Women's Soccer Blog

Eagles Off To A 2-0 Start

2011-09-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago the Bridgewater College women's soccer team arrived for preseason ready to take on a new year, play some soccer and break some records.

The first two weeks were all about integrating the new freshmen with the returners, and of course, getting into soccer shape (that means running A LOT!).

Halfway through preseason we took a camping trip to Brethren Woods so we could bond with each other. We pitched our tents, did a low ropes course, cooked dinner over the fire and performed our skits (a tradition on the team), all while facing the rough Hurricane Irene weather. This was a short trip as we were back on the field that Monday.

The girls quickly pulled together and practices flew by, leading into our first two games of the season. Saturday, Sept. 3 we faced Marywood, a team that was picked to finish first in their conference preseason poll. We topped Marywood 2-1 to get our first victory of the season. I give props to the entire team as everyone executed their part well so we could win this game.

On Sunday our opponent was Marymount, a team we played the year before in a game we won 5-2. We knew this game would not be a cake walk, so we had to be on our A-game. Of course they would be out for revenge. Who wouldn’t be? But we defeated Marymount. and this time the score was 3-2.

So now we sit with a record of 2-0. Our hopes are high for the upcoming games this Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. These games will not be easy, but will prepare us for conference play that is just around the corner.

- Jess Palmer

The Season Starts In One Week!

2011-08-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!! I’m here to give you another update on how the preseason is going for the Eagles.

It is now officially a week before our first game, so we are all keeping the intensity high so we will be ready.

Thursday we had our first scrimmage with a club team and we were preparing ourselves the whole day by having the morning session be all about shooting and finishing. In the afternoon we did a full team game analysis. Coach had told us what his expectations were for this game. As the game started it was a little shaky, but as the game went on it got better and we started to combine and get scoring chances. We ended up only winning 1-0, but created many opportunities. Coach was happy with how the scrimmage turned out, but we could tell we still need to be working to be ready for the season.

Also, on Wednesday we were told that every class (freshman, sophomore, juniors, and seniors) has to create a scary story skit for our camping trip. So, in our free time that we were given on Thursday between the first and the second session, the freshman went over our skit. And you can check back on Monday and see how those went.

During the first session Thursday, we focused more on defense because the past few days we have been focusing on offense. So, after working on shape and defense, the second session of the day was really used for 1v1s and going to goal.

All of us are really excited for the season to start, and we only have one more week to go. Come out and support us next week with our first game of the season!!

Check back on Monday to see how our camping trip went!!

GO EAGLES!

Erin Holden

Eagles Working To Find The Right Combination

2011-08-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I’m back for another update on how the preseason is going for us.

These last two days, a lot of the same things have been happening. We are trying to find the right 11 on the field together while working on moving the ball in the offensive third and keeping our shape in the defensive third.

On Tuesday, we ran another fitness test and everybody was supporting each other. Along with the fitness, we worked on a lot of team defense, and we worked on 1v1’s and some 2v2’s. Tuesday afternoon coach brought us out separately based on positions and we had to use what we went over in our positional meetings. That night we put it all together with the midfielders trying to get past the defense’s shape while the forwards worked on finishing.

On Wednesday, we worked more on putting it all together on the field, moving players around to get a feel. We spent much of the morning with the midfielders and forwards doing combination plays to help them with the transitions. With the break that we had in between the sessions we had to take our headshots, and along with the headshots we had to film a video about ourselves. And through all the mishaps and mistakes everybody eventually finished. In our last tactical session of the day, we worked more on combinations and the speed of play so that when the season starts we are on top of our game.

You can tell by the intensity of these sessions that everybody is excited for the season to start. And these few days are just a start to a great season!!

GO EAGLES!

Erin Holden

Practice Begins For 2011 Eagles

2011-08-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!! It’s time for an update on how the team is doing in preseason.

Since my last update, a lot of things have happened. I got here on Sunday with many things to do. We had a few hours to move in all of our stuff, meet up with our roommates and get our drug tests done. After saying our final goodbyes to our loved ones, we jumped right into it with our first team meeting. This helped because we got to meet everybody before the first session. It helped break the ice and it also gave us an idea of what coach’s expectations were.

But, it was not until the first day that I really saw how supportive everybody was. Throughout the day, whether it was fitness or a drill, my teammates were cheering me on. That really helped me finish many of the tasks, especially the fitness workouts. The morning session was all about fitness and getting touches on the ball and getting used to each other. The night before and that morning, I was very nervous about the first session, but as we got into it I became more comfortable, mostly because of the support of the girls.

On the first day, we ended up not having an afternoon session. Instead, we had positional meetings. Coach brought all of the different positions into a room, and he told us his expectations. He showed lots of tape to us, explaining certain things that we should be doing and things you definitely do not do. This really helped us freshmen to know what we need to do to be ready for the season, while for the returners it was more of a review.

We had one last session after dinner, which was just playing. Coach split us into teams by class and we just scrimmaged - underclassmen against upperclassmen. And, since we were learning a new formation there was some stopping to fix some things.

So, for the first day many of the people were happy with the way that it went. Everybody worked hard and we are all getting there and we can all see, based on the first day, that everybody is excited for the season to start.

GO EAGLES!

Erin Holden

Eagles "Believe" In 2011

2011-08-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Hello to all the Bridgewater women’s soccer fans!!

We are back in action for the 2011 season. For some of us it is the first and others it’s the last. My name is Jess Palmer, a senior for the BC Lady Eagles and coming out of blog writing retirement for my last season.

The past three years of soccer for Bridgewater has been a journey; and as a senior, it’s seeing the program evolve into something that cannot go unnoticed. My freshman year our record was 6-12-1, making the eighth seed of the ODAC tournament. Sophomore year was about breaking records and setting the standard for years to come with a record of 13-6-1. Junior year was about establishing BC soccer in the top half of the conference, finishing as the fourth seed in the ODAC tournament and hosting the first round of the playoffs. This year, my senior year, the expectation from the coaching staff, the captains, the returners and the incoming freshman is to win an ODAC championship.

This year the team motto is “WE BELIEVE.” We believe that everyone will give 100% during preseason training and practice. We believe that when it comes time to step on the field we will take victory over our opponent. And we believe that through our hard work and dedication, a first ever women’s soccer championship title will be brought to Bridgewater College and the soccer program.

I am very excited to be back with my soccer family, when we all unite again on Sunday for the start of preseason. This is going to be another record breaking season for the Bridgewater Eagles and with everyone’s attendance and support it will be an even more unforgettable season.

The Season Is Almost Here!

2011-08-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! My name is Erin Holden and I am one of the recruited incoming freshmen for the Bridgewater College women’s soccer team. I am here to give you an insight into our pre-season.

Right now everybody is packing and doing their final preparations for pre-season - boxes, suitcases, crates and bags. How do I fit all my stuff and where will I put it all is going through my mind as my last few days at home are coming to a close. As teams members have been coordinating with their roommates for what to bring to school, I have been talking to my roommate Sarah on what we are each bringing. I have been preparing all summer for our season along with my teammates. Throughout the summer I have been pushing myself with the fitness workouts and tests that Coach has been telling us to do so that we are fully prepared and ready. Along with fitness workouts I have been trying to play soccer as much as I can by working out with my brother’s club teams and playing with his co-ed indoor soccer team.

Being one of four children, I am very lucky that leaving home and leaving my family is not as bad as I was anticipating because I have been to Bridgewater camp for the past two years. When I came to camp I immediately felt like I was part of the team. Going to camp these past two years really helped me make my decision on Bridgewater. It helps knowing some of the people that I will be seeing when I get there. So I won’t be uncomfortable. I will not have to worry about not knowing the team.

All through my soccer career my family has supported it and when I told them I was coming to Bridgewater, I knew I was going to be seeing them a lot. My brothers, who I grew up playing soccer with, have really pushed me to be the best I can and they have helped me to where I am today, so it is the hardest having to leave them. It’s going to be really hard leaving my friends and family, but my family will be supporting me through it all. I am looking forward to getting to Bridgewater on Sunday and getting started with new people and new experiences. Although I have lived in Northern Virginia my whole life, I am ready for a change. I will be writing a blog every few days about my experience throughout these two weeks. So, make sure you keep checking up and see how it’s going for me and my fellow teammates!

GO EAGLES!

Historic Victory Gives Eagles Home Field Edge In First Round

2010-10-25T12:22:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I have some exciting news for you! This Saturday we finished up our regular season play and made history all in one weekend.

We traveled to Washington and Lee on Saturday for a contest against the defending ODAC champions. Going into the game, Washington and Lee had been perfect against us on their home turf, and this time, we wanted to change that, but we would have to play great defense and create some opportunities to beat such a strong opponent. We played to a scoreless tie at halftime and with 20 minutes left in the second half we finally broke through their tough defense to draw a foul in the box and score on a penalty kick. It was the only goal of the game which made for an exciting victory.

Since it was the last of our regular season games, this game was the deciding factor of whether or not we would have home field advantage. The victory gave us that and for the first time in program history we will be hosting the first round of ODACS!! Our opponent…………Washington and Lee.

This is going to be a great game! There will be t-shirts and scarves available, and maybe some halftime festivities. Everyone should come and have fun, let’s set a new attendance record! Be Loud and Proud to be an EAGLE!

GO EAGLES!! FEAR NO ONE!!!

Eagles Looking To Regain Momentum As Tournament Time Approaches

2010-10-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

It’s that time again! It’s been a while since the last blog, so I have three games to update you on. Since the last update we were able to break the longest win streak record which was previously set in 2002 at 5 games. This year we beat that by winning 6 in a row! Go Eagles!

When I left off we were getting set to play EMU on senior day. For the seniors, their numbers were painted along the sideline on the fans side and they were given goodie baskets, along with flowers for them and their parents. Congratulations seniors! EMU is our big rival, so for us there is no losing this game. Our only option is to win and that’s the way we played to send our seniors out right. We played our game which means if were on, its complete domination on our part. We passed well, played tough, and poured on the pressure to their back line. We came out with a 3-1 victory.

The next game on Saturday the 16th , we took a road trip to North Carolina to play Guilford College. It was our second night game of the season which is exciting. We had a little bit of trouble during this game often just kicking and running which is not the way we want or expect to play. Guilford was a good team and fought us hard but in the end the Eagles came out on top! We came together for a 2-0 victory and our sixth victory in a row.

The next game we hosted Virginia Wesleyan. This was also a rough game for us. We were able to keep the game tied 0-0 in the first half but in the second half we gave up two goals. We couldn’t get in to an offensive groove at all and mainly packed it in on defense. Our first half was definitely better, but we still gave everything we had.

Our next game is against Washington and Lee on Saturday the 23rd and hopefully we can regain our momentum back for the upcoming ODAC tournament. Thank you for all the support.

2010-10-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

It’s that time again, another exciting blog with lots of information. I left off filling you in on our two game winning streak. That winning streak has now been increased to four games and a guaranteed spot in the ODAC Tournament!

On October 6th we traveled to Randolph-Macon and played a good game winning 1-0 in overtime. During the game we created many opportunities but we shot wide or hit the post and even the crossbar. Our passing game has really picked up and we are defeating our opponents by passing around them. The communication isn’t too shabby either. With this win we surely separated ourselves from the bottom of the pack and made it known that we are one of the big dogs this year.

This past Saturday, we hosted Hollins. Before the game we were able to put another piece to our puzzle up in the locker room. It’s a new tradition we started last year to showcase and reach our goals for the season. It was our homecoming weekend which made us even more motivated to play on such an exciting weekend. This game was a little different than the last in the fact that we were actually able to hit the netting -seven times to be exact, with six different scorers. And on top of that we were able to get another shutout which gives us four on the season.

Our senior day is tomorrow, October 12th, at 4pm against rival EMU. Come out and support us especially our seniors, Sara Taylor, Kathryne Gray, Ashley Andes, and Liz Smith!

- Jacey Kelley

Eagles Riding Two-Game Winning Streak

2010-10-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!! It’s been a while since my last blog so get ready to do some reading. We have had three games, all of which have been ODAC conference games. In that span we went 2-1, playing some good quality soccer.

On Saturday, the 25th we traveled to Roanoke to hopefully start a new winning tradition against a good opponent. Unfortunately for us we could not put two complete halves together that day. In the first half we pretty much owned Roanoke and created some quality opportunities but could not put one in the back of the net. At the end of the first half we were knotted at 0-0. When the second half came we were not the same team. We just could not connect our passes as well and it felt like we were always on the defensive end. However it would not be our style to just give up and not work to come from behind. We continued to work through our struggles and by the end of the half we were starting to look like ourselves again. We just ran out of time. In the end we suffered a 2-0 loss.

The next week on Wednesday the 29th we were back on the bus again traveling to Sweet Briar. The whole trip it rained so in the locker room after we got ourselves ready, we all searched for trash bags to keep our bags dry. We had some fun before warm- up with Abby Dehoff who decided to be funny and put a trash bag over herself and act goofy. Warm-up time came and it was back to business. We got a much better result this game coming out on top 4-0. We dominated the game with good passing, quality shots, and crosses.

This past Saturday, October 2nd, we hosted Randolph College. It was a beautiful day for soccer, with the weather being just right. We had another dominating performance, playing extremely well together. Passes were connecting well and we were able to find the seams and the back of the net. At halftime the score stood at 3-1 and the final was 6-1. We were able to have five different scorers and produced three assists.

Okay, so I know that was a lot of reading but thanks for keeping up with the blogs. Our next game is Wednesday, October 6th at Randolph-Macon at 4 pm. Hope to see you there and thanks for all the support! Go BC EAGLES!!!

- Jacey Kelley

2010-09-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

Guess what! It’s time for another update! When I wrote to you last, we were gearing up to play Shenandoah University plus the beginning of ODAC play on Saturday.

On Wednesday we played to a 2-2 tie that went into double overtime against Shenandoah University. The first half was a great half for the Eagles. We moved the ball well and we were able to get off some quality shots. We were even able to keep our composure when hard fouls from the opponents came our way. Going into halftime, despite our great play, we only had a 1-0 lead. The second half was a bit different. We did not come out well as a team and Shenandoah was able to score two goals on us. We fought back and tried to settle down and as the time was winding down we were able to score the tying goal. We created many opportunities but just could not capitalize throughout regulation and two overtimes.

On Saturday we hosted Emory & Henry in our first ODAC conference game of the season. As a team we came out ready to play and showed that we are a quality team and that our recent struggles to keep a lead would change during this game. We played great, passing the ball around every opponent and by halftime we held a commanding 3-0 lead.

During halftime we decided to give the fans some entertainment and have a penalty kick contest. Scottie Littles, a football player for our very own Eagles team was the goalkeeper for the contest. To be honest I do not the result because of the halftime talk but whoever was chosen to take the kick congratulations and hope you had fun.

Okay, back to the game. The second half did not start off the way that we were hoping and Emory & Henry was able to get on the board with their first goal of the game. After that we picked up the play and got right back to business. Unfortunately we were not able to put any more shots in the back of the net. We were also able to hold Emory & Henry scoreless after their first goal giving us a 3-1 win and our first ODAC win of the season!

Up next for the Lady Eagles soccer team is Lynchburg on Wednesday, September 22 at 4 p.m right here in Bridgewater. We will also face Roanoke on Saturday, September 25 at Roanoke, kickoff at 1 p.m. Thanks for all the support. Keep it coming.

Hope to see you at the next game!

- Jacey Kelley

Tough Oppponets Bring Out Strong Efforts From Eagles

2010-09-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hey Eagles Fans! Hope everyone had a great weekend and a good start to the week. It’s time for yet another update on our season.

This past weekend we traveled to Mary Washington to play two tough opponents. On Saturday we played Emory University and dropped a hard fought game 2-1. It was one of our better games that we have played this season and really showed that we are better than we have been previously playing. We really competed and stayed with the strong Emory team.

Saturday night we all came together to show off different skits. Coach separated us into groups and we each picked a song to act out to. There were funky outfits, costumes and fun times. It was good to get our minds off the loss and just relax and have fun. However, there is always a little competition to go along with it. The coaches picked a winner when all the groups had a chance to showcase their song.

On Sunday we played Mary Washington, the fourth ranked team that we have played this season. This was our best game to date. We played hard, went down a goal in the second half, came back, and eventually went into overtime after 90 minutes of play. After a scoreless first overtime, we went on to play another 10 minute overtime period. However in the end our opponents were able to find the net after some tough defense and great goal keeping. Unfortunately to our knowledge, the game was golden goal. We thought we still had another 5 minutes to play but for the referee it was over and time to hit the showers.

Overall, there has been great improvement in the way our team is playing. Keeping the encouragement up, the fitness high, eyes open to new opportunities, and finding the will from within is helping us on our way to earning that ODAC championship.

Thanks for all the support and we hope to see you at our next game on Wednesday Sept, 15th, at Shenandoah at 7pm. Go Eagles!!

First Week Of Play Produces Mixed Results

2010-09-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It’s me again, time for another update!

Since the last blog I posted we were getting ready to play our first game against Stevenson University. Stevenson proved to be a tough competitor and controlled a lot of the game but Bridgewater women’s soccer knows how to put up a good fight. We went up 1-0 at the half after some determined play in the box with only a few minutes left to play. The second half was not that much different than the first and with only a few minutes left to play we were able to pressure their defense enough to make a mistake and put the ball into the back of the net. We were able to get our first shutout of the season, and the win gave us confidence for the upcoming games in our tournament at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

At the tournament, we did not play as hoped and the outcomes were not as we expected, losing both matches. On Saturday we faced a nationally ranked opponent, The College of New Jersey. Our motto is to Fear No One, and that’s the way we went into the game. We tried everything we could and still played our hardest but ultimately we were not able to hang with them losing 7-0.

On Sunday we played the host team of Elizabethtown. We fell behind early again but ran out of time as we pushed for a comeback and lost 4-2. Sunday’s game was better and we were able to prove that no matter the score we are still a force to be reckoned with, but we still have a lot to work on.

Thanks to everyone who made the trip to Elizabethtown to watch us play. We are looking forward to our next games against Emory and Mary Washington at the Mary Washington Tournament on September 11th and 12th.

In the mean time, I can assure you we will be working as hard as ever to prove that we are better than we showed this weekend, to make our team better, and to earn the respect we deserve.

Eagles Ready For Stevenson

2010-08-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

My name is Jacey and I am a sophomore on the women’s soccer team here at Bridgewater.

I want to say first, that preseason is officially over!!!! I also would like to congratulate all the girls for their hard work during the past two weeks. After the two weeks of two and three a days during preseason, I am eager to start the season. Everyone came into preseason in great shape and the intensity and competiveness we brought at our practices never dropped. This intensity continued through sessions with hours of pouring down rain, the high humidity, and incredibly muddy fields. This shows the commitment of all the girls to our soccer family, our willingness to fight through adversity, and that we are ready to compete at the next level.

We held two scrimmages during preseason, and came out on the winning end of both games. The first scrimmage was a 4–0 win, and on Saturday, we won 1–0 against a really good opponent. Throughout both scrimmages we could see things starting to come together. We are optimistic that this is going to be the best season Bridgewater women’s soccer has had yet.

We are now ready to move into our regular season play, and I know that all the girls and I are extremely excited for our first game at 5:00 on Wednesday, September 1, against Stevenson University. We tied Stevenson in our first game last year, 0–0 in double overtime, and are looking to make our first game a win this year in regulation.

Last year’s game brings a lot of motivation for our team, and on top of that our 6th place preseason ranking has us hungry for our first win to start our season off right and prove that we are way better than 6th place.

So come out and support your lady Eagles in our first win of many! Be Loud. Be Crazy. Be an “Eagle Maniac.”

We Fear No One!!!!

Team Gets Dressed Up As Preseason Ends

2010-08-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Guess what! Preseason is over. That means no more weigh ins, no more two or three a days, and access to a lot more food options in the KCC.

Since my last update we have had several more practice sessions and a scrimmage.

The sessions were filled with drills and different lessons as always. Friday evening’s session was different however. First off, we had a team meeting before practice. After discussing some information and team items, Coach told us he had our gear. Of course the whole team was super excited to get our jerseys and bags, especially the freshmen. It was the first time we were able to go in the locker room and see our names above our lockers. It was like Christmas in August. Once we all looked over all our new clothing and gear we headed out to the practice field.

It was not going to be a hard practice per say, just a “walk through.” We were going to have a scrimmage Saturday morning so it made sense that we didn’t run ourselves ragged the night before. It was a good chance to just focus on specific aspects of the game that we may not have covered in previous sessions.

Saturday morning the whole team woke up and we all ate breakfast together before heading to the locker room. Seeing everyone in our matching practice jerseys and shorts was awesome. We looked like a real team finally, not just a bunch of girls in grey t-shirts playing soccer. After breakfast, we went to the locker room, got ready, and walked to the soccer field as one.

Right before warming up, Coach came up to us and informed us that the club team we were about to play had beaten a few of our competitors in the real season. This was apparently the exact motivation our team needed. We had to beat this team; we needed to show that we were much stronger and better than others had misjudged us as.

All in all, after the game started and we all relaxed we were able to pull out a win. Melanie, a freshman, scored our only goal and the only goal of the game. It was a great way to start out the weekend and conclude preseason.

After the game, all the freshmen had to attend Welcome Week. Later on in the day, the rest of the team along with the men’s team went out to the game field to hang windscreen. The windscreen is a great additive to our already nice game field. Bridgewater is on the rise both on and off the field. The whole team is extremely pumped for our first game and the rest of the season ahead of us. It’s going to be something worth watching and keeping up with.

Caution: Bridgewater Women’s Soccer!

Preaseason Winding Down For Women's Soccer Team

2010-08-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it’s time for another update on preseason!

The past few days have been great. First, we stopped doing three a days, having fitness tests and moved to just two a days. The sessions are more focused on the tactics of the game and less on our fitness levels and individual skills. Plus, the two a days give everyone more time to recover from their minor injuries and exhaustion.

Each session has a different point to work on with several different drills to do. No one is ever bored or just sitting around waiting. Some drills are obviously more fun than others but none of them are dreadful.

Since our team is very competitive, simple little competitions and drills become even more exciting because each girl or team is fighting for the win. The competitiveness is another awesome aspect of our team.

Speaking of competition, we held a scrimmage against a club team on Tuesday afternoon. Coach subbed everyone in and out in various positions so that everyone had playing time and he could evaluate how well we played with each other. Since it has been raining a lot lately, the field was wet and muddy which always makes a soccer game more interesting. We ended up winning the game four to zero. Hopefully, that win is one of many many more to come as the real season begins
.
Anyway, back to preseason. We also started doing a different thing called pool time. It’s when we go to the pool as a team and do simple little workouts. For those of us who are injured, it’s the best part of the day because it’s the one part we can fully do and not feel much pain. Stretches, jogging, and other activities like shuffling feel so different when done in a pool. There isn’t much pressure weighing down on your body so you still get a work out without feeling the soreness one might get if on land. Pool time is a short little part of our day that gives the team another opportunity to hang out with each other and do work without feeling the pressures and stresses of a game or intense practice.

Then, Wednesday night was our President’s dinner at the President’s house. The women’s team and the men’s team went together for great food and a chance to meet the new president and his wife. It was the first time we all got to dress up and do our hair since we got here last week.

The dinner was followed by another NCAA meeting about drug testing and the student-athlete handbook. While that was not exactly the most interesting part of the night, it was very informative.

As the last couple of days are preseason are winding down, it’s now more important than ever for our team to pull together and finish strong before we begin a difficult season. I have no doubt our team can do it.

Well, that’s it for now. You can expect the next blog in a few days!

Austin Holley

Players Are Working Hard To Prepare For Upcoming Season

2010-08-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! My name is Austin Holley and I’m here to give you a freshman’s insight into pre-season with Bridgewater Women’s Soccer. I’ll try to give you all the details I can about the girls and the things we do as soccer players to prepare.

First off, moving in Wednesday was an extremely hectic day. We had a few hours to move into our rooms, have tests done, and say goodbye to our loved ones before getting right into it. The team meetings that followed were a great way to start off the days to come. Just being in groups and in conversations with the returning players and new ones made us more comfortable and broke the ice.

The excitement definitely started Thursday. We started three a days with our first fitness session at 8:30 a.m. For me, it was the first time I truly saw how supportive the team really was. As we ran the beep test, there were always people cheering and doing whatever they could to motivate their teammates to the next level. Even as the day progressed, people were becoming tired but they still motivated each other and kept up the intensity in every drill we did. This was the same case the next two days as well.

Possibly the best parts about the team are the personalities of all the girls. When we were all growing tired and sore there were always girls making jokes and causing others to laugh. There cannot be a goofier or more entertaining team.

The highlight of the week was the “team bonding” trip we took on Sunday. It was an amazing break from three a days! We went to Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing for a high ropes course, low ropes course, and zipline. Everyone had a blast! We were doing little challenges that were both tons of fun and helpful. There were times when we had to work as a team to figure out how to solve certain problems, times when we had to overcome personal challenges with the help of each other, and overcome obstacles on our own. For those of us who are petrified of heights, there were several things that were challenging to us but not to others and they helped us through it. The girls and coaches talked us out of our nervousness and made it possible for us to complete the tasks that all the others did. Plus, since all the girls are so close it’s not like the freshmen are left out. Everyone is able to be themselves and not have to worry about people judging them. Without the camaraderie, we wouldn’t be able to handle all the stresses of the season.

I’m pretty sure everyone is extremely excited for the season to start and to begin working and playing together as a complete team.

Fear No One.

Eagles Close Out Successful 2009 Season

2009-11-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

We finished our regular season play with two wins and two losses in the ODAC. Our two wins came against Hollins (senior day), 7-1, and Randolph, 6-0. We then lost to Lynchburg 3-0. This was by far our toughest game this season. They are a nationally ranked team with some All-American players. This game was a lot like the Virginia Wesleyan game. We created a few opportunities for ourselves, a shot hitting off the cross-bar and missing another penalty kick; things that could have easily changed the momentum of the game.

Our other loss came against Washington and Lee in the last game of the regular season, 2-1. This is a game we could have dictated and won, but we must learn from our mistakes and become a 90-minute team. The first half was played decently and we trailed 1-0. We played tough defense and generated little offense. Once the whistle blew for the start of the second half the game changed. We possessed the ball and created a lot more opportunities. One minor breakdown and they go up 2-0. We answered with a goal to make it 2-1. We were very close to getting that second goal to send the game into overtime, but it just didn’t happen. Because of this loss it meant we had to travel to Roanoke for the first round of the playoffs.

The night before our big playoff game we had a team spaghetti dinner at Liz’s house just to relax and have a little fun. Saturday October 31st did not go the way we planned it, at all. We had planned to beat Roanoke, have practice on Monday, and get ready for Wesleyan the following Wednesday. None of that happened. It was disappointing and not a very good end to our season as we lost 6-1. It was the worst we had lost a game all season and the worst we played and it happened to be in the most important game. I hope this turns into a lesson for our team, a learning experience. When we face adversity among ourselves we need to find a way to beat it instead of letting it break us down. Once we solve this, we will beat teams and win big games. Aside from that, our season was very successful.

The 2009 season for Bridgewater was full of record breaking moments. It has taken about 8 years for some records to be broken. At Randolph we set the record of most wins in a season to 13. The previous number of wins was 12. BC had the most ODAC wins in a season, 7, followed by the best ODAC finish which was 4th place. Other records set were: most shutouts, 10, most goals scored, 54, most assists in a season and in the ODAC overall, 47, and least amount of goals scored against BC in the regular season, 17.

Many accomplishments were made by our young team and we take pride in what we have done. The team is ready to look past our last game and look forward to the next season and years to come as we will only become better.

2009-10-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Since I wrote my last soccer blog, we lost against Lynchburg College and won against Hollins University.

We held Lynchburg College for 39 minutes in the first half without either team making a goal. I was so excited that we were doing so well. One of my ODP and club coach was at the game and he said we really held our own in the first half. Unfortunately, they scored two goals in the last six minutes of the first half. We were unable to come back in the second half, but overall it was a good game.

On Wednesday, we played Hollins University. Hollins scored in the first five minutes of the game, but the momentum quickly changed and we won 7-1. What made this win so special was that by winning that game, we tied our women’s soccer program record at Bridgewater for most wins in a season. On Saturday we play Randolph College at 1:00 p.m. in Lynchburg. With a win we will beat the record for the most wins in a season at our school. Go “Eagles”.

Finally, Wednesday night was also senior night and it was their last home game. It has been a great learning experience working alongside these girls. I have learned many things from them this year and I know they will be missed on the field. They have been an example to all of us. I know that I have worked in center mid this season with Cathy and it has been a great experience for me and I will miss her. Thank you to all of our seniors!!

Once again this Saturday we plan to make history and with this I think we have lived up to our motto: Witness the Rising. We have witnessed the rising and so much more!!

Megan Ryan

Eagles Have Come Together As A Team

2009-10-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

We played two big games in the last couple of weeks, Virginia Wesleyan and EMU.

We had a disappointing loss to Virginia Wesleyan,but we were able to keep the pressure on and played with confidence and pride. We then played EMU and won 3-1. What an exciting win. Our record now is 11-3-1 overall and 5-2 in the ODAC Conference.

It is hard to believe my freshman season as a Bridgewater Eagle is coming to an end. We have four more games to play and then the ODAC tournament. We have had some disappointing losses and some gratifying wins. At the beginning of the season, we came as individuals and somewhere during the season we became a team. We have won as a team and we have lost as a team, BUT, one thing for sure, WE ARE A TEAM. We have set goals, and we have accomplished them. We have made BC History, and we are still striving for more. I know for myself, it has been an amazing ride.

We travel to Lynchburg tomorrow night for our next big ODAC game against Lynchburg College. The game is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

Again, remember our motto, “WITNESS THE RISING” and so much more.

GO EAGLES!

- Megan Ryan

Soccer Team Has Come A Long Way

2009-10-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

11-3-1.

The BC Women’s soccer team has come a long way since the 2008 fall season. We have already surpassed the number of wins from last year by five and are currently 5-2 in the conference.

I apologize for not keeping you all informed on what has been going on with the team. School really picked up in the last few weeks with papers, tests, and homework! For some reason professors like to schedule tests all at the same time. It makes it very difficult to study and takes a lot of time. Now that class has somewhat settled down again, let me take the time to catch you up on a few games and team activities.

So like I said, we are 5-2 in the conference and it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication by all 29 players to get where we are. A little less than a month ago we were sitting at 6-2-1 with the same amount of wins as the previous season. We were going into a game that we knew could be a win if we played Bridgewater soccer. On September 26 we traveled to Arlington, Va. to play Marymount on a cold, rainy, evening. When I say cold and rainy I mean cold and rainy. It was the first time we experienced weather like this, but you know what they always say, “the opponent is playing under the same conditions.” It was no excuse for us not to play to our potential. We went out and made the game tougher than it needed to be, but ended up pulling away with a 5-2 victory.

Well this game seemed to set the team off with sickness, you know, the cold, rain, and the change in weather as we transition into fall. We had a few girls with a touch of pneumonia, bronchitis, the flu, laryngitis, etc. It was just going around the team! Some of us were lucky enough not to catch anything. This worried us a little as we were getting deep into conference play and games were coming up that we needed to win!

The next game we prepared for was against Randolph-Macon. They have been scoring many goals this season and our mission was to stop that. There is a history with Bridgewater playing this team. Last year, we played them at home in a tough competition. It was a back-and-forth game and no one scored at the end of regulation sending us into overtime. The first 10 minutes went by and then we were in the second overtime. With about a minute to go they have a direct kick. The ball gets sent into the box, our goalie, Shauna, goes up for the ball, gets knocked into the goal by one of the Macon players, so there is no way she can make a save, and they knock the ball into the net giving them the edge to beat us. Now it was truly a foul, but did the ref call it? No!

So for the past year we have been waiting to pay them back for our loss. We went and played a physical game and beat them 2-1. I think now they know who the better team really is. It was a great victory for the team and gave us the confidence we needed to play our next ODAC contest against Guilford, another important win we needed to help our standings in the conference. We traveled to Greensboro, N.C. on a hot Saturday afternoon (see I told you the weather is crazy!) to play Guilford in the best game we have had all season shutting them out 5-0.

That celebration came and went quickly as we had to think about our next opponent- Virginia Wesleyan. This would be our hardest game so far into the season. Last year they shut us out 7-0, but I think their cockiness got the best of them this year. We still lost, but closed the gap, only losing 2-0. They scored off of two set pieces, which wouldn't have happened if we didn't make small defensive mistakes. We also missed a penalty kick. Both of these could have made a huge difference in the game. No matter what you win or lose by a team should always have good sportsmanship. Well that isn't the case for VA Wesleyan. At the end of the game when we clap hands and tell them "good game" they decided they wanted to mock us saying, "way to make history." I am sorry to tell them, but we have already made history and we will continue to make history.

We are the last team they are going to want to see in the playoffs. We knew we played well against them, but could have played better. Fall break was approaching and the team was ready for it. On Friday of fall break we had a team tie-dye party at Ashley's which was a way for us to bond as a team not on the field. It is nice to get that time were we can joke around and have fun. Then on Saturday we played Sweet Briar winning 2-0, had Sunday off and came back Monday to get ready for EMU, our cross-town rivals.

Once again, there is history with this team. In the 2008 season, we lost 2-1. It was a 1-0 game for a long time, but just before time ran out we tied the score thinking it would send us into overtime. EMU had a quick restart; the girl ripped a shot that floated over our keeper's hands. It was literally in 11 seconds. So we ended up losing and were ready to get revenge once again.

We beat EMU 3-1. We made the game tougher than what it needed to be as we were tied at half time 1-1. We came out strong in the second half gaining the lead 2-1. Then we heard our assistant coach, Jason, yell “11 seconds!” as motivation to keep up our intensity and not let them come back and score. We held strong, and scored another goal to make it 3-1 by the end of the game. All three coaches were ecstatic that we beat EMU. It has been 6 years since the Bridgewater Women’s soccer defeated them.

This win secured us in a spot in post-season play. Since we beat them coach decided to let us play world cup at practice the next day except we had to dress wacky tacky, something like our skit we had to do. Outfits were absolutely ridiculous! Then we went to cheer on our men’s soccer team. We have four games left in regular season play and Lynchburg is this Saturday. They are nationally ranked, however that won’t stop us from giving them the fight of their lives.

- Jessica Palmer

2009-09-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

The week of our first ODAC games has finally come to a close. Our team played some amazing games that saw the week full of some excitement and some disappointment. The Lady Eagles are off to a great start to the season that is full of high expectations.

At the beginning of the week we faced Emory and Henry on their home field. This game was a real nail-biter with our team waiting until the last 12 seconds of the game to score what would be the winning goal. The excitement of winning our first ODAC game of the season was unimaginable; it was so intense I think Coach Van Horn almost went into cardiac arrest. The ladies worked so hard during preseason and it finally paid off. W\e won our first ODAC game! There was not a grim face throughout our team.

The rest of the week the team had an important task of getting ready for our next ODAC game against Roanoke College. We prepared in practice with fitness, drill after drill, corners, set pieces, and everything the coaching staff could think of. We knew we were ready to play and win this game. Before the game, we had our head football coach come in and give us a pregame pep talk and this got us fired up.

In the stands were the Eagle Maniacs, our new student fan club, along with parents, and others there to support us. We came out and controlled the first half, and this game was in our hands. We were really proving all the doubters wrong and had Roanoke with their backs against the wall. The second half was just as physical as the first half had been and then came an unfortunate goal off a corner kick by Roanoke to finish the game with a 1-0 victory. The team was more than disappointed because for the first time we knew we should have beaten Roanoke.

Now the team is moving forward and practicing harder than ever. With 6:00 a.m. weightlifting sessions, fitness like crazy and drills working to fix our mistakes, we are even more determined now not to feel the disappointment that we felt against Roanoke. We are physically and mentally ready to move toward our next challenges against Marymount and Randolph-Macon. ODAC, we are going to prove that we belong as one of the top ranked teams in the conference. WITNESS THE RISING.

- Megan Ryan

Eagles Post Two More Shutouts, Including First ODAC Victory

2009-09-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

A day off on Sunday, from our North Carolina tournament, felt great as everyone was pretty tired from the long weekend. Once Sunday evening rolled around, we all realized we had to get up at 5:30 AM Monday morning for 6 AM lifting! After lifting, we had a short team meeting about what practice would consist of since we left the balls on the bus at the tournament.

At first, Coach was going to give us the day off, but he decided to have a running session. So we walk out to practice that afternoon with nothing but our running shoes. The sun was out and it was about 85 degrees. It just had to be the one day it was hot in Bridgewater. The weather here is a little different; you see, one day it is scorching hot, and the next day you have to pull out your winter coat. We did some interval training, a pyramid run and some suicides. It was hard work but we used it as motivation for ourselves to get prepared for ODACs. We will never leave the equipment behind again!

Wednesday’s game versus Mary Baldwin was what we needed after the game on Saturday. Our confidence and winning came back as we beat them 9-0. Many of girls contributed in the game with goals and assists. It was truly a team effort and no one was selfish when they easily could have been. After the game we packed up the Bridgewater vans and headed to Ashley Andes’ house for a team dinner. Her parents had lasagna, fruit, bread and more. It was so delicious. It makes you never want to eat in the KCC again.

Thursday and Friday were regular practices as we were getting ready for our first ODAC game against Emory and Henry. Last year we won 1-0 and this year we were expecting to do a lot better. Saturday’s game quickly came as we stepped on the turf field in Emory, Va.

The game started and almost immediately we gained possession. We settled into our passing game, working it around the field back and forth, getting in crosses and taking shots- we just weren’t finishing. The second half came and it was the same deal; possession, possession, and more possession with no goals. Time was winding down and we were about to go into overtime when we got our last corner of the game. We had everyone in the box. Jacey gave a short pass to Kathy, she served it into the box, and Britt Harris headed it over the goalie to give us our only goal of the game with 12.2 seconds left. Every player on our team went crazy! Our first ODAC victory was accomplished, along with another shutout. That makes us 6-1-1, with 7 shutouts in 8 games.

Our next ODAC challenge is Roanoke, but we are pumped and ready to bring it on the field!

- Jess Palmer

Eagles Are Ready For First ODAC Encounter

2009-09-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yet again the Eagles put another W on the board against the Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels. With this exciting win and our first ODAC game on Saturday, the team is really starting to gain momentum and we are taking this week to really start pushing ourselves. We all know the importance of our ODAC games and we have stepped up during practice to make sure we are physically and mentally ready for the new chapter we are going to begin. As a freshman, I really have no idea what ODAC is like, but from the talk of the experienced players on the team it is so intense that preseason does not even compare. As the underdogs this season, the team is looking forward to proving all those doubters wrong. Again, the motto is WITNESS THE RISING.

The team is going into this Saturday’s game against Emory and Henry with a record of 5-1-1, which is the best start in school history. Practice has been packed full of finishing, weightlifting (that still is leaving us sore), fitness, possession and every other part of soccer you could imagine. The team has really given it our all this week in practice to prepare for the rest of the season, in which we will fight to the end, and we will reach our team goal. For all you doubters out there get ready to: WITNESS THE RISING!

Eagles Suffer Tough 4-3 Loss to Meredith

2009-09-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Going into the North Carolina Wesleyan tournament our soccer team was 3-0-1 with 4 shutouts and a 3-game winning streak. This gave our team the confidence to go into every game to play hard and to “make history,” which is part of our witness the rising theme. We have a list of goals to accomplish in order to win an ODAC championship and in the weeks preceding this tournament the pieces were coming together much faster than what coach was expecting. We knew going into the tournament that winning it would mean making history again by winning our second straight tournament. We also knew we would be closer to accomplishing another goal.

On Friday we stepped off the bus ready to go against North Carolina Wesleyan. Going into the game our goals were to let no goals get past and have another win by dominating the game. We did just that. We won with class and confidence against N.C. Wesleyan, 6-0. Coach congratulated us on another win and shutout, and then turned our attention to Saturday’s game against Meredith. It was already time to start thinking about and focusing on what this game would bring because we knew it would be a battle until the end!

As a new tradition on our overnight trips we do a team building activity. It brings our team closer together and we get to see a goofy side of each other that doesn’t show on the field. Last year at this tournament we had a song to sing and dance which brought many laughs and memories to our new team. This year coach got the bright idea to have the Bridgewater Women’s Soccer Wacky Tacky fashion show. We were split into three groups and had to come up with a song, a speaker, and outfits. Each group had picked a theme for their fashion show - one chose holidays, another was celebrities, and the third group was wacky tacky. Some holidays and celebrities featured in the fashion show were St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Paris Hilton, Richard Simmons, and Hannah Montana. The wacky tacky group had just the most random outfits from workout clothes, to a cat suit for the announcer. Every single outfit was outrageous in all three groups and I haven’t seen people laugh so hard in my life. Coach was falling off of his chair because he was laughing hysterically and girls had tears coming out of their eyes.

After a long and interesting night we woke up Saturday morning, went to brunch, walked around the mall, and then headed to the field to get ready for our game. While watching the first half of the other game it was time to think about what we needed to accomplish once we stepped on the field.

Once the whistle blew it was game on. There must have been some pre-game jitters because it took us a while to settle down as Meredith scored the first goal of the game. This is also the first goal we had scored against us! I’m not going to lie, it hurt pretty deep. All of us wanted to keep our shutouts going. We gathered in a huddle to refocus and got past the score. We then answered with two goals to take the lead before halftime.

Coach reminded us of what we needed to do going into the second half- play hard because they were coming after us. It was a battle for the first 20 minutes and Saytay (Sarah Taylor) scored a header and had the best goal celebration I have seen in a while, although Coach thought otherwise. HaHa. It was an ecstatic run and an Indian call! Go Saytay. I can’t wait to see the next one!

With less than 10 minutes to go in the game they scored from a penalty kick from a controversial call, but there is nothing we could do about it, but to let it go. Then they turned around and scored twice more to end up winning 4-3. It was a very disappointing loss to our team, but we have to learn from our experience to come together as a team and pull through for each other like I know we can!

- Jess Palmer

Eagles Make History By Winning BC Invitational

2009-09-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Bridgewater Women's Soccer team made BC history last week. The team has been hard at work with five games in the last seven days. The team worked hard and gave everything they had at each game. On September 5-6, the team held the annual BC home tournament.

This was the first time that we won our very own tournament. This was just a mild stepping stone for this week. On Wednesday, September 9th, the team defeated Shenandoah in what was supposed to be one of the most physical games of the season. We had high expectations going in and put tremendous pressure on ourselves to perform to the best of our abilities. By keeping our composure on the field, the BC Eagles walked away with a shutout and another W on the board.

The team traveled to Rocky Mount, North Carolina this past weekend to play against two quality teams. We had to battle against fatigue from the week before, the hotter than normal temperatures and the four and a half hour bus ride. Once we arrived we pushed all things aside and knew it was game time and we had business to take care of.

On Friday the team came out fighting right away and in the end we had our fourth victor - we were riding high.

Then on Saturday we stepped onto the turf against Meredith. This was one of the biggest games this team had to play thus far this season. This game would get ODAC to finally realize Bridgewater was not someone to overlook this year. With past results from playing Meredith we knew it was going to be a challenging game, but everyone had confidence that we could beat this team. The game was even most of the way. Late into the second half we had the upper hand and the lead with a little bit left to play when a tough call changed the momentum of the game. We played our hearts out and even though this was BC's first lost, the team gave it their all. We played up to their level and definitely made Meredith realize BC had come to play.

With the first loss of the season behind us, the team will continue to work hard and work on the technical skills that will allow us to regain our winning style. Our next opponent will be this Wednesday against Mary Baldwin and then our first ODAC game on Saturday against Emory and Henry.

ODAC, it is finally time to WITNESS THE RISING.

- Megan Ryan

Eagles Play To Tie In First Game

2009-09-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

The season has officially begun. We had our first non-conference game against Stevenson University on Tuesday. This was a new and exciting experience for me and the rest of the team. For me, this was my first college soccer game and I was so nervous. All through warm up, you can see the anticipation and anxiety across all the players’ faces; not just the freshman.

This year Bridgewater women's soccer has a lot to prove. Our motto is not Witness the Rising for no reason. Warm up went as usual, the team did our jogging, possession drills and shooting like any normal soccer warm up. But one thing in particular that I found interesting was our coach. As he pulled us in to get us going, he told us one thing, "I tried to think of something inspirational to say to you guys but the only thing I could think of was, 'Let’s witness the rise.'" Just that phrase itself got the whole team pumped and we all knew it was game time.

The game was a lot faster paced than I was used t o. The sports psychology sessions with Dr. Gano-Overway really came into play. Focus was a big part of this game. The Eagles held their own through most of the game as we had possession of the ball for the better part of both halves. Our passes were connecting, and we were getting opportunities to score. Meghan Groos and Ashley Andes had two prime opportunities to score but the keeper was just quick on her feet. The game ended with a 0-0 tie and the team had to go into two golden goal overtimes.

I thought I was tired before the overtimes, but this was completely different. I now know why we worked so hard in preseason and ran so much. The physical and mental part of the game kicked in. Our team never gave up and we ended overtime with a 0-0 tie.

I came off the field feeling very accomplished. The team and I never gave up. We played 110 minutes with heart and a desire to win the game. This was just the first game of the season but already we have shown so much potential. There were two things that were evident in Tuesday's game. First, we will always outwork our opponent and secondly we will “WITNESS THE RISE”.

Megan Ryan

Preseason finally comes to an end

2009-08-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Preseason has finally come to a close and now I am realizing the real work is beginning. We had our first scrimmage this past week against SYC Patriots. As a new player, even this little scrimmage was a little scary. The team had to focus on playing together and working hard. We had to face the struggles of the heat, the pressure of impressing the coaches, the fact we have never played together and the desire to come out and win. There is nothing like stepping onto the pitch for the first time in your college career. The moment was invigorating and something I will never forget. The team ended up with a 0-0 tie, however we demonstrated hard work, good ball control and amazing transitioning.

The next major event this week was the dreaded individual meetings and cuts. Even though we lost a few of the friends we made during preseason, it was a relief to finally have our team. The real bonding was to begin. Coach said from the start, if we are going to win the ODAC championship, we have to start practicing like a team that should win the ODAC championship.

Practice has been hard but the team has really stepped it up. I now know why the college level is so different from club and high school soccer. The team and my own personal intensity have improved so much from day one. I walk off that field drenched in sweat, with aching muscles and the intent to go back to the dorm and sleep. But, I realized that it is the best feeling in the world - the feeling that I worked hard for my team and that I feel I will contribute to this team going far. I know everyone on this team pushes themselves to that level every practice.

ODAC conference, watch out, the Bridgewater's Eagles are coming! We can prove this with the team's new motto: “Witness the Rising”. We will live everyday to make sure that motto becomes a reality.

As freshmen, we have had a week of orientation. The team has had to push extra hard. As tiring as it is to sit all day in meetings after meetings, the freshmen have to put all that aside when we walk onto the field. As I walk out to practice, I know I can not think of the professors I j ust met, or the new people in my PDP class, we have to focus on coming out and working hard to accomplish a quality practice.

We mean business. The team will look to prove that on Tuesday when we have our first game of the year. The team will travel to Baltimore, Maryland to take on Stevenson. This will be the first opportunity to show how much we have improved and how we are going to be a threat this season. I have a lot of faith in the team to do what is needed to get the job done. Wish us luck as we travel to Baltimore and see if all of our hard work will pay off.

Megan Ryan

Eagles Prepare For Opening Scrimmage

2009-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Week two of preseason is starting and yet again it is tiring, but rewarding.

With a little more free time we find ourselves really starting to bond as a team. After the day of white water rafting, the freshman had to work on their "assignment." Our task was to find a song and make up dance moves, little did we know we would be performing that dance in front of the president and male soccer team at the president's dinner. Needless to say, my lack of rhythm and our twenty minutes of practice showed. Even though our dance did not turn out quite so smoothly, it was still a fun experience that allowed all the freshman to really bond and have a great time.

With the second week of preseason beginning, the team is starting to branch off on to other activities. On Tuesday, we had our first pool session. The pool session was a warm up that really released the tension in my sore aching muscles.

But the highlight of the day on Tuesday was our meeting with sports psychologist Dr. Gano-Overway. Dr. Gano-Overway had a huge impact on the way I see the game. The topic of Tuesday’s meeting was "Focus." Her techniques and scenarios really showed me how much a small thing on the field could make me lose my focus. Anything from including a wrong call from the referee or an injury on the field really can play on a player's mind. I learned simple things to make my focus stay on the field and not be affected by any distracting force.

With two more sessions focusing on "Imagery" and "Pre-competition," I am confident that we are going to be a mentally stable team on the field.

The team is preparing for our very first scrimmage of the season on Wednesday night against SYC Patriots. Wish us luck!

Megan Ryan

2009-08-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

The first week of preseason finally came to a close. For me, the week was long and grueling. The week consisted of many fitness tests including the demanding beep test, exhausting two mile run, and intense 14, 100-yard sprints. The three-a-days were not only hard on my body but it also had a huge effect on my morale. I felt so accomplished on finishing the first week of preseason, not once did I give up, even though there were many times where I could have. All the hard work this summer and this week is really proving to be rewarding.

But I have to say the best part of this whole week was on Sunday when the team and I went White Water Rafting. Coming from Virginia Beach, I am a city girl through and through so needless to say white water rafting was definitely an adventure for me.

The team learned from white water rafting what team work really was. Not only did we have to paddle together to make the raft go the direction we needed it to go, but also we were responsible for pulling our team mates back on the boat when they fell over, and trust me plenty people flew off the side. White water rafting was an intense adventure that showed the whole team that everything works better when we work together.

I have all the confidence in the world that our team will use that same team work that we used during white water rafting, on the field. With a week of preseason left, I am positive the hard work and unity will continue as we prepare for the excitement of our season and classes starting next week.

Meg Ryan

Eagles begin preseason pracitce

2009-08-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

My name is Megan Ryan and I am an incoming freshman at Bridgewater College and a recruited player for the Bridgewater women's soccer team.

Move in day was an exciting but a nerve wrecking experience. The first night was full of meeting new roommates and listening to Coach Van Horn and all the athletic trainers talk for hours.

The first day of preseason was scary for all of us. As an incoming freshman, I had no idea what to expect. Of course, I ran a lot over the summer and practiced many of the demanding fitness tests, but nothing was like the real thing. The beep test, plyometrics, two-mile run and 1 v 1 drills took me by surprise. I knew preseason was going to be hard but not this hard.

But one thing I learned already in these two days is I am growing not only as a soccer player but also a person. The coaching staff pushes us so much that you cannot help but to learn life lessons as well as soccer techniques. We have another week and a half of preseason and I will continue to work hard and push myself as I face the 120 yard sprints and 100 yard sprints in the next two days.

The team has been working extremely hard during our first two days of preseason. Our sessions have demanded physical and mental toughness throughout our day. Even with three sessions a day, cramps in our legs, fatigue and the worry of our water weight, no one has given up. With a week and a half left of preseason, the team is looking good and will continue to improve each day. Now all we have to worry about is not falling off of our whitewater rafting boat on Sunday. All of us are worried our legs will be so tired we won’t be able to swim.

Meg Ryan

Day 8: Eagles play to tie as trip winds down

2009-08-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day in Europe. Coach cancelled our last training session this morning, so we had breakfast and left an hour earlier to go the city of Liege in Belgium. This city was known for its high crime rate so we were to stick together and break up into no more than two groups. This city was definitely not one for tourists like us. Many of the buildings had broken windows and the shops were run down. I remember hearing sirens at least 4 times while we were there, and I saw police patrolling the streets, something I did not notice in the other cities we were at. It wasn’t as busy as the other cities we visited, just the people that live and work there I assume. It was somewhat of a creepy place, and many of us did not enjoy this city because there wasn’t really anything to see or do.

We left early and Hub surprised us by taking us to the highest point of the Netherlands, and the point where the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium all meet together. It was a neat little place where there was a playground, small places to eat and shop, a giant walk-through maze, and a tower that took you up to the top to see out over the country side. We stayed just long enough to get a souvenir and some pictures. Then we transferred back to Valkenburg for dinner at the hotel.

We left for our last friendly match around 5 and traveled to Monchengladbach in Germany. This team was in the same division as the first German team we played. During this game it was cool and at times, pouring down rain. In the first half we had a slow start and at the half we were down 2-0. Coach had to get a little fired up at us to make us realize that we needed to pick up our game. With more energy in the second half and knowing that we could easily play with this team, we scored two goals to tie the game. It ended at 2-2. It was totally a team effort in the second half. Go BC!

Tomorrow we start our journey home at 6am. First we go to the train station and transfer to Paris. We then catch our plane and hope for a safe flight back to the United States. It has been an amazing trip and one none of us will ever forget. Once we get back its time to pack for school. Now it’s time to prepare for preseason-it’s just around the corner!

Tschus

Jessica Palmer

Day 7: Eagles lose second game, 2-0

2009-08-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

We woke up early this morning and had our last practice with Leo. You could tell we were a little fatigued, but we worked hard through it. I think most of us are going to miss Leo. He was a good coach with good insights on the game. He was even nice enough to get a picture with us.

Then we transferred back to the hotel to pick up the parents, and headed to the city of Margraten, which is about 15 minutes from Valkenburg. In Margraten is the American World War II cemetery. The land was given to America from the Netherlands to honor all of the soldiers that died in the war. The cemetery holds sites for 8,301 soldiers. They all have white cross headstones, and if they were Jewish they had the Star of David. Name, date of death and military information was printed on them. We stayed there for about 20 minutes and then got back on the bus to head to the city of Maastrict, also in the Netherlands.

We were just there to look around the city. When we first got there more than half of the group wanted to get some chocolate. Hub took us directly to the shop. It was so little and the 13 of us barely fit in. But they had all kinds of white, dark, and milk chocolate; probably around 50 different types, if not more. The chocolate here is so tasty. Most of us just walked around, went into a couple shops, and ate some food until it was time to leave. We visited another church, and some went to a museum that contained artifacts and paintings related to the city.

We left at 3 p.m. to transfer back to Valkenburg for our pre-game dinner. After that we left to go to the city of Beerse. We played a division 1 Belgium club team called Lentezon Beerse. The division 1 Belgium league was just one step under the Bundesliga (German club league).

We kept up with them for most of the game. We had more opportunities to score this game, but were called off-sides a few times. Sometimes we didn’t agree with the referee’s call, but you know how it goes, there isn’t anything you can do about it. We ended up losing the game 2-0, again. Our keepers did outstanding for us and we played together as a team.

Since we had an early dinner Hub ordered us pizza. There must have been a language barrier because the pepperoni we ordered was peppers. It’s all good though because Cari and I got ham and it hit the right spot. Tomorrow is our last full day in Europe and our final game.

Tschus

Jessica Palmer

P.S. The girls we played tonight, some of them had to be 30 years old. –Cari Hensley.

Day 6: Eagles Spend Monday in Germany

2009-08-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and went to the field for our third practice with Leo. We did his way of warming up, which was similar to a conditioning exercise. Then we did some partner drills of passing, volleying, and heading. Leo said our volleys were too strong of a kick and that is how they played in World War II. He is such a funny guy.

After practice we got on the bus to come back to the hotel to pick up our parents and take a quick shower. Coach said 5 minutes in, 5 minutes out. But you know that can never happen with girls. We then traveled to the city of Cologne, Germany. We had about an hour of free time to see what was around. Most went into the Cathedral (top right photo), which is the largest cathedral in Germany! It is 515 feet high and took 632 years to build. We also had lunch at a bakery; delicious German sandwiches and doughnuts. There was souvenir shops around that many browsed through. We met Hub at 2:15 in front of the Cathedral to go on our Rhine River cruise, except at that time we were missing some people and guess who was one of them-Coach! For the first time that any of us had seen, coach was late. Cari Hensley and Coach raced from the other side of town to try to be on time, yet neither of them was successful at being on time. They weaved in and out of people and passed each other several times on the crowded cobble streets of Cologne. Coach won the race because Cari got caught behind a lady on a bicycle that wouldn’t get out of the way. When we finally had everyone we went on a cruise down the Rhine River. We saw castles and towns all along the river banks.

Next, we met our bus driver, Hank, and traveled to Ahrweiler, a medieval city known for its vineyards. The city was surrounded by acres and acres of grape vineyards on mountains. Hub told us that each grape is hand-picked. We were left to walk around and experience the culture. A few girls, including myself tried some famous spaghetti eis (ice cream) and gummy bears. Others enjoyed themselves browsing through shops and sitting at a café, like most Germans do. We left the city to head back to the hotel for dinner.

Tschus!

Jessica Palmer

P.S. - Coach is slow, he just uses obstacles to his advantage to help him win. –Cari Hensley

Day 5: A Day of Adventure

2009-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today was adventure day for us and let me just tell you how much fun it was. We rode on the bus for about 20 minutes to our destination- caving. We arrived at fields of land. There was nothing in sight but a small building. We met a guy out front and he told us that underneath all of the fields were underground caves which we would be biking and exploring through.

The first thing we did was walk down a spiral staircase, then more stairs until we ended 40ft. underground. As we went lower the temperature dropped and it ended up being about 50 degrees. One group did a bike ride first while the other group went exploring. Each group did their activity for an hour and a half and then we switched.

The bike ride averaged 8km. of narrow and wide, short and tall spaces. Some spots were definitely a tight squeeze. They warned us at the beginning that two people will get lost at some point. They were correct. Coach Van Horn was lost for a while in his group and about 7 people in my group got behind from everyone else because a light on one of the bikes burned out and there was too much space between one person and the other to have enough light. It was too dark to keep riding so we had to stay put until our guide came back for us. Luckily he did! At one point we stopped to learn that the cave we were in was actually a mine and people had worked there all day; getting slabs of stone to take to the top for building.

The exploring part was just as much fun as the biking, but involved a little more team work. First, we were given lanterns to light the way and then there were maps that we had to coordinate with the numbers and letters on the wall to keep us moving in the right direction. Sometimes we could keep the map and other times we had to memorize it. No matter if we were allowed to keep the map or not we still got lost a few times.

Each map led us to a task we had to complete to get to another map or directions on where to go next. One time we had to crawl through a small cave with only one light to lead the way. With 12 people it’s a little hard because it’s pitch dark at the end of the line. In another task, we were given two arrows to shoot at four balloons. Each balloon had a key behind it that led to a door to get to the other side. The problem was we didn’t know which balloon would reveal the correct key. Kathy Bundrick used good aim to pop the balloon with the right key behind it and her group got to go the easy way. My group on the other hand missed both shots, so we had to walk through freezing cold water to get to the other side.

In the last task we had to follow a rope to the end of the course. We thought that would be easy, until our tour guide told us we wouldn’t have any light and he wasn’t traveling with us. So everyone put their left hand on the rope and right hand on the person in front of them. They next thing we know our tour guide has disappeared and no light was to be seen. We walked slowly and felt our way through the cave. Our guide decided he wanted to scare us towards the end. What a funny man he thought he was, but scared us like something in a horror movie!

Jessica Palmer

P.S. Television here is interesting!

Day 4: Eagles play first game in Europe

2009-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

We woke up early this morning and had practice with Leo. Most of us thought it would be a lighter practice but light in European terms is different than in the U.S. We did a good bit of running, so it was difficult for some, especially since we knew we were going to have to play a 90 minute game later that day. At the end of practice Leo said he had “dessert”. I believe most of us were excited, but we were wrong. It was back on the line for shuffling side to side, running forward and backward, and jumping in the air.

Our first game was against Teutonia Weiden from Germany. They were a division 2 team in the Budesliga. Our game was played on a very nice turf field. It was a friendly game so at the beginning of the game at the coin toss we exchanged our Bridgewater College flag for souvenir baby cleats. Their game was very sound. We lost 2-0. Our team didn’t do badly for our first game together since spring and just getting back into soccer mode. Cari Hensley and Shauna Manovich had many solid saves for our team. Teams here have been in their preseason for 3 or 4 weeks and they have 6 weeks total! We held our own. Go Bridgewater!

On Friday we got to see Roda JC practice and tonight we, along with Alleghany College from the states, got to watch them play! It was a totally different atmosphere and it was awesome. One of the best experiences ever! We got to sit at midfield and were the first 3 rows of seats. It was the best to see all the action. The stadium held 22,000 people and about 15,000 were there to watch. Flags were raised for Roda and the fans were chanting and cheering all night long. When the fans thought a bad call was made the referee definitely knew about it! They played FC Groningen and the score ended at 1-1. It was a tight game with both teams taking wicked shots on goal. Many of us got souvenirs, such as Roda JC jerseys and the ever-popular scarf.

On the bus ride back home we did not mention to the Alleghany team our “last person on the bus” rule. So it brought us much joy when they had to sing a song. They did do a good job. At least they picked a song they knew all the words to. Sometimes we pick songs we only know the chorus to. Can’t wait until tomorrow- we take a bike ride through the caves!

Jessica Palmer

Day 3: Eagles have first clinic

2009-08-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

With all of yesterday’s excitement it was nice to sleep in a little this morning. We had breakfast and headed out to watch a division 1 professional team’s training. The team was Roda JC. Before I talk about that I must mention getting on the bus. If you recall what happened yesterday with the last person on the bus, I wish you could have seen this morning. Half of us were sitting on the bus waiting for the other players and Hub. They were walking out and all of a sudden we notice Hub running to get to the front, while everyone else was still walking. I guess they forgot about yesterday already, but when they saw him pass by they caught on and so everyone ran so they wouldn’t be last. Unfortunately no one had to sing. We had a few late ones this morning and that is what you definitely do not want to do-NEVER BE LATE WITH COACH (speaking to the new recruits coming in).

Anyway, back to Roda JC. Their practice was similar to any soccer practice, including a warm up of jogging and stretching exercises, and then they did a few suicides and small sided keep-away. Last they did passing and a scrimmage with a few set plays. It lasted a little over an hour, since it was a pre-game practice, but the intensity was incredible from these guys. They definitely “go hard or go home” in every drill. And that saying seems to be popular with the Europeans; I don’t know what it is about it. We were even lucky enough to get a team photo with the players.

We also had our first clinic with the Dutch coach. His name was Leo. His style of coaching was much different than Coach Van Horn’s. In our possession drills we worked on opening up and slowing down. Leo stopped us every time he made a coaching point. His way of coaching was kind of funny and sarcastic, but at the same time he made his point. Leo used more words and phrases than sentences, so sometimes when he asked us a question and expected an answer we would look at him like “what on earth are you trying to say.” Sometimes I think girls shook their heads and said yes just because. However, it was fun and interesting! Later, we went to see two professional teams play, Fortuna S and Gasten. Gasten crushed, winning 4-0.

Jessica Palmer

Day 2: Eagles spend day in Amsterdam

2009-08-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

At 7:30am our day began with breakfast in the hotel. They served different types of bread, eggs, bacon, and mini pancake bites. Then we departed for our training session which lasted about an hour. Hub was quick to get us off the field and into the showers because he was so excited for us to see the city of Amsterdam. While riding on the bus Hub told us some interesting facts about the Netherlands. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands with a population of about 800,000. The country itself has 16 million people and 2 million of them play soccer! On the highway Hub informed us about the speed limits. For buses the speed limit is 50mph and for cars it is 80mph‐ what a huge difference. To get your license in the Netherlands you must be 18 years old and have 30‐40 lessons. The total cost to drive is 4,000 Euros. It cost 5 Euros to park a car for 30 minutes and what we pay in one gallon of gas in the U.S.; they pay for one liter (3 liters=1 gallon). After two and a half hours we finally arrived in the city.

We decided to split up and see the city in our own eyes. The Manovich family and some girls went to visit the Vincent Van Gogh museum, Coach Van Horn and Jason took a group to the Flower Market, and my mother and Cari’s mother took the rest of the group to tour the city with shopping and to see how people live. We met back up to take a glimpse of the Red Light District and then a canal cruise through Amsterdam. We saw more city life, the harbor, and a new 5‐star hotel that is not built yet, but is booked for the next 10 years! Something else that was very different was the house boats. There were small houses lined up along the canal that people actually lived in. They have running water, gas, and electricity. After the cruise we went to a restaurant in Amsterdam. For dinner we had tomato soup, french fries, and veal. It was delicious!

When dinner was over we loaded back up on the bus. Sometimes when coach is looking for a good laugh, he surprises us with a little song, except the person that sings is the last one on the bus. This time the victim was Megan Groos. She decided to sing Hot‐n‐Cold by Katy Perry. She had slight embarrassment at first, but the team cheered her on and so did Hub. After she was done singing we realized she wasn’t the last one on the bus! Sorry Groos. It was actually our tour guide, Hub. With a heavy accident, he sang a very old song from his childhood; something about a red balloon. It was quite entertaining. After that excitement we went to AJAX stadium for a team photo. Once ten different cameras were used to take a photo, everyone‐parents, players and coaches, sprinted to the bus, remembering what had just happened to Groos and Hub. No one wanted to be last. Except this time we were fooled and no one had to sing. We sprinted for nothing. But that’s the good thing about coach he always has something up his sleeve and you never know what’s coming.

Chow!

Jessica Palmer

P.S. If you’re a woman with big feet looking to buy shoes in Europe think again because they only sell up to size 42‐if they even have that! –Cari Hensley

Day 1: Soccer team arrives in Europe

2009-08-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Bridgewater women’s soccer team departed from Dulles International Airport on Air France 039, Boeing 777, at 4:40pm EST; traveled 3,880 miles across land and ocean to arrive in Paris at 12am EST and in the time here, 6am CEST. The eight hour flight was not as bad as it seemed.

We were given dinner and breakfast; we could play video games or watch movies. Some slept and others were awake for most of the ride. Nightfall came quick and as we were flying over France, cities were lit up like constellations in the sky. Once we landed at Charles de Gaulle Paris airport there were two hours to kill until our train ride to Brussels. So the obvious things we did were relax, exchange our U.S. dollars for Euros, get a bite to eat or drink and use the bathroom. And who would have guessed that it cost .50 Euros to use the bathroom!

From the airplane we got on a high speed train to Brussels. The scenery on the train looked just like Bridgewater’s open farmland. Once we arrived in Brussels we met our tour guide Hub Stevens and our bus driver Hank. They took us around the city of Brussels to see the soccer field of the Belgium national team, which holds 50,000 people, an iron molecule structure 2 billion times the size of the original molecule, the Kings castle, many cathedrals and museums, and the best part of all…”The Peeing Man.” The story goes that there was a little boy and his father who came to visit the city. The little boy got lost for several days and when his father finally found him he was peeing in a water fountain. So, in the city of Brussels there is a statue of the peeing boy. He is a popular figure among the Europeans and what makes the city famous.

After the tour Hank and Hub took us to our final destination of the day, the city of Valkenburg. We settled into our hotel, Walram, or to the folks at home, Best western. Just before dinner the team walked to the local park for our first evening session, which included some stretching and a 20 minute run. Many people were out walking on the trail through the park and their dogs played in the creek. One thing very noticeable was the fact that these people did not have their dogs on a leash, yet they were very obedient- props to the Europeans! Once we got back to the hotel we enjoyed a meal of pasta, steamed veggies, potato fries, and hamburgers (which kind of tasted like sausage and had no visible grease, definitely not your McDonald’s burger). It’s been a long two days so it’s time for BED!!

Tschus,

Jessica Palmer

P.S. There is nothing better than having a real Belgian waffle with various toppings in the Medieval Central Market Square while experiencing the European culture. –Cari Hensley