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Pac-10 In Print
• Cal Women's Soccer Cal Women's Soccer 2007
Written By: Valerie Barnes Back on the round again, this weekend our Pac-10 play took us to Arizona. Facing Arizona State along with our former coach on Friday night, we sealed the deal with a 3-1 win. Our freshman forward, Alex Morgan, netted two beautiful goals along with senior Stephanie Wieger getting the game winner. We turned around and played the University of Arizona under the Tucson sun and came out on top, 2-0. With these two wins under our belt, the two-hour drive back to Phoenix and our late flight back to Berkeley didn't sound so bad. One exciting surprise of the weekend came right before we started warming up for the ASU game. Sophomore forward Lisa Kevorkian surprised our team by flying out to Arizona to cheer us on. Early in the season, Lisa injured her knee, forcing her to sit out the rest of the season. Paying for her flight to come out and watch us play shows the support we as teammates give to one another. Now that we have taken care of our business on the field, it is time to hit the books once again. As much as we would all like to curl up and sleep in the airport, as Cal Bears, we take pride in our schoolwork as much as we do in the success of what we accomplish on the field. Looking around at my exhausted teammates, some with their heads in books, others typing vigorously on their laptops, I smile with pride at the diligence of our team. Whether meeting up at a coffee shop to study or having each other over for dinners, the camaraderie on our team goes way beyond the field. A couple of weeks ago, we incorporated Wednesday lunch right after practice because we do not see each other enough as it is. After practice, as many of us who can walk to the Golden Bear Café on campus, grab a sandwich and sit on the grass watching our fellow Berkeley students walk past us. All I can do is smile when I look at our team sitting with each other enjoying each others company. Being a Cal Soccer Bear is more than just being a teammate. We give back to one another and genuinely care about our sisters. As a junior, I seek the advice of my teammates whether it concerns soccer, classes, majors, relationships or life in general. One thing that makes our family so special is the individual personalities of each member. Before preseason began, we had a family dinner at our assistant coach's home in the beautiful Berkeley Hills. Our team bonding game involved placing everyone in a certain personality group and realizing the units of different personalities that make up our team. Looking around at the various elements our team possesses opened our eyes to how unique each one of us is and what we individually bring to this family. After making it through the week with our strenuous class schedules and being on the road for four days, we get to do everything all over again this week. Together, we work hard day in and day out in order to make ourselves better in all aspects of life. From here on out, we are taking one game at a time making sure we secure each win and thus move forward in conference play. This weekend, we host Washington State and Washington as we play our last two home games of the season. For the seniors, this Sunday will be the last time they play at home as a Golden Bear during the regular season. We know we will have a huge fan base as we always do in support of us Bears and especially the seniors. For everyone, this weekend means a lot whether it is the seniors playing their last home games of their collegiate career or all of the underclassmen realizing that the season is coming to a close and our years are starting to wind down, as well. It is these moments that we treasure as Bears and remember forever. So, check us out this weekend and go Bears! Valerie Barnes
Previous Student-Athlete Blogs
January 2007:
February 2007:
April 2007:
September 2007:
October 2007:
October/November 2007:
January 2008:
February 2008: |
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