The Cougs Go Down Fighting!

Now that the dust has settled, and we can pull ourselves together, I can write about the final game of the season.  The Cougs took on the defending National Champions, USC, on their home field last weekend.  BYU hosted the first 2 rounds of the tournament, and USC and Boston University played, and BYU played Virginia Tech.  It was a battle until the end with Virginia Tech, and they were a very good team.  The Cougs came out on top, 2-0, and went on to face USC.  

It was a perfect day for soccer, the field looked great, the sun was shining, and the girls were ready to go.  USC would score first, of a beautiful diving header in the first half.  USC had a dangerous offense, but the Coug's defense played outstanding.  The team came out in the second half with a little fire under them, and Andrea Willis put one away for the Cougs. It was a great game from both teams, and each team had some good looks in the 2nd half, and into overtime.  The team played outstanding, and ended up losing in a shootout.  The girls had a great season, and accomplished a lot.  It was a heartbreaker to lose that one in a shootout, and a handful of seniors will have to say goodbye.  We had a great group of girls this year, and I speak for the team, and the seniors will be missed.  Good work Cougs, that was a great season!

 

THE COUGS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN

The Cougs won their second MWC Conference Championship on Saturday.  They beat UNLV 4 - 0 on Thursday night, and then knocked off Utah 1-0, on Larkin's second half goal.  They picked up some awards at the banquet.  Andrea Willis was named the defensive player of the year, Katie Larkin the offensive player of the year, and tournament MVP, and Jen Rockwood was named Coach of the year.  The Cougs also placed a few players on the the MWC all conference, and all tournament teams.  Karen Cook, Andrea Willis, Jessica Harmon-Carter, and Katie Larkin were all part of the MWC Tournament team.  The Cougs spent the week in Las Vegas, and were spent some time eating large amounts of food at the buffets in Vegas.  They were also treated to a special treat and had the opportunity to see Phantom of the Opera, for motivation of course for the championship game.  It was amazing!  

The girls did a great job, and they will continue their quest for the NCAA Championship.  The brackets were released Monday night, and BYU will face Virginia Tech in the 1st round, and the winner of that game, and the USC vs Boston University, will play each other.  The great thing is, BYU was given the home bid, and the girls are looking forward to being home and defending their home turf.  The Cougs are set to kick off at 7:00 PM on Thursday night, November 13, 2008.  USC will face off against Boston University on South Field at 4:00 PM on Thursday night.  We need all the support we can get!  Come out to the game, and cheer the Cougs on!  Thanks to everyone who supports BYU Women's Soccer, we appreciate you!  See you guys on Thursday night!  

THE COUGS GO UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE!

The Cougs have done it, they just got back from their lovely trip to Laramie, Wyoming, where Jessica Harmon Carter scored in the last 10 minutes of the game to secure the win.  The girls got back tonight, and I am sure they all had a great time on the bus, in and out of Wyoming in 24 hours.  The girls head to Las Vegas for the MWC Tournament next week, where they will try to defend the MWC Championship.  Congrats Cougs, job well done!  

The girls also had senior night last week, where they beat Weber 1-0.  It was a sad day, 5 amazing girls were honored at senior night, and it has truly been a pleasure to have them on and off the field. Amanda Draeger, Katie Fellows Hodgkiss, Katie Larkin, Karen Cook, and Jessica Harmon Carter where all honored, and thanks girls for being so great.  We love you, and will miss you.  

One last thing, the girls dressed up for Halloween, a tradition that has been going on for a few years, and they get more and more creative every year.  Here is just a group picture, I will have to post some individual pictures.  The girls love coming up with costumes, and it is a tradition to play lightening every year in our costumes, I guess some of the girls struggled striking the ball, and might have swung, missed, and fallen, bless their hearts!  

Cougs Go 3-0 in Conference

The Cougs are off to a great start in conference.  They knocked off Utah 5-0, UNLV 1-0, and beat San Diego State on Saturday 2-0.  The game on Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day.  We were are dressed and prepared for the "big snow storm", but thankfully there was no snow, and even the sun poked out from time to time.  

The girls are excited, and are working hard.  They are getting ready to head to Texas to play TCU and then to play New Mexico on Saturday.  Check back during the week for updates on what the girls are doing on their road trip.  Keep it up Cougs!  

BYU Takes On Rival Utah

Tonight is the first game of the MWC for both BYU and Utah!  It should be a great game, as it always is with these two teams.  The Cougs will head up to Salt Lake City tonight in the rain to take on the Utes.  Come support the Cougs, and let the rivalry begin!  Go get 'em Cougs! 

Two Big Games . . . Two Big Wins!

The Cougs have been on fire the last week!  They took off on Monday to a little place called Miami, to play University of Miami.  A few things to remember, the girls have been on the road for the majority of September and have had their share of ups and downs.  Miami and Michigan State are both undefeated.  Miami has only allowed 1 goal on the season, and Michigan State has allowed 2 goals.  

Auna Janis scored 68 minutes into the game.  She received a cross from Lauren Anderson and Auna did a nice job of putting it in.  The girls came out with a lot of energy and excitement for the game, and pulled of a tough win on the road.

The Cougs then returned home to face Michigan State, where they would have their hands full with a tough offense.  Andrea Willis scored in the first half off a beautiful free kick to put the Cougs up 1-0.  The team suffered a tough loss when Jess Harmon Carter received a controversial red card, and were forced to play a man down.  With about 20 minutes left in the game, Jennie Marshall flicked the ball over 4 defenders and out ran, yes not 1 or 2 or 3, but all 4 of their defenders and slotted the ball in the back of the net.  The Cougs went on to win to tough games, and will head to Cal-Berkley on Thursday!  Good work team, keep it up!  

Welcome Home Cougs!

The Cougs were in town for just a few days, and they had a big home game against Idaho State.  They pulled off great victory 2-0 and continue to be undefeated at home.  Whitney Feller, and Jennie Marshall had their first goals of the season.  Kassidy Christensen was all over the place, and worked hard to make the goals happen.  There were just over 2,000 fans at the game last night, and the girls love the support and the energy of the crowd.  The girls are packing their bags and heading to Miami tomorrow morning. They will face off against an undefeated Miami team!  Good luck Cougs!  

At It Again

The Cougs are back at it, and on the road again.  They just returned from a tough road trip to William and Mary, and Marquette.  They came back to P-town, and rested up for a couple of days, and now they are headed to Long Beach!  Although the girls have been on the road a lot this year, they are enjoying each other, and having a good time.  The girls always know how to make any situation fun.  They will return on Friday morning and will play Idaho State on Saturday night! Good luck at Long Beach Cougs!  

LSU has a real, live, tiger on their campus!  This is a statue right outside of the tiger cage!  

On The Road Again

The soccer girls are back on the road again.  They are in Virginia and are getting ready to take on William and Mary, and Marquette.  They just finished with their home opener, they went 2-0 at home, and beat Georgia 4-1, and Arizona 1-0.  There were so many fans at both games, and it was awesome to see the new stadium filled with fans.  BYU has some of the greatest fans in the country, and it motivates the soccer girls, when thousands of people are cheering and yelling at the games.  Keep coming out BYU Soccer fans, you are appreciated and South Field is one of the toughest places to come and play. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing all of our fans through out the season.  I will keep you updated on how things go over in Virginia! Go Cougs!  

Latest And Greatest Addition to BYU

The Women's Soccer team just returned from their first road trip of the season. They splitgames on the road, and had the opportunity to eat at a new favorite restaurant by Cal Poly called Firestone, they liked it so much they ate there both nights. Thanks to Shawn Olmstead for letting the team in on this little secret. I caught up with the team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and I did not hear the end of how good this Firestone was, and how much I had missed out on.

The girls headed to Baton Rouge, where we enjoyed the humidity and the tropical storm all day on Sunday! It was a fun road trip, and the girls are getting ready for Georgia on Friday. The freshmen have been a great addition to the team, both on and off the field. The team has enjoyed having them around, and for Freshmen, they are pretty funny :) Keep up the good work Freshmen!

Auna's Game Winning Goal at Cal-Poly

So It Begins . . . .

I can't believe it, the season has started.  The girls have been working hard the last couple of weeks during 2-a-days, but have also managed to fit in some fun.  One of the most memorable experiences we have is having the opportunity to meet Hllary Weeks.  Not only did the coaches and the team get to meet her, she had us over for dinner, and gave us a special concert.  It was an amazing experience that we will never forget.  The girls jumped on the tramp, chased the kids around, and just loved having he opportunity for her to hang out with us.  Their hospitality is appreciated and a lot of the girls were touched by the experience and motivated.  

The team with Hilary Weeks

Coach showing of his sweet bicycle skills!  

The team is in California right now, and just recently pulled off a victory 2-1 to Cal-Poly.  The team will be traveling all over this fall, and I am sure will be up to some mischief.  They recently just had their annual skit night, and clips and photos will be posted within the week. 

Cougar Kick-Off

Cougar Kick-Off

Let The Games Begin . . .

It is that time again, it is time for the season!  Can you believe it is that time already, just seems like we finished up from last season.  The girls are busy with two-a-days, and spending time in the cold pool.  The team is looking great, and looking forward to the big Blue and White game coming up this Saturday, August 16, 2008.  Then the girls are off to Cal-Poly and LSU! 

The girls have a tradition that during two-a-days, they create a giant slip-n-slide.  They go over to rock canyon and lay out a huge tarp and let the hose run.  They love it, they come up with all sorts of ways of going down the slip-n-slide.  Standing up, it trains, running and jumping to see how far they can go down the slide.  The best part is there is a  little bump at the end of the hill where some of the girls catch some air, or yell out in pain!  They always have a great time and come home with grass  and dirt everywhere!  

Good Times

 

The BYU Soccer girls continue to spend their summer working out, doing camps, working out, some more camps, and probably more working out.  They are lifting and running every morning, then doing camps all day, and then some free play at night.  They love it, it keeps them busy, and they are all working hard for the season that starts in just a few weeks.

Some exciting things have been going on lately.  First of all, the stadium is looking great.  It is coming together so fast, and I think they are in the finishing stages.  All the seats are up, the new lights, the grass looks amazing, and the girls are so excited to have a new stadium.  

                  

A few of the girls have been over in California participating in the U.S. Elite Player Program.  Erika Woodbury, Andrea Willis, and Jessica Carter took off to California last weekend to compete with some of the top talent in the country.  National team coaches are usually there, and it is a good opportunity for our girls to be seen.  

Finally, Katie Larkin has been traveling the world this summer.  She took off to Germany, then California and she has recently been named to the U.S. Under-23 soccer team for the prestigious Nordic Cup tournament in Sweden.  Larkin has been to 4 training camps this summer, and started in the game against the U-23 German team.  She will play England, and Norway in the tournament, and we look forward to hearing about her adventures with the National Team!  Good luck Larkin!

      

The New Stadium

Just a little update on the BYU Women's soccer!  We just finished the first week of camp!  The girls had so much fun!  They did the cub camps in the morning, then mini cubs in the afternoon!  It is a handful, but the kids are so cute and they love camp!  

The stadium is coming right along.  Everyday when I walk past I am amazed at how quickly it is coming together.  Here are a few pictures of what it looks like a few days ago.  It is going to look so good when it is all done!  

Katie Larkin is in California at another National Camp, so when I get the details on how things are going out there, I will post an update! Good luck Larkin! 

Another week of camps has started, and there are a bunch of 11-14 year olds running around BYU, it is our first Academy of the summer.  The best part about camp is that Jen Rockwood is coaching a team for the League Games, it is so great to see her out there helping out those 11-12 year olds.  The meet before the game, she talks during the whole game, and they meet after the game!  It is so great!  Anyone who beats her team is benched for the season :)  

Missing Italy . . .

Welcome home everyone!  We have now been home for 1 week, and I am sure many of us are missing the luxuries of Italy! We didn't have to go to work, we got our exercise in, walking about 7 miles a day, we could eat gelato all day, we had all of our meals prepared for us everyday, bidays, we hung out with our friends everyday, all day, and we slept in soft, cozy beds :)  I am sure that we are happy to be home, because America has some of it's own luxuries.  We have ice, Dr. Pepper, Big Gulps, butter, soft bread, normal outlets that don't blow up our expensive appliances, TV in English, fluffy pillows, bigger rooms, and taller shower spouts.  

I have heard a lot of good things about the trip, and the overall feeling that everyone had a great time!  I will post some of the pictures that the girls have taken, they have some funny pictures.  I wanted to give a little shout out to our wonderful tour guide Alissandra.  She was so organized and had our days planned out from the moment we woke up til the moment we went to bed.  She kept us all in line, and on time.  She had an obvious passion and love for her country, and she shared that with us.  She would say some of our favorite American phrases, like "Yo-Diggity-Dog" and "Get up off my grill".  She helped make this a memorable trip to Italy, and everyone fell in love with her.  Thanks Alissandra for everything, you are great, and I know that many of the girls and parents miss you!  

 

We look forward to seeing everyone soon!  Check the blog for updates all summer long!  

                            

Venice the "City of Water"

We headed to Venice for our last couple of days in Italy!  I purchased the internet, but it sent my password in my email, which I could not get unless I had the internet, so I could not post a blog on our last couple of days.  We took a boat into Venice and had the tour, and learned all the cool things about Venice, like don't put your hands in the water, swim, or drink the water, that is where they put their sewage!  Venice sits on millions of wooden piles pounded into the marshy ground and has sunk about 7 centimeters a century for the past 1,000 years.  In Venice there are no streets, they travel all by water.  Venice is built on 300 small islands and has 150 canals and is connected by an amazing 409 bridges, which only 3 cross the main Grand Canal.  

It is a beautiful city, and they have shopping all over the place, and they are known for their glass from Murano, they have a glass blowing factory, and it is pretty cool to see them blow the glass into all these different shapes.  We spent our last 2 days there, and it was sort of bitter sweet!  It has been a great trip, and so much fun, and although we were excited to go home, we were sad to leave our big group, which was like one big happy family! 

May 5th, 2008 was also Chris and I (Bug's) 1 year anniversary, and what a great way to spend our first anniversary than with our soccer family, where it all began 3 years ago!  They had prepared a special little treat for us, which was slightly embarrassing!  Andrea Willis, and Jessica Harmon-Carter wrote a little poem for us, and shared it in front of everyone at dinner.  Here are just a few lines:

"Bug and Chris you've made it one whole year

Now it is time to "knock it up" a year

For the longest time we've wanted you to have a baby

But the only thing you tell us is "we'll see" and "maybe"

You say that money is one thing holding you back

But luckily for you, Jen is here to pick up the slack

$5,000 dollars is the price to be paid

Come on, let's go!  There is a baby to be made!

It goes on to say some other things, and it was so funny!  Chris was really embarrassed, but it was really nice of them. The group all chipped in to give us some Euro's to take a Gondola ride in Venice!  I was really taken back, and it was a wonderful surprise!  We had so much fun on the Gondola!  We appreciate everyone's kindness and generosity!  Thank you, it was a perfect anniversary!  

I will post a blog later today, that sums up our adventures in Europe!  We had a great time, and I am awake so early, my body still thinks we are on Italy time!  Welcome home everyone!

 

Beautiful Florence, Italy!

Our trip is nearing the end, and it is sort of sad.  I will not lie, I am excited to come back to the states, where the soda drinks are bigger, and cheaper (in Italy, it costs 5 euros, which is like 7 or 8 American dollars for a Coca Light, or a Diet Coke, no lie), the water is free, and where we have Dr. Pepper, it has been too long!  The days seem to fly by here.  We get up around 6 am or 7 am, and we get on the bus, drive to our destination, where we usually have a long tour of something important, and then some free time, and then back on the bus, then back for our 3 course dinner, that is always pasta, and then to bed around midnight!  Everyone is exhausted by bedtime, but seems rejuvenated by morning!  

Today we were in Florence, Italy, and it is a beautiful place.  We went to church and it was really cool, the Spirit was strong, and the missionaries translated what was going on.  Ashleigh Jameson, and Katie Larkin bore their testimonies, and they did a great job.  Nicole Urry attempted to get up, but she was stopped on her way up by the Bishop, because we ran out of time.  She was shocked, and put her hand over her mouth, and stood there for a while, then went back to her seat.  It was a classic moment!   It is amazing to be in another country and know that although we can not communicate with the members, that we all believe that same thing!  

We had a guided tour of Florence, and I wish I could state some neat facts, but my ADHD kicked in and I was thinking about all the good bargains I was going to get shopping when the tour was over, so I don't really remember what they said!  Sorry!  But Florence is known for their leather, gold, and I think their glass!   It is a very beautiful place, and they have some good shopping!  Funny story about Florence, the Harmon's (Jessica Harmon's mom, and little brother) and Jessica and Austin (Her husband), hold the record for how much spent on Gelato since we have been here.  Gelato is the most delicious ice cream treat, that is only found in Italy!  It is worth some Euros!  But, bless their hearts, they were not sure how much that large cone of Gelato costs, and between the 4 of them, they spent about 30 Euros, which is about 40 American Dollars!  Ha ha, good times!  

Some people had the chance to see the statue of David, and I heard it was amazing!  We are off to Venice tomorrow, so hopefully we have the internet, so I can continue blogging!  Off to bed, a few hours of sleep, then back on the road :) Goodnight!   

                           

Capri and Rome . . . .

We have not had the internet in days, it has been tough!  Well, we had it, but they wanted me to pay too many Euros, so I refused!  But, we are back, and here is a little update on what has been going on the last couple of days!  We went to this beautiful island of Capri, Italy!  Some people took the journey to the top of the island, by foot, or by gondola.  Others went and saw the "Blue Grotto".  It was amazing, you take a boat, and it takes you to some row boats that take you in a little cave, and all the water is so, so blue!  It is amazing!  Then we jumped in the bus for a long 4 hour ride to Rome!  

We won our 3rd game, 2-0!  The girls are looking good!  In Rome we saw the Colosseum, it is one of my favorite things in Rome! We also saw the Spanish Steps, not sure why they are important, and we went to Trevi Fountain, and of course the Pantheon, it is also important in some way :)  Today we went and saw the Vatican, and the Sistine Chapel.  Did you know, that Michealangelo did not even like to paint, so they put jail for 4 months, and he learned how to be an artist, then he was inside the Sistine Chapel for 4 years until he finished painting it!  It is beautiful, he also had a crooked neck for the rest of his life!  

We won our last game tonight 3-0, and it was our seniors last game.  So, it was happy game, because we won, but sad because it was their last game!  They will be missed!  We are now in Florence, and will be here for 2 days!  More adventures tomorrow, and now I am going to bed, because it is really late in Italy!  Goodnight, until tomorrow!  By the way, I tasted this new Fanta drink over here, I thought for sure that it had alcohol in it, it was so nasty!  But, it was just a bitter fruit :)  

Pompeii and Sorrento, Italy

Today we saw some really cool things.  We went to Pompeii, and had a tour of the "re-discovered city".  It was buried in 30 feet of ash from the volcano Mt. Vesuvius, that erupted in 79 AD. The city of Pompeii had a population of 20,000-25,000 people.  It was re-discovered in 1748, and in the mid 1800's they discovered that they could put plaster casts of voids in the ash that contained human remains, and trees and other things.  They plaster casts could show the detail of the faces of those killed in the volcano.  They found 4,000 bodies, and nobody knows what happened to the rest of the population.  There is still 1/3 of the city left to excavate, but they are not doing it right now.  It was an amazing thing to see, there are a lot of ruins left, and we learned a lot about Pompeii, and how they lived life.  

We then went to Sorrento, and it was beautiful.  It is a little city with great shopping, and had an amazing view.  If only we had a few more hours, we could have eaten more gelato, and spent more euros!  We also had our second game, and we ended up pulling off the victory 8-1, the referee struggled, but we still did okay.  Off to bed, tomorrow we head to the island of Capri, and then to Rome!  Still so many things to see! The weather is amazing here, and everyone is having a great time!  Til tomorrow!   

Naples, Italy

Today we woke up, and ate some more of those delicious crepes, and then headed back into Paris for one last chance to see stuff.  Jen and her mom, and Stacey and her mom went to the Opera House, and they said it was beautiful.  Some people ran to Moulan Rouge, and others of us stopped to see the Basillica, and good work to all the people who climbed all those stairs to the top!  

I have a funny story, we were walking up this hill to see the Basillica, and we came across some people who were trying to tie these strings on our fingers.  So, I (Bug) and my husband Chris, missed that meeting, where they specifically said, "NEVER PUT YOUR FINGERS OUT!"  So, I am easily tricked, and they were telling me it was a trick, and this and that, and I was excited to see the trick, but slightly hesitant, because the rest of our group (A group of like 50 people)  were screaming, "Bug, no Bug, come on Bug", and I was confused why everyone was panicking.  So, Chris is tied up, but slipped his finger out in time, and they let me by, I was surrounded by a couple of them.  I guess, they tie that string on your finger, and pull it really tight, and make you pay to take it off!  Sort of funny, but could be scary!  The group did a good job of keeping an eye on everyone, to make sure we made it through safe and sound.  

We arrived in a little place called Naples today, not really the prettiest part of Italy, and slightly scary.  We had to get off the bus and walk a few blocks to the hotel, and they told us to all stay together, and not let too much space get between us!  It was a sight to see, 69 Americans, pulling our big rolling bags through the ghetto of Naples!  It was great!  Tomorrow we are off to Pompeii!  I will let you know what adventures we find there!  I am posting a picture of what Naples looks like from our hotel, it is the one with all the trash in the street :)