Off the Field with Brooks and McKinsey
Aug. 31, 2005
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Tuesday, August 30, 2005
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We finished our last two a day practice of pre-season last Tuesday, began school on Wednesday, survived a hurricane on Thursday, had Friday off (in the dark with no power), practiced Saturday and won our season opener on Sunday….I’d say it’s been a pretty eventful week for the University of Miami Women’s soccer team.
Wednesday was our first day of classes. I started my day at 8 a.m. with my exercise physiology class on bioenergetics and skeletal muscle physiology followed by a chemistry lecture. Once classes were over, I went to rehab for my knee and then to our pre-game meal at Beverly Hills Café. Then we went back to the athletic department to get ready for our game. We played the Jamaican National team Wednesday evening and won by a score of 5-1. It was great to play against someone else other than our team. The team looked good and we found some points that we needed to focus on for our season opener against Monmouth on Sunday.
Thursday it rained all day as Hurricane Katrina approached. We had classes on Thursday and then proceeded to practice at 2:30 p.m.. We played in the rain and then finished the practice with diving headers, my favorite! Hurricane Katrina made her way through South Florida Thursday evening and thankfully no one on our team was hurt and everyone’s houses were safe. Everyone living off campus lost power and most did not get it back until late Saturday, some on Sunday and even a few until Monday. Even though it was only a Category 2 hurricane, Katrina tore through the Miami campus and Coral Gables, blowing over trees, flooding areas and ripping down power lines. It was amazing to drive around and see all of the damage and debris. I had never seen so much damage before in my life. I can’t imagine what Mississippi and Louisiana are going through.
We practiced Saturday and then had our team dinner at The Big Cheese, a big Miami hangout. Our game Sunday was played without a score board or announcer because the campus still did not have power, but that did not stop the Hurricanes from coming out ready to play for the season opener. After a slow start in the first half, we were able to pick up the game a bit and score three goals in the second half. Everyone played well, but the newcomers provided the spark necessary to send Monmouth home with the loss. Goals were scored by Becky Tweneboah, Tessa Lennala, Meghan McKinsey and Bryn Heinicke.
School was cancelled again on Monday, which gave us a four-day weekend from classes. We practiced on Monday and everything was back to normal for Tuesday with classes and practice.
We play tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. against Stetson and hopefully we will be 2-0 at the end of the night!
Come out and watch us whip-up on Stetson as we prepare for the Miami Invitational tournament this weekend which features Miami, Princeton, UCLA and FAU.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Today we resumed school after Hurricane Katrina swept through and cancelled classes on Friday and Monday. Although the campus was closed, practice and games continued, weather permitting.
So, last Sunday, August 28th, we had our season opener against Monmouth, which we won 4-0. We left the first half with only a one-goal lead and got our other three goals in the second half. It was a great way to start off the season because all the girls are pumped and excited to continue adding wins to our record.
This game was a great way to set the tone of the season. A huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders now that we’ve gotten our first game over with, the anxiety and pressure of what to expect is finally over with. Don’t get me wrong, we still know the level of play, especially when we get into conference games, will dramatically increase.
Tomorrow we play Stetson, who has a 2-0 record, and we’ll be the first team to upset them. I’m extremely excited for this game because my parents are flying out and it’s my first college soccer game they will watch. I’m happy because they’re staying for the entire tournament and I have missed them a lot.
Today is our first day of study hall and I will hopefully put in about three hours worth and this week I need five. Next week, when we’re back on schedule, we’ll need to complete the eight hours a week. Study hall is mandatory for student athletes to force us to study, keep on track, and maintain grades so we are eligible to play.
