Sept. 29, 2008

Captains’ Blog

Every Monday during the 2008 women’s soccer season, one of the three team captains will visit GamecocksOnline.com to give an inside look into what it is like to be a South Carolina women’s soccer student-athlete. Bookmark the Captains’ Blog and check back frequently for the stories told by senior Danila Monteiro and juniors Blakely Mattern and Kim Miller.

Danila Monteiro

Blakely Mattern

Kim Miller

September 29, 2008 – Kim Miller

Coming into practice this week the team looked focused and ready to work hard. Tuesday’s practice we worked on the attack, getting the wingers to the end lines and taking defenders on one vs. one. It is crucial for our team for our players to have confidence; our team is great all around and everyone on this team brings something different. On Wednesday, after doing small-sided technical work, we had a scrimmage, something we have not done since preseason and probably one of my favorite things to do. It is always nice playing in a game within your own team. It gives people chances to work on things they need to and for people to play in different positions. Thursday was not a physically demanding practice; it is a day where we get together to mentally prepare and focus for the upcoming weekend.

Then it was FRIDAY – Game day vs. Tennessee!!! It was a 7:00 pm kickoff time but we were all excited from the moment we woke up that morning. It was family weekend so a bunch of the team’s families were in town, which made the weekend even better. We all knew what an exciting game this was going to be; Tennessee always has a great team and always brings their game, which makes it that much better, especially when we win! At the start of the game it was raining lightly but by the end of the game it eventually stopped. Blakely scored the first goal of the game from a corner kick by Rhoades. We have been working on set pieces for a while now and it is a great feeling knowing that it is paying off. Later on in the game Tennessee tied it up. In the 73rd minute off a double assist from Rhoades to Grimsley then to Natalie Aaron, we scored the game-winning goal! It was awesome for Natalie to score the game-winning goal; she is from Tennessee and for that to be her first goal is even better. That was a great win for our program and everyone was so excited.

Saturday’s practice was a light one due to the fact our bodies were tired from the night before. Saturdays are always fun because it’s a time where we can relax and be together as a team preparing for Sunday’s game. The team was excited for practice to end so those who had family here could go spend some quality time with them. For me, my parents, sisters, aunt and cousin came from New York and we went to Frankie’s Fun Park where we rode go carts and played Miniature Golf together! My cousin is the team’s biggest fan and made a special something for every player and a big banner to hang up on game days! It is so nice to see your families and to spend a day with them. It makes you miss home but makes you love them even more.

Sunday’s game was against Georgia, a team where there was a lot of revenge to be had. Sunday games in the SEC are extremely hard and the team that works the hardest and does not give up is the team that comes out on top. UGA scored the first goal late in the first half, but we’re a comeback team and once again Natalie scored the goal to tie up the game. We definitely dominated for 70 minutes of the game. The game then went in to sudden death two 10-minute overtime periods but neither team could grab a goal. The game was exciting but once again we can only move forward and get better for the weekend coming up where we go to Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Following the game our parents put together a wonderful tailgate for all of the players and coaches and families to eat and socialize and just hangout before everyone left. Once again, on behalf of the USC women’s soccer team here at USC I would like to thank all of our fans for coming out and supporting us, it really makes a difference when we have a crowd cheering us on.

Miller