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Pac-10 In Print
• USC Women's Soccer USC Women's Soccer 2007
Written By: Kat Stolpa Every year towards the end of September, our team seems to hit a wall. It is around this time that the first round of exams begin, that our midterm papers are due, and our legs really start to feel the wear and tear from the first half of the season. This year was no different, as the week kicked off in less-than-stellar action. When the team congregated for weights after the weekend in Michigan, it is safe to say that our work-ethic was lacking. Despite the best efforts of our strength coach, Bryan Bailey, to keep us motivated, we all seemed to be slow to respond and lethargic. Our coaching staff was less than pleased with our apathetic performance in weights, but instead of lecturing us and telling us to fix it, they were silent. By the end of practice, the team was mentally and physically exhausted. The coaches gathered us at midfield and after a long silence, asked what we thought about our performance, what we thought about our mental state, and what we thought about their lack of direction. We agreed that we were all tired in every possible way that we could be tired. Late nights studying for midterms combined with rigorous soccer and travel schedules had taken a toll on our minds and bodies. We were dragging and we knew it, but for whatever reason it had seemed impossible to for us to leave our problems off the field. It was at this point in the discussion that Ali reminded us that soccer is supposed to be the fun in our lives. It is what we came to USC to do; it is why we sacrificed our summers on the beach for summers on the track and in the gym: so we could be the best players that we could be and so we could position ourselves to reach our potential as a team. Soccer is supposed to be the release from the chaos we encounter in our lives as student-athletes, yet we were allowing it to induce our lives with stress. Eager for a bit of introspective thought, Ali ended the discussion with a reminder that after the weekend games against Long Beach State and Portland, we would be halfway through our season. When we reconvened for practice the following day, the improvement was palpable. I think the realization that the season was slipping away affected us positively because our touches were sharp, our motivation was high, and mental game was dead-on. It was the most focused I have seen our team in practice, yet for the first time we did not have to remind each other to stay focused…it came inherently. For the final practice day of the week, we gathered to watch the US National team's semifinal World Cup loss to Brazil, a 4-0 loss. While there were many issues that were addressed in the ensuing team discussion, the topic we focused on most was confidence, why we were lacking it, and what we needed to do to gain it back. When it came time to kick off against Long Beach State on Friday, the team was ready to translate all the discussions we'd had during the week onto the field. Despite a somewhat slow start, we probably played our most complete game of the year in a 3-0 victory. Not only that, but all three goals (scored by Mari Tomer, Lauren Brown, and Megan Ohai) were spectacular. The first goal was especially significant, as Karter Haug connected with Mari's head on a bending right-footed ball, a sequence we had worked on at practice all week. I guess all of those repetitions (which seemed excessive at the time) really did pay off! When we took the field for our Sunday game against Portland, we were backed by the tremendous crowd support and the presence of the USC Spirit of Troy (our school's notorious marching band). After trading scores in the first half, we settled into a second half that featured considerable end-to-end action. While I've maintained admiration and respect for the girls on the field for the entire season, today was the first time that I knew for a fact that they would not let our opponent walk off our field with a victory. As the game progressed, I could feel the excitement of the players on the sideline around me turn into a quiet confidence. Our entire bench remained on its feet for the majority of the second half, something that could not have been coaxed out of us for anything before this season began. Our support of each other and confidence in each other carried us to a 2-1 victory over Portland, and while we walked off the field with an extra skip in our step, I think in the back of our minds, none of us were surprised with the result. After a day off to recover, we will return to a full week of practice and a bye weekend. While the break will do us good, the week will likely be challenging, as we have a great deal to prepare for before we open up conference play at home against Oregon on October 12. Thank you so much for your support this week and FIGHT ON! Kat Stolpa
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August 2008:
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