE DAY here was AWESOME--complete with a dj and blaring techno music in true German style 2. my good friend here found a CALIFORNIA BURRITO place RIGHT BY MY HOUSE!!!!!!!! I had a double class yesterday which means 4 hours, plus my other 2 hour class and basically I was ravenous afterwords and wanted nothing more than a burrito. Love it.

Ok I promise to try and post on here more often and to try and get my pictures up and going--don't forget that I lost a huge chunk--my mom had sent me a huge memory card and I have at least 1000 pictures to pull off of there...wish me luck! I wish all of you at swells luck with exams and hope you're getting pumped for the FITNESS PACKET!!! I've already joined the gym and started hunting for tracks...I think I'm just getting myself psyched to see all of you again!!

love love love
kg
p.s. the pictures are downloading, i'll make a separate post! <3

Awards Banquet 2008

2008-05-06T00:38:00.011-04:00

Sunday night was the Department of Athletics Annual Awards Banquet. It's a fun night for everyone to get dressed up (some teams take this more seriously than others) and enjoy a nice evening/free meal together to celebrate individual and team successes. Soccer got a couple solid shout-outs during the night, including a footnote in President Kim Bottomly's speech when she recalled some of her most exciting 'spectator' moments came by way of watching us play! Of course she was referencing our WC Invitational Championship thriller when Katie 'Puma' Martore stiffed three out of four PK's to clinch the title for the first time in seven years...or was it when we beat the #25 team in the country to advance into the NEWMAC final four? Maybe she was alluding to the Wheaton performance when we played out of our skin. Hard to say really but still pretty cool to know K. Bot's a soccer aficionado. All in all a fun night, remembering good times, saying good-bye to four year vets, and pondering what next season might bring...Where will you be when Wellesley Soccer makes history?

For your perusal we've included some sweet pix courtesy of Llama.

Top: Catherine 'Scrappy Doo' Caruso arrived at 5:59:59pm as her personal protocol mandates and did well to keep a smile when her less punctual friends arrived...

2nd from Top: Llama as herself, Taylor 'Don't call me Tater' Harvey and SD stop to provide the paparazzi with a photo opp. (although the women behind them was less psyched about it)

3rd from Top: Lauie expresses her enthusiasm for the legendary 'W' cupcakes that adorned each table...or had developed severe hand cramps from all the clapping...

4th from Top: Sugar effects everyone differently, for Taylor it's a permismile...

Soccer in the Airport

2008-04-21T12:53:00.002-04:00

Trying to get a game with these guys on tour in '09...

Laura Chilson '11 Gives Keynote Address to Prospective Student Athletes

2008-04-21T11:44:00.012-04:00

First Year Laura "Chili" Chilson addressed a packed house of prospective student-athletes and their families as part of this year's Spring Open Campus held April 17-18. Chili’s speech was a great balance of serious, drawing parallels with her participation in athletics to Plato’s argument regarding the Tripartite Soul, to the not so serious, when she made reference to Is Your Mama a Liama? (a book she gave her big sister on the team…) It was a really cool opportunity for Chili to represent our program and she did an amazing job!

Spring-ing Forward

2008-04-17T11:36:00.005-04:00

Well, the harness of winter has finally passed and spring is officially in the air! The Blue have been kickin it full time, as part of our non-traditional training segment, since the week after spring break and will finish up just in time for finals...sweet. With all of our two-sport athletes and the famous Katie Guynn abroad in Deutschland (see below) we're a smaller group but working hard non the less. What has been cool is that we've been incorporating different parts of our summer training program like speed & agility training, lifting, technical work, and fitness testing (yikes) into our sessions. When you consider the weather has been fantastic, the fields are amazing, and the girls are awesome to be around, you couldn't ask for a better way to spend an afternoon!

On the recruiting front we have very accomplished players joining the squad next year and everyone is excited about getting them into the fold. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement in the upcoming weeks. Here is one we are looking at for the Class of 2009...

Berlin Part I

2008-03-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

Hi, all!

Just a forewarning: I'm already having a hard time switching my brain back and forth from German to English so if this is at all awkward, let's blame it on that. Anyhow, I'm loving everything here--the people in my program are great, my host family is great (although I move out today and into dorms and then in 2 more weeks into an apartment), the food is delish and I'm definitely staying busy. I played soccer with some of the kids from my program last week but we're really trying to find some Germans to play with. Hopefully that will happen once classes at the FU (Freie Universitaet Berlin) start in April. Meanwhile I'm running and we have to walk alllll over the place--things are especially bad because the U-Bahn (=T in Boston) is on strike and apparently it is the longest strike in history here. Needless to say, unpleasant, but the S-Bahn station that I commute to has many varieties of chocolate croissants and I feel sure there's no need for explanation there.

Today we toured the Reichstag and earlier this week we went to the Opera. Both beautiful, however the Opera was REALLY hard to follow. In terms of my schedule, we're doing a language class right now which meets from 9-1ish Mon-Thurs and then we do cultural things on Fridays (i.e. Reichstag)

I'm talking to some people in my group about getting tickets to see Hertha Berlin play so hopefully that will also happen soon once everyone gets settled down. The apartment finding process is stressing everyone out! The good news is, playing soccer is an in with everyone here and if all goes as planned, one of my classes this semester will be something along the lines of "how fussball structures the culture in europe." Ok, it's more interesting and articulate in German but my memory has failed me and I am a bad translator!

Anyhow, I am going in search of Kindereiier (delicious chocolate eggs with toys on the inside...my host mother laughs at me because they are geared towards small children) and they're on sale at this one store. I also need some notecards to study for my first TEST. Missing all of you all and thinking of you--I'll try and post again soon!
**I tried to upload a picture but I can't get it to work...next time

First Annual 1v1 Coffee Pot Challege

2008-02-12T11:18:00.000-05:00

The games for the first annual COFFEE POT CHALLENGE have just been set. Tensions are high. Frazee starts with a bye, leaving six to battle it out among themselves. And the matches are (drumroll please)....

GAME 1: Caroline vs. Chili
GAME 2: Catherine vs. Courtney
GAME 3: Llama vs. Lau

To our competitors I say good luck and play fair and don't forget to have some fun. Join us later this week for updates. NOTE: These matches were drawn out of a Wellesley College hat and are thus completely fair. Continuity in the first letters of the names was completely unintentional.

Check in later for a posting of the rules. Competitors are encouraged to set up the games themselves and then post on the conference so that any fans may attend. Once again, good luck.

Welcome Wellesley College Soccer Fans!

2008-01-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

Your new home for up-to-date information about Wellesley College Soccer has finally arrived! In addition to game recaps, schedules, and stats, here you'll get access to our program directly from the source! So keep an eye out for player interviews, post-match analysis, tour plans, upcoming recruiting events, and much much more...