Eagles Ready For Preseason After Exciting TripTo Europe

Hello again everyone,

I’m writing this blog for the last time, since we are now on our way back to the States. Our last day was a great end to our trip. We had the choice of what we wanted to do, so as a group we did a lot of different things. One group went to experience the London Eye, which is the world’s largest Ferris wheel, and overlooks the city of London. Many people probably saw this when watching the Olympics and could see how impressive it is. My group went to see St. Paul’s Cathedral as well as some parts of Westminster Abbey, which is where William and Kate got married. The churches were so beautiful with so much detail in the ceilings, window  and outside architecture. When we had a lunch I decided to try one last new food since it was our last day. I chose to try duck. It was interesting, very sweet, but also tasted very gamey, so I don’t think I will be ordering it regularly. But I was proud of myself for trying it and can check it off my list. We then rode on the tube, which we call the subway or metro, in order to get around the city. It was a little confusing at first but easy once we figured all the signs out. During our last day of shopping, many people were able to get some Olympic flags, t-shirts, and bags which we had been looking for the whole trip, so everyone was very happy about that. We ended the day by eating at Cinnamon Spice which serves Indian food. This was also a first time experience for me, as well as many other people. I must say it was very good, and unlike the duck I had, I would definitely eat Indian food again. Once we left the restaurant we headed on a train to Manchester for the night, and that was an intense and funny experience. Our group had 35 people, and once we reached our stop we had 60 seconds for all of us and our entire luggage to get off the train before it went to the next station. We were very nervous about this, but proved to be very quick and efficient and had every one off with time to spare. Next, came the airport bright and early, which all went very smoothly, and everyone was allowed back into the States which was very good.

Now everyone is safely back on campus and we are preparing for our first preseason practice Saturday, as well as meeting all the new freshman. Due to our game schedule and school we have less days for preseason this year so we must make the most out of each session with high intensity and work rate. From the way we practiced and played in Europe I believe we will do very well at this. Our goal is to win the conference this year and to do that we are going to push ourselves and dedicate ourselves to give one hundred percent effort always. This upcoming season will be challenging, but we are going to prepare to meet those challenges and overcome them together. The energy and chemistry we have had so far is exciting and the freshman class has a great amount of soccer ability to offer, which everyone is very excited for and will add to our chemistry. Newcomer Julia Baca will be blogging throughout the preseason, so you can follow her on here as well to see how we are doing. 

Thanks for following us during our wonderful trip to Europe, and keep up with us during the season! Go Eagles!

Caio!

Morgan

Women's Soccer Team Makes Its Way To England

Hello followers,

The past few days have been very busy, and have included new sights, places, and our second game. On Monday we spent our last full day in Italy visiting the Italian Riviera and the villages on the coast. This was a favorite day for many of the players because of the scenery and the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean Sea again. The water was a little cooler here, but it had a deep blue color and beautiful colored stones instead of sand. We all got to jump in to the water off a local dock and swim with some locals. Lindsey, Sarah, Mel, and I went paddle boarding which was pretty entertaining for us and those watching from the shore. Let’s just say that the Mediterranean Sea has some very, very large jellyfish and we were a little afraid of them since they were as big as a soccer ball. But even though we got a little scared no one got stung and we later found out that they don’t sting you, so we freaked out for nothing. As we were paddle boarding, our teammates enjoyed swimming in the water and jumping off a rock wall as well as exploring the small coast village. At the Riviera we also got to walk on the street of love, which is a path along the coast that looks out over the Mediterranean Sea. Many initials, money, and locks are found here, left by those who are looking for or found love and want it to last. With the locks, couples will lock them to a fence there and then throw the key in the Sea and this symbolizes their love lasting forever. Later that day, we made our way to Milan for a stay overnight until we left for the airport to go to England.

Once we landed in England early Tuesday morning we were instantly reminded of the Olympics due to all the signs and banners hanging everywhere, as well as the advertisements for the upcoming Paralympics. As we looked for our new tour guide, Joe, we spoke with one of the Olympic volunteers who told us he had the opportunity to watch team USA win gold and set the world record in the women’s 4x100 swim relay. He of course was very impressed with Missy Franklin and said how fantastic it was to watch such a great talent.

Once we got off the bus we had some free time to walk around London and have lunch before heading to Emirates Stadium, home of the Arsenal Gunners. Even though their season hasn’t started yet we got a full tour of the stadium and were able to run out of the tunnel and sit at the benches, but we could not go on the beautiful, green, and perfectly groomed pitch.  It was really interesting to see this famous stadium and team facilities, as well as how passionate the people here are for soccer, or as they always say, football.

Later that night we attended the Millwalll FC Lions and Crawley Town FC soccer match, which was very nice since we had seats behind the goal in the first couple rows. The Lions fell to Crawley during the penalty kick shootout, but the game was still good to watch and also had some intense moments, especially from the fans. If you think about the big rivals in sports in America such as the Yankees and Red Sox or the Cowboys and Redskins, you can determine how the Millwall fans acted towards the Crawley fans and so forth. I will say some of the comments and gestures were very original, and many of us laughed at them. At dinner that night, many of us tried the traditional fish and chips, which were very good.

Wednesday morning started with a tour of the major sites in London such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London. These sites were all very impressive, especially when we got to see the changing of the guard. This event was very serious and precise and also included live music to go along with the change. Once a day every day the guards are changed from Buckingham Palace to the Army barracks beside it. Of course the uniforms were impressive with their large black hats, and the horses used were very pretty and friendly. We actually got to meet the head horse used in the ceremony, whose name is Benjamin.
After the changing of the guards we ate lunch and then went to the Tower of London. The most impressive part of this was the crown jewels that are kept there. We got to walk through and learn about the history of the jewels and who they belong to. All of us were speechless due to the beauty and size of the jewels, especially the queen’s crown. We asked what the crown was worth and were told that just the diamond on the front of it, which was the size of plum at least, was valued at $10 million off the crown and on the crown $1 billion. So really all of these jewels were priceless and completely just a dream for all of us who loved them.

Once we finished drooling over the sparkling gems we went to play our second and final game against St. Albans football club. Again we were able to generate a lot of offense and stay very strong defensively, in order to win and earn a shutout. So now, we are 2-0 and are very excited about the upcoming season.

Tomorrow, we are able to travel and choose what we want to go see. Many people are going to visit the London Eye, Abbey Road, and ride the tube, which is what we refer to as the subway. Also, Liz is going to see some of the sights where Harry Potter was filmed, such as the train station. Hopefully she will find platform 9 and ¾ and travel to Hogwarts. Well, it’s now one o’clock in the morning and time for bed, so I will be writing you soon!

Morgan

P.S. from Coach Van Horn: For all you BC women’s soccer fans, after watching the girls play two games, the way they are connecting offensively and having chemistry on the field is showing much promise for the upcoming season and is definitely the strongest we have looked this early in the season. 

Women's Soccer Team Continues Its Tour Of Italy

Bon Journo,

Well these past few days have again been filled with many new sights and foods. On Friday we got to visit the Mediterranean Sea and the medieval village Castiglione della Pescaia which is located right on the coast. In the village we climbed to the top of a castle which opened up to a beautiful view of the water and beach. During lunch, a small band began playing live music and Abby and Anna began to dance to the music, which was just as entertaining to the local people as it was to us. As we were on the beach, we took some funny group pictures and an older man in a pink speedo joined us for a photo, this was a nice addition to our group picture and provided some laughs.

After a relaxing day on the coast we traveled to play our first of two games against Grosseto F.C. We came out to start the game very well, and were able to get a shutout and a win, which everyone was very excited about. I felt that we were able to control the tempo of the game through our ability to possess  the ball. We also were able to create many offensive opportunities which was very good for our first game.

The next day we traveled to Florence which provided many of us with new purses, wallets, and jackets because of their many leather markets. The architecture and buildings here were again very beautiful and some people went to see the Michelangelo’s famous Statue of David. There was also a large chapel that has the world’s largest man-made dome which was very beautiful and detailed. The dome and the chapel were so big it was not possible to get a photo with the entire building.

 As we went into practice that night everyone was a little fatigued from the long day, but that did not stop us from keeping the intensity high during all of the drills. Also, our fitness sessions during practice have had very high intensity and effort from everyone. By pushing ourselves now during practice and fitness we all know it will definitely help our performance during preseason and set us up for being well-conditioned this season.

On Sunday we took a trip out to the country side of Tuscany at a local farm to have lunch. The food was delicious, and many of us tried a mystery food that we later found to be chicken liver. I personally thought that it was good as it was served on bread and looked like beef, but others did not share the same opinion. After lunch we traveled to a local village to enjoy more leather shops and jewelry as well as the best gelato we have had. This place has been on the New York Times top ten places for gelato multiple times and definitely lived up to its reputation. Again the fruit flavors tasted just like fresh picked fruit  and we couldn't get enough of the nutella flavor.

 After the village we went to our last regular practice which again was very intense with a high team effort during fitness and drills. Then we got to have some fun and play a parents vs. players game. The parents unfortunately won after getting four penalty kicks to begin the game that gave then a two- goal lead. Even though we wanted to win it was hard to play seriously and not laugh because a few of the parents and siblings took some spills of the turf. We luckily got video of the game and hopefully will be able to post it once we get back in the states so stayed tuned if you want some laughs.

Tomorrow, we will be traveling to the Italian Riviera and going to another beach and five different villages. Afterwards we will be traveling to Milan for our last night in Italy before we will travel to London.

Talk to you soon! Ciao!

Morgan

Eagles Arrive In Rome

Hello everyone,

Well, we have now completed three days of our trip in Italy and have experienced some great foods and famous sights as well. But before I get into any sightseeing details I have to tell you about our adventure to get here.

We departed from Dulles late Tuesday afternoon to arrive in France very early in the morning due to the five-hour time difference. Once in France we transferred to another plane which brought us to Rome. Even though we were traveling overseas we saw the USA men’s U-18 ice hockey team traveling overseas to play and practice as well. Both flights went well and we started to hear the French and Italian languages. We also started to see some different food as well as the change in currency to the Euro. During the layover, we decided to play catch phrase to help pass the time. We also learned that one bottle of orange juice cost six American dollars. Once we landed in we started seeing the city immediately.

 As we began walking around it was impossible not to notice how hot it was outside, as well as how many delicious gelato and pizzeria restaurants there were. As we began to wander around we exchanged our money for Euros.  For lunch we tried a variety of sandwiches and pizza, and both were very delicious, fresh, and light. Then, we had our first go with the gelato - unanimously the best desert ever. Rita’s doesn’t have anything on this frozen treat. My lemon gelato was so fresh and tasted just like tart lemonade. The mango and raspberry tasted exactly like they do in fruit form if not better. So far if I could bring a food back to the U.S. this would be it.

Also, as we snacked we met another team from the U.S., the Purdue men’s basketball team. They are playing some scrimmages here during their off season. After some exploring we got to tour the famous Coliseum. For those of you that have seen Gladiator it was like that, except we weren’t allowed to go duel each other, even though we looked at buying some Spartan armor. This structure when it was first built could hold 55,000 people and be emptied in 10 minutes. We thought it should be thought of as the first FedEx field, except the battles where a little more intense.

After touring we then had practice and then went to enjoy our first Italian dinner, which did not disappoint. Our first course was pasta, which was most like baked ziti. It was then followed 45 minutes later with a salad, meat loaf and potatoes. Then about 30 minutes later we had a chocolate cake with a rich, chocolate syrup. Keep in mind dinner didn’t start until 8 o’clock and did not end until ten.  At this point, coach had been up for close to 37 hours and was using the break between meals to nod off once in a while which was quite entertaining. Then we went back to the hotel and enjoyed a much needed night of sleep.

 Thursday was full of new famous sights and knowledge of the Vatican City was gained. Let’s just say that the architecture and artwork was mind-blowing and beautiful. The Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel tour took three interesting hours and that didn’t even allow us to see half of the rooms in the Vatican museum which has 1,400 different rooms total.  Our guide Isabella told us that if one were to go to every room and look at each piece of art for 30 seconds it would take 65 years to accomplish! She also provided us with so much information about St. Peter’s Church, the Pope, and Vatican City.      

Once we entered the Sistine Chapel, we could not speak and only our guide could talk to us about Michelangelo’s incredible paintings on the ceiling and wall. His paintings, which took him four years to complete, were done in water color, which is partially why it took him so long. During this time he also became partially blind from getting paint in his eye from lying on wooden scaffolding to paint the high ceiling. These paintings appear to look 3D but are just an illusion to the eye for it is the shadowing and use of color that makes them appear to look like sculpture. This chapel was the most incredible piece of artwork I have seen, which is part of why it is one of the most visited places in the world.  Even though it is so beautiful and detailed photography is not allowed because the flash will damage the paintings.

After leaving Vatican City we saw a famous fountain that people visit every day to throw coins in and make a wish. With one coin thrown in people believe it means you will return to Rome one day. With two coins one can make a wish and the unanimous wish was to win the conference championship this year. Later we attended our second practice session which included fitness, touches on the ball, and possession drills in order to prepare us for our first game which is tomorrow.

Well that is all for now, keep following us! Ciao!

Morgan

               

Ready To Leave For Europe

Note: Morgan will be blogging from the trip every other day so check back in to see what the soccer team is doing in Europe.

Hello everyone,

My name is Morgan Keplinger and I am a senior here at Bridgewater College. This will be my fourth year playing for the Eagle’s women’s soccer team and I am very excited for the upcoming season. My hometown is Hagerstown, Md. and I am a health and physical education major. Following graduation  I am planning to attend graduate school for adapted physical education. Since arriving at Bridgewater I have had the opportunity to travel to South Africa, Belize, and now I will be able to travel and experience two new cultures with my coaches and teammates.

The team is very excited to travel to Italy and England. We will be spending the first half of the trip in Italy and the second half in England. Throughout the trip we will be having practice sessions, as well as playing two games against Grosseto and St. Albans soccer teams. This is going to be a great opportunity for us to see a different type of competition as we start to prepare for our fall season.

We will also have the opportunity to tour the Colosseum in Rome, as well as the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel which includes Michelangelo’s famous ceiling painting.  On our last day in Italy we will be going to an Italian beach near the Italian Riviera. Once in England we will have the opportunity to tour Arsenal Emirates soccer stadium, and attend the Capital One cup preliminary game between the Millwall FC Lions and Crawley Town FC Reds. We will also get to tour the famous Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London which has the Royal Crown Jewels.

Personally, I am looking forward to experiencing two new cultures and being able to sample the different foods, especially the gelato in Italy. Also, touring Arsenal’s stadium and watching the Capital One Cup will be a lot of fun and interesting, especially since soccer is such a popular sport there. I really enjoy traveling and having the opportunity to interact with new people in new and different places, so that is something I am very much looking forward to experiencing as well.

Morgan