On December 15, the Santiago Canyon College (SCC) women’s soccer team capped off its 23-0-2 season by claiming the top spot in the final 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Women’s Soccer Poll. This comes after the Hawks won their second California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state soccer title in four years on December 6 with a 1-0 win over Cosumnes River College in the finals of the 2009 CCCAA Soccer Championships.

“It is very gratifying for our team and college to be recognized in this way. It is the culmination of a lot of hard-work by a lot of people, most notably our student-athletes who balance their school, soccer and work schedules in order to play” said Ian Woodhead, SCC head women’s soccer coach. “The support our team receives from the school, faculty, classified and administration means everything and we hope they share in our recent achievement.”

Richland College (TX) (18-3-1) finished the season ranked second in the final poll behind SCC, while Cosumnes River College (16-5-4), Montgomery College-Rockville (MD) (16-4-0) and American River College (14-6-3) rounded out the Top 5.

It’s the first time in school history that SCC has finished a season undefeated and atop the final NSCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Poll. The Hawks finished second in the final 2006 NSCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Poll following their first state title. The Hawks have also appeared in the NSCAA’s season-ending Top 15 two other times finishing third in 2006 and 15th in 2008.

During the post-season the Hawks outscored their five opponents, 10-2, including four shutouts over Santa Ana College (4-0), defending state champion Cerritos College (1-0), Moorpark College (1-0) and Cosumnes River College (1-0) en route to their state title and No. 1 national ranking.

The Hawks finished their season on an 18-match winning streak and captured their sixth consecutive Orange Empire Conference (OEC) title.

The Santiago Canyon College women's soccer team celebrate its second state title on December 6. On December 15, the Hawks finished the season ranked first in the final 2009 NSCAA Division III Women's Soccer Poll.

South Carolina women’s soccer defender Blakely Mattern might need to find more room on her mantle. The senior was named a First-Team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America this week. Here’s a look at the honors she’s picked up in her distinguished career at South Carolina:

• 2009 First Team All-American (NSCAA)
• One of five members on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS All-American First Team (2009)
• 2009 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-American
• 2009 SEC Tournament MVP
• Three-time First-Team All-SEC
• 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
• 2007 Fourth-Team All-American (Soccer Buzz)
• 2006 Freshman All-American

Weekly Honors from 2009 Season

• NSCAA National Player of the Week
• SEC Defensive Player of the Week (twice)
• Soccer America national team of the week (four times)
• CollegeSoccer360 Primetime Performer team of the week (twice)
• Top Drawer Soccer national team of the week

Impressive, to say the least!

How in the world was this girl a top candidate for National Player of the Year honors? She played so dirty and with an awful attitude, I almost want to compare her playing style to New Mexico’s Elizabeth Lambert, but let’s not go that far. If you do not know who I am talking about I will post a video of her soon.

Enjoy.

Here are some highlights from the Women’s Soccer College Cup, in which our UNC women’s soccer team obviously participated and WON of course!!! Check it out!!

Let’s GOOOOO!!!!! UNC women’s soccer team claim NCAA National Championship once again. This was Carolina’s 21st National Championship! This was definitely a game that you did not want to miss! It was a great game and what is best, CAROLINA WON!!!! There were more than 8,500 soccer fans at this event which was a stadium record. Jessica McDonald scored the game winning goal very early in the game, by the third minute to be exact! The seniors on the team have now won three National Championships in their college career. They experienced being National Champions in 2006, 2008, and now 2009! The seniors include Ashley Moore, Tobin Heath, Ashlyn Harris, Sterling Smith, Nikki Washington, Caroline Boneparth, Whitney Engen, Casey Nogueira and Kristi Eveland. This win made Stanford so angry that they had to commit fouls and play dirty, as did Stanford’s All-America forward Kelly O’hara. O’hara was also top candidate for National Player of the Year honors. She was issued a yellow card at around the 68th minute when she took down Kristi Eveland. Then, less than four minutes later, she took down defender Whitney Engen from behind, earning her a second yellow card. This resulted in a red card, ejecting her from the game! The best thing is that we have another NCAA National Championship to add to the collection. Now let’s support our men’s soccer team as well and wish them good luck!!

Here are some screenshots from the 2009 WOMEN’S SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT:

Former Penn State soccer star Joanna Lohman ’04 Bus, who has continued her playing career in the Women’s Professional Soccer league and for other teams abroad, is moving beyond the playing field. And she’s hoping to move beyond soccer—to the NFL.

Joanna Lohman poses with the rest of the Washington Freedom braintrust.

This week, she was named general manager of the Freedom Futures, the developmental squad for the WPS’s Washington, D.C., franchise, the Freedom. And she told The Washington Post in this story that she’s got her eye on a bigger long-term goal: GM of the Washington Redskins—who, let’s face it, could use some help at 3-8.

Lohman is a native of the D.C. area and proud owner of a LaVar Arrington ’00 H&HD Redskins jersey, but she says those aren’t her only credentials. She told the Post, “Being around Joe Paterno at Penn State, his teams have always been blue collar. We don’t have names on the back of our jerseys; it’s always about the team before the individual. I think the Redskins could benefit from that type of outlook a little more.”

Hard to fault that logic. And great to see more women making inroads in professional sports management.

Lori Shontz, senior editor

So I was watching a Carolina Fever highlights video on Youtube and noticed that there were some clips about Carolina soccer and then there there was something that just had to be shared on here. Check out the video at one minute and eight seconds, it is great! This video is amazing in showing Carolina Athletics highlights and this particular moment was awesome! So check it out!

First off, we have to congratulate our women’s soccer team for making it this far into the NCAA Tournament (even though it isn’t a strange case). They are now in the NCAA College Cup and they will be playing tonight in the semi-final game against Notre Dame. This will be the Heels’ 25th appearance in the last 28 years. The win that brought them this far was last week’s quarter-final game against Wake Forest. The Heels played great against Wake with a win of 5-2, with Casey Nogueira obtaining a hat-trick against the team. She is a magnificent player and it shows, this was her 11th multi-goal game of her career and fourth hat-trick. The action-packed game took place at Fetzer Field in which a good crowd of over 2,900 filled the stands! It is great to have such huge support for the Heels, hopefully no one missed this game! The goal scorers of this game were Meghan Klingenberg, Jessica McDonald, and of course Casey Nogueira. Now, tonight the Heels will be facing Notre Dame at 8pm at College Station, Texas. Be sure to continue your support for the team by watching the game live, on ESPNU! Don’t forget, 8pm tonight!! Let’s GO HEELS!!!!

Coral Springs High School women’s soccer coach Brantley Barr is pleased with the progress his team is making. The team is 2-3 but lost to powerhouse programs in Cardinal Gibbons and West Broward. The team has defeated Everglades and Nova. Barr credits Abbey Howe, Rachel Parmerly, Sarah Mosely and Gabby DeAngelis as doing well so far this season.

High Point, Georgia, and Maryland have been UNC’s victims in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Heels are doing very well in the tournament with three wins leading them into the quarterfinals of the tournament. Their first game against High Point, the Heels defeated the Panthers with one goal scored by Lucy Bronze in the 68th minute of the game! Bronze scored after Casey Nogueira who had seven shots, struck a hard shot that hit the post, and Bronze came in for the rebound, scoring the game-winning shot! It had to go in sometime for UNC took 31 shots in the night and high point had none! Now, Georgia was the team that received more goals from Carolina! This game was taken over by the Tarheels with a 4-0 win! In this game, Tobin Heath, Lucy Bronze, Courtney Jones, and Meghan Klingenberg, all scored goals to advance the team into the sweet 16! The team played very well in this game and even led to the coach saying, “I’m jacked to be sitting here with a 4-0 victory against a team like Georgia.” The third game of the NCAA Tournament was against Maryland. This was the game that led the Heels into the quarterfinals of the tournament. Casey Nogueira was the hero of this match, with a goal at the 82nd minute. The Heels have not allowed a single goal for 742 minutes and three seconds of play, which was since the 80:11 mark against Miami on October 25th. This is incredible and outstanding! Hopefully they will keep it up and win the NCAA Championship. They will be playing against Wake Forest in Chapel Hill at 2:00PM on Friday, November the 27th!!! If they win this game, they are in the semi-finals and will be playing in Texas for the rest of the tournament. Everyone should come out and support the team this Friday as they take on Wake Forest for advancement into the semi-finals!!! Whooooo!!! Go Heeeeeeeeels!!!

This is a very important video because it shows the women’s soccer team doing work on FSU!!! The Tarheels won this game easily by three goals earning them their 20th ACC Championship. Well, maybe it was not easily but they worked hard to get here and then they demolished their rival, Florida State University! Enjoy!!

I do not know if any of you have seen this video about the women’s soccer team but it is a great video and no recent video uploads have been made to this blog, so maybe its a good idea to check it out? Yes, that is a great idea! Check this video out!

Neil White from The State writes about the varied backgrounds and hometowns of the women’s soccer team in today’s paper.

Following the South Carolina women’s soccer team requires more than a roster. An atlas comes in handy, too.

The goalkeeper hails from Ohio. The leading scorer calls Florida home. The co-captain playing midfield is a New Yorker. The four-time All-SEC defender stayed in state. The Rhoades sisters are from Delaware. In all, the 11 starters have converged in Columbia from nine states, with Georgia, Connecticut, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also in the mix.

South Carolina’s women’s soccer team is back in action tonight at 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium as they host ACC foe Wake Forest in the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks posted consecutive shutouts in the opening two rounds against Davidson and Rutgers. South Carolina also had the highest two-game attendance in the country last weekend.

The Gamecocks are the lone remaining SEC team in the tournament. Wake Forest is one of seven ACC teams left in the field of 16. The winner of tonight’s game will move onto the quarterfinals to face the winner of the North Carolina-Maryland match.

Tickets for tonight’s match are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and students. The first 450 students will receive free admission to the game.

Unless you’ve been left buried in a hole for the last two weeks, you know about Elizabeth Lambert. She is now the renowned woman’s soccer player from the University of New Mexico. She made headlines by not taking any shit from the other team, Brigham Young, which was ahead 1-0 after the first half of the game. Knowing that the N.C.A.A. tournament shot was on the line and the end of the season was imminent for one team, players from both ends of the field became overly aggressive. Emotions escalated even further when the opposing fans began mockingly chanting her name.

As seen in the picture above, Lambert is giving a five-knuckle back punch to the opposing player. But what you may not have noticed in the video is that the Brigham Young player elbowed Lambert just prior to that. Or there’s the time that Lambert pulled another player down by her ponytail, but the other player was tugging down on Lambert’s shorts.

Of course these are no excuses by any means to Lambert’s vigilant conduct. The refs should have been more attentive and noticed the type of extreme unsportsman-like actions happening between both the teams, and Lambert’s coach should have stepped in and told her to calm herself down. Now Lambert is suspended indefinitely, and is seeking help in understanding what went wrong that day.

She is seeing a clinical psychologist on campus to better understand what caused the hair-pulling incident. It is one of several steps she is taking, along with speaking to youth players about acceptable behavior, so she can seek reinstatement to the team in the spring.

“I’m working on my mental game to never let that happen again,” Lambert said. “That’s unacceptable in any sport to get to that point where you feel it’s necessary that you have to retaliate in a dirty manner.” {Source}

Final Verdict: Hero -Although her actions were unjustifiable, Lambert at least now recognizes her fatal flaw in allowing her anger to get the best of her. She also comes off as a victim of internet and mass media in being portrayed as nothing more than a vengeful bully. Hopefully she comes out of this as a better person.

I want to preface this discussion, based off of the helpful comments provided by a close friend and colleague of mine (posted below).

In the initial piece, I chose to respond to coverage of the first international women’s soccer match for Palestine.  I did this knowing that a men’s national team has existed for some time and that the newness of a women’s game would be used and misused as an easily transmissible cultural product through the lens of western media.  From this, I strove to develop a critique that acknowledged the existence and value of such a product while refusing to whitewash and demerit surrounding circumstances and struggles.

To clarify, I saw the coverage of the match as uniquely cursory–on the one hand, publicizing an articulation of statehood but meanwhile disregarding the pervasive threat and level of control that Israel exercises.   Likewise, by elevating the sports field, the article (NYT/Al Ram, linked below) renders other theaters and modes of resistance obsolete/invisible.  I wanted to focus on this notion, and show that liberation is a project, not a singular act on a particularized stage.  I am regretful if this does not come across clearly or well enough; for that I apologize.  It was a quick dispatch; the comments and supplemental citations (particularly regarding the West Bank barrier) provided are very helpful and I’m grateful for them.

I would still argue that this event does constitute a performative contradiction, though a very fleeting one, and in a space that is heavily regulated, as my friend so rightly pointed out.  In the same sense, I tried to articulate (perhaps poorly?) that such an action is only initial and anticipatory; also, its reappearance in western media elevates the imagery of Palestinian women in a certain light, while repressing the other myriad, everyday elements in which a hidden modes of resistance and radical action take place.  My exercise in this work perhaps should have delved deeper and more concretely.

Anyhow, my task here was to enter a zone of discomfort, voice some serious questions and spark a conversation.  That much has begun, so let us continue…

I thought this a worthy and pertinent addition  given the events of the past month and the specter of uncertainty looming over January 24, 2010.

My words come in response to a relatively recent article reprinted in the New York Times.  You’ll want to read this before diving into my own ramblings.  Enjoy and please share any comments or critiques you may have.

Palestine v. Jordan

———————–

In the decades following its 1948 declaration of statehood, Israel has expanded its control and surveillance over the green line into the West Bank and Gaza.  Western media coverage has typically documented familiar theatres of conflict within these zones: alleyway confrontations between tanks and rock-slinging youths, public demonstrations of political factions vying for power, and various bouts of violence amidst checkpoints, security barriers, and disputed sites of possession.  The above referenced article, however, highlights a new arena in the contemporary discourse on Palestine while redefining articulations of statehood, independence and freedom.  The details outline an athletic spectacle of unprecedented success, praise, and possibility.  In the October 26, 2009, match between Jordan and Palestine, we see the confluence of statehood, gender equality, and national unity on a unique scale and in an unprecedented setting.  This set the stage for what Isabel Kershner describes as a moment of pure, “anthem-singing” exhilaration, in which “one could have been forgiven for thinking that an independent Palestinian state had just been born.”[1] This moment demands deeper questioning; who are the singers of this new national anthem?  In what theater, and why, does this production of national identity occur?  Does the venue demerit the cause: are female footballers mere spectacle?  The match held on October 29^th constitutes a performative contradiction of statehood—an intervention in frameworks of language and power—and necessitates further action towards a redefinition of nationalism and a radical transformation of the Palestinian state.

To contextualize the venue (literally) at play here, an examination of the Israeli state and, with it, the plight of the Palestinian non-citizenry, must necessarily be undertaken.  In this regard, the pitch, the people, and the place exist as material representations of statelessness.

Palestinians are forced to subsist under the persistent threat of violence, settlement, and military occupation.

The West Bank barrier

This is made manifest in close and clear proximity to the stadium, where the 40-foot-tall West Bank “security barrier” looms large,  cordoning off residents and facilitating their strict surveillance under the IDF.  The United Nations has condemned the security barrier as contrary to international law.  For Palestinians in the West Bank, “the Wall,” as it is known, signifies much more than a hindrance to freedom; “the 685-km barrier, which annexes 8% of the West Bank and puts East Jerusalem on the Israeli side, amounts to a land grab of territory earmarked for a future Palestinian state.”[2] Thus for the thousands of Palestinians living under military occupation opposite the Jordan River, much has been lost and much still remains at stake: namely, land, freedom, and the independence allocated through statehood.

It is in this formidable context that we witness a veritable rupture in the architecture of imposed statelessness.  Monday’s match-up between Jordan and Palestine signified an assertion of freedom amidst the myriad and entrenched institutions of sexism, militarism, and inequality.  In a host of seemingly simplistic acts—donning uniforms of the new, as-yet undefined state (Palestine), singing the national anthem from the stands, naming oneself as a Female Palestinian—the women of the national soccer team concurrently breached both a patriarchal mode of suppression and an Israeli agenda of enforced statelessness.  As Judith Butler describes in Who Sings the Nation-State, these actions constitute a “performative contradiction,” without which “there can be no radical politics of change”:

To exercise a freedom and to assert an equality precisely in relation
to an authority that would preclude both is to show how freedom and
equality can and must move beyond their positive articulations.[3]

Here, then, we witness a positive articulation through the performative contradiction at hand: Palestinian women playing soccer on a field that is owned yet un-owned, in a setting that is international yet also non-national.  As such, and as is evidenced by the players’ thoughts and opinions on the match, this performance constitutes only an initial, anticipatory rupture in the contemporary discourse that relegates Palestine to a non-nation-state and consigns women to a subjugated condition of non-performance.

As evidenced in the Mideast, the state regulates statelessness just as distinctly (and often more vigorously) as it does statehood.  Likewise, this article and its subject—the articulation of a new nationalism—also circumscribe statelessness within the immediate vicinity of Palestine and in larger spheres of public perception.  Numerous subjects are (un)noticeably pushed to the backdrop in this discussion of Palestine: for instance, the plight of Gazans (who live in a veritable open-air prison), the political fractioning between Hamas and Fatah, and the as-yet undetermined political processing of new leadership in the Palestinian territories.  Such expressions of statehood merit critique on the basis of what remains unsaid, so that the possibility of true freedom may persist, with or without legal legitimization.

Still, as Butler argues, “to make the demand on freedom is already to begin its exercise.”[4] Through their performative actions, the singers, the crowds, the players and the victors of Monday’s match both individually and collectively enacted a radical politics of transformation within the Palestinian territories.  It is just as wrong to write this event off as apolitical as it is to declare it an ends-based victory.  It is a slash in the social fabric: an action that seeks and ascribes to liberation.  Its ultimate impact will be realized only in the constant reflection and re-inscription on the collective imagination of independence and statehood.  In this sense, the nationalism described here is not a unilateral, cultural “truth,” but rather, a singular element within a much larger, hidden and ever-evolving project of social liberation.

Postgame possibilities and celebrations along the sideline.

[2] Patience, Martin, “Villagers Fight West Bank Barrier,” BBC News, 19 May 2006.

[3] Butler, Judith, Who Sings the Nation-State? (Seagull Books, New York 2007) 66-67.

[4] Butler 68.

With their run to the SEC title and the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the South Carolina women’s soccer team has been making some news:

• Mocking USC doesn’t pay off for Rutgers (The State)
• USC soccer headed to Sweet 16 (The State)
• USC goalkeeper able to “come up big” (The State)
• Soccer championship all in the family (The State)
• Gamecock standout thinks team can make history (The State)

You can cross off “1st NCAA win” from the list of things to do for the Gamecock women’s soccer program.

In a season that can already be defined as historic, South Carolina added one more accomplishment Friday night as they showed no signs of bowing to the pressure and expectation of being a national seed and cruised to a 4-0 win against Davidson in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament.

“We wanted to take advantage of being at home and we did,” said South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith. “This team learned how to battle last week against some of the best teams in the country and they’re ready to face any challenge ahead.”

After two seasons of exiting the tournament in the first round, the team mindset going into Friday night’s game was one of perseverance and determination.

“We knew Davidson was going to come out and give us a run for our money,” said forward Kayla Grimsley. “No matter what we have to fight for 90 minutes. You don’t play for 10 or 15, you play for 90.”

That never-say-die attitude worked well for South Carolina in the team’s run to the program’s first SEC Championship. Each additional achievement – the school record for wins, the first conference title, earning the first national seed – continues to fuel the Gamecocks and set the bar higher.

“I think we exceeded some people’s expectations this season,” said Grimsley. “We’re playing for ourselves and this school and state, we’re going to prove people wrong over and over again.”

“They’ve stepped up, they’ve the PKs in the net, they’ve made the game-winning save,” said Smith. “They’re put in pressure situations and they are taking that and turning around and being the best that they can be. I couldn’t be more proud of how they’re facing these challenges.”

While the current players continue to forge into new territory for Gamecock women’s soccer, they are inspiring former members of the program as well. Smith brought former Gamecock player Angela Austin (‘96-’99) to speak to the team after the win.

“I wanted them to hear how much they’ve affected everyone that follows our program,” said Smith. “She told them how much it meant to her and how much it inspired her as a person to see what this team is doing. The effect that they’ve had and they way that they play and act and represent the university – I’m proud of that.”

In addition to earning the program’s first postseason win, the Gamecocks brought out the biggest crowd in South Carolina women’s soccer history as 3,813 fans were in attendance.

“The fans that came out made a huge difference and we always say that we don’t lose at The Graveyard,” said goalkeeper Mollie Patton. “The fans really made the home field a huge advantage.”

The Gamecocks return to the pitch Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for a 2nd-round matchup with Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights dispatched Duke in the early match 2-0.

“I felt like Duke had more possession, but [Rutgers] took their chances,” said Smith. “Our team will need to be on top of their game and bring our best to be ready.”

The Heels beat the fifth-ranked Notre Dame on Friday night at Aggie Stadium, in College Station, Texas. It was an action packed game with UNC out shooting Notre Dame 26-8 in the game! There were over 8,000 fans watching this game and UNC came out in front by scoring the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute. Casey Nogueira scored the game winning goal with an assist from Lucy Bronze. This was Nogueira’s 13th NCAA goal! Winning this game definitely showed what the Heels can do and the best part is that they advance into the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship!!! They will face the undefeated Stanford at 1:00PM Sunday in the same place as the Notre Dame game. Carolina’s record is now at 105-7-1 in NCAA Tournament matches, making this the 23rd time that they will be playing in the National Championship. This was also the 93rd win for Carolina’s Seniors. UNC will be facing Stanford this Sunday at 1:00PM which will also be live on ESPNU. Be sure to show support for your women’s UNC soccer team!!! GO HEEELS!!

Black and Gold women soccer forwards Britney Joiner and Anna Svensson were honored by the Peach Belt Conference Nov.6 as both players were named to the all-PBC second team.

Joiner, the 2008 Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, played 17 games for the Lady Braves in 2009. 

 Sophomore stars
The sophomore finished the season with 24 points on 11 goals and two assists whole taking 61 shots for the Black and Gold.

The Jacksonville, N.C., native was also one of two UNCP players to register a hat trick in 2009, posting three goals in a Sept. 9 matchup against the St. Andrews Knights.

Joiner is currently fifth in the conference in shots take and goals and is tied for sixth overall in total points.

On the season, Joiner shot .180 percent.

Svensson joined Joiner on the all-conference second team after leading the Lady Braves in points in 2009.

 Freshman scores
The freshman tallied 29 points on a team-high 13 goals.  Svensson also had three assists this season. 

The offensive dynamo took 82 shots this season and was second in the Peach Belt Conference in points.

The Norrkiping, Sweden native was tied for third in the conference in points-per-game and total goals and was second in the PBC with five game winning goals.

Svensson was named the PBC Player of the Week twice in 2009.

Armstrong Atlantic’s Kristin Burton was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year and North Georgia’s Chris Adam earned conference Coach of the Year honors.

 All-Region
Along with her selection to the All-PBC team, Svensson was honored Nov. 17 with a selection to the 2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast region women’s soccer team.

Svensson made the all-region second team.

The Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Teams are voted on by the sports information directors of the Southeast Region. The region is comprised of the Conference Carolinas, the Peach Belt Conference, the South Atlantic Conference, Chowan University and North Greenville University.