BYU Falls To Stanford

The Cougs have just returned home from the NCAA Tournament, in Palo Alto, California. They headed out on Wednesday to Stanford after they heard they were scheduled to play UC Santa Barbara in the first round. They Cougs pulled off the victory against UCSB, 2 - 0, with an own goal, and a sick goal from Alyssa Vander Veur. They were set to face the number one seed in the nation, undefeated Stanford, in the second round. The Cougs had done everything to prepare for the game, and were excited to have a chance to upset the number one team in the nation. Stanford came out strong, and scored a goal in the first minute of the game. But, that was not enough to shake the Cougs, and they kept battling until the final minute of the game. Carlee Payne had a shot bounce off the cross bar in the first half, and Lauren Anderson had a shot that was on it's way in the goal, until a Stanford defender got a head on it. The girls played with so much effort and heart. They got off 15 shots, and it was only the third time all year that Stanford had given up double digit shots. The Cougar defense was awesome, Nicole Urry-Gilliam, Mercede Koning, Andrea Willis, Lindsi Lisonbee, Stacy Bartholomew, and McKinzie Olson, held Stanford to just 22 shots. The Cougs end the season at 18-4-2, and will graduate 5 seniors. Thank you seniors for all that you have done for the program, and for the legacy you have left behind, we will miss you!

Andrea Willis

Simone Seymore

Kelsea Kakadelas

Alyssa Vander Veur

Ashleigh Jameson

Cougs Battled Hard

The Cougs battled hard in a disappointing loss in Provo on Saturday afternoon. They were matched up against San Diego State for the championship game of the Mountain West Conference. They had beaten New Mexico, 1-0, earlier in the week to advance to the finals. The Cougs played hard, and had some good looks at the goal. San Diego had some looks as well, and they were able to knock one in at the 28 minute mark. The Cougs fought hard to the end, and were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. They had 3 girls named to the 2009-All-Conference Tournament Team, Kassidy Shumway, Carlee Payne, and Lindsi Lisonbee. The Cougs will now wait to see if they get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced Monday night.

The Cougs also had players recognized at the MWC banquet that was held before the tournament. Andrea Wills was named MWC Defensive Player of the Year, and Carlee Payne was named MWC Freshman of the Year. They also had 4 girls named to the 2009 All Mountain West Conference First Team, Andrea Willis, Kassidy Shumway, McKinzie Olson, and Carlee Payne. Lindsi Lisonbee was named to the 2009 All Mountain West Conference Second Team.

Good work Cougs, and make sure to check back to see if the girls have an at-large bid, and where they are headed!

Cougs Clinch MWC Regular Season

The Cougars secured their second regular season Mountain West Conference Championship. They knocked off Wyoming 2-0 yesterday, and will now head into the tournament next week as the number one seed. Carlee Payne, and Andrea Willis put two goals away to secure the win. The MWC Championships will be help in Provo, on South Field. The Cougs went 6-0-1 in the conference, with their only tie to San Diego State. They now have an overall record of 16-2-2, and are on a 14 game unbeaten, 6 game winning streak.

The girls also had a great time dressing up for Halloween, the costumes get more creative every year. Keep up the awesome work Cougs! Make sure and get your tickets to the MWC Championships, they start on November 4-7!

The Cougs Continue Their Quest For The Title

The Cougs just finished up a weekend at home. They were faced with two tough teams, New Mexico, and TCU. Kristi Dow-Jackson got her first goal, and put the Cougs up 1-0 against the Lobo's. Alyssa Vander Veur and Kelsea Kakadelas also netted goals and the Cougs went on to win 3-0. TCU put up a fight, and gave the girls a physical game. Lauren Anderson had her first goal of the season, and Carlee Payne put one away, and the Cougs won 2-0. The girls are headed to Colorado this weekend to take on Air Force. They remain undefeated in conference, and are 4-0-1.

Off the field, the girls continue to entertain themselves, and have a good time. They recently had a Harry Potter party, where they got all dressed up and danced the night away. Be sure to check out the Cougars when hey return home on October 31, 2009 at 1:00 PM, where they take on Wyoming.

Erin Galbraith

Some of the girls had the chance to go visit Erin with some good friends of ours, the Anderson's. The Anderson's soccer team, also known as the Cougars, are working on doing service for others. We were trying to get Erin to be a ball girl at one of our BYU Soccer games, but we had the chance to visit her in her home instead. Someone asked Erin what she wanted them to decorate her wheelchair with and she said soccer stuff. The soccer girls were all grateful to have the opportunity to spend a few minutes with the Galbraith family, and drop off some BYU Soccer stuff. It was an amazing experience, and I know the girls enjoyed spending time with Erin and her family. Here is Erin Hope's Story:

"On October 19, 2005 Erin Hope Galbraith was our normal, adorable, spunky little 4-year old angel who loved Disney princesses and hated broccoli. On October 20th, our world was changed when a large brain tumor that took up approximately two-thirds of her brain was discovered. After a 13-hour grueling surgery, the tumor was completely removed. During the following days her recovery was sensational and her spunkiness and innate ability to make all around her laugh returned. On October 28, 2005 the devastating news came that the tumor that was removed was malignant. Due to the highly aggressive and malignant nature of the tumor, the doctors had given Erin only a short time to live. "

If you want to read more you can check out http://www.hope4erin.com/

Thank you to the Anderson's and the mini Cougars for letting us come along and share in that experience. Thanks to the Galbraith family for having us over, and you could tell that Erin is an amazing girl. You are in our prayers!

Another Week On The Road

The Cougs just returned from another week on the road. They headed out to Pullman, Washington to play Washington State University. The Cougs started off strong, and struggled to hold onto to the lead. WSU scored in the last minute of the half to tie the game. WSU scored another goal in the 60th minute of the game. The Cougs had a few chances, Carlee Payne hit the post, Lauren Anderson and Jessica Ringwood both had a good look at the goal. WSU ended up beating the Cougs 2 - 1. The Cougs re-grouped, and they were matched up against Montana. Montana had a free kick early in the game, and they scored off a header. The Cougs battled back, and Carlee Payne took a shot that bounced off a Montana player and went in the goal to tie it all up. Jennie Marshall came into the game, and beat a few of the Montana girls, and put one away to come away with her 2nd game winner of the year.

The girls had a good time, and enjoyed spending endless hours on the bus, sleeping, watching movies, passing funny notes, and singing songs. The Cougs are headed to Chicago and Arizona next week. Look for the soccer team to be back in Provo on September 23, where they will take on Southern Utah University.

Two Big Games . . . Two Big Wins!

The Cougs recently returned from Penn State, where they had to chance to play 2 great teams. The were matched up against UConn, then West Virginia. Both games were a battle, and the Cougs fought to the end. Carlee Payne, a freshmen from Pleasanton, California, picked up both game winning goals. The first, against UConn was in the final 3 minutes of regulation, and she put away a header off a corner by Lauren Anderson. She then picked up her second goal of the season, and her second game winning goal of her career in the final minutes of the first overtime against West Virginia. The Cougs won the ball on their defensive end, and Kelsea Kakadelas had a great pass out, and Carlee just ran the entire field, beat their defense, and put it away to knock off a ranked team. The girls looked awesome, and they played great! Keep it up Cougs!

They also had a chance to do a fireside while they where in State College, and all the speakers did a great job. Even our awesome bus driver came and watched the fireside and said it was nice to see some good in the world. Good work girls!

The Cougs are playing their first home game, tomorrow night, September 4, 2009 at 7:OO PM. Make sure to come and check them out, they are playing William and Mary, and then playing Oklahoma State on Monday at noon! See you there!

A Little Place Called Hawaii

Brother Lui met us at the airport and gave everyone Lei's, we love him!

The team just got back from Hawaii, and they had a great time. They left last Wednesday, and headed to the beaches for some time in the ocean, and getting their last summer tans. They attempted to go snorkeling, and spent some time at "Pounder's Beach", where the lifeguards quickly told them it was not recommended to get into the water. Not get in the water in Hawaii, just doesn't make sense. They did some shopping, and some team bonding. Ashley Bazzerone got stung by a Man-O-War, and it wrapped all the way around her leg, she took it like a champ!

"Lucky Hawaii Shirts"

Sweet Little Georgia

They played the University of Hawaii on Friday, and the game ended in a tie, 0-0. The Cougs had some chances, and one in the last few seconds of the game that skimmed the post. The soccer team heads to Pennsylvania this weekend to play UConn and West Virginia. They then return home for their first home game, September 4th @ 7:00 PM, against William & Mary.

Let The Season Begin

The Cougs are getting ready for the season!  They will be starting their second week of two-a-days, and spending endless hours together. They have been running fitness tests, sitting in the cold pool,enjoying their preseason BBQ's, and working hard.  The Cougs have a competitive schedule this season, and will be playing William & Mary, Oklahoma Sate, and Oregon at home. They will also be playing UConn, West Virginia, Washington State, and Arizona all on the road.  The Cougs are excited, and we are all looking forward to their fist game.  Check the blog to see what the Cougs are doing on road trips, and how the season is going.  Join the girls for their Blue and White game this Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM.

 

The BYU girls are keeping busy this summer.  Most of them went home to spend the summer with family and friends, and others stayed around in Provo to do camps, play some soccer, and work out with Josh.  Soon all the girls will start to trickle back into Provo, and train together to get ready for the season.  The season is just over a month away, and the girls are working hard to get in shape and be ready for the season.  Some of the girls that are still around, are playing on a semi-professional team, the Utah Starzz, in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL).  The WPSL has 50 teams nationwide with some of the best soccer players in the United States. Teams are comprised of women’s college soccer players, former college soccer players, former professional players and international players.  The Utah Starzz team is comprised of some of the best current and former players from Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Utah State University, and Idaho State University.  Nicole Urry-Gilliam, Stacy Bartholomew, McKinzie Olson, and Andrea Willis are playing for the Utah Starzz.  They are currently in 3rd place in their division, and have 5 games left in their season. You can catch the Starzz in action in their next home game on July 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM.  Keep up the good work girls, the season is just around the corner.  

A LIttle Update

Here is a quick update on Katie Larkin.  She is currently playing for LA Sol.  She has played in 10 games and started in 2.  The LA Sol is currently in first place in the league, and they have only lost 1 game all season.  There are only 7 games left and 2 home games. She has been doing great out in California. Of course we miss her, but she has been tearing it up.  She is playing with some of the best players in the world.   Good  job Larkin, we are cheering for you, keep up the great work!   

TIME FOR REGIONALS

The Youth Soccer Region IV Championships, featuring top teams in the U-12 through U-19 age groups, begins with round robin games Monday, June 15 through Wednesday, June 17.  There will be 4,500 players that take the field tomorrow for the Region IV Championships which will be held in Lancaster, California.  Among these players are some of our own BYU team members.  Carlee Payne (California), Lindsi Lisonbee (Utah), Auna Janis (Utah), and McKinzie Olson (Utah), just to name a few.  You can follow the girls at:

http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionIV/

Good luck girls, make us proud!  Check back to see updates on how the games are going, and what the girls are up to in good ole' Lancaster, California!  

Recruiting Class of 2009 Ranked Top in MWC

The BYU Women's Soccer 2009 recruiting class has been ranked the best in the Mountain West Conference.  TopDrawerSoccer.com recognized the group of seven girls who will joining the team in the beginning of August.  The incoming freshmen will help the defending MWC Champions continue the winning tradition the team has established.  

One member of the class, forward Carlee Payne was recognized as a member of the ESPN Rise Winter Girls' Soccer All-American First Team.  Payne is a forward from Pleasanton, California, and was one of the two athletes highlighted by ESPN.  She was named the Contra Costa Times Player of the Year following a 25-goal, 13-assist season.  

The season is just around the corner, and the Cougars start their season off on August 12, 2009 with their Blue/White game, and then head to Hawaii for the first game of the season. The Cougars open at home with William & Mary and Oklahoma State on September 4th, and 7th.  Be sure to check out the Cougs this season, they take n SUU, Utah State, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, TCU, and Wyoming at home!   

Stay tuned to the blog to see what the BYU soccer team is up to this summer!  

IT'S SOCCER CAMP TIME

It is time for soccer camp!  It is probably one of my favorite times of the year!  Tomorrow is the first of six weeks of camps that go throughout the summer.  Camps range in all ages and skill levels, from our Mini Cub camps, ages 5-7, to our Cub Camps, ages 8-12, and our overnight Academy, ages 12-18.  They teach them dribbling, shooting, passing and heading.  The summer is full of soccer, popsicles, soccer, video, soccer, and maybe a little more soccer.  

The team looks forward to working camps in the summer.  It gives them a chance to coach soccer, and I know they look forward to the popsicle breaks just as much as the campers do.  They do a great job, and they love hanging out all day playing soccer, there is not a better summer job out there.  

If you haven't signed up for camp, there are some openings, go to:   http://ce.byu.edu/cw/sportscamps/s_academy.cfm

Look forward to seeing everyone at camp!

  

Little More of Nicaragua

Lauren Anderson:  

One of my favorite experiences during our trip to Nicaragua was the fireside we attended the last night of the trip.  We met with a group of return and future missionaries, and had the opportunity to listen to their testimonies and also share some of our own.  It was inspiring to see the eagerness the future missionaries had to leave on their missions and serve the Lord.  Many of them were doing so without the support of their families, and relied heavily on the resources of the foundation for the supplies and exams needed before they left on their missions.  Yet despite opposition and discouragement from their families, these incredible young people wanted nothing more than to serve a mission.  One particular young man, whose mother passed away just three months ago, had just barely sent in his papers.  He shared his excitement with us saying, "Now that I have my papers in, I feel like a player on the bench.  I'm just waiting for my Heavenly Father to put me in the game." He could hardly wait to recieve his call and spread the gospel. 

At the close of the fireside, the missionaries sang "Called to Serve."  They knew every word by heart and sang as loud as they could.  I felt the spirit so strong and was moved by their faithfulness.  

     The whole experience really had a lasting impact on me.  I realized how blessed I am to have the gospel in my life along with a family made of members of the church that support one another's beliefs and standards.  I have also developed a greater understanding of the impact I can have on others as an athelete of BYU.  It provides me with a greater opportunity to be an example to others and to spread the gospel.  It is an opportunity that I know every return and future missionary I met at the fireside would feel so blessed to have and would take full advantage of.  I hope that I can remember their eagerness to serve the Lord and do my best to serve him as well.

 

McKinzie Olson:

My favorite part of going to Nicaragua was meeting the people.  All of them live in extreme poverty, more than anyone here could even imagine without seeing it first hand.  Their homes had dirt floors and were made of things like cinderblock, sheet metal, or even tarps.  They were lucky if they had electricity, running water, or enough food for more than one meal a day.  Even though they literally had nothing, they were so happy!  We had the opportunity to serve them in various ways and they were so incredibly grateful for every little thing that we did for them.  One thing we had the chance to do was go to an orphanage in the city of Chinandega.  We were able to give them stuffed animals, shoes, and bags filled with toys and supplies.  These little girls were so excited just to have us there, let alone receive all of the gifts from us.  It was fun to watch their faces light up as each of them opened their gifts and saw what we were giving them.  I particularly amazed by one little girl who I had spent my time there with.  As she sorted through all of her new stuff, the thing that she was most excited for was 3 run of the mill white toothbrushes, the kind that you could buy for 10 cents at any store.  She threw aside all of the toys and was waving around her new toothbrushes like they were gold.  This was one of my favorite experiences of the whole trip.  She was so happy for the smallest thing that all of us take for granted.  I was very grateful for the opportunity that I had to go to Nicaragua and serve the people.  I learned a lot about humility and God's love for each of us, and I will take these lessons with me for the rest of my life. 

Dana Oldroyd:

I came back with many memories from Nicaragua but the most rewarding lessons I learned were of living with simplicity and direction in my life.  The people there didn’t have very busy lives where they had to worry about as many things as we seem to back here in the states and yet their lives seemed to be fuller. They were filled doing the important things like spending time with their family members and serving others.  We visited many homes that looked more like sheds and yet I felt such strong feelings of love and belonging there.  One lady we visited sold juice to provide for her family and lived in more of a hallway than a home.  I felt bad for her at first and didn’t understand why she was so happy with so little but then I looked at her wall and saw that she had pictures of the temple and the prophets hanging there.  It was clear that she had put the church at the center of her home and it didn’t matter that she barely had any tangible things because she had what was important.  I don’t speak Spanish (but now I am asking for Rosetta Stone for my birthday) and all during the trip I couldn’t verbally communicate with the people. Although I hated this and wanted to talk with them so badly, it was a great experience to communicate with them on a different level.  I have never felt the spirit so strong as I did in Nicaragua and yet I couldn’t understand what they were saying.  It’s amazing to see the unity of the church all over the world and the immense faithfulness of its members.  Nicaragua is a pretty dirty place where there is trash and disease everywhere and yet I have never loved a place and a people more than I love Nicaragua.  I am so grateful for Cause for Hope and all they do and for the experience to have participated in it.  I wish I was back in Nicaragua right now!

NICARAGUA

The Soccer Girls in Nicaragua

Some of the BYU Women's soccer team had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua and do some service.  Before the girls left on their trip, the team had been gathering shoes to take to Nicaragua.  The girls went with some other sports from BYU, and spent a few days painting, and hanging out with the kids.  All the girls said it was an amazing experience, and they all had a great time.  

Andrea Willis and Karen Cook

Andrea Willis: 

Our trip to Nicaragua was an incredibly eye opening experience and definitely not what i was expecting! The first whole day we were in Managua and learned all about Cause For Hope and their main goal of helping the people to become self reliant. After some meetings we got the chance to go out into the city to visit some businesses/families that Cause For Hope had helped to start. Most of their businesses were just little things like selling vegetables or little convenience stores or even selling banana chips. One of the places we visited we had to walk through sewage and trash and even dead animals to get there. Most of the houses were made of cinderblocks, had tin roofs, and most of them had no running water or toilets. Luckily our hotels were quite nice or I might have died! The next day we got to go to Chinandega to help the people there. We were all split into different teams to help different people and their businesses. My group which included Jen and Mckinzie Olson got to help a man named Hugo. Hugo fixes motorcycle motors and we had the task of helping him to increase his income and savings. The things we did to help him were to paint his house to help it stand out better since very few houses on his street were painted. We also helped make him a sign and made him some business cards and stickers to give to his clients. One of my favorite parts of the trip though aside from the business aspect was going to the orphanage and spending some time with the girls that lived there. They were the sweetest girls and even though we had some difficulties understanding each other it was an awesome experience. Even though we went to Nicaragua with the intentions of doing service and helping the people there we were the ones that benefited the most. We learned so many things from the great people of Nicaragua and won't soon forget this experience! 

The Spring Comes To An End

The BYU Cougars finished up their Spring Season on their home field, hosting their annual outdoor tournament.  The weather was off and on throughout the day, and the teams enjoyed slipping and sliding in the rain. BYU finished up the Spring beating Dixie and Weber in the tournament.  The Cougs had a great spring, and had the opportunity to try some new things and play some great teams. The girls will continue to work out throughout the summer and make their way back to Provo at the end of July to start preparing for their 2009 season.  You can find the team on the field all summer working camps and playing pick up games.  Make sure you sign up for the summer soccer camps, and come out and work with the girls.  

BYU also had their annual Alumni game, where the Alumni had an outstanding showing. There were enough Alumni to put 2 teams together, with just a few subs.  The Alumni showcased their sick skills, and played an intense game against each other. There were girls out there sliding for the ball, and busting out their competitive spirit.  The girls had a great time, and enjoyed catching up with each other, and lacing up the boots and kicking the ball around.  Thanks to all the alumni that came out, and the one's that couldn't make it, we missed you.  Maybe next year Jen will let the Alumni enter a team in the tournament, those Alumni still got it.  

Keep in touch throughout the summer to see what the BYU girls are up to, and when you can see them back in action!