Nov. 10, 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

November 10, 2008 – Kim Miller

This week we were getting ready for the SEC’s. Monday’s practice was a time for our team to come together and work on the things we needed to in preparation for Georgia. Tuesday we practiced as well but after practice we showered and loaded the bus up to get on our way to the airport. It was nice this time flying because we got a charter flight which meant no security lines, no waiting for the time to board, and no delays. The flight was about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and as we exited off the plane our vans were lined up right there for us ready to go! It was really nice, kind of like we were celebrities or something. After getting to the hotels and checking in and of course getting our roommates, it was down to the beach we went! It was the freshman’s first time being in Orange Beach and you could tell that everyone was so excited to be there. That night we went to Longhorns Steakhouse for dinner; following that we went to the fields even though when we got there it was pitch black out.

It was weird waking up on Wednesday knowing that today was game day! There was nothing like having breakfast on the porch overlooking the ocean. After breakfast we went to the fields to jog and play a little and we also got a chance to watch the Ole Miss vs. LSU game. After that we left and went to lunch at some place called “Pepper Deli” (Sweet Peppers). Then back to the hotel to get some rest before the big game.

It was game time! We were ready for it and definitely pumped, but when it was our time to grab the win, we just couldn’t pull through. UGA scored two goals in the first half. The second half we were the better team, we defended better, we attacked better and we were definitely the team who wanted to win more. Yet we just could not just put it away. That night people went off with families and then met back at the hotel later that night.

Waking up on Thursday was just dreadful. Knowing that we had to go home instead of staying in Orange Beach just killed everyone. Kacie Brewer, Dani Monteiro, Maria Petroni, Blakely Mattern and myself went in the water before leaving, it was a bit cold but was definitely worth it. The team packed up everything, got Quizno’s for lunch and headed to the airport. We arrived in Columbia around 4pm and everyone went home.

Some of us got together on Friday to play some pickup and to go for a run since we still were not sure about NCAA’s and wanted to make sure we kept our fitness levels. Saturday was the Gamecocks’ last home football game so a bunch of the girls got together to go and hangout which was really fun considering we are never home to do that. Regretting losing to UGA on Wednesday, we could have been the team playing in the final game on Sunday.

I want to say thank you to all of the parents and families and fans that come out and support us. We really appreciate everything you do. Please watch Monday night for the showing of what teams will be making into the 2008 College Cup into the NCAA tournament.